K-12 News

     A furious second-half charge carried the Oswego varsity girls' basketball team to a 49-45 victory over host Henninger on Tuesday.

          Oswego (3-2) trailed 26-13 at halftime, but adjustments and better execution paved the way to the comeback win.
     "I am so proud of the girls for not giving up at the Henninger gym," Oswego coach Michael Palmitesso said. "The entire team played a great second half, with everyone making a difference in the game. Our pressure defense led by Emily Heagerty and Rachael Purtell on their point guard was the difference in the game. McKenna Brooks had her best game in a Buccaneer uniform, scoring 16 points and dominating the boards at both ends of the court."
     Erica Atkins tallied 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Marguerite Dillon scored 12 points, and Heagerty and Nicole McCarthy had four points each.
     Henninger dominated the first half with its inside scoring, getting 20 of its 26 points in the paint.
     "We just could not stop them around the basket in our zone defense," Palmitesso said. "At halftime I decided to try to play them man-to-man full court. We had nothing to lose."
     Atkins hit a trey and Dillon scored a bucket to cut the Black Knights' lead to eight.
     The Bucs kept the full-court pressure on with Heagerty all over their point guard, not allowing the Knights to get into their offense. Brooks scored on an offensive rebound, and Atkins sank another 3-pointer to put the Bucs back into the game.
     "We outscored them 20-7 in the third quarter to tie the game at 33-33," Palmitesso said.
     The teams traded baskets in the fourth quarter for the first four minutes, and Henninger scored inside and got fouled to convert a three-point play. After the Bucs failed to score, Palmitesso called a timeout with three minutes to go.
     I told the girls there was a lot of time left and not to hurry their shots, and it worked as Erica hit another three, and Nicole McCarthy scored a bucket," Palmitesso said.
     With the score tied, Brooks made two free throws and Oswego set up its press again, forcing a turnover with 42 seconds left.
     The Bucs missed a shot with a couple of seconds to go on the shot clock, but Dillon got great position under the basket and tipped the shot in with 14 seconds left.
     Henninger could not get a good shot at the end of the game, and the Bucs sealed their victory.