Gouverneur 51, Canton 43
Canton faced off against Gouverneur on Wednesday in the overall Section X girls hoops playoffs. The Bears had previously played the Wildcats twice in the regular season, falling short both times. The overall playoffs for Section X don’t affect the New York State playoffs. Its purpose is to find out the Section X overall champions by featuring the four Class winners.
Gouverneur started off strong as Addy Conklin drained two three-pointers to lead the Wildcats to a 13-7 lead in the first quarter. Ava Hoy netted six in the first to pace the Bears. Canton managed to battle their way back in the second quarter and held Gouverneur to only 8 points. Canton struggled on the offensive end but fought hard to pull to within four, 21-17 at the half.
Canton started to find a groove offensively in the third quarter with six different players scoring. The Bears nearly equaled their offensive effort from the first half by putting up 14 in the third. The Wildcats weren’t far behind and had a successful quarter themselves. They managed to net 13 in the quarter and lead by just three points going into the fourth. Canton kept scoring but Gouverneur wouldn’t let up. They scored 18 points in the fourth and had an answer every time the Bears crept close. Winnie Downs had two three-pointers and lead Canton’s fourth quarter effort, but the Bears fell short with the final score being 51-43.
Box Score: Hoy 11, Downs 8, Gabriel 7, White 6, Klassen 4, Coburn 2, and Tessa Alguire 2.
“Gouverneur played a great defensive game and we struggled to get great shots,” said Coach Jim DiSalvo. “They shot the ball well and we had a few players in foul trouble. It was a good game to get ready for the regional game.”
Canton will go on to play the winner of Northeastern Clinton versus Greenwich. Those teams play on Wednesday and the winner will move on to play the Bears at Maxcy Hall in the Jerry Welsh Gymnasium on March 11 at 2:45 p.m. When asked about the regional matchup Coach DiSalvo added “Both (teams) are very athletic and play solid defense. It’s going to be a challenge playing either team.”
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