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Order Restored; Haldane Crowned Class C Hoop Champs
No.1 Blue Devils knock off No.2 Blind Brook in OT, 41-40, to seal deal
by Ray Gallagher
 | | Despite being met with great resistance, Haldane's Brittany Shields makes her way to the basket and ultimately the foul line, where she won the game and the Section 1 Class C championship last Saturday at the Westchester County Center for the topseeded Blue Devils, who advanced to the NYSPHAA tournament this week after a 41-40 win over Blind Brook |
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The only thing better than winning a championship; is winning one back after having lost it. Just ask Patriots QB Tom Brady or Spurs forward Tim Duncan.
After Blind Brook High shocked the Section 1 basketball world by knocking off then-reigning 14-time sectional champion Haldane last March, the Blue Devils had close to 365 days to stew on a loss that threw the Cold Spring-based village on its collective butt.
Top-seeded Haldane flipped roles this past Saturday, ending No.2 Blind Brook's one-year reign during a 41-40 Blue Devil overtime victory, which enabled Haldane to reclaim the Section 1 Class C crown and represent Section 1 in the NYSPHSAA tournament this Tuesday. The Blue Devils (18-4) were scheduled to face Section 9 champion Seward at Pace University Tuesday with a berth in Thursday's Regional champion at St. Joe's College in Long Island against the Island champion from either Section 8 or Section 11. A berth in the NYSPHSAA Final 4 would be on the line there.
Tournament MVP Brittany Shields played like a girl on a mission, leading the state-ranked (No.13) Blue Devils back to the promised-land for the 15th time in 16 years while restoring order in a basketball-crazed community. Shields dropped a game-high 26 points (including a rare pair of 3's), hauled in a team-high seven rebounds and snatched a game-high eight steals while drawing triple coverage at times. Shields' foul shot with 13.6 seconds left, the result of getting hammered in the paint by three players, provided the margin of victory.
"This was the only way it could be," said Shields, the senior captain, Haldane's all-time scoring and rebounding leader and heart and soul of the program the past six years. "To beat Blind Brook, who I totally respect, to beat them after they beat us last year… this was the best way to win it."
So Shields, the six-year varsity veteran, went out like former Denver Bronco QB John Elway did: On top, the owner of five Section 1 championships. It was anything but easy, and Shields, who snapped a 40-all tie off a free throw with 12 seconds remaining, has the welts to prove it.
"I expected it, and I respect them. They did to me exactly what I would have done to me, they hammered me every chance they got," said Shields. "This is awesome; to win by one on an emotional roller coaster.
State-ranked (No.19) Blind Brook did not go down without a fight, though, and it would take more than just Shields to seal the deal. Junior center Avery Zuvic stepped to the forefront, providing a necessary second option as the Trojans (16-6) attempted to seal off Shields. Zuvic, a junior, hit for 13 points, including 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. She added five boards and was named to the All-Tourney team.
"We needed a second option other than Brittany, and Avery provided that," Coach Kenney Haskins said. "Brittany was Brittany. What else can you say? She's a warrior, but we needed Avery's points tonight. We still need more from our guards down the road. I'd like to see more leadership from the point. I was surprised by a few things. I'd thought we'd see a little pressure because we haven't handled pressure well. We just got to get in synch. We're just not doing some things well. I'm happy with the win, but it's back to work for us tomorrow morning. Once Emily and Scotti get going at the point, we'll be much better off. I don't think people realize how good a basketball player they are."
The point play may have been sub-par from an offensive perspective, but the guard play was solid defensively, particularly down the stretch as they forced the Trojans into five turnovers on the Trojans first six possessions in OT. Guards Emily Marsh (2 steals), Scotti King (1) and Kristen DesMarais (1) were ball-hawking legends, particularly Marsh, who came up with the steal of the game in the waning moments, leading to Shields' game-winning free throw.
Freshman Liz Milner, though she only scored one bucket, was staunch on defense; blocking six shots and grabbing seven boards to go with two steals. For her efforts, Milner was named to the All-Tourney squad.
In the win over No.4 Valhalla, Milner was particularly effective on defense, swatting or altering shots while pressure the ball with her length. The freshman showed great poise and should be ready to accept the torch from Shields at the conclusion of the season.
The question about Milner, which only she can answer, is; does she have the moxie to be a take-charge player, which she will need to do if Haldane is going to be effective in the post-Shields era.
She knocked down several big shots against the Vikings and finished with 11 points, five blocks and seven rebounds. Zuvic added six points and seven caroms.
Shields answered any and all questions about her ability to rebound from the knee injury quickly, scoring on her first attempt and playing well throughout. She finished with a game-high 30 points and 15 rebounds during a dominant display that propelled the topseeded Blue Devils to a 48-39 win over the fourth-seeded Vikings.
Shields and company were under enormous pressure since the start of the tournament, and it showed against the Vikings with 11 turnovers and a 10-4 deficit after one quarter. But the Blue Devils settled down some, just enough to set things right and win the two biggest games of their lives. However, Coach Haskins hopes that the pressure will be less intense with the sectional title in the bag.
"We have to loosen up a little and not play as tight as we've been," he admitted.
In essence, the Blue Devils won a Section 1 title by never hitting on more than two of its six critical cylinders, so once Shields, Zuvic, King, Marsh, Milner and DesMarais begin to fire at the same time, Haldane could find itself back in Troy, NY (home of the NYS Final 4) for the first time in three years.
Please visit www.yourdirectrays.com to view Section 1 sports photo galleries, including Haldane's championship run at the County Center.
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