Utica Notre Dame has offensive answers for Forks in Class B girls regional final

After trailing by as many as 14 points in the opening half, the Chenango Forks girls basketball team found itself within seven after Lexi Scott hit a shot to open the third quarter.

Things went sour quickly for the Blue Devils.

Section 3 champion Utica Notre Dame registered the next 11 points and led by 26 by the time the third quarter was over in a 65-52 victory Sunday afternoon in a New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class B regional final at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton.

Forks made a spirited surge to open the final quarter, but the final margin was the closest the Blue Devils got after the Jugglers made their push.

"In the second half they had a little bit of a run, but we stayed calm and we came back and controlled the rest of the game," Notre Dame sophomore Ella Trinkaus said.

Stars of the Game

Ella Trinkaus, one of three sisters on the roster, scored 31 points. That included 11 in the opening quarter and nine in the third to help put away the game, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers.

"She’s a special player," Forks coach Mike Curtis said. "She’s got over 600 points on the year as a sophomore. We knew she could get to the basket, we knew she could shoot the three-pointer as well too. She just finished really well around the rim today. She’s a great player for sure."

Amanie Jadwick added 10 points, Vita Waters scored nine and Maggie Trinkaus had eight before tweaking a groin she re-pulled two weeks ago. She said she'll be good to go for the state semifinals.

Maggie Warpus, who fouled out with just under two minutes left, paced Chenango Forks with 19 points. Alyssa Specchio contributed 11 points and Scott scored eight.

More: Moravia boys, girls basketball teams earn trips to NYSPHSAA semifinals in Class C

Keys to Notre Dame's victory

Notre Dame's first six points came on shots in the paint, followed by a 3-pointer from Maggie Trinkaus. That inside-outside balance, with the added ability to score in transition, made for a tough collective defensive assignment for Forks.

"We have stars, there’s no doubt that we have stars," Notre Dame coach John Snyder said. "But we have several players who can make plays and that showed up again today. You try to take away one thing and usually something else steps up and fills that void. We really did that in the third quarter."

Curtis said he thought Forks might have an advantage with its speed at the guard position. The Blue Devils tried to pressure the ball, but any success they had forcing turnovers was negated by Notre Dame's overall offensive execution.

"That’s their game this year — making threes and driving to the basket — and they certainly did that," Curtis said. "Hit a couple deeper ones, had some girls hit some that I think we probably didn’t account for. They’re definitely long, athletic and did a nice job on us on defense too."

Blue Devils' last gasp

With Maggie Trinkaus on the bench for Notre Dame, Forks opened the fourth quarter with eight straight points after trailing 57-31.

Ella Trinkaus responded with six points on two baskets and two foul shots to keep the advantage at 18. Forks scored the final five points.

"We’ve been down 18, been down 15 this year and come back and tied those games," Curtis said. "We’ve been used to being in that position, not down 20, but that’s just the type of team we have. We’ve got grit, we’re nine deep, we’re going to play hard, tough-nosed defense and I think that’s the way the girls are. They never give up, for sure."

Quotable

Said Maggie Trinkaus: "Chenango Forks is a tremendous team. Their size. But we knew they were also very aggressive, so we wanted to use that to our ability. Especially getting pump fakes, getting them in the air and try to draw fouls."

Wrapping up Forks' season

Chenango Forks finished with an 18-5 record after bringing home the program's first Section 4 title with last weekend's 46-35 victory against Newark Valley. Curtis credited the girls' intense commitment to summer ball as playing a big part in the success.

"I think the most important part is they all have good character," he added. "They’re just good girls. Never a problem in practice we had to coach, they all get along very well. … Just a fun group of girls for sure."

Up Next

Notre Dame (22-3) will face Section 1 champion Putnam Valley in a state semifinal at 10:45 a.m. March 15 at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. That follows the first semifinal between Section 6 champion Southwestern and Section 2's Albany Academy for Girls. The final is set for 5:15 p.m. March 16 at the same site.

Notre Dame won state titles in 1983 and 2014.

"We've had several other trips to the final four," Snyder said. "We're glad to be bringing Notre Dame back there and keeping that tradition alive."

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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Utica Notre Dame beat Chenango Forks in NYSPHSAA Class B girls regional