Section III girls basketball: Cooperstown wins and advances to Class C final, Herkimer falls

SYRACUSE – All season, Class C in girls’ basketball has been the hardest to predict in Section III.

Multiple squads jockeyed for the top two spots as fans wondered which would make it to the section final.

In the end, it was all chalk.

The second-seeded Cooperstown Hawkeyes and top-seeded Weedsport Warriors advanced to the section final next weekend.

Cooperstown knocked off sixth-seeded Westmoreland 58-44, while Weedsport defeated fourth-seeded Herkimer 51-44 Sunday afternoon at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse.

The Bulldogs season ends at 14-9, and the Magicians concludes at 16-7, in what was a turnaround season for both squads.

More:Section 3 girls basketball scores for the 2022-23 season

Here is a look at each game:

Cooperstown 58, Westmoreland 44

A third meeting against the same team often spells doom for the winner of the first two.

Cooperstown had defeated Westmoreland in both games this season, but third time was not the charm for the Bulldogs Sunday afternoon.

The Hawkeyes defeated Westmo 58-44 to advance to the Class C final for the first time since 2020.

Cooperstown follows same script

Coach Mike Niles chose not to overthink his strategy given that the first two wins over the ‘Dawgs came by double digits.

“It was more refining some of the things that we discovered and not a lot of it worked out,” Niles said. “The stuff we worked on didn’t really materialize.”

Cooperstown didn’t appear unorganized as it led from the tip. Like in the first two contests, the Hawkeye defense stifled the Bulldogs and limited them to just four first quarter points.

Niles said offense success tends to be an iffy proposition for Coop, so the team sets the tempo with defense.

“We base our lineups and our culture around playing defense,” Niles said. “Defense travels, so when you come to these games and it’s a long bus ride, we put some nervous energy into defense.”

Nelen’s and Seamon’s support big for Hawkeye offense

Offensively, the Hawkeyes struggled to find a rhythm through much of the first half but still led 26-14 due to the play of Rory Nelen. The junior scored 12 for the game.

Niles said Nelen carried the team in the first 16 minutes. She seems to have saved her best for last as she’s tallied double digits in each of the team’s first three playoff games.

In the second half, Dani Seamon took over. The senior tallied 12 points and 23 for the afternoon, her 12th straight game with at least 17 points.

Seamon’s older sister, Piper, shined for Coop and now plays at Hamilton College. Niles said that prepared Dani for moments like Sunday’s.

“It’s no secret we are trying to give her the ball every possession,” Niles said. “She has to rebound and be an off ball defender for us, so she’s a good person to have on your side.”

Her composure also remained key in the fourth quarter. Westmo, which trailed by double digits through the third, embarked on a bit of a run in the fourth and cut it to single digits with 1:30 left.

Cooperstown could have fallen due to poor free throw shooting, but the Hawkeyes confidently nailed nine of 12 free throws.

The squad’s experience level played a factor. Most of Coop’s roster is filled with upperclassmen.

“We were in semis last season, and many of those kids were on the team,” Niles said. “Dani’s been making plays here since she was in ninth grade.”

What’s next?

Cooperstown will face Weedsport Saturday at SRC Arena at 1 p.m. for the Class C title.

The Hawkeyes last meeting came in March 2020, when they defeated Weedsport in the section title game.

Weedsport 51, Herkimer 44

Herkimer’s magical season came up one game short of a shot at glory.

The Magicians advanced to its first Class C semis in a decade but went cold shooting the ball in the fourth quarter and fell to Weedsport 51-44 Sunday afternoon. The Warriors progressed to their second straight section title game with the win.

“Nobody expected us to be here in the first place after we started 6-6,” coach Kelli Shepardson said. “We played hard but just couldn’t make baskets down the stretch.”

Herkimer makes statement to start

Throughout the season, the Warriors proved themselves to be the best in Class C, with all four of its losses coming to schools out of Section III.

Shepardson said Weedsport didn’t expect Herkimer to come out as fiery as they did. The showdown was tied 14-14 after one, and the Magicians trailed by just two at the half. They missed some key layups, but Herkimer still didn’t appear phased by the moment.

“I think we worked well together. Our teamwork is something we’ve strived to really lock in this year,” Shepardson said.

Madison Marusic led all Herk scorers with nine in the opening half.

The score remained close in the third and halfway through the fourth.

No tricks in the fourth for Magicians

Herkimer didn’t score for the last four minutes of the game. The Magicians had open layups and shots, but Shepardson said nerves overtook the team given the differences in experience on both sides.

Initially, Herkimer earned some stops on defensive, but the Warriors put the game on ice after a huge three with less than two minutes left.

Marusic still scored eight and finished with 17 but seemed frustrated at times, especially after an out of bounds call where she said “it’s right in front of you” to the referee.

Bright future for Herkimer

The Magicians will be losing three seniors, but Marusic will return, and Shepardson said this experience should help the group.

She got emotional when speaking about the seniors.

“Charity (Dygert) my point guard. She’s been on my team for four years. Bailey (Bray) shooter,” she said. “They are great athletes, but even better kids.”

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Cooperstown wins and advances to Class C final, Herkimer loses