BUFFALO — Megan Milleville is used to big moments.
She hit the game-winning shot in the Section VI championship game last year. She scored 10 points in the fourth quarter in Starpoint’s semifinal win Thursday.
So, leave it to the 6-foot-2 senior to deliver again, converting an old-fashioned three-point play to give Starpoint a five-point lead over North Tonawanda with 1:09 to play. And the Spartans didn’t relinquish the lead.
Second-seeded Starpoint knocked off No. 1 North Tonawanda 50-43 to win the Section VI Class AA championship Sunday at Buffalo State. After going nearly 30 years without a sectional title, the Spartans have now back-to-back championships.
“It feels great,” Starpoint coach Megan Reed said. “I’m really proud of the girls, they’re amazing athletes and competitors and it’s fun to watch them play.”
The first quarter was a defensive battle, both teams causing multiple turnovers. The Lumberjacks stormed out to an 8-1 lead before Starpoint converted their first field goal — a 3-pointer from Ashlyn Lee.
Starpoint (18-6) continued to get open looks, but couldn’t convert and NT took the first 8 minutes, 15-4.
In the second quarter, the shots began to fall for Starpoint.
Natalie Prezioso nailed a 3 to open the quarter, which began a 10-2 run, cutting the Lumberjacks lead to 17-14. Prezioso ended with seven big points off the bench.
After Annabelle Day nailed her third 3-pointer of the game, Starpoint’s Lee would score the final six points of the quarter for Starpoint, including a clutch buzzer-beating 3, cutting the Lumberjacks lead to 25-23 at the break. Lee led the Spartans with nine points after the first 16 minutes.
Additionally, for North Tonawanda, Jakayla Brown added 5 points, but her height and defensive presence gave fits to Spartans driving into the paint.
The third quarter was a back and forth battle. Starpoint tied the score three times, but couldn’t pull ahead, as North Tonawanda (20-3) had an answer each time. Gabriella Cashion finished the quarter with a float to give Lumberjacks a 38-35 lead heading to the final frame.
In the final eight minutes, Starpoint was able to get their first lead off a turnover, as Madelyn Schmidt converted the lay up off the steal and dish from Sophia Waliszewski.
Milleville, who finished with a team-high 13 points and was clutch just like their last matchup against Orchard Park in the semis, Reed couldn’t say enough about her paint presence and her knack to come up clutch.
“We were in a similar position in the last game,” Reed said. “We got down early and then came up big in the fourth quarter. We worked really hard on the high-lows and on our zone (offense). Meg has done a really good job in the last two weeks during that, and we made an adjustment so she was more inside in the paint.”
All season, the Day sisters had their way with opposing defenses. Sunday, the duo, which averaged 43 points per game for the season, was held to a combined 21 points – Lilly Day with 10 and Annabelle Day with 11, as North Tonawanda was held under 50 points for the first time this season.
NT coach Mike Mills mentioned that the team’s depth was a concern and it added extra to the Day’s plates.
“They’ve done a great job. The game was a little faster today on the court. We were kind of down in numbers today. We had one out, which kind of hurt, and then we got in a little bit of foul trouble and it put a little more pressure on them,” Mills said.
Additionally, Mills cited the positives, which is that the entire roster will return for next season.
“It feels good, because, not only do we get to come back and it doesn’t have to end here, but now they have this feeling that will sit with them for the next few months and know what it’s like being here and what it’s going to take to get it done and not want this feeling again,” Mills said.
For Starpoint, depth was crucial in the finals battle, as Lee came in and provided a spark off the bench with nine points. Additionally, the junior was hitting shots at a time where the Spartans were struggling offensively. Reed praised Lee and her ability to provide a spark off the bench.
“Ashlyn is a great shooter and it is so nice to have her coming off the bench, because people don’t expect it. If you follow us, you know she’s a good shooter, but she really picked her team up and it helped us keep going,” Reed said.
For North Tonawanda, Brown finished with a team-high 13 points and Cashion finished with seven. For the Spartans, Schmidt finished with 11 points, while Waliszewski added six.
Starpoint advances to play Section V’s Aquinas in the Far West Regionals at 7:45 p.m. Friday at Buffalo State.