After skating past most of its opponents in its previous 20 games, the Huntington girls’ basketball team was pushed to its limits by Sachem North before the Blue Devils rallied for a 41-38 victory and a berth in the Suffolk Class AA Final Four against Northport next week.
“Team, team, team – no one more important than the other,” said Coach Norman Dale in the legendary movie, “Hoosiers.” That’s been Huntington’s mantra this year and it proved out on Thursday night as the Blue Devils needed every one of the five players on the court at any given time to topple tenacious Sachem North.
Huntington (20-1) fell behind early before rallying to take the lead. But Sachem North (12-10) kept chipping away and eventually regained the advantage. Everything seemed to be going wrong for the Blue Devils. Missed shots, turnovers, fouls and misplays. Head coach Mike Kaplan needed to use his bench and all the experience and knowledge he has gained over the years to pull the team through.
Huntington senior Emily Plachta led the way again with a game high 23 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Shaneek Shand had nine points, but just as important was her airtight defense and four steals that disrupted Sachem North’s offense.
Junie Nosile had four points and Katie Browne and Makaylah Frazier scored two points each. Kayleigh Bender hit a huge free throw as the clock ticked down. “I feel awesome and so, so excited about the win,” Browne said.
Sachem North led 12-6 after the first quarter, but Huntington went on a 17-8 run leading up to halftime to grab a 23-20 advantage. But the Flaming Arrows outscored the Blue Devils in the third frame to go back ahead, 34-33.
The final minutes were tense with both teams repeatedly calling timeout to regroup. Sachem North had the final shot, but couldn’t convert it.
Third seeded Huntington will face No. 2 Northport (20-1) in the county semifinals. The Tigers edged Smithtown West (13-9) in the quarterfinals, 64-61.
The Final Four game between the Blue Devils and Northport will be played at Bay Shore High School on Friday, February 25 at 12 noon.
All adults should purchase their tickets to the game online at https://gofan.co/app/school/NYSPHSAAXI. Students can purchase discounted tickets at the door for $5.