By PAUL GOTHAM
TROY, N.Y. — Elena Graziano didn’t feel comfortable with her shooting touch after pregame warmups, Friday night at Hudson Valley Community College’s McDonough Field House.
Ah, but what can happen with that magical moment when a shooter sees the ball go through the twine for the first time in a game.
Graziano connected on 4-of-4 attempts from long range after halftime including the game winner as time expired, and Hilton girls’ basketball clinched a spot in Saturday’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class AA championship with a 73-71 overtime defeat of Section II champion, Averill Park.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM LAURA ACCIAO.
Trailing by one, the junior guard took a pass in the left corner from classmate Mallory Heise and buried a catch-and-shoot triple to send the Cadets to their first state championship appearance in program history.
“The fact that the best point guard in the state trusts me and kicks it to me, gives me a lot of confidence,” she said. “My teammates trust me to shoot it. They give me the confidence.”
Coming out of timeout with 7.5 seconds remaining in overtime, Maddie Murphy inbounded the ball along the right side of the floor.
Heise, playing with four fouls, took the pass below foul-line extended and used a ball screen from Leah Thompson to get into the lane. The 5-foot-8 guard warded off a pair of Averill Park defenders before finding Graziano alone in the corner.
Game winner… my angle 🎥
— Empire State Takeover (@NYSTakeover) March 16, 2024
Not the first time Elena Graziano canned a big 3 in @LadyCadetsHoops playoff run. However, this one likely goes down as the lifetime memory.
Down 1, final seconds of OT, @HeiseMallory (27 pts) drive & WINNING PLAY w/ on target pass, Graziano… game 🎯 pic.twitter.com/TKk7m7mguM
The right-hander didn’t hesitate.
“It felt really good,” Graziano said of the moment the ball left her hand. “I was like ‘all right, this is it.’”
With the win, the Hilton program which had yet to play in a regional game prior to this season, will tip off against Section I champion Albertus Magnus for the state title.
“In the beginning of the year, we definitely knew we would go far. But going this far is definitely a wake-up call to say how good we actually are. It’s crazy.”
Graziano’s first trey of the night, also from the left corner, gave Hilton a 49-46 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter. Her next three-ball was a near carbon copy and made it a 53-46 game.
Ella Clark gives Hilton a 61-60 lead. pic.twitter.com/jmhHRnT1Lz
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 16, 2024
Mallory Heise ties the score at 63 with 15.3 to go. pic.twitter.com/m1W3xtjp9t
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 16, 2024
Elena Graziano starts the scoring in overtime. pic.twitter.com/VQwxmR02o1
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 16, 2024
She opened the scoring in overtime with another shot from distance and finished the night with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting for the floor and 2-of-2 from the free throw line.
“You know what they say, if you miss every one in warmups, you make them in games. And I definitely did not make any in warmups.”
Trailing 35-33 coming out of halftime, Hilton scored the first nine points of the third quarter.
Ella Clark took a pass from Thompson and finished in the lane. Heise drove the left side for a layup. Clark scored in transition, and Heise hit a three for a 42-35 Cadet lead.
Averill Park (24-1) rallied. Taylor Holohan’s steal and score tied the game at 46.
Kayleigh Ahern’s three gave the Warriors a 54-53 edge with less than six minutes to go in regulation.
The teams traded leads five times for the remainder of the fourth before Heise’s leaner in the lane sent the game to overtime.
Heise scored 27 on 12-of-22 shooting. Clark finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists. Murphy and Thompson added nine apiece.
Averill Park’s Holohan topped all scorers with 31 points on 14-of-21 shooting. The senior forward also grabbed 10 rebounds. Ahern had 14 points. Arianna Verardi scored 17.
An 8:45 PM tip off is scheduled for the Class AA championship on Saturday.
All we saw was BUZZER beater on the Channel 10 news….this write up was wonderful…..how exciting….now on to tonight’s 8:45 game.
Thank you for your coverage of Hilton sports all year. Your outlet has done a tremendous job in the promotion of ALL high school sports. Thanks again.