ROME - Every once in awhile, there's a team that sticks out in a school's history. It might not be a team that wins a title, but a memorable team that had every capability to do so.
Jill Connor / The Citizen
Margaret Roberts, a Weedsport junior, shoots under the basket during the Section III Class C-2 championship game against Beaver River at Rome Free Academy on Thursday. Beaver River player Danielle Chamberlain guards and teammate Kaitlin Hammersley waits for a rebound.
Margaret Roberts, a Weedsport junior, shoots under the basket during the Section III Class C-2 championship game against Beaver River at Rome Free Academy on Thursday. Beaver River player Danielle Chamberlain guards and teammate Kaitlin Hammersley waits for a rebound.
Without a championship banner to hang for 29 years, the 2007-08 Weedsport girls basketball team was ready. The team went 7-1 at home during the regular season, earning the second seed in the playoffs and jumped all the way to the Section III, Class C-2 finals.
But one of the best defenses in the section couldn't muster up points in crucial spots and fell to top-seeded Beaver River, 40-37 at Rome Free Academy on Thursday.
The slightly hungrier Beavers, who will advance to play Cooperstown for the Class C crown at Onondaga Community College on Saturday, hadn't won a sectional title in 30 years.
“We hadn't done this since 1978,” said Beavers' senior Danielle Chamberlain. “It's absolutely crazy.”
After missing four free throws in the final 1:08 in the game that would have given the Beavers a comfortable lead, Chamberlain (12 points) recovered to sink both shots with 12 seconds remaining to put the Beavers up 39-34.
“I was so psyched that I made those, because I go to the line a lot and when I do, I usually don't miss,” Chamberlain said. “When I missed earlier, I was really mad. But when I made those, I knew we were going to be OK.”
The Warriors missed on an opportunity to close the score when they turned the ball over under their basket, but Katelyn Spingler hit on a 3-pointer - the only one of the game for the Warriors - with 5.5 ticks left on the clock. With the two-point lead, the Beavers' Ashley Widrick went 1-for-2 at the foul line with 3.2 seconds left in the game.
“I told them (during the ensuing timeout) to go after the ball as hard as we can,” Weedsport coach Chris Vargason said. “First I told them to deny it in-bounds and if they get it, foul them immediately because we were only down by two. We had to create an opportunity.”
A quick rebound gave Warriors senior Allison Beardsley a long shot, literally, as she desperately hurled the ball from half court. It sailed just left of the backboard and the Beavers began their long-awaited celebration.
Despite being shut out in the second quarter, the Warriors controlled most of the game, falling behind for the first time with 4:57 in the fourth quarter. Tessa VanDerVeeken, who led the Beavers with 13 points, tied the score at 27 with a jump shot with 5:39 left and after a Warriors turnover, Payge Lehman did what not many other teams have been able to do against the Warriors this season - hit a 3. It was the third and last of the game for Beaver River.
“I think we were kind of shocked (when Beaver River took the lead), but I called a timeout and told them that we've been here before and just focus on what we need to do,” Vargason said. “Earlier in the game we went to Margaret Roberts a lot because there was a bit of a mismatch there and we got away from that in the second half.”
Lehman's shot gave the Beavers seven points in the quarter at that point, but more importantly, the Warriors hadn't scored any. Markie Kreplin going 1-for-2 at the foul line with 4:17 left in the game was the first score for the team since Margaret Roberts went 2-for-2 with 40.3 seconds left in the third.
Roberts dominated inside for most of the game, leading the Warriors with 16 points - 10 of which came in the second half. Kaitlin Hammersley, one of Weedsport's best shooters, scored nine but fouled out with 1:08 left in regulation.
Even with a defensive second quarter that saw more combined travels (five) than points (two), Weedsport still had momentum going into the locker room at the half. Beaver River's McKayla Nuffer put up the quarter's only points with a layup at the 2:30 mark. Weedsport missed on 11 shots, to Beaver River's 17 attempts.
“They put very good man-to-man defense on us and they took us out of the game in that quarter,” Vargason said. “They won that one.”
Neither coach admitted to a rousing halftime speech, but the break did both teams good. Weedsport scored 14 points in the third and the Beavers put up 11. Both teams each scored four points in the first two minutes alone.
“We didn't make any adjustments,” Beavers coach Bob Chamberlain said. “We were playing pretty good defense. I don't know how talented we are, but we played pretty hard. We got in trouble in the first quarter, I just told them to take deep breaths and to relax. There were still 16 minutes left to play.”
“Luckily, we were the team that scored two, and not zero,” added Danielle Chamberlain. “We've played in a lot of close games this year and we knew that if we could keep it close at halftime, we could probably win it. We went into the locker room happy that we kept them from scoring.”
Despite the loss, Weedsports' first-year head coach told his disappointed team after the game they have nothing to be sorry for.
“We had a great season,” Vargason said. “I'm happy with our kids overall. I apologized to the seniors for not getting them a banner up in the gym and told the others that they know what it feels like now, to get here.
“I just feel bad for the school - everyone has been behind this team. To me a team is the mom and dads, the kids, the families, the community, the school, the athletic director, the principal and the custodian that sweeps the gym floor for us - it's everybody. We didn't get it done for the team tonight, but I don't think we have anything to be ashamed of.”
Beavers 40
Warriors 37
But one of the best defenses in the section couldn't muster up points in crucial spots and fell to top-seeded Beaver River, 40-37 at Rome Free Academy on Thursday.
The slightly hungrier Beavers, who will advance to play Cooperstown for the Class C crown at Onondaga Community College on Saturday, hadn't won a sectional title in 30 years.
“We hadn't done this since 1978,” said Beavers' senior Danielle Chamberlain. “It's absolutely crazy.”
After missing four free throws in the final 1:08 in the game that would have given the Beavers a comfortable lead, Chamberlain (12 points) recovered to sink both shots with 12 seconds remaining to put the Beavers up 39-34.
“I was so psyched that I made those, because I go to the line a lot and when I do, I usually don't miss,” Chamberlain said. “When I missed earlier, I was really mad. But when I made those, I knew we were going to be OK.”
The Warriors missed on an opportunity to close the score when they turned the ball over under their basket, but Katelyn Spingler hit on a 3-pointer - the only one of the game for the Warriors - with 5.5 ticks left on the clock. With the two-point lead, the Beavers' Ashley Widrick went 1-for-2 at the foul line with 3.2 seconds left in the game.
“I told them (during the ensuing timeout) to go after the ball as hard as we can,” Weedsport coach Chris Vargason said. “First I told them to deny it in-bounds and if they get it, foul them immediately because we were only down by two. We had to create an opportunity.”
A quick rebound gave Warriors senior Allison Beardsley a long shot, literally, as she desperately hurled the ball from half court. It sailed just left of the backboard and the Beavers began their long-awaited celebration.
Despite being shut out in the second quarter, the Warriors controlled most of the game, falling behind for the first time with 4:57 in the fourth quarter. Tessa VanDerVeeken, who led the Beavers with 13 points, tied the score at 27 with a jump shot with 5:39 left and after a Warriors turnover, Payge Lehman did what not many other teams have been able to do against the Warriors this season - hit a 3. It was the third and last of the game for Beaver River.
“I think we were kind of shocked (when Beaver River took the lead), but I called a timeout and told them that we've been here before and just focus on what we need to do,” Vargason said. “Earlier in the game we went to Margaret Roberts a lot because there was a bit of a mismatch there and we got away from that in the second half.”
Lehman's shot gave the Beavers seven points in the quarter at that point, but more importantly, the Warriors hadn't scored any. Markie Kreplin going 1-for-2 at the foul line with 4:17 left in the game was the first score for the team since Margaret Roberts went 2-for-2 with 40.3 seconds left in the third.
Roberts dominated inside for most of the game, leading the Warriors with 16 points - 10 of which came in the second half. Kaitlin Hammersley, one of Weedsport's best shooters, scored nine but fouled out with 1:08 left in regulation.
Even with a defensive second quarter that saw more combined travels (five) than points (two), Weedsport still had momentum going into the locker room at the half. Beaver River's McKayla Nuffer put up the quarter's only points with a layup at the 2:30 mark. Weedsport missed on 11 shots, to Beaver River's 17 attempts.
“They put very good man-to-man defense on us and they took us out of the game in that quarter,” Vargason said. “They won that one.”
Neither coach admitted to a rousing halftime speech, but the break did both teams good. Weedsport scored 14 points in the third and the Beavers put up 11. Both teams each scored four points in the first two minutes alone.
“We didn't make any adjustments,” Beavers coach Bob Chamberlain said. “We were playing pretty good defense. I don't know how talented we are, but we played pretty hard. We got in trouble in the first quarter, I just told them to take deep breaths and to relax. There were still 16 minutes left to play.”
“Luckily, we were the team that scored two, and not zero,” added Danielle Chamberlain. “We've played in a lot of close games this year and we knew that if we could keep it close at halftime, we could probably win it. We went into the locker room happy that we kept them from scoring.”
Despite the loss, Weedsports' first-year head coach told his disappointed team after the game they have nothing to be sorry for.
“We had a great season,” Vargason said. “I'm happy with our kids overall. I apologized to the seniors for not getting them a banner up in the gym and told the others that they know what it feels like now, to get here.
“I just feel bad for the school - everyone has been behind this team. To me a team is the mom and dads, the kids, the families, the community, the school, the athletic director, the principal and the custodian that sweeps the gym floor for us - it's everybody. We didn't get it done for the team tonight, but I don't think we have anything to be ashamed of.”
Beavers 40
Warriors 37
