Girls basketball: Falesto, Scott lead Albertus Magnus over Wallkill to reach state semis
NEWBURGH − Pat Buckley remembers well the last time Albertus Magnus reached the girls basketball summit, the buzz it created throughout their small school, and how talented and diligent that collection of players was.
He was an excited student then. Now, from the perspective of a coach, he sees the similarities in his team and its circumstances.
These Falcons haven't accomplished yet what that group did in 1992 ― and the players now are quick to remind everyone that "the job isn't done" ― but they've checked each of the boxes thus far.
Albertus Magnus gave its fans another reason to reflect on the past and fantasize about the near future, dominating Section 9's Wallkill in a 66-42 win Friday in the Class AA regional final at Mount St. Mary College.
With that, the Falcons secured a berth in the state final four for the first time since 2015. They advance to face the Long Island champion in a state semifinal next Friday, 8:45 p.m. at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.
Still going: Wallkill's late surge tops Warwick for third straight Section 9 crown
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"This is what you have in mind when you’re training all summer and sacrificing time off to work on your game," senior Allie Falesto said. "I’ve been dreaming of competing for a state title since I came here."
They'll make their second trip upstate in as many weeks, having already traveled to Binghamton for a subregional. Magnus had lost in the Section 1 final each of the previous two years, but broke through this season.
"We haven't gotten this far before, so it keeps getting more exciting for us," sophomore Julia Scott said. "It’s amazing. Our girls soccer team won a state championship in 2022, so we wanna be the next team here to do something special."
Their success has earned them another round of quasi-karaoke on the long bus ride. The group enjoys belting out lyrics as the pop music blares. Rihanna's "Nobody's Business" is among the favorites.
Their offense of late has been clicking like, umm, nobody's business. The Falcons (22-4) again thrived with their inside-outside combination, controlling the paint on both ends and scoring in waves with stellar perimeter shooting.
Falesto scored 22 points, including six 3-pointers, and the 6-foot-3 Scott had 21 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Riley Harold added eight points and Maddy Zuppe had five points and three steals.
"It was a huge factor," Buckley said of his tall front line that includes Mikaiya Beasley, Kaleigh McGuinness and Kate O'Leary. "We try to take advantage of our advantages and get the ball inside a lot. Then, with Allie shooting like that, everything was working."
Falesto suffered a mid-season injury that cost her four games and it took a while for her to regain her form, Buckley said. But the guard has seemingly found a rhythm at the most opportune time. She scored 24 points, including the 1,000th of her career, Wednesday in a 76-47 win over Section 4's Horseheads.
"With her shooting the way she has been," Scott said, "it's hard for teams to double our bigs. She's opening things up for us, and we're all playing well off each other."
Scott got three early baskets in the post, and threes from Sophia Malpeli, Harold and Falesto fueled an 11-0 run late in the first quarter that gave the Falcons a 21-5 lead. Magnus was in control throughout and eventually extended to a 64-34 lead on Kristen Travaglini's free throw with 3:05 remaining.
Zoe Mesuch scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, for Wallkill (18-5). Gabby Gualtiere and Amy Crowley each added seven points. The Panthers captured their third straight Section 9 championship last week, but they've fallen each time in the regional rounds.
"Mesuch is a special player," Buckley said of the junior, who is committed to Navy. "Credit to Wallkill for winning their section and making it back here. They've got a very good program."
As does Albertus Magnus, which went undefeated in Section 1 ― no small feat in a region loaded with talented teams. But, Scott insisted, there's no room for complacency and it would be foolish to be full of themselves, even now.
"The goal isn’t just to get there; we’ve dreamt about winning a state title," Falesto said. "So, we’ve got one more week to be fully locked in and working toward that goal."
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Girls basketball: Falesto leads Magnus over Wallkill in regional final
