By TIM TAYLORTioga County Sports Report
NEWARK VALLEY — They must have brought the cold in from the outside when the Newark Valley and Whitney Point girls basketball teams squared off on Senior Recognition night here Friday.
Both teams struggled to find the inside of the rim in the first half in the IAC Large School crossover game, but fortunately for the Cardinals, they were able to warm up after halftime to claim a 39-16 victory.
NV managed to work a 15-8 lead at halftime, then started to pull away in the second half and closed out the victory with a 15-4 fourth-quarter run.
“A lot happens. You never know what you're going to get on a senior night with the emotions and the distractions,” coach Greg Schweiger said.
“It's one of those nights where we thought we played well in the first half, but we couldn't make a basket. We ran everything we wanted to run, we got the shots we wanted to get, just couldn't put them down.”
Whitney Point led twice during the game, 1-0 on an Olivia Somers free throw and 3-2 following Sadee Short’s field goal midway through the first quarter.
NV went almost three minutes before putting points on the scoreboard on a Kam Short basket. Short put the Cardinals in front to stay with a pair of free throws at 3:09.
A free throw from Adriana Rich and a bucket by Aubrey Kwiatkowski made it 7-3 heading into the second period.
The Eagles closed the gap to 7-6, but a basket from Rich and a pair of free throws by Kwiatkowski pushed the lead to 11-6. Buckets by Haven Aylesworth and Elizabeth Phillips gave NV a 15-8 advantage at the break.
Whitney Point’s Bree Bechtel connected on a conventional 3-point play to trim the lead to 15-11 in the first minute of the third quarter.
The Cardinals answered with nine consecutive points to create a little space as Kwiatkowski wrapped bookend baskets around a Short bucket and a Rich 3-pointer.
With the advantage doubled up at 24-12 heading into the final frame, NV dominated with a 15-4 closing run.
Kwiatkowski drained two 3-pointers, Rich nailed a trey, and Short, Phillips and Aylesworth added one basket apiece.
The Cardinals, who made just 20 percent of their field goal attempts in the first half, connected on 44 percent of their tries in the second half. They also made 36 percent of their 3-point shots (4-for-11) after going 0-for-14 in the first half.
“Second half was much better,” Schweiger said. “We just settled down, made the game a little slower, executed better and started hitting some shots.
“My message always to them is, look, you play defense like that, 16 points, you've got a really good chance of winning even when you're not shooting the ball very well, so I was pleased with that.”
Of Newark Valley’s 48 rebounds, 32 came at the defensive end of the court. The Cardinals also blocked 12 shots and grabbed 13 steals.
NV’s two seniors led the way. Kwiatkowski pumped out 14 points, including two 3-pointers, and also had three rebounds, two steals and an assist, while Rich had nine points, including two treys, seven rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks.
Short contributed eight points, 16 boards, eight blocks, one assist and one steal; Phillips chipped in with four points, 12 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists; Aylesworth added four points, seven boards, three steals and two assists; Gabbi James had two rebounds and one assist; and Sarah Lamb tacked on a rebound.
Eleanora Jordan led the Eagles with four points. Bechtel, Short and Somers added three apiece.
“Whitney Point's certainly better than their record and very well-coached, so I'm pleased that we won that rock fight,” Schweiger said.
NV heads to Trumansburg on Tuesday.
——————
IN PHOTO 1: Adriana Rich. … PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.
