Coop girls make basketball section final

Hawkeyes survive late Nighthawk comeback to advance to Section III Class C championship Sunday

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Cooperstown 60, West Canada Valley 58

Seventh grader Emma Johnson scored a team-high 16 points, including going 4-for-4 from the foul line in the final minute as No. 2 seeded Cooperstown beat No. 3 seeded West Canada Valley in a Section III Class C semifinal Tuesday, March 4, at SUNY Morrisville.

The two teams were tied at 13 after one quarter, but Cooperstown built a halftime lead, 33-24, and held a 46-34 lead after three quarters.

The Hawkeyes led 52-45 with 2:21 left in the game but the Nighthawks came out of a time out and scored the next seven points, tying the game on Analyce Grabowski’s steal and layup with 1:24 left in the game.

Lanie Nelen answered with a three-point shot from the left side with 34.6 seconds left, Brenna Seamon made one free throw and Johnson converted four free throws to put Cooperstown ahead again. The Nighthawks had a final chance to win or tie with the ball and under six seconds left, but Seamon made a deflection and steal to prevent a final shot.

Johnson also had six rebounds.

Nelen scored 15 points and had four rebounds and two steals. Seamon scored 12 points and had eight rebound and five steals. Senior Mia Kaltenbach scored seven points and had five steals and four assists. Senior Polly Kennedy scored six points and had seven rebounds.

Grabowski scored 25 points to lead West Canada Valley (16-7).

Cooperstown (19-4) will play for in the Section III Class C championship at 7 p.m., Sunday, March 9, at SRC Arena at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.

The Hawkeyes will play top seeded Hamilton, which beat No. 4 seeded Weedsport, in other semifinal, 48-31.

Hamilton beat Cooperstown twice this season to win a Center State Conference Division II title; 55-47 on Feb. 1, at Red Bursey Gymnasium, and 42-34 on Dec. 17, in Hamilton.

Cooperstown last won a section title in girls basketball in 2023. Since winning the Class C state title ten years ago, the Hawkeyes have won section titles in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2023.

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