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01/28/2017 11:00 PMThe Valley Regional girls’ basketball team recorded one of its biggest wins in recent memory on Jan. 25, when the Warriors posted a 58-34 home victory over Amistad to qualify for both the Shoreline Conference Tournament and the Class M State Tournament. Valley is now riding a six-game win streak and owns a record of 8-4 on the season. This year marks the second time since 1999 that the Warriors have qualified for states.
“We are so excited to have qualified for postseason play. It was really gratifying to see the huge smiles and hear the buzz in the locker room after the game,” Head Coach Geoff Konstan said. “The girls have worked so hard to achieve this goal. It didn’t start on the first day of the season, but rather back during the summer and fall leagues they played in. We talk a lot about how great teams and great players are committed to the game for much more than just the three months of the high school season. The girls have embraced that and it’s so nice to see the reward from that hard work and commitment.”
Coach Konstan said that he was nervous entering the game against non-conference opponent Amistad. This wasn’t just because the Warriors were one win shy of making the playoffs, but also because they had expended so much energy against a string of difficult conference opponents during their win streak. Complicating matters was the fact that two starters—senior captain Francesca Daniels and junior Carly Thompson—were sidelined with injuries.
However, any fears that Coach Konstan might have had were unfounded as Valley exploded right from the opening tip-off and raced out to a 16-0 lead just five minutes into the game. When the first quarter came to a close, all five Warriors’ starters were on the score sheet and they led 22-5. Libby Spitzschuh was unstoppable in the opening frame as she scored eight points, dished out three assists, and snagged two steals.
In the second quarter, Valley got a little too comfortable with the big lead and relaxed on the defensive end, while Amistad settled down and started executing its offense more effectively. Amistad narrowly outscored Valley 15-14 in the frame, taking the game into the halftime break with Warriors ahead 36-20.
Coach Konstan’s halftime talk focused on two topics: never letting down on defense--regardless of the score--and being aware that a 16-point halftime lead is far from safe. Valley started the second half with a renewed focus and outscored Amistad 20-11 in the third quarter. Taking a 56-31 lead into the final frame, the Warriors made defense the focus for the rest of the game. With such a big lead, Konstan stressed good passing and movement off the ball, as opposed to taking many shots. When the final buzzer sounded, Valley walked off the floor with a 58-34 win, plus a pair of postseason bids.
“As a coach, I’m always looking ahead to the future and trying to build a program that can be a consistent winner. Qualifying for postseason play generates excitement beyond just our team and our school,” said Konstan. “We’ve gotten incredible fan support from the younger basketball players who are part of Valley Travel Basketball and also the John Winthrop Middle School team. As these girls see the success we’re having, it can inspire them to continue working hard, knowing they can be part of something special down the road.”
For the second time this season, Valley had 10 different players score in a game when it defeated Amistad. Sophomore Alexis Finnerty led all scorers with a game-high 14 points, while senior captain Spitzschuh added 12 points, and sophomore Sadie Konstan chipped in with nine. Finnerty had a solid all-around game by adding seven rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Spitzschuh handed out five assists, had five steals, and added four rebounds. Senior captain Brianna O’Brien led the Warriors with seven steals, along with seven points, three rebounds, and two assists. Junior Paige Atkinson grabbed seven boards and chipped in with four points for the Warriors.