SCHOLASTIC GIRLS BASKETBALL: MHAL threepeat for Wallkill

STONE RIDGE >> As Wallkill High’s players posed for a team photo after Thursday night’s Mid-Hudson Athletic League girls basketball title game, they all held up three fingers.

The threepeat was accomplished.

The Panthers won their third consecutive MHAL championship, handily defeating Spackenkill 61-33 at Ulster County Community College.

“It feels really amazing. I know we’ve worked so hard year in and year out,” said Chelsea Murphy, one of Wallkill’s senior “Core Three” with Heather Kiczek and Rachel Simon. “To see our hard work pay off this much, it really means a lot.”

“I’m speechless. It’s the best feeling in the world going out with a bang like that,” Simon said. “All three of us. We started so young. We were looking up to everybody else and now everybody looks up to us. It’s a crazy feeling. It’s amazing. I love it.”

Wallkill became the first team to win more than two MHAL crowns in a roll since Red Hook captured four straight from 2002-05.

“It’s awesome. I think, coming into this season, this was on our mind from day one, so to finally get it it feels really good,” Kiczek said. “To be a senior and to have won it three years in a row is honestly the greatest feeling. We’re really lucky to have had the teams that we had the past three years to do it.”

Kiczek scored 19 points, Simon tallied 18 and Murphy had eight points and six assists to lead the (16-3) Panthers.

Nina Hartenfels had 11 points and Anna Thompson and Bailey Riley each had seven to lead (15-2) Spackenkill.

Wallkill started off slowly offensively, but its defense dictated matters.

With Simon guarding Anna Thompson, the Spartans’ top player was limited to four shots and no points in the first quarter. When she did elude Simon to drive the lane, Panther forward Courtney Blasko blocked her shot.

Wallkill managed just one basket in the first seven minutes. Spackenkill made two foul shots in the first 33 seconds, but were shut out for the next eight minutes.

“We were kind of nervous,” Murphy admitted. “Once we settle in, I think we can get on a roll.”

Kiczek hit a 15-foot jumper then a long baseline attempt to open a 10-2 Panther lead in the final minute of the first quarter.

Wallkill settled matters in the second quarter, outscoring the Spartans 25-10. Simon opened the period with consecutive 3-point field goals, the second behind Sam Valiando’s hard screen on Thompson.

Wallkill pulled away with the basketball equivalent of uppercuts, hooks and jabs.

After Simon’s 3’s, Murphy found Kiczek on the fast break and soon after threaded a pass inside for another basket from the center. Simon buried another pair of treys off Murphy and Julia Annabel passes, then followed Kiczek in for a putback score. After Murphy connected on a coast-to-coast layup, Kiczek closed out the half with a pair of layups, including one for a three-point play.

“Somehow I just know where they’re going to be,” said Murphy about running the fast break. “Sometimes I just throw it and I hope she (Kiczek) catches it. We practice fast break a lot in practice, We all have spots, so we kind of know where we’re supposed to be.”

Simon and Kiczek accounted for 31 of Wallkill’s 35 points in the half. The Panthers led at the break 35-12.

There was a scary moment for Spackenkill with five minutes left in the half when Thompson hyper-extended her right knee. She was able to return four minutes later. By that time, Wallkill’s lead had expanded from 20-5 to 30-9.

“In practice, we work hard and we push each other really hard. I think the way you practice is the way you play,” Kiczek noted. “The harder you practice then the harder you come out and play. That’s our goal for the season.”

In the three MHAL tournament wins, including a Division I playoff against Roosevelt, Wallkill has outscored three quality teams 201-100.

“I think we’re on a good streak right now,” Kiczek said. “We made a statement in the play-in game for the MHALs when we played FDR. We have to build off of that. If we continue to have that fire in our heads, then we can continue to grow from here.”

WALLKILL (61)-Marchionda 1 3-4 5, Lee 1 2-2 4, Kiczek 9 1-4 19, Murphy 3 2-2 8, Simon 6 2-2 18, Blasko 0 0-0 0, Valiando 1 0-0 2, Williams 1 3-4 5, Annabel 0 0-0 0, Smith 0 0-0 0, Power 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 13-18 61.

SPACKENKILL (33)-Fiore 0 0-0 0, Riley 2 2-3 7, Hartenfels 1 8-8 11, Lillis 0 0-2 0, Thompson 2 2-5 7, Herrera 2 2-2 8, Mancini 0 1-2 1, Murray 0 0-0 0, Libolt 0 0-0 0, Barahona 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 15-24 33.

Wallkill 10 25 15 11-61

Spackenkill 2 10 12 9-33

3-point field goals: Simon 4; Herrera 2, Riley, Thompson.

Team records: Wallkill 16-3; Spackenkill 15-2.