Voorheesville girls basketball



VOORHEESVILLE — The Voorheesville girls’ basketball team came within seconds of pulling off its biggest win of the year on Friday.

It would have been just the Lady Blackbirds’ second win of the year, but they were denied the victory after Holy Names’ Bethany Deer made two foul shots with five seconds left in the game to give her team a 47-46 win.

The Blackbirds still had one shot, but Jenna Massaroni’s attempt went off the side of the rim.

The game was nip-and-tuck throughout as neither team had a big advantage.

Holy Names led 14-13 at the end of the first quarter and Voorheesville led 26-24 at halftime.

Neither team got momentum as each traded baskets throughout the second half. Voorheesville did hold its largest lead at the end of the third quarter, 40-36.

But then Holy Names cut the lead to one point on a three-point basket by Becky Staples.

Voorheesville did not score in the first four minutes of the eight minute fourth quarter.

In the meantime, Holy Names took the lead on a jump shot by Jamie Overton.

Voorheesville finally scored at the four-minute mark. Brigit Feeney made an inside basket.

The tally gave the Blackbirds the lead, 42-41.

Both teams struggled to make a basket in the next couple of minutes. But Voorheesville added to the lead on a jump shot from the foul line by Kara Zimmerman with 2:28 left in the contest.

Kierra Moore kept Holy Names in the game with an inside basket with 1:12 left in the game.

Then Holy Names took the lead with 39 seconds left on a pair of foul shots by Erin Furlong.

Holy Names looked to have the game in hand but a foul was called by Kelly Macken and Voorheesville’s Amanda Markert went to the free-throw line to shoot a one-and-one.

Markert made the first shot to tie the game and showed great poise in swishing the second free throw to give the Birds the lead, 46-45.

But then, on the inbounds pass, Deer got to the ball and a foul was called on Feeney, raising the ire of the Voorheesville players, coaches, and fans.

Deer, too, showed great poise as she calmly sank both free throws to give her team the lead.

The Blackbirds then got the ball quickly down the court and Massaroni had a shot from the left side but it fell just short.

Feeney had a good game for the Blackbirds, scoring 16 points to lead the team. Markert scored 12 points, and Brittany Vogel added five.

Deer scored 18 points for Holy Names. Brittany LaClair added eight points and Staples chipped in with five.

The Blackbirds lost to Lansingburgh, 54-26, on Tuesday night.

The loss drops the Blackbirds to 1-11.

They play at Mechanicville on Friday and host Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk the following Friday.

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