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02/18/2017 11:00 PMAfter winning its regular season closer against North Branford, the Valley Regional girls’ basketball team defeated Coginchaug 30-23 in a Shoreline Conference Tournament quarterfinal contest in Durham on Feb. 18. At 13-8, the Warriors will face Cromwell in the conference semifinals at Coginchaug on Wednesday, Feb. 22. If Valley defeats the Panthers, the team will move on to the championship game to play the winner of East Hampton and Westbrook at Coginchaug at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24.
The 5th-seeded Warriors tipped off the Shoreline quarterfinals looking to avenge their two losses to No. 4 seed Coginchaug during the regular season. Valley set the tone out of the gate with stifling defense and shut out the Blue Devils 7-0 in the first quarter. Coginchaug could only muster four points in the second quarter against the Warriors, who led 13-4 at halftime.
It was more of the same in the third as Valley held the Blue Devils to just four points once again, increasing its lead to 19-8 heading into the final period. Coginchaug rallied back in the fourth quarter and, with less than a minute remaining in the game, Valley’s lead was cut to just two points at 25-23. However, the steady hand of senior captain Libby Spitzschuh guided two free throws into the hoop to stretch the Warriors’ lead back to four with just 25 seconds to play. Valley’s smothering defense came up with another big stop on the Blue Devils’ next possession. After sophomore guard Sadie Konstan pulled down a key rebound, Coginchaug had no choice but to foul, and Konstan sank her two free throws to put the game out of reach.
Sophomore guard Alexis Finnerty led all scorers with 14 points and she also corralled 11 rebounds. Senior captain Brianna O’Brien pulled down 12 rebounds and scored four points to complement her stellar night on defense.
Warriors’ Head Coach Geoff Konstan couldn’t think of another game that featured the combination of so much great defensive display with such a wild finish. Even before the game, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
“I was a little concerned the girls might just be satisfied having simply made the postseason, but I quickly saw in our pregame meeting that it was anything but the case. The girls took the court with something to prove. We proceeded to play the best defensive game I’ve ever been involved with as a coach,” Konstan said. “I challenged them before the game to play defense as if every single possession had our season on the line and they responded with a defensive performance for the ages. Because of that, we’re moving on to the semifinals.”
Prior to their exciting Shoreline tourney victory, the Warriors closed their regular season with a 50-38 win at North Branford on Feb. 15. Although Valley had already punched its ticket to the postseason, it would have had a lower seed in Shorelines had it lost this game. The Warriors’ offense came out strong with a 15-10 first quarter lead and they were up 24-18 at halftime. The Thunderbirds tried to chip away in the third by outscoring Valley 13-10. The third period included a tense moment for the Warriors when Finnerty fell to the floor after a hard foul on a drive. She ultimately was cleared to play again in the fourth and proceeded to pour in 10 of her game-high 24 points during the frame. Valley won the final quarter 16-7 on its way to the victory.
In addition to her 24 points, Finnerty added nine rebounds, four steals, and four assists. Senior captain forward Francesca Daniels scored 11 points and snagged eight rebounds. O’Brien chipped in with eight points, six boards, and six steals.
Valley opened the week on with a 71-40 loss to Cromwell on Feb. 13. Valley had the unenviable task of facing the Panthers while down two key players: Spitzschuh and junior forward post presence Paige Atkinson. Even so, the Warriors came out playing well in the first quarter and outscored Cromwell 12-11. However, Cromwell had turned the tables by halftime and held a 37-18 command en route to the victory. Finnerty led the Warriors in scoring with 13 points. She also gathered eight rebounds and dished four assists. Sadie Konstan provided eight points and Daniels added seven points while collecting six rebounds.
Even with the loss, Coach Konstan felt the Cromwell game was valuable to get his team tuned up for the playoffs. Apparently, Konstand was correct based on how well Valley played in its postseason opener.
“I was extremely proud of their effort,” said Konstan of the Cromwell contest. “It definitely gave us the belief that we can play with the great teams if we can put together four quarters of our best basketball.”
With his team moving on in Shorelines, plus the Class M State Tournament on the horizon, Konstan appreciates what his Warriors have accomplished to this point in the season.
“I couldn’t be happier for what is honestly an incredible group of girls,” said Konstan, “They are all such great kids, both on and off the court.”
From the Sidelines
Prior to beating Coginchaug last week, the Warriors’ wins this year came against Old Saybrook (45-28), Hale-Ray (47-27), Portland (52-29), Morgan (56-43 and 45-21), Old Lyme (45-31), North Branford (50-47 and 50-38), Haddam-Killingworth (51-29 and 39-35), Amistad (58-34), and Creed (51-40).
Valley has also taken losses to Coginchaug (55-54 and 58-37), East Hampton (45-43), East Windsor (44-31), Cromwell (67-21 and 71-40), Old Saybrook (38-34), and Westbrook (54-41).