Hammond, Gouverneur set rematch in overall championship

Feb. 29—Wednesday night's Semi-Final games in the Overall Section 10 Girls Basketball playoffs re-affirmed that the NAC West Division might have been one of the strongest assemblies of Class D teams ever in New York State.

Section 10 Class D Champion Hammond, which placed second to Hermon-DeKalb in the division, advanced to the finals with a 51-26 win over Class A Champion Malone. Heuvelton, which place fourth in the NAC West, rendered resilient challenge against three-repeat Class B and two-time Overall Section 10 Champion Gouverneur before dropping a 59-55 decision. An outcome which wasn't sealed until guard Chloe Smith dropped in two free throws with 5.7 seconds to play.

Gouverneur will seek its third straight Overall Championship and repeat a win over Hammond which was decided in the final seconds last year. Gouverneur is currently riding an 11-game game win streak which has carried the Wildcats to a number 11 Class B ranking and number two Class D ranked Hammond has won its last 10 games.

"We had a great game with Heuvelton tonight and playing Hammond will be a great matchup. We won last year's finals right at the end so we know they will be looking for revenge," said Gouverneur Coach Sean Devlin who was honored as the Co-Coach of the Year in the NAC Central.

"We will definitely looking to repeat."

Section 10 four champions will all enter state tournament action next week.

REETZ AWARD

Between Wednesday's games Hammond senior center Landree Kenyon, last year's NYS Class D Player of the Year, was honored by the NNY Officials Board as the recipient as the 2024 Jan Reetz Award from a group of outstanding finalists. The finalists included junior guard-forward teammate Ava Howie, Heuvelton senior guard Katie Cunningham, Hermon-DeKalb junior guard Olivia Simser and Gouverneur's senior guard Chloe Smith.

Kenyon became the third Hammond player to win the award following Hammond Coach Alyssa Crosby in 2013 and Heather Carvill in 1997. The daughter of Rich and Cheryl Kenyon was also honored as the NAC West Division MVP. She is averaging 26 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks a game and became one of the few players in Section 10 history to record 1000 career points and 1000 career rebounds.

"Landree has the ability to to take over the game inside and outside. She is the most versatile and competitive athlete that I have ever seen," said Hammond Coach Alyssa Crosby who was honored as the NAC West Coach of the Year.

REPEAT FINAL

Hammond 51 — Malone 26: Landree Kenyon and Ava Howie both showed their ability to dictate the flow of the game on both ends of the floor.

The Red Devils immediately attacked Malone's man to man defense with bounce passes to the all-star combination on hard cuts and postup plays down low.

The Red Devils (19-3) scored five baskets off assists in the first quarter where they opened a 15-3 lead against a physical and disciplined Huskie squad (17-4). Kenyon tallied seven points and Howie netted six in the first quarter.

Howie went on to score 21 points with three 3-pointers eight rebounds, four assists and four steals while directing the flow and setting the tone for the offense. Kenyon tallied 20 points with 10 rebounds and seven blocks.

"We have been working very hard getting the ball inside and we did a good job at that tonight. If the outside shots aren't falling we have to be able to get the ball inside," said Hammond Coach Alyssa Crosby.

"Playing Gouverneur again will be exciting, they beat us in a close game last year. And going on, playing them will helps us."

Hammond stands second in the NYS Class D Poll and will meet the Second 3 Champion, either number 11 LaFargeville or number 13 Sackets Harbor next Saturday for a berth in the New York State Final Four.

Addy Graveline (5 rebounds, 3 steals) passed out four assists and played a key role in establishing the Devils' early inside production and Mia Tully grabbed four rebounds and passed out three assists. Issy Woodcock scored two points and played a key defensive role n the Devils' zone defense matching up in the low and high post with the Huskies skilled and forceful junior center Alyvia Roberts who was honored as the NAC Central MVP.

Mikayla Jones and JV call-up Madison Webster each scored two points. The Hammond JV's shared the NAC West JV title with Hermon-DeKalb and Heuvelton. Gouverneur won the NAC Central JV title and Madrid-Waddington captured the NAC East Division JV title.

Roberts tallied 11 points to lead the Huskies who also received two 3-pointers from Raegan McArdle in the third quarter, five points from Ava Lillocks and four points from Liliana-Teresa Sosa.

"Hammond was a very good team and they really rebounded well. Our girls are a tough team and they played hard," said Malone Coach Sam Dumont who was honored as the Co-Coach of the Year in the Central Division. Gouverneur 59 — Heuvelton 55: In the second semi-final game Class C Champion Heuvelton just would not go away but Gouverneur just kept making key shots to the keep the Bulldogs (16-8) at bay.

Rylin McAllister netted three 3-pointers in the first half and Katie Cunningham (9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) rallied the Bulldogs at both ends of the floor throughout the second half where she hit three 3s scoring 14 of her 20 points. Raya McGaw delivered an 11-point, 10 rebound double-double with three assists Kerrigan Doyle came off the bench to score six points in the fourth quarter.

Heuvelton Coach Rob Powers was disappointed that his team fell short of a game with Hammond in the finals but was delighted with the performance of his team heading toward a Class C state tournament game on Tuesday at SUNY Potsdam.

"I was very happy with our effort we played well. Katie Cunningham had a tremendous game, Kerrigan Doyle and Ashley Weston hit big shots off the bench," said Coach Powers.

"We hung in there against a Gouverneur team which really shot the ball well. We just made some mistakes on the little things we have done well in the past and we just didn't box out well enough. This game should give us a positive look toward the states"

Caitlyn Storie (3 assists) kept the Wildcats in the lead at 44-39 through three quarters with a barrage of six 3-pointers and 24-points. In the fourth quarter Courtney Forsythe converted three times inside and Rylin Martin-McIntyre hit a runner in the lane to give the Wildcats a 53-45 lead.

Kerrigan Doyle delivered her second inside conversion of the quarter to cut the margin to 53-49, Katie Cunningham scored five quick points to cut it to 55-53 and Forsythe delivered a putback for 59-53. Doyle then answered with a short jumper for 57-55 with 30 seconds to play.

After a steal by Cunningham the Bulldogs earned a shot for the lead off an inbounds play which rolled off the rim with 11.6 to play. The Bulldogs had to foul three times to get the Wildcats to the line and Chloe Smith cooly drained two free thows to secure an entertaining win.

"Chloe Smith came through for us at the end and we really had a nice shooting night," said Gouverneur Coach Sean Devlin after the contest where both team buried eight 3s.

"We knew Heuvelton would be very tough and we made the plays to get the win. The McAllister girl knocked down some threes in the first half and we had to stay with her."

Courtney Forsythe tallied 14 points with 10 rebounds and two blocks for the Wildcats with six in the first and fourth quarters and Rylin Martin-McIntyre (3 assists, 2 steals) finished with eight timely points. Meredith Bush tallied six points with four rebounds ad three assists and Ashlyn Besaw added two points.

Cassidy Pray (4 assists) and Miah Scott (3 rebounds) each tallied two points for Heuvelton.

Gouverneur draws bye to the regional finals and will play the winner of a game between the Section 7 and Section 2 Champions on Saturday at 1 p.m. at SUNY Potsdam.