Girls basketball: Warwick tops Monroe-Woodbury for its first section title since 2011
LOCH SHELDRAKE – The outcome was already at hand but that wasn’t about to slow down Paige Girardi. The Warwick junior forward got a pass in the low post, drove across the baseline as two Monroe-Woodbury defenders swooped in to stop her and scored off a reverse lay-up for the game’s final points on Tuesday night.
“I know the team needed a bucket at the end of the game just to seal it,’’ Girardi said. “So at the end of the shot clock I wanted the ball and I just wanted to score for my team and just feel safe.’’
It was typical of the fear-nothing style a smaller Wildcats team had to employ in order to knock off their taller challengers for a third time. They weren’t always successful in their head-long forays but enough so to beat the Crusaders, 35-24, in the Class AA final at SUNY Sullivan.
It was Warwick’s first Section 9 title since winning Class A in 2011 when just about all of the Wildcats were in elementary school.
“It turned out basketball-wise where I was hoping it wouldn't, which was a dog fight, defensive struggle,’’ said Warwick coach Jim O’Brien. “I was hoping we'd be able to make more shots. But this is our (style): we play defense, we dive, we scrap, so I'm proud of how they played and how they played defense.’’ Warwick held Newburgh to 22 points in Sunday’s semifinal win and opponents to under 25 six times.
It doesn’t get much better than pitching a 10-0 shutout in the first quarter, holding the Crusaders to 0-for-10 shooting and forcing seven turnovers.
“I know we really like to focus on our defense,’’ said Warwick guard Megan Desrats. “When we're really moving around, getting deflections and steals, that really leads to our offense and then just having confidence to knock down shots.’’
Turning point
Girardi was the game’s only double-digit scorer with 16 points. It was her two baskets in the third quarter that restored some confidence that had waned with the Wildcats. Warwick missed its first seven shots and turned the ball over three times as the Crusaders gained a bit of life and pulled within 23-15. Girardi stopped the bleeding with 3-pointer from the top of the key. Monroe drew within six before Warwick closed the quarter with a 5-0 run, capped when Girardi tucked the ball on her hip – and a defender on the other – as she drove into the lane from the left wing and willed a push shot for a bucket and 31-20 lead. The Crusaders never drew closer than seven in the fourth quarter.
Quotable
“It feels awesome. We've been working all season. This has definitely been a goal for the last couple of years and it feels really great to finally win this Section 9 championship. I'm so excited.’’ – Warwick junior guard Megan Desrats
By the numbers
Warwick (19-2) – Warwick shot 13-for-46 (28.3 percent) and hit six of 26 attempts beyond the arc. The Wildcats had 13 turnovers but Monroe only scored nine points off the miscues. Warwick swept Monroe-Woodbury three times during its 18-game win streak. The 35 points scored is the second-lowest output of the season (25 in a loss to John Jay-East Fishkill on Dec. 9). This was the Wildcats’ seventh sectional title since 1977 and the first in Class AA. They also have three in Class A and three in Class B.
Monroe-Woodbury (16-6) – Arianna Exarchakis scored eight points, Ella Natal seven and Olivia Shippee six. Monroe shot 11-for-43 (25.6 percent) and hit just two of 10 3-point attempts. The Crusaders committed 19 turnovers, though Warwick only turned the miscues into seven points. The Crusaders lose four seniors to graduation: starters Kiera Cunningham, Kelsey O’Brien and Lauren Mergante and reserve Lindsay Sundheimer. Kelsey is Jim O’Brien’s daughter so the Warwick coach was a bit reserved in his post-game celebration.
Up next
Warwick has a week to prepare for the first round of states, to be hosted at Kingston High School at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Section 1 plays its semifinal stage on Wednesday as No. 5 Albertus Magnus takes on No. 1 Ursuline (20-2) and No. 3 Roy C. Ketcham takes on No. 2 Our Lady of Lourdes. The final is 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Yorktown High School.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Warwick Monroe Woodbury High School section 9 class AA basketball
