MILLS SURVIVES AND ADVANCES-BEAT HAMILTON 43-39
# 32 Carly Dziekan heads up court at Beekman as # 21 Hayleigh Hanson defends.
Fred Miller-MHTS
Photos-Kevin Montano
2/20
MHTS Instant replay!
A determined bunch of New York Mills Lady Marauders (16-3) worked…worked and then worked some more to gut out a hard-fought Class D Girls Quarterfinal basketball win, 43-39, over their long-time rivals from Hamilton at a jam-packed Beekman Gym on Wednesday night.
A free throw by the coach’s kid, Carly Dziekan, with two seconds left on the clock helped secure the victory over a stubborn bunch of Hamilton Emerald Knights (10-10). The free throw by Carly gave the Marauders an insurmountable four point lead at 43-39.
How hotly was this third matchup of the season between these two girls hoops powers? So much so that the usually composed and stoic New York Mills head coach Andrea Dziekan was very emotional during her post game interview with ESPN radio.
# 44 Dominique Talerico drives for two as # 3 Jess Welsh defends.
Her voice cracked a couple of times when Dave Peroni talked to her about just how hard her team had to fight to pull this one out, and advance to the Class D Semifinals on Sunday.
Coach was eager to heap praise on this gritty bunch of Marauders.
The Mills only dresses eight players and they needed them all to get the job done.
It was CSC 3, Hamilton, against New York Mills from CSC 4, in what was the third meeting of the season.
This one really mattered, as the loser is forced to put the balls away for the season.
New York Mills was two-for-two entering play, having won 51-42 back in December and 40-34 in New York Mills in January.
Wednesday night turned out to be no different, as Coach Gary Weeks and his Knights were ready for anything the Marauders would throw at them.
Both quintets looked a little nervous, on the big stage, as it took almost two minutes for the game’s first points to be registered.
New York Mills led 4-0 after buckets by freshman Megan Crist and junior sensation Dominique Talerico. Dominique dominated this game, bulling her way to a game high 18 points and dominating the boards on both sides of the floor at Beekman.
Sarah Foster showed up ready for action, scoring 6 of her team’s 10 points in the opening eight minutes to keep her squad in the game.
Foster netted 6 of the 8 points put up by the visitors in the first quarter.
Foster’s second floater, in the lane, tied things up at 4-4 with 2:39 left in the quarter.
It was at this juncture that Hamilton fans became concerned. How you say? Concerned with the number of fouls their Knights were racking up in a closely called game.
Jess Welch, who scored a team high 13 points for Hamilton, picked up her second personal with 1:57 to go in the first. Teammate Hayleigh Hansen notched her second foul just :18 seconds later.
# 11 Hayden Nolan heads up court.
Hanson would later foul out. Foul trouble forced coach Gary Weeks to go to his bench early and often.
The foul problems seemed to keep the Knights off stride on the offensive end of the court.
The Mills smothering, ball-hawking, defense also had plenty to do with the dearth of Hamilton points.
Still the green and white hustled their way to an 8-4 lead after one, on the strength of back-to-back buckets by Hayden Nolan and Sarah Foster.
Senior guard Carly Dziekan put her personal stamp on this one, scoring 7 of her 13 points in the second quarter.
A three ball that hit nothing but net, off the hand of Dziekan, put the Marauders up 9-8 with 6:58 to go until the half.
The three by Carly led to a 7-2 Mills run that saw them jump out to an eight point lead, 18-10, following a bank shot off glass, from close range, by Dominique Talerico just two minutes later.
Kendall Rusch scored to pull Hamilton to within four, 23-19, with 1:40 left in the half.
The Marauders kept the Knights at bay and led by eight, 27-19, until Jess Welch drove the length of the court in 5.3 seconds to beat the buzzer. The Mills led 27-21 at the half.
Things got hairy, for the home team, as Hamilton closed the gap to just two points, 28-26, as Sarah Foster banked one in from 12. Foster picked up her third personal foul a short time later.
A five point spurt by New York Mills had the home team up seven, 33-26, with less than two minutes left in the third.
# 34 Cassidy Albright rips one down as #10 Lauren Weeks reaches in.
Lauren weeks scored three of her six points from the top of the key, as Hamilton refused to fold and trailed 33-29 as the third wound down.
As hard as the home team tried they could not put the Knights in the rear-view mirror.
Kendall Rush found the range to make it a five point affair, 36-31, with five minutes to go.
Two free-throws by Carly Dziekan pushed the lead to nine, the largest of the game, with four minutes left.
A 7-0 run by the visitors was capped by Jess Welsh who scored to make it a, nail-biting, two point lead, 40-38, with 2:10 to go.
The lead was back up to four, 41-37, when sophomore Mikah Inkawhich calmly hit a free throw with 18 seconds to go.
As we told you earlier, Carly Dziekan sealed the deal from the line with two seconds to go to wrap this one up.
New York Mills advances to the Class D Semifinals on Sunday in Syracuse, as they take on Copenhagen at 2PM.
New York Mills 43 Hamilton 39
Hamilton:
Jess Welsh 13
Sarah Foster -10
Lauren Weeks-6
Kendall Rush-4
Hayleigh Hanson-4
Hayden Nolan -2
Well done ladies!
New York Mills:
Dominique Talerico-18
Carly Dziekan-13
Cassidy Albright-6
Megan Crist-4
Mikah Inkawhich-2
