PLATTSBURGH — Bella Berry scored 14 of her team’s 22 points in the second half Wednesday night as the Peru girls held on for a 47-41 victory over Saranac in the Section VII Champions Challenge at Clinton Community College.
The Nighthawks’ win overshadowed an outstanding 24-point performance by the Spartans’ Maddie Gagnier.
The Section VII Class A-champion Nighthawks jumped out to a 19-7 first-quarter advantage over the Class B champions when Madi Marino scored seven points and Reese Duprey and Violet Berry six each.
Saranac cut its deficit to 25-19 at the half as Gagnier tallied 15 points in the first and second quarters to keep the Spartans within striking distance.
It was a low-scoring third quarter for two reasons: Duprey went out of the game for good with an injury in the first two minutes of the quarter, and Gagnier missed a good portion of the stanza due to foul trouble.
Saranac never hit a field goal in the third, but scored eight points — all from the line and six by Lily Brown — to trail 30-27 going to the fourth. The Spartans cut their deficit to 28-27 in the final seconds of the stanza before Peru got a basket to take the three-point lead.
Peru scored the first basket of the fourth, and Saranac was never able to get inside a four-point deficit the rest of the way.
Bella Berry helped seal the deal with a couple of key 3-pointers to help offset Gagnier’s nine points in the quarter.
Bella Berry paced the Nighthawks with 15 points, while Duprey added 10, Marino nine and Violet Berry eight.
Gagnier led the Spartans with her game-high 24 points, which were all scored in three quarters after missing the majority of the third with four fouls. She fouled out in the final seconds.
Brown followed with 10 points.
Both teams shot very well from the line, with the Nighthawks going 11-of-14 and the Spartans 14-of-18.
Next up for Peru will be a NYSPHSAA Class A regional final March 13 at 5 p.m. at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy against the winner out of Section II.
Meanwhile, Saranac will oppose the Section II champion in NYSPHSAA Class B regional final action March 14 at 11 a.m. at HVCC.
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Peru 47, Saranac 41
Saranac (41)
Liberty 1-0-2, Recore 0-0-0, Forgette 0-2-2, Gagnier 10-3-24, Brown 2-6-10, Terry 0-2-2, Castine 0-1-1. Totals- 13-14-41.
Peru (47)
Trumper 1-1-3, Hogle 0-0-0, Marino 2-4-9, B. Berry 4-4-15, Duprey 5-0-10, V. Berry 3-2-8, Brubach 0-0-0, Deslauriers 1-0-2. Totals- 16-11-47.
Halftime- Peru, 25-19.
3-point goals- Saranac (1) Gagnier. Peru (4) B. Berry 3, Marino.