A clutch last minute shot by Katie Browne and a timely block by Charlotte Maggio helped lift the Huntington girls’ basketball team to an exciting 35-34 victory over host Newfield in Suffolk League III.
Sophomore Charlotte Maggio blocked
a last second shot to secure Huntington's victory.
Browne dropped a jump shot with 40 seconds remaining to put the Blue Devils in the lead and Charlotte Maggio’s block stopped Newfield’s attempt to win the game in the closing seconds.
Abby Maichin had a game high 11 points and four steals for Huntington. Maggio added 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Jordan Forte had five points and Emily Plachta scored four points. Browne and Alyssa Sorensen had two points each. Christie Baade scored a point from the free throw line. “It was a terrific win for us,” head coach Michael Kaplan said.
Huntington led 11-9 after one period before Newfield rallied in the second frame to take a 20-17 halftime advantage. The Blue Devils trailed 31-28 entering the final eight minutes.
“We came out a little slow today and didn’t play with the kind of energy we wanted to, but we were able to come together at the end and get the win,” said Maichin, who had a block and a steal in closing minutes. “Katie Browne stepped up today with a big shot at the end to give us the lead. We were extremely prepared for tight game situations and tonight we proved we can win a close game. It’s another big team win. We need to go on a winning streak for the rest of the season to get us ready for playoffs.”
The win improved Huntington’s record to 8-7 overall and 6-5 in league play. The Blue Devils host Smithtown East on Saturday at 2 p.m. Huntington fell to the Bulls earlier this month, 47-35.
Huntington plays at Deer Park on Tuesday (January 29) at 5:45 p.m. and will then take on West Islip at home on Thursday (January 31) at 5:45 p.m. The regular season wraps up the following week with contests at Centereach (February 5 at 4:30 p.m.) and a Senior Day game against visiting Comsewogue in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium on Thursday, February 7 at 5:45 p.m.