After squandering much of a 13-0 run to start the game by halftime, the Cooperstown girls basketball team left nothing to chance in the second half.

The Lady Redskins used their superior inside game to start the second half on an 11-2 run, capped by sophomore Jen Wehner's three-point play, en route to a 49-34 victory over Sherburne-Earlville Monday night at Bursey gymnasium.

The victory improved Cooperstown to 14-3 on the season, but more importantly clinched their first Center State division title in almost 20 years. The last time Cooperstown won the league was in 1988, led by the Berry sisters and Delhi transfer Karen Finn.

"I didn't tell the girls before the game because I didn't want to put any more pressure on them," said Cooperstown head coach Frank Miosek. "But I made an effort to get all the girls in the game, and I told them with just over a minute left that if we hung on we would win the league."

The Redskins looked to blow the Marauders out of the gym early, taking a 13-0 lead on Abby Hull's 10-foot baseline jumper with just over two minutes remaining in the opening quarter.

But S-E scored the final five points of the quarter to get back into it. With nine seconds remaining in the first half, CCS senior Dana Leonard drove to the basket and was fouled, converting the free throw for a 22-13 edge. But Sherburne's Danielle Green hit a long three-point shot at the halftime buzzer to close the gap to six, 22-16.

"We let them creep back into it, but we changed our defense and our offensive sets to start the second quarter and everything seemed to click," Miosek said.

In the second half, Cooperstown's 6'3" center Samantha Fox, who sat most of the first half in foul trouble, started asserting herself, scoring six points as the Redskins took a 33-18 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Fox finished with 12 points, Leonard 16 to go along with 14 rebounds, and Wehner 12.

Miosek credited senior guard Merritt Schifano with playing excellent defense in the second half.

"It's not something you'd see in the box score, but she did a phenomenal job for us," Miosek said.

CCS will play at Mt. Markham on Friday and host Sauquoit Tuesday. If they win both games, they will complete a perfect 10-0 league record. The Lady Redskins will finish the regular season Feb. 10 at Little Falls in a non-league contest. Little Falls handed Cooperstown one of its three losses this season.

"We haven't won at Mt. Markham in a very long time, so that will be a big game for us," Miosek said. "Now that we've won the league, we want to position ourselves for sectionals."

On Friday night, also at Bursey gymnasium, CCS defeated Waterville, 42-35, as Leonard scored 17 points, including 13 from the free throw line. Wehener added 12 points.