HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL: CLASS D STATE SEMIFINAL

By Rob

Contributed photo by BCH Photos Jessica Laing drives to the basket in the first quarter as Felicia Hackett (15) and Colleen Swinton defend during a Class D state semifinal Saturday at Hudson Valley Community College.

Centorani

Staff Writer

TROY — South Kortright went 6-for-7 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and held off Section Five’s Batavia Notre Dame, 46-38, in Saturday’s Class D state girls basketball semifinal.

Senior Jessica Laing scored a team-high 18 points and classmate Emily White scored four points in the final 1 minute, 40 seconds, leading the Rams to their first state championship game appearance, at Hudson Valley Community College.

SK defeated Chapel Field, 70-52, Sunday to win the school’s first state title.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]"She really stepped up," Laing said of White, who scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds. "She did awesome in the fourth quarter. We usually say we own the fourth quarter."

It didn’t appear that away early in the quarter as the Fighting Irish’s Ali Haitz hit a three-pointer from the wing to make it 33-29 with 5:58 left.

All-Tournament selection Haitz shot 5-for-7 from three-point range and scored a game-high 21 points for the Irish, which entered the semi as the top-ranked team in Class D.

But sophomore Jordan Nichols (nine points) answered with her lone three-pointer of the game on SK’s next possession, making it 36-29 with 5:42 left.

Laing, who came into the semi averaging 24.5 points, hit two free throws with 5:11 left and converted a runner off the glass with 3:50 to play that made it 40-31.

Batavia Notre Dame’s Charlie Scott-McGrail made a putback with 2:57 left, cutting the Irish’s deficit to 40-33.

White then made her most difficult shot of the game. With the shot clock under 5, the right-handed White, drove left and banked in an off balance 6-footer. It gave the Rams a 42-33 lead with 1:40 left.

"I was going to shoot it, but a girl was coming at me," said White, who was at the left elbow before starting her drive. "I saw the lane was filled up on the other side, so I said I better go left."

Scott-McGrail made a putback before Haitz hit the last of her five three-pointers with 49.6 seconds left to make it 42-38.

Batavia still had two fouls to give to get SK into the penalty, and the Rams ran off 20 seconds before Heidi Norton sent White to the line for a 1-and-1 with 29.5 seconds left.

White made both free throws and Felicia Hackett missed a three-pointer at the other end. Laing rebounded and passed to Kassie Tiller, who was fouled with 13.8 seconds to play.

Tiller missed, but Taryn Moskal mishandled the rebound and the ball went back to the Rams with 11.7 left. Tiller was fouled again and made both shots to seal it.

"That Jessica Laing, she was a good player," Fighting Irish coach Dave Pero said. "She got some good support from the cast and they made it tough for us."

SOUTH KORTRIGHT 46, BATAVIA ND 38

4-SOUTH KORTRIGHT (24-1): Jessica Laing 7-12 4-4 18, Kassie Tiller 1-5 2-3 5, Jordan Nichols 4-10 0-0 9, Allison Gardner 0-9 0-0 0, Emily White 4-8 2-2 10, Jessica Cole 1-2 0-0 2, Patti Austin 1-3 0-0 2. TOTALS: 18-49 8-9 46.

5-BATAVIA NOTRE DAME (23-3): Heidi Norton 4-6 0-0 8, Felicia Hackett 1-7 0-0 2, Taryn Moskal 0-3 0-0 0, Ali Haitz 8-22 0-0 21, Jamie Morey 1-9 0-2 2, Colleen Swinton 0-0 0-0 0, Charlie Scott-McGrail 2-6 1-4 5. TOTALS: 16-53 1-6 38.

South Kortright 10 15 6 15 — 46

Batavia ND 7 7 10 14 — 38

Three-point field goals: S 2-13 (Laing 0-3, Tiller 1-5, Nichols 1-3, Gardner 0-2); B 5-8 (Moskal 0-1, Haitz 5-7). Rebounds: S 27 (White 8); B 35 (Norton 10). Assists: S 8 (Gardner 3); B 7 (Hackett 3).