PLATTSBURGH — Senior Hannah Gaddor was determined to help get the Moriah girls’ basketball team a Section VII Class C championship on Saturday at Clinton Community College.
Gaddor scored 10 of her game-high 13 points in the second half to lead the top-seeded Vikings to a 37-33 victory over rival and second-seeded Ticonderoga.
“Hannah has wanted this sectional championship for a while now and she made sure we left with it.” Moriah coach Gary Olcott said.
“She led us with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and really helped the younger guards get comfortable against Ticonderoga’s zone press.
“A great team effort all around. The junior varsity girls that moved up played a huge part in getting us ready for the bigger court and the bigger spotlight.”
The Vikings avenged 42-34 and 50-37 losses to the Sentinels during the regular season.
Defense ruled the day over offense — and that was fine with Olcott.
“This back-and-forth game played to our advantage,” he said. “I knew if Ti got out to a double-digit lead like prior games it was over and I felt if we were able to get out to a good lead our defense would soften.
“No team had more than a six-point lead. It was definitely more of a defensive game than an offensive game.”
Emma Harrington added nine points and Emmy Nephew eight for the Vikings. Gaddor, Harrington and Nephew each hit two three-pointers, with Gaddor hitting a huge three in the second half from the corner as time was winding down on the shot clock.
Cassidy Mattison paced the Sentinels (15-7) with 11 points and Sophia Johndrow added nine.
“(Coach) Dan Dorsett and his girls had an amazing season with some very impressive scores,” Olcott said. “We can’t match that offensive output, so we had to bring it on defense.
“Emma Harrington was the difference in the game. She fought over screens on every possession to keep Sophia Dorsett from getting the looks she wanted. If Sophia would have gotten a split second longer on her shots, it would have been over. There isn’t a better shooter in the league from deep.”
Neither team was able to get off to a good start offensively. Ti held an 8-6 lead after one and Moriah (11-10) took a 17-13 lead into the halftime.
“We couldn’t have gotten off to a worst start,” Olcott said. “Ticonderoga’s press crippled us during the regular season and it looked like it was going to again in this game. We didn’t get a shot attempt off in the first four minutes of the game.
“I told the girls all week our defense would have to keep us in the game. They worked hard all week on their defensive assignments and executed today.”
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Moriah 37, Ticonderoga 33
Ticonderoga (33)
Johndrow 2-5-9, Moore 2-1-5, Dorsett 2-0-4, Drinkwine 2-0-4, Mattison 4-2-11, Charboneau 0-0-0, Whitford 0-0-0, Pound 0-0-0, Bechard 0-0-0. Totals- 12-8-33.
Moriah (37)
Mascarenas 0-0-0, Harrington 3-1-9, Eichen 1-3-5, Nephew 3-0-8, Cheney 0-2-2, Speshock 0-0-0, Gaddor 5-1-13. Totals- 12-7-37.
Halftime- MCS, 17-14.
3 point goals- TCS (1) Mattison. MCS (6) Gaddor 2, Harrington 2, Nephew 2.