High School Girls Basketball

BY ADAM RONIS

Holy Trinity trailed by 18 points with 5:03 left in the third quarter. Buffalo Nichols was sizzling from three-point range and a comeback appeared bleak. But it happened. Kristen Costello hit a three-pointer with 1:35 left in overtime to give Holy Trinity a one-point lead en route to a 64-60 win today over Buffalo Nichols in a CHSAA Class A state semifinal at Daemon College in Buffalo.

The basket gave Holy Trinity (20-7) a 60-59 lead. Julia Finlay hit two free throws with 23 seconds left to make it 62-59 and Terry Green hit two free throws with seven seconds left to cap the scoring. Green, who had 25 points, 18 rebounds and six blocked shots, scored off an inbounds pass from Caitlin Costello (12 points, 11 rebounds and six assists) with 45 seconds left to tie the score at 51 for Holy Trinity, which outscored Buffalo Nichols 16-5 in the fourth quarter. Holy Trinity trailed by 18 points with 5:03 left in the third quarter.

"It was surreal," Holy Trinity coach Theresa Huebner said. "We go down 18 and I saw the look in their eyes that they weren't going to give up. They kept staying positive and it made the coaching staff believe, too."

Buffalo Nichols hit 12 three-pointers, including 7-for-9 in the first half. Holy Trinity also limited its turnovers in the second half to mount the rally.

"Our defense limited them to one shot per possession in the second half," Huebner said. "We lose games because of trunovers, but we treated each possession like it was imperative."

Buffalo Nichols had a huge home crowd and because of a huge snowstorm, had only one fan, well two if you count Kevin the bus driver. Renee Johnson, Green's mother, was the lone Holy Trinity fan that could make the trip up.

Buffalo Nichols is 20-3. Holy Trinity will play in the final 2 p.m. Saturday at Hofstra. Holy Trinity last won a CHSAA state title in 2005 when it won the A championship and the Class A Federation championship.