LAKE HUNTINGTON – All aboard for two trains bound for sectionals. 

On track A, the Monticello Lady Panthers, led by senior standout Aaliyah Mota hope to have enough momentum to make it to the Big Dance, just as they did a year ago. For head coach Sheila Burns, a former Eldred star under then coach Ryan Jasper, these past years serving as his assistant and JV coach have served as ongoing lessons into the Jasper methodology that not only took Eldred to the state semifinals but resurrected a Monticello program that had been in the doldrums for years. 

Jasper is now the Interim Athletic Director at Monticello. As such, his presence and influence continue. On this night, Monticello’s enthralling 41-34 win over Sullivan West brought the Lady Panthers to 7-6, just three wins shy of their goal to reach the postseason again. With a player like Mota, it is likely the Lady Panthers will motor into the postseason. 

On track C were the Sullivan West Lady Bulldogs, a fiery group that, the night before, punched their ticket to sectionals with a dicey 46-37 road victory over league nemesis S.S. Seward. In that fray Lanie Herbert dropped in 23 and Abby Parucki had 11 to outduel the Lady Spartans. The win augmented their league record to 3-0 with an overall mark of 6-2. So, for Sullivan West, this back-to-back fray did not present the same urgency as it did for Monticello. Last year the Lady Montis survived a double OT win in Lake Huntington so no doubt the competitive fire burned bright for SW players and their coach Pat Donovan. 

SW comes to play hard trying to win every night with an in-your-face defense that is impressive to say the least. 

The first quarter was a defensive battle with both teams struggling to score on the inside. As would be the case all night, turnovers were a problem for the Lady Montis as SW took advantage of Monticello’s somewhat faulty dribble trips up the floor. 

Mota scored five points in the first quarter. Her first basket afforded the Monti’s a lead they would never relinquish. SW missed a bevy of inside shots as Herbert found herself surrounded by black jerseys including a leaping Mota and tall tree Amiah Neails. Monticello led 9-4 at the end of the first quarter. The two trains sped up a bit in the second stanza but with greater speed on Track A to the tune of 9-7. 

SW did a good job keeping the ball out of Mota’s hands. She posted just one bucket. A trey form Isabella Velasquez and four points from Neails gave Monticello an 18-11 lead heading into the break. SW got a trey from Herbert, whose proficiency from beyond the arc is not a weapon to be ignored. The rest of the points came from the line. 

By night’s end SW’s 13-of-19 from the stripe would be vital in a powerful comeback bid that would trim the Montis 12-point lead to a mere three before the Lady Panthers closed out the game with a couple of timely shots from you know who. 

In the third quarter it was the Lady Panthers again outdistancing the Lady Westies 9-4 to marshal a 27-15 lead heading into the fourth quarter. SW could only muster a three from Parucki and a lone free throw from Herbert. 

Mota contributed six of those nine. Her seven points in the fourth helped to stave off a furious comeback bid as SW awoke with 19 points to Monticello’s 14. Parucki scored eight including her second trey. Liz Reeves, Herbert and Anna Bernas had a bucket apiece. The Montis were helped by Gianna DeMaio’s three points and two each from Neails and Janee Vias. 

Burns said her team wasn’t fazed by their turnovers and a SW run in the fourth. “We kept our positive energy and believed. I saw a different side of Mota tonight. She was really energetic.” 

Monticello has Liberty, Webutuck, Port Jervis and Minisink. They need to win three of those. 

Donovan liked the energy of the comeback bid but noted, “You can’t get down by that much. We missed a lot of shots. We went small in the fourth quarter. It was a winnable game. I guess we were hungover from last night. It was an emotional high beating Seward.”

Sullivan West travels to Fallsburg, home to Chester and then vies against Eldred at the Coaches vs. Cancer on Saturday. 

“We play great defense and knock down outside shots, we’ve got to work on finishing around the rim.” 

Two trains on the express track powerful and ready. Keep your eyes on the tracks and hope for no breakdowns before the arrival at the postseason station.