By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — On a night dedicated to local First Responders, Shania Estrich came to the rescue for the Greece Olympia Girls’ Basketball team.
Estrich scored nine of her game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter as Olympia rallied to defeat Eastridge, 46-44 in Monroe County Division IV action.
“I had to step up my game,” the 5-foot-5 point guard said. “That was one of the times for me to lock completely in and play the best basketball I can play.”
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Estrich’s layup with 1:50 remaining in the game capped a 12-0 run to give the Spartans their first lead since a 2-0 advantage in the opening moments of the contest’s first quarter.
Shaunia Estrich puts the @GirlsOlympia up 1 with 1:50 to play @GreeceCentral @GreeceOlympia pic.twitter.com/NzllhzFCHR
— Marc Fleming (@MarcFleming77) December 11, 2021
“We all realized we could be playing much better as a team,” she said of the fourth-quarter comeback. “We all looked at each other and knew we had to do it.”
Trailing 44-33 with less than six minutes remaining in the game, Estrich sparked the rally when she converted a two-on-one break with teammate Maddie Kielkowicz.
Shania Estrich from Maddie Kielkowicz. @GirlsOlympia have cut the deficit to 6 with under 4 to go. pic.twitter.com/yMdymSNW1o
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 11, 2021
Nondja Nelson followed with a three-pointer and another basket to make it a four-point game at 44-40.
Estrich, who connected on just one field goal through the first 20 minutes of the game, took over from there scoring the next five points.
“I’m not really thinking about scoring at that point,” she said. “If I see it and if I know I can make it, I’m there. I’ll rush to get it.”
The 5-foot-5 sophomore guard converted one-of-two free throws before grabbing a long rebound and going the length of the floor to cut the deficit to one. She took advantage of a turnover to get in the open floor for the go-ahead basket.
Shania Estrich goes the length of the floor for an and-one. @GirlsOlympia is witching one at 44-43. pic.twitter.com/Bki1WVCKKj
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 11, 2021
“It feels great,” Estrich said of the win. “It was quite a game.”
Eastridge’s Nora Miller scored 13 of her 16 points in the first half to help the Lancers to a 29-16 lead at halftime. Grace Devlin and Ada Krupa added a bucket in the third quarter and Eastridge had a 40-29 advantage heading into the final eight minutes of play.
Nora Miller connects from the corner for 2 of her 13 first-half points. @ERidgeLancers 29 @GirlsOlympia 16 pic.twitter.com/Ie1LVCvjTM
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 11, 2021
“It started off as first-game jitters,” Estrich said of her earlier shooting struggles. “I needed to get that out of my system. Once I did, it just clicked. I played my basketball.”
Nelson finished with 12 points for the Spartans. Kielkowicz added nine. Kyleigh Bathe scored five, and Macie Vetter rounded out the scoring for Olympia with three.
Grace Devlin finishes in the lane. Heading to the 4th: @ERidgeLancers 40 @GirlsOlympia 29 pic.twitter.com/dPtUQBkEtz
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 11, 2021
Devlin and Madyson Fizer scored eight apiece for the Lancers. Krupa and Ella Scantlin had four along with Lee’Lah Ahsafen.
The game was dedicated as First Responders’ Night with Medal of Valor and Purple Heart recipient Denny Wright on hand as well as former Greece Police Chief Patrick Phelan, former Rochester Police Chief La’Ron Singletary as well as members of the Greece Police Department and the Ridge Road Fire Department.
The event was the second annual with Olympia Girls’ Basketball hosting local forces in 2019.
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