Somers Can’t Overcome Lakeland Answers on Senior Night

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Versus Hen Hud

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On Wednesday February 5, the girls basketball team celebrated senior night, and Lakeland was invited. But the Hornets were not very obliging guests and took the sting out of the party.

While never trailing, the visitors did at least remain at arm’s length before finally putting the Tuskers away by a score of 47-36.

Unfortunately, Somers got their opponents off on the right foot too. The girls turned the ball over after winning the tip, and Lakeland went to work. Emily Hahn took a pass into the paint, and dropped a baby hook for the first points.

Somers wasn’t done lending a hand either. Three more turnovers kept the offense scoreless, and the extra chances eventually allowed Lakeland to add on when Emma Burke made a corner three.

5-0, the charity continued. Ashley Kuchinsky telegraphed her pass to the sideline, and Allie Waters stepped in the steal. But Kuchinsky wasn’t letting Lakeland get away with another. She chased down the guard, ripped the ball back and hit from downtown at 5:09.

The teams then got in close. Riley Waters swung across the paint for a floater, and Engji Demaj drove baseline to keep the margin at two.

Lakeland would finish the quarter strong nonetheless. Liliana Aguirre took a long rebound bicoastal for a layup, and after turnovers on both sides, Aguirre hit a teardrop to close the quarter at 11-5.

Onto the second, Somers opened the action. Sydney Ingraham penetrated the paint, and her dish to Eliana Contreras yielded an 11-8 score.

Sorry, Lakeland answered by two timing the Tuskers. Allie Waters drove through heavy traffic for a layup, and Aguirre hit a triple to double up the Tuskers at 16-8.

Next, the lead would grow to nine. After Contreras got to the line for two, Aguirre negated the response by getting to the line herself and picking the pocket of Contreras for a fast break layup.

19-10, Somers called for time, and Ingraham responded. She took the handoff from Kacey McCullough and buried a three with 3:39 left in the half.

The senior also played both ends with two steals. The second time she ran the break to Sophia Valenzuela, and the freshman cut the lead to five.

Pretty nifty, Aguirre wasn’t phased. Open above the arc, she calmly launched a three and sent her team into the locker room with a 23-15 lead.

The guard didn’t cool off either and added hard work under boards to her resume. First she went coast to coast after ripping down on the defensive end and then made a conventional three point play off the offensive glass.

The lead now ten, Contreras helped keep it there with a drive through the paint at 4:03. But Lakeland still had too many answers. Following a Somers travel, Riley Waters took the inbound at half court to the hole, and Aguirre got to the line to open a 35-22 lead.

A period remaining to make up the ground, Valenzuela began the leveling of the playing field. Her fight under the defensive boards gave Somers possession, and on the other end, she curled into a three at 7:37.

Back to a ten point deficit, Ingraham remained relentless to maintain the status quo. The guard kicked into high gear across mid court to find McCullough for a layup and bulled her way through the interior defense for a 38-28 game.

3:31 to go, Somers kept coming. Off the penetration of Demaj, Valenzuela hit from the corner, and Ingraham did the same from straight on at 2:07.

Now 41-34, the Tuskers turned to the press. In turn, Lakeland threw the ball away and Ingraham led the way again. She drove the paint, rifled a one handed bounce pass to McCullough on the left, and the center made it a five point game at 1:50.

Lakeland did beat the press this time but could not hide from Ingraham. The guard came over to double team Riley Waters in the corner and pulled the ball away.

Unfortunately, Somers gave the ball right back, but Lakeland didn’t take advantage either. So no harm, the Tuskers were poised to throw a real scare. Ingraham stood all alone in the corner, and a two point game was in the air

Off target, the rebound went out of bounds to Lakeland with 59 seconds to go, and following a timeout, Somers played for the turnover. An initial double team failed and then the Tuskers sent Aguirre to the line.

Two for two, the lead was seven, and Somers obviously needed to score. The Tuskers called for time to set up but the plan never went into effect. A charge was called prior to the inbound, and two more from the line by Aguirre officially ended the Somers celebration.