Pine Plains basketball takes silver

PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains fifth- and sixth-grade girls basketball team took second place at the 2010 Mount Everett  Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Girls Basketball Tournament Saturday, Feb. 13, at Mount Everett Regional High School in Sheffield, Mass.

It was an intense battle for Pine Plains. Their first game was against the host team, Mt. Everett. Both teams played intense defense. For Pine Plains, Haleigh Funk, Ciera Lamont, Michaella Lamont, Alyssa Boyles and Anna Lonczak were able to keep Mt. Everett from penetrating the defense. At the end of the first half the score was tied, 2-2.

Scoring picked up on the second half as Riley Croghan hit a three-point shot and put Pine Plains ahead. But Mt. Everett countered and by the end of the third quarter the score was 8-8.

Near the end of the fourth quarter, Mt. Everett remained ahead by one. With .3 seconds remaining on the clock it was Pine Plains’ ball. Lamont threw a heads-up inbound pass to Ashley Starzyk, who landed a three-pointer at the buzzer, which would have put Pine Plains ahead by two. However, the officials called the basket no good due to a rule that prohibits a shot from the floor to be made with .3 seconds left on the clock. The final score was Mt. Everett 15, Pine Plains 14.

In the second game, Pine Plains faced Taconic Hills. Pine Plains again played solid defense with Nicole Lindquest, Catie Gomm and Francis Snyder keeping Taconic Hills out of the paint. Taconic Hills put the pressure on in the second half and came out strong. Pine Plains picked up their offensive game and Starzyk landed 22 points.  Lonczak followed with nine. Lamont and Snyder each added two and Riley Croghan added one. The final score was Pine Plains 36, Taconic Hills 19.

In the third game Pine Plains faced Canaan. It was an even match up as both teams struggled to maintain a lead. By the end of the first half, Pine Plains was slightly ahead 14-12. In the second half Canaan adjusted to the Pine Plains defense. The game remained neck and neck as each team fell behind and fought to regain their lead.

For Pine Plains it was the defensive skills of Lamont,  Croghan and Snyder that kept Canaan on their toes. The rebounding skills of  Boyles and Starzyk, combined with the offensive  skills of Funk (two points), Lamont (six points)  and  Lonzcak (two points), kept  the game within one point. However, it was Canaan who was able to keep the one-point lead as the clock ran out. The final score was Canaan 31, Pine Plains 30.

Since every team except Canaan had suffered a loss during the tournament, the decision as to who would face Canaan in the finals came down to points. Since Pine Plains had only lost two games by one point each and had won against Taconic Hills by 16, the team headed to the championship game.

By the end of the first half, Pine Plains and Canaan were tied 9-9, but Pine Plains fell behind in the second half and was unable to regain the lead. The final score was Pine Plains 24, Canaan 31. Scoring came from Starzyk with 12 points, Lonczak with four and a basket each from Boyles, Gomm, Snyder and Lamont.The final score was Canaan 31, Pine Plains 24.

 The Pine Plains team has been coached by Brian and Kaitlin Croghan of Pine Plains for the last four years. The team is sponsored by the town’s Recreation Department and is not part of any league. This team is 6-3 on the season and will end the year competing in the Taconic Hills Youth Basketball Tournament on March 6 and 7.

 â€œI was impressed by the determination and effort of the team and the continuous support from parents and players on and off the bench throughout the tournament,â€� said Kaitlin Croghan. “Especially the support of teammate Emma Boucher, who is a key player on the team who injured her hand early in the season and is out for several weeks. Emma was there throughout the tournament to support her team. We are really looking forward to Emma coming back into active duty.â€�