Late scoring drought sinks Starpoint in regional loss to Aquinas

Feature Image Credit @NYSTakeover

The senior laden Starpoint girls basketball team left it all out on the floor in their regional tilt – but it wasn’t quite enough.

The Spartans’ season came to an end with a hard-fought 59-50 loss to Aquinas in the Class AA Far West Regional on Friday night at Buffalo State University.

“I thought my girls played really hard and I’m really proud of the way they played,” said Starpoint head coach Megan Reed. “They never gave up. … Their relentless ability just to play defense and put it all out there is overwhelming. It’s a very respectable quality to have.”

The game had a feisty, spirited tone right from the jump, with hustle plays and players diving for loose balls constantly. That fight was reflected on the scoreboard too, as the largest lead of the first two quarters was just five points, resulting in a 28-23 Starpoint lead at halftime.

The Spartans (18-7) won the battle on the glass and were able to get out in transition thanks to their aggressive defense forcing turnovers consistently. 

“They’re the same style of team that we are,” Reed said of Aquinas. “It was one against the other in my opinion, and they came out on top tonight. You get a couple bad bounces, or a couple good layups, and it rolls your way or it doesn’t.”

A Caitlin Deney 3-pointer early in the third quarter gave Starpoint a 33-23 lead and ignited one of the loudest cheers of the night from the sizable Starpoint contingent. However, Aquinas, the No. 3 Class AA team in New York State, found a way back and in a big way. They closed the third on an 18-4 run to take a 41-37 lead into the final frame.

The Spartans responded with a quick 6-0 run of their own to start the fourth, as a Madelyn Schmidt layup on a touchdown inbounds pass put them back in the lead. 

That was the last lead Starpoint would hold, though, as it went cold at the worst possible time.

Despite creating multiple quality looks throughout the fourth, both from 3-point range and in the paint, the shots didn’t fall. The Little Irish (22-1) took advantage of the Spartans’ scoring drought with a 13-0 run to pull away and give them enough cushion to survive Starpoint’s final push.

“We had two threes that dropped in and bounced out,” Reed said. “So, you look at that and that’s the difference in the game. This is life, this is sports.”

Friday marked the final game for seven Starpoint seniors, a group that led the program to back-to-back sectional titles and 39 wins over the past two seasons. 

Fittingly, three seniors finished with 10 points to lead the Spartans on the night: Deney, Megan Milleville and Alli Milleville.

“This team is heavily united,” Reed said. “They are a very unique and special team, and they work really well together. It’s going to be a big loss for Starpoint basketball.”

Molly O’Toole led all scorers with 22 points for Aquinas, including 11 in the fourth quarter and clutch free throws that kept the Little Irish ahead.

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