By STEVE BRADLEY
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. – Junior guard Braelyn Isaman turned in a second consecutive MVP performance as the Keshequa girls’ basketball team withstood a late charge from Oakfield-Alabama to secure a 49-43 victory and repeat as Section V Class C2 champions Saturday afternoon at Finger Lakes Community College.
“She’s a wonderful player, I’m glad that she’s on my side,” Piraino said. “She can do a lot of things. She’s good on defense, she can rebound and she’s a double-double every night. … She’s definitely a key person on our team and she also has great teammates and they all work together so well.”
Yes, they do.
Isaman led top-seeded Keshequa (22-1) with 22 points, 16 rebounds and 4 steals, but it took a group effort to knock the second-seeded Hornets (22-1) from the ranks of the unbeaten.
The Wildcats built a 35-28 lead after three quarters but O-A opened the fourth quarter with a 13-7 run to cut the deficit to one point with less than two minutes to play.
Keshequa responded with a 7-2 spurt to close the game and earn the program’s 10th Section V championship.
“I definitely think that our experience helped,” said Isaman, who was also named MVP after scoring 20 points in last year’s 57-52 title game win over York. “We knew what we needed to do in the situation.”
Isaman scored five points in the fourth quarter and freshman center Alicia Wood converted three of four free throws as the Wildcats made seven of 10 shots from the line. Wood finished with 10 points.
“We made our foul shots, which was a big key,” Piraino said. “We made two or three plays and got some offensive rebounds, but I wouldn’t take anything away from them, they made a lot of good plays, too.”
Seventh-grader Hadley Hicks sparked the Hornets rally by scoring eight of her team-high 13 points in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Allison Harkness added 12 points for O-A, which was the last remaining undefeated team – boys or girls – in Section V and junior Alexa Clark chipped in 10.
Keshequa opened the game with a 10-0 run but the Hornets regrouped behind five points from Harkness to tie the game at 11 after the first quarter.
Isaman scored eight in the second quarter as the Wildcats took a 24-20 lead at the break and extended the advantage to seven by outscoring the Hornets 11-8 in the third.
Bree Benner made a pair of three-pointers and scored eight points for Keshequa and Ryley Benner added six. Riley Nageldinger, the Wildcats only senior, played a gritty game with 3 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks.
“We knew that they were a tough defending team and that their defense was really good,” Isaman said. “We just needed to attack the gaps, play hard and get the rebounds and I think that we succeeded on that part.”
Keshequa moves on to play Class C1 champion Canisteo-Greenwood in the state qualifier on Tuesday.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Mattie McCumiskey (Fillmore), Tessa Rodwell (York), Hadley Hicks (Oakfield-Alabama), Allison Harkness (Oakfield-Alabama), Ryley Benner (Keshequa), Riley Nageldinger (Keshequa).
MVP: Braelyn Isaman (Keshequa).
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