IAC GIRLS BASKETBALL: NEWARK VALLEY COMEBACK FALLS SHORT IN LOSS TO WATKINS GLEN (2025-01-31)
By TIM TAYLOR
Tioga County Sports Report
NEWARK VALLEY — Newark Valley put together a valiant comeback against Watkins Glen here Friday evening, but came up short in a 51-38 IAC South Large School girls basketball clash here Friday.
The Cardinals struggled through a 7-minute scoring slump which started in the final 30 seconds of the first quarter, leaving them trailing, 27-18 at halftime.
“Digging yourself the hole in the second quarter was big for this game,” said NV coach Greg Schweiger. “We did a nice job in the second half responding and doing some positive things and I just felt like we ran out of gas.”
The Lake Hawks’ Emma Cady scored the first seven points of the third period, her only points of the evening, Watkins Glen would build its largest lead of the game, 34-20.
Four free throws by Finta, two more from Anika Smith and a bucket by Haven Aylesworth would cut the gap to 39-28 heading into the final frame and the Cardinals would begin to surge.
Kam Short opened the fourth-quarter scoring and Anika Smith would drive the baseline for a pair of baskets with Adriana Rich adding a field goal to trim the lead to 42-36 with 5:03 remaining.
It was Short’s last points before fouling out with 5:55 remaining. She and Rich both ran into foul trouble, which hurt for a team already down two players.
“When you have foul trouble and injuries during a game, it limits your rotation against an athletic, physical team. It kind of limited what we could do, but credit my girls that they fought really hard,” Schweiger said.
The teams would trade baskets with Finta making it 44-38 with 3:10 remaining, but the Cardinals would go cold down the stretch and Watkins Glen would pull away as Addison Coolican wrapped a pair of baskets around a Rachel Vickio trey.
“I felt like the first time we played them, we didn't play well and we gave them a much better game this time around, so I'm proud of that,” Schweiger said.
Newark Valley would start the night strong as Kam Short scored just 10 seconds after tip-off. Liv Short followed with a field goal, then Rich added a basket and moments later a free throw before Oliver knocked down a three-ball to give the Lake Hawks their first lead at 9-7.
Finta tied the game at nine, Liv Short knotted things up at 11 and 13, then Finta put NV back in front, 15-13, with a steal and layup with 24 seconds left in the first quarter.
Brianna Hatch, Oliver and Coolican combined on a 10-point run to put Watkins Glen ahead for good at 23-15.
Rich ended the NV scoring drought with a free throw at 1:25 and Audrey Kwiatkowski added the team’s only basket of the period with just under a minute left in the half.
The Cardinals struggled shooting the ball, making just 14 of 50 field goal attempts, including 0-for-16 from 3-point range. They were 10-for-18 from the free throw line with Finta hitting all six of her foul shots.
“Credit their defense,” Schweiger said. “They play a stout man-to-man defense and it makes it hard, but I do think this time around we did a better job of generating shots, quality shots, than we did the first time around, so I take that as a positive too. Some of them didn't go in and we certainly didn't get to the foul line as much as I would've liked, but I'm very pleased with the improvement we made over the past month.”
Finta would lead NV with a dozen points, and also contributed seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Rich, Liv Short and Smith scored six points apiece with Short adding eight boards, four blocks and three steals, and Rich handing out two assists. Kam Short chipped in with four points and three blocks, Aylesworth had two points and five boards; and Kwiatkowski tacked on two points.
Oliver paced Watkins Glen with 11 points, including three treys, and Hatch recorded a double-double with 10 points and 17 rebounds. Coolican added 10 points
The Lake Hawks move to 9-0 in the division while NV slips to 8-2.
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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
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