Little Falls, West Canada Valley basketball pass tests, remain unbeaten
HERKIMER - Section III's last two unbeaten girls basketball teams were challenged this week and both emerged with their perfect records intact.
Class B Little Falls (14-0), fell behind in the first quarter and did not lead again until the fourth Monday in a 62-56 win in Herkimer, and neighboring Class C West Canada Valley (13-0) needed overtime to defeat Dolgeville 66-60 on the road Tuesday.
With those wins - plus a 59-32 Little Falls win Thursday at Canastota - the teams carry zeroes into their next games, Friday against Westmoreland for West Canada Valley's Nighthawks and Saturday's afternoon rematch with Herkimer for Little Falls' Mounties.
More: Little Falls, West Canada Valley girls among Section III's last basketball unbeatens
Little Falls, unbeaten through the regular season as recently as two years ago, trailed by just one point at halftime Monday but dropped down by eight in the third quarter before starting the fourth tied at 42. Herkimer Magician Aubrey Lewis started the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, and the Mounties did not take the lead until moving ahead on a putback at 49-48. That basket started an 14-2 run into the game's final minute.
Ava Grcic led Little Falls with 20 points while junior classmate Alexis Kress scored 16, and each grabbed eight rebounds. Madison Marusic countered with 16 points for Herkimer.
The next night across Herkimer County, West Canada Valley took a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter and was outscored 22-10 down the stretch. Junior Analyce Grabowski went 10-for-15 at the foul line and scored a career-high 30 points for the Nighthawks, and eighth-grader Brooke Reddington added 18 points. Dolgeville sophomores Molly Rauch and Ryleigh Kenyon scored 16 and 15 points, respectively.
The Tuesday game was West Canada Valley's fourth single-digit victory of the season and the first since a 42-36 win over Cooperstown Jan. 3; the Nighthawks beat Westmoreland 44-39 the first time they met this season. Little Falls also has four single-digit wins and the Mounties went overtime to beat then-unbeaten Hamilton 69-58, also on Jan. 3; following Saturday's Herkimer rematch, the Mounties' next game is Tuesday at Hamilton.
West Canada Valley was 19-1 during the regular season last winter with the only loss against Poland. The Nighthawks have two games remaining against Poland this season.
The regular season is winding down for area teams as the calendar prepares for the flip from January to February. Seeding for the section's first six-class playoffs is scheduled for Feb. 17.
This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Little Falls, West Canada Valley remain unbeaten in girls basketball
