High School Girls Basketball

By DARREN SANDS

TROY -- Welcome back!

We're live at Hudson Valley Community College. As this prime time matchup heats up, we'll hope you stick with us for these updates.

For some unknown reason, North Babylon's Kelly Whitaker has her entire lower leg taped. She seems to be moving fine, but we'll pay attention as we get closer to the tip.

I'm taking the liberty to entitle the theme of this game: The Takeover. Which is to say that the team whose star takes over the game will win. That means Eugeneia McPherson or Rush Henrietta's Shenise Johnson is going to win this game for their team with a huge performance. Star Spangled Banner is up.

Update 8:50 -- McPherson was the one talking in what appeared to be a somewhat humorous pre-game address. McPherson actually quipped that I was -- well, that I needed lotion in post-game interviews yesterday. She starts off the game with a drive to her left and left-handed layup.

Update 8:53 -- Shenise Johnson, Rush Henrietta's McDonald's All-American just called for two VERY quick, fouls. McPherson also now has two, but neither player is out of the game.

Update 8:55 -- Petre calls a 30-second timeout with 3:57 left in the first quarter. The score is 8-4 in favor of North Babylon.

After 1st: North 12, Rush Henrietta 11: That slurping sound you hear down there in Long Island is actually Bria Hartley salivating at the prospect of a big game. She's got six points after the first quarter, but she is much quick than her on-the-ball defender and has gotten into the lane easily.

Update 9:06 -- Rush Henrietta calls a timeout with a 15-14 lead. McPherson drew a foul with 5:41 remaining in the game and knocked down one of two free throws to tie the score at 15. Suddenly, Kelly Whitaker is back in the game sans the wicked tape job.

Update 9:09 -- The state tournament folks have some sort of promotion going on where they are throwing out t-shirts for every three-pointer. North Babylon just got three straight -- the first two by McPherson, the third by Hartley on penetration then a kick out by McPherson. Score is 24-17, Lady Bulldogs. I hope they have enough t-shirts.

Update 9:14 -- Full timeout on the floor -- Katrina Plummer just hit two free-throws with the score tied at 24 to give North Babylon a two-point lead. There is 1:42 left in the first half.

HALFTIME: North Babylon 29, Rush Henrietta 26 -- McPherson has 18 points, and Bria Hartley has 9 as the Lady Bulldogs take a three-point lead into halftime. Shenise Johnson has 19 points. At least half of those are off of putbacks under the rim. Her footwork under the basket is, in a word, sick. She's just quicker to the ball which is probably why she has at least a dozen rebounds.

Update 9:32 -- Stats given to us by the tournament folks say that Johnson has 15 rebounds. We noticed Kelly Whitaker grimacing before the third quarter started as she talked to a trainer from North Babylon. Also, the Comets just scored three straight baskets to take a three-point lead. Score is 32-29 with 6:10 left in the third.

Update 9:38 -- Hartley was fouled in the act of shooting a jumper, and made both free-throws to pull within four points with 4:14 remaining in the third. Petre calls a timeout.

Update 9:42 -- Huge sequence: Maliqua Fisher steals an inbounds pass, and McPherson scored on a jumper. Next time down the floor, McPherson scores a layup to tie the score at 35. She has 22 points and there is 3:07 left in the third. Glad that you folks have nothing better to do on a Saturday night, because this is a good one.

Update 9:45 -- Hartley stole a bad pass by Shenise Johnson and went all the way down the floor for a layup that tied the score at 37.

Update 9:49 -- Rush Henrietta's Kelly Barone made a layup to give them a two-point lead. Maliqua Fisher collided with Shenise Johnson and was called for a foul. Johnson made one of two free throws, but LaDonya Rolle got the offensive rebound to take a 42-37 lead. Fisher left the game.

End of 3rd: Rush Henrietta 42, North Babylon 39 -- Kahsyrah Bryant's layup cut Rush Henrietta's lead to three. A quick layup by McPherson brought them to within one, 42-41, just seconds into the fourth quarter.

Update 9:58 -- A three by Bryant with just over five minutes left brings North Babylon to within two. McPherson stole the ball from Johnson but an official called a foul on the floor as McPherson was on her way to penetrate to the basket. Score is 48-46, Rush Henrietta with 4:23 left in the game. Rush Henrietta will take out the inbounds pass.

Update 10:02 -- North Babylon is down by four with 3:20 remaining. Johnson just hit two big free-throws. Two posession game. Rush Henrietta is in the lead, 50-46.

Update 10:06 -- Rush Henrietta's Rolle made two free throws to stretch their lead to six. 2:20 left.

Update 10:08 -- Rush Henrietta still leads 52-46, now with 1:22 left. Caitlin Fifield missed a three-pointer that would have brought North Babylon to within three. Shenise Johnson turned it over on a close call.

Update 10:10 -- McPherson made one of two free-throws with 1:14 left. 52-47, Rush Henrietta.

Update 10:12 -- With North Babylon in the double bonus, Johnson just made one of two free-throws to put RH's lead back at six.

Update 10:15 -- McPherson, with 57 seconds left, just hit one of two free throws to pull with five, 53-48.

Update 10:16 -- Maliqua Fisher will go to the line with 36 seconds left and a chance to cut RH's lead to three. Coach Mike Petre has called a timeout.

Update 10:18: Fisher drains both. 53-50, RH.

HARTLEY FOULS OUT OF THE GAME. RH's Bernadette Davis misses one of two, stretches their lead to four, 54-50.

Now, Shenise Johnson makes two free throws with 20 seconds lef

MCPHERSON FOR THREE! 56-53, Rush Henrietta.

Nine seconds left.

WIth Shenise Johnson at the line, about 30 North Babylon fans ran over from their cheering section to distract her behind the basket. She made one of two. McPherson came down and was fouled. She also made one of two.

Johnson came down and made two free throws with 0.1 seconds left and that was it: RUSH HENRIETTA WINS, 59-54.

Johnson spent about 30 seconds consoling McPherson just after the buzzer sounded. McPherson played her heart out, but Johnson, by an unofficial count had 37 points and was just too much for North Babylon to handle.

North Babylon just received their medals, but you can imagine the long faces. Tough loss for those girls. I imagine that both McPherson and Hartley will be named to the All-Tournament team.