Wednesday, December 16, 2015 by Aidan Joly
With lethal shooting, Saratoga was able to pull themselves over the edge to a win.
Saratoga varsity girls’ basketball defeated the Columbia Blue Devils on Tuesday night at Saratoga High School by a score of 67-59.
The Blue Streaks were led by Kerry Flaherty, who took over in the middle of the game, scoring 17 points in the second and third quarters alone. She finished with 20 points in the game, leading the Blue Streaks.
“I really had to step it up because we were down in the first quarter, so they needed someone to step up,” Flaherty said.
Maddie Chudy was also a key factor for Saratoga, with 15 points. Kara Vamvalis and Taylor Patnode added 11 points each. Patnode also had 10 rebounds, recording a double-double. Dolly Cairns had nine points.
“We had some girls step up who don’t usually step up,” Saratoga head coach Robin Chudy said. “It was, overall, a great team effort.”
Most of the game was evenly matched, with the game being tied at 13 after a quarter. Saratoga would begin to pull out to a short lead in the second quarter, and it was 31-26 at the half in favor of the Blue Streaks, who went on to lead 48-44 after three quarters.
Saratoga would get out to the late lead with clutch free throws in the final minutes of the game.
“We’ve been working in practice a lot on not only taking (free throws), but making them,” Chudy said of the free throws in the last few minutes.
Columbia was led by Selena Lott, who had 24 points, and she has now scored 20 or more points in every single game this season. Grace Heeps had 16 for the Blue Devils, and Jaclyn McGlynn had seven.
The Saratoga girl’s JV team fell to Columbia on Tuesday by a score of 47-44, on a game-winning buzzer beater.
Saratoga now improves to 4-2 on the season, and will be back in action on Friday, December 18, taking on Shenendehowa at home. That game is set to begin at 7pm. Columbia now falls to 4-3 on the season after the loss.