Blue Devils Battle into Playoffs
General Jackie Waldron led the Huntington girls' basketball team into the Section XI playoffs, scoring 21 points and pulling down 12 rebounds as the Blue Devils downed Bellport, 45-38 before a spirited crowd of about 400 in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium.
Waldron, a senior who is referred to by teammates as "The General," showed why she's Huntington's floor leader, with an inspired performance on the regular season's last day. It was a make-or-break game for the Blue Devils, which needed a victory to qualify for the post-season.
Huntington (6-6 league, 9-9 overall) opened up an early 8-1 lead over Bellport (7-5, 12-6) before the Clippers went on a 10-3 run to knot the score at 11 by the end of the first quarter. Bellport went on to claim a halftime lead of 21-20 after some inconsistent Blue Devil shooting and turnovers.
The second half belonged to Huntington, which finally found its stride with some fancy outside shooting and strong play under the boards. The Blue Devils outscored the Clipppers in the third frame, 15-9 to go up 35-30. At one point, Huntington stretched its lead to 10 points in the fourth quarter, locking up a coveted spot in the playoffs.
"We wanted to win this game badly," rookie head coach Mike Kaplan said. Huntington lost at Bellport in double overtime earlier in the season.
Emma Hayes-Hurley scored 11 points and Shea Scully added nine points and nine assists. Heather Forster scored four points and crashed the boards for 10 rebounds.
The big crowd included a large student section that waved flags and cheered non-stop throughout the game. "It's fun to play in front of a lot of fans," Waldron said. "I loved it." The senior stepped up her game and hit the shots Huntington needed to drop.
Now it's off to the post-season for the Blue Devils. "Anything can happen in the playoffs," Kaplan said.