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2-26-2007

Midweek Sports Update

By ERIC AHLQVIST

Editor

SYRACUSE_The Cooperstown boys and girls basketball teams both held fourth quarter leads in their respective Section III Class C-1 semifinal games Saturday, but both came up short of advancing to the finals. The boys lost in heartbreaking fashion, 51-49, to Sandy Creek at Jamesville-Dewitt High School Saturday afternoon, grabbing a 49-48 lead with 22 seconds remaining when senior Jimmy Jennings (21 points) scored on a short jumper after an offensive rebound. But after a timeout, Sandy Creek freshman guard Koby Fowler hit what proved to be a game-winning three-point shot from the top of the key with seven seconds left. After a timeout, CCS senior guard Chris Gentile missed a contested three-point that hit the back of the rim as time expired. ``Koby was our third option on that play,'' said Sandy Creek head coach Bill Fowler, who is also Koby's father. ``We set up a pick and roll play with our two best players, and if that didn't work the next option was to hit Koby at the top of the key. He didn't have time to think about what a big shot it was, and that's probably a good thing.'' Sandy Creek advances to play top seed Lafayette Wednesday night at Rome Free Academy in the C-1 championship game. Cooperstown ends it season at 13-10, and will lose nine players to graduation.

For the full story, see Thursday's Cooperstown Crier.

CCS girls falter in fourth

ILION_Cooperstown junior center Samantha Fox scored the 1,000th point of her career in the fourth quarter of Saturday evening's semifinal game against undefeated Little Falls, but the Lady Redskins still lost a 53-48 decision. Fox scored her 1,000th point with five minutes remaining to give CCS a 38-36 lead, but the Lady Redskins did not score again for close to four minutes as Little Falls (22-0) reeled off nine straight points, all from senior guard Erika Salls. Salls hit four free throws, made a driving lay-up and then put the nail in the coffin with a three-point shot to make it 47-36 with about a minute and a half remaining. Fox answered with a basket to make it 47-40, and CCS continued to battle, cutting the lead to four with two seconds remaining on another Fox basket, but it was not enough. After scoring just three first half points, Fox finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds, and has 1,006 for her career. Only two other players in CCS girls basketball history have scored 1,000 points, including Dana Leonard just last year and Dawn Berry in 1987. Leonard finished with 1,089 career points, while Berry had 1,087 career points. Little Falls play Pulaski Tursday night at Rome Free Academy in the C-1 final. For the complete Cooperstown girls basketball story, see Thursday's CoopersTown Crier.