Girls basketball: Fourth-quarter rally lifts Princeton over Bureau Valley

BV coach Matt Wasielewski instructs the Storm during a timeout at the Storm Cellar Saturday.

MANLIUS – Things weren’t going well for the Princeton Tigresses on Saturday afternoon at the Storm Cellar.

Two starters, freshman Keighley Davis and senior Olivia Gartin, missed considerable time in foul trouble, and another starter, junior Miyah Fox, was unavailable.

And they trailed host Bureau Valley for most of the game, by as much as seven points midway through the third quarter and again early in the fourth quarter.

But as good teams do, the Tigresses found a way to win, outscoring the Storm 18-4 over the final 6 1/2 minutes of the game to post a 48-41 win in Three Rivers East action.

“We believed the whole way,” Princeton coach Darcy Kepner said. “We knew we were in foul trouble a lot, and having Keighley and Olivia on the bench for most of the third quarter didn’t help us. Our subs kept us in the game the whole way, and we were able to pull it out in the fourth quarter.

“I think that’s difference between us and other teams. Our bench is deep, and I have confidence in all those girls that they can go in the game and give us just as much or more than our starters can at times. They did a real good job of stepping up and keeping us there.”

Isa Ibarra

Senior Isa Ibarra also felt comfortable the Tigresses could pull the game out and rallied the troops at halftime.

“Everyone had their heads down and I said, ‘Come on guys, pick your heads up. You got nothing to worry about. We’re down by one,’ ” Ibarra said. “We weren’t playing very hot, and we have way more heart than they do. Just glad to be a part of this team.”

The win kept Princeton (18-2) alone on top of the TRAC East at 7-0, while the Storm dropped to 8-14, 5-2.

Sophomore Taylor Neuhalfen converted a three-point play and Kate Salisbury scored on a buzzer-beater to give the Storm a 35-30 lead to end the third quarter.

Kate Stoller banked in a shot from the top of the key on an inbounds play to open the fourth quarter to put the Storm up seven.

Then Princeton brought some thunder to the Storm Cellar.

Gartin hit a 3-pointer and two free throws, and Davis added a pair of free throws to tie the game at 37 with 5:39 remaining.

Freshman Camryn Driscoll hit a deep 3-pointer for a 40-37 lead that the Tigresses would not surrender the rest of the way.

Driscoll added a 6-foot bank shot and another 3-pointer, scoring eight of her team-high 13 points in the fourth quarter to send the Tigresses to victory.

Kepner said Driscoll has the green light on 3s, and Ibarra said she “is freaking amazing from that 3-point line. I love her. She’s such a great addition to our team. She’s the future of our program, her and Keighley.”

BV coach Matt Wasilewski said it was a tough loss for his Storm.

“We felt we were the better team today, and we felt we were the better team the last one, too,” he said of their 35-31 loss to PHS at their tournament. “And not taking anything away from how hard Princeton played and how well-coached they are. They did an outstanding job. But we gave that game away.

“Lost composure, continuously bringing the ball across, stopping in the corner, stopping at half court and not making those adjustments. We can tell them what to do, but we can’t do it for them.”

The BV coach said the Storm’s effort rebounding was “embarrassing, and that’s where [Princeton] won the game.”

Along with Driscoll’s 13, Gartin had nine points, and Davis added seven for Princeton.

Salisbury led BV with 13 points, Stoller had 11, and Neuhalfen added eight.

The Storm struck early for a 7-0 lead on a 3-pointer by Stoller, a deep bank shot from the top by senior center Alaina Wasilewski and a 10-footer by Salisbury.

Princeton rallied to tie the game at 9 at the end of the first quarter on a 3-pointer by Driscoll before the buzzer.

Sophomore reserve Paige Jesse hit a pair of free throws to draw the Tigresses within 18-17 at the half.

BV also started the second half strong, outscoring the Tigresses 10-4 to go up 28-21.

Senior reserve Gen Tirao sparked the Tigresses with a 3-pointer from the top, and a rare four-point string from the free-throw line by Mariah Hobson, who was cleared out after shooting her first foul shot, enabled the Tigresses to tie the game at 30.

Notes: Princeton won the sophomore game 44-23. Olivia Mattingly led PHS with 15 points, and Neveah Briddick and Mikayla Hecht added eight each. Alivia Zemke led BV with 15 points.