by TYLER HATHAWAY
After falling behind 13-6 through the first eight minutes of play, Pittsford Sutherland (No. 1 Class AA NYSSWA) overcame the slow start and rallied to beat Canandaigua 47-41. The Knights used a 13-0 run in the opening minutes of the second quarter to get back in the game and a stretch of great defense in the second half to seize control late.
“I thought we kind of persevered a little bit,” said Knights head coach Dan Judd after the game. ”We were just not ready to play to start, with six points in the first quarter, and then we kind of got going a little bit in a better second quarter. Then we caught that little spurt early in the fourth to get our rhythm going. It was a dog fight for sure.”
A first quarter littered with turnovers and only one made field goal in the first six minutes held the Knights back. Judd met with his team in between quarters and helped settle his squad down.
“The message was basically to take it one play at a time and to value every possession,” said Judd. “Start taking care of the ball, start playing inside out. We were taking too many threes early. Let’s get the ball inside out and good things will happen.”
Junior Lucy Bush sparked the run, scoring eight straight points to open the second frame. Bush ended the night with a game-high 22 points and seven rebounds.
“She’s so good and she’s an even better kid,” said Judd of his guard. “She’s just an awesome player to coach.”
Trailing 26-24 at halftime, the teams traded buckets in the beginning minutes of the third quarter. But from the two-minute mark in the third to the one-minute mark in the fourth, Pittsford Sutherland outscored Canandaigua 13-6 to seize control of the game.
“I think we finally sort of adjusted a little to what they were trying to do,” said Judd of what the difference was late. “I think we understood our game plan a little bit better. I thought we weren’t mentally sharp early, and we were much more mentally sharp late in the game.”
It’s the tenth straight win for a Knights team that took home the Section V Class A title a season ago.
“We’ve got a lot of experienced players,” Judd explained. “I’m really fortunate that we have some really good players. We’ve still got a lot to go in the process. We got to get better every day, that’s the goal.”
The 47 points from Pittsford Sutherland was the most scored by a Canandaigua opponent all season. Entering Friday’s game, the two teams sat at number one and number two in the Section V Class AA2 standings. This is the only time the two squads will meet in the regular season.
Madison Littlefield added 10 points for the Knights. Petra Hunt had five points. Mackenzie Dermody (4), Sydney Bryant (3), and Taylor Hamilton (3) also scored for Pittsford Sutherland.
For Canandaigua (9-2), Sophia Frayne paced the team with 16 points. Leah Sheridan tallied 13 points. Gianna Buchlere chipped in 12 points.
“I’m really fortunate to have all these kids,” said Judd of his team. “They’re a really nice team and a great group of kids.”
Pittsford Sutherland continues its season Monday night, when it will travel to face Fairport. Canandaigua will take on Pittsford Mendon on the road this upcoming Tuesday.
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