GIRLS BASKETBALL: Cats roll past Mustangs behind Brantley’s 30

Mackenzie Sherburne was atop the box score for Cairo-Durham with 13 points, Sadie Hall contributed five, and Noelle Amaroso and Issabella Zelinsky combined for the four remaining Mustang points on a tough night of shooting.

Janay Brantley won the opening tip for Catskill, and Aaliyah Shook passed to Ava Edmond for a very quick bucket to begin the contest. Though early, this was key to the start of the game for the Cats after a few scoreless minutes the night before in Chatham. Sadie Hall got open in the corner for Cairo-Durham right afterwards however, and knocked down a three pointer to give the Mustangs the lead.

After Brantley put up a three that was off-target, Edmond made a nice move inside the paint and laid it in for two. Brantley came back after that miss and put back a miss by Shook after a steal, and then stole one herself and knocked down a floater off the glass. The Cats now led 10-3 after a quick 8-0 run and a timeout was taken at 5:16.

Play resumed soon enough and Brantley stole another pass and drained one from three point range this time, giving her nine points in the quarter. Edmond was fouled underneath on a floater attempt in transition and sank both free throws.

Brantley dribbled down the floor on a play late in the period, stopped short to get the defender to bite, and lofted a pass right over her to Edmond for a chance at two. Edmond would miss the shot but Kaylee Nearey ended up with a second chance and made the shot. Closing out the period,

Mackenzie Sherburne pulled up from three point range and knocked down the shot to end the first but the Mustangs were down 25-6 to the Cats.

Brantley got to the foul line early in the second and made both free throws as Catskill looked to keep it rolling after such a big first quarter. Isabella Zelinsky then grabbed an offensive rebound for the Mustangs after a miss and laid it up and in.

After a Cats’ timeout, Salierno took one away from the Mustangs, drove in, and side-stepped a defender in the paint to avoid the charge and make the shot.

Catskill remained in control but Cairo-Durham was still fighting and willing to take open shots as soon as the space became available, but just not enough of them made it into the basket. Sherburne got a quick two to finish out the half as they reached the break, but the Cats led the Mustangs, 39-10.

Shook ripped down an offensive rebound for the Cats early in the third quarter, and dished to Brantley for a short range jump shot. Then Brantley took it on their next possession, faked a shot, and passed it to Salierno in the far corner for three.

After Brantley made a three pointer of her own, Edmond got to the foul line after following her own miss and grabbing the rebound herself. She made one of two and midway through the period, Catskill’s lead swelled to 54-10. Edmond’s hustle and determination proved trustworthy yet again as she grabbed a loose ball off a miss by Salierno, and laid it up and in for a bucket and the foul. She would not make the free throw but the Cats still led by a wide margin.

Sherburne knocked down another shot from beyond the three point line thanks to a pass from Noelle Amaroso. Then Amaroso got fouled on an attempt for the Mustangs and made both free throws. Catskill would not be outdone however, and Brantley drained two three pointers to close out the third, get her to 30 points, and give the Cats a 62-18 lead.

Catskill rested the bulk of their starters in the fourth quarter and got some minutes to the depth they had on the bench. On one of their early possessions, the Cats used the whole shot clock and Emily Allen made the short range jump shot for two points as it expired.

Shook made a shot for three in the quarter to keep the game in cruise control for Catskill. Natalia DiCaprio poked one away from the Mustangs and took it the rest of the way for a lay-in.

With just minutes left in the contest, Cairo-Durham had yet to make a shot in the fourth quarter, but Sherburne found an open Sadie Hall and she hit the mid range jumper for two. Unfortunately for the Mustangs this would be the end of their scoring for the night and the Cats’ bench rode out the rest of the clock in the final seconds to secure the win, 69-22.

“I was much more pleased with our effort and execution tonight,” Catskill coach Chris Quinn said. “My starting unit of Brantley, Shook, Edmond, Nearey and Salierno really put in some work for two and a half quarters, probably because they were tired of Ian and I complaining. My second unit continued to grow tonight.”