IAC GIRLS BASKETBALL: CANDOR RALLIES FROM EARLY DOUBLE-DIGIT DEFICIT TO TOP DEFENDING STATE CHAMP MORAVIA, 60-53 (2024-12-20)

Tioga County Sports Report
CANDOR — Defending state champion Moravia scored the first 11 points of the game, but Candor rallied to take the lead for good in the second quarter on its way to a 60-53 win here Friday night in IAC Small School girls basketball crossover action.

"Our offense was great again, but the story of the night was our defense in the middle quarters," said Candor coach Carl Kanoff.

"Moravia was missing two starters, but they still had a great one-two punch with their point guard and post.

"Caraline Wasileski is an all-state player and she started to do damage against us immediately in the first quarter," noted Kanoff. "We switched defenses and Hazel Ray did an outstanding job of not only limiting her touches, but defending her when she got the ball inside.

"Claire Rollins worked relentlessly on their point. All the others backed them up with tremendous effort on help defense and rebounding.

"We may have given up over 50 points by the end, but it was our defense that created our lead," said Kanoff. "Then when they crept back, we had big-time shots from Emmi (Makie), Megan (Williamson), and Nicola (Soper).

"It was another great team performance, I couldn't be prouder of their effort and resilience," he added.

Moravia rushed out to an 11-0 lead until Megan Williamson hit a3- pointer to get Candor on the board.

The teams traded baskets for a stretch until the Coyotes caught fire with about 2 minutes remaining in the first quarter, getting four points from Hazel Ray and 3-pointers from Malley Heidl and Emmi Makie, which tied the game at 19-19.

The Blue Devils scored with 5 seconds remaining in the opening stanza to take a 21-19 lead, but the Coyotes took charge in the second quarter on the strength of 10 points from Makie, and built a 32-27 lead at the half.

Candor's defense continued what it started in the second quarter, allowing only three field goals during the eight-minute stanza, which saw the Coyotes lead swell to 15 with a 13-7 spurt that upped the lead to 45-33.

Williamson ended the stanza with a 3-pointer to give Candor a 48-33 lead entering the final eight minutes.

Moravia battled back down the stretch, hitting a trio of 3-pointers to cut into the Coyote lead, but Candor maintained a cushion with 3-pointers from Makie and Nicola Soper, an offensive putback from Ray and a lay up from Rollins.

Makie led Candor with 23 points, including five 3-pointers, and five rebounds, while Soper scored 13 points, pulled down 19 rebounds, and collected four steals, and Williamson had 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, five rebound, four assists, and four steals.

Ray had seven points, eight rebounds, and three steals for the Coyotes, while Rollins had four points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals, Heild dished out three steals, and Shawna Conklin chipped in with three boards.

Caraline Wasileski led Moravia with 14 points, and Olivia Genson and Lashley Castillo each scored 12.

With the win, Candor gains a bit of redemption for a 70-20 loss to Moravia's in last season's IAC Shamm School Championship game.

Candor, now 4-1, returns to action Jan. 3 at Marathon.

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IN PHOTO: Candor Nicola Soper.


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