TROY — One more.
That was the message from North Tonawanda head coach Ryan Bradt to his team after it beat Horseheads. They knew that their job is not finished. They knew they still have one more win.
But before that they had to continue their history-making season against Horseheads.
They became the first greater Niagara region team to head to the state semifinal since Grand Island in 2011 and now they have taken it one step further. They have done something that has not been accomplished by a Niagara region team since even before their head coach was alive, make it to a state title game.
North Tonawanda dominated from start to finish in a 57-35 win over Horseheads, Saturday, in the Class A state semifinals at Hudson Valley Community College’s Edward F. McDonough Health Physical Education Recreation Complex.
North Tonawanda’s defense was on full display in this one, holding Horseheads to the aforementioned 35 points which was well below their season average of 54.9 points per game heading into this one.
“It’s great. The girls are flying around,” North Tonawanda head coach Ryan Bradt said. “We talk about tip balls, deflections and there was a lot of those. We got lazy in the second quarter for a little bit and then the third quarter we give up three points. We made the adjustments at half and the girls did a really good job of holding the three points in the quarter.”
North Tonawanda sprinted out of the gate to an 18-5 lead and they were able to push it out to 33-16 heading into the half.
In the opening 20 minutes, Horseheads was struggling to deal with the size of North Tonawanda’s Jakayla Brown down low for nine points on 4-for-6 shooting to go along with three rebounds. Brown finished the game with 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks.
“Honestly, it was amazing because knowing me I have my height advantage and everything,” Brown said. “So just knowing that I could use that and get the rebound, get to the glass and that’s exactly what I did.”
The biggest moment in the second half came in the fourth quarter when Annabelle Day splashed a long-range three to give her team a 54-30 lead and give the senior 2,000 career points.
Day finished the game with 15 points to lead all scorers. North Tonawanda finished the game with three players in double-figures, Annabelle Day, Jakayla Brown with 13 and Lilly Day with 10.
She now has exactly 2,000 points making her the first player in either boys or girls basketball at North Tonawanda to reach the mark. She is also the all-time leading scorer in school history.
“I was kind of cold outside the arc so I just knew shooters shoot and I trained so much,” Day said. “So having the faith in that really helped me.”
North Tonawanda will now face off against the winner of the game between Nyack and Bethlehem Central at 11:45 a.m. on Sunday in the state championship game.
The state title game will not be new to Day who previously played in the state championship game in 2022 and 2023 with Cardinal O’Hara.
“Going to O’Hara taught me a lot,” Day said. “He coached so many great players. He coached a great team. I played with high level players. So coming here, honestly, I just came here and I wanted to be a leader and wanted to play for my city. It meant a lot.”