Girls basketball

Eldred outlasts Liberty in season opener

Victory subdued following loss of Jessica Bisland to a knee injury

By RICHARD A. ROSS

ELDRED, NY — Eldred’s young team got its first win of the season but may have paid a dear price for it with the loss of Jessica Bisland, who went down with what appeared to be a serious knee injury with just over four minutes left in the game.

Bisland was taken to Bon Secours Hospital after EMT workers diligently worked for a lengthy period of time to stabilize her before removing her by ambulance.

Both teams sat quietly in the silent gym hoping fervently that the standout player will recover quickly. Bisland had a game-high 14 points before her departure.

Neither team was able to get much going in the opening quarter. Liberty’s Ceara Williams controlled the opening tip and sent the ball ahead to Jessica Diaz who netted the game’s first bucket for a 2-0 Liberty lead. Williams is a fine prospect that coach Tom Lagattuta added during summer league this past July.

Bisland hit one of two free throws for Eldred’s first points and Stephanie Berger had the team’s first field goal to give Eldred a lead it would never surrender.

Eldred led 7-4 at the end of the first quarter, getting additional scoring from Mallory Haas and Gabby Westfall. Diaz scored all of Liberty’s first- quarter points.

Bisland opened the second quarter with two-for-two from the charity stripe as Williams picked up her second foul. A great dish from Bisland to Gabby Westfall extended Eldred’s lead to 13-6. Williams hit a lay up to close the gap to five.

Behind Bisland’s eight points and four from Westfall, the Lady Yellowjackets took a 22-12 lead into halftime. Williams had four points in the second quarter and Heather Stewart had two.

Lagattuta implored his girls to get more active during the break and the Lady Indians responded in the third quarter by going on a 14-5 run that got them within one point at 27-26.

During that flurry, the Lady Indians got six points from Angela Giacolone and five from Williams. Aryanna Walizadeh pitched in with three more.

Having recaptured the momentum, Liberty looked to be in a position to take the lead. Giacolone stole the ball from Mallory Haas with 1:41 remaining in the third quarter and drove the floor for the lay up that got the Indians within one as the quarter ended.

Eldred outscored Liberty 9-4 in the fourth quarter to pace themselves to the 36-30 victory but Liberty got the early lead in the final frame from a shot by Jen Caywood that momentarily put the Lady Indians ahead 29-28. Westfall came down and got the lead back a minute later but in an ensuing fray between Westfall and Heather Stewart following a rebound, the latter was whistled for a technical foul which would prove to be the turning point of the game.

Bisland was sent to the line by coach Frank Kean to shoot the technical. She hit both shots and Eldred got the possession as well. In essence, it amounted to a four-point swing.

A minute later, Bisland fell to the floor and the game was stopped. After she was removed from the gym, Eldred’s team returned to the floor with a chant of “One, Two, Three, Jess.” Westfall hit a shot and Stephanie Berger nailed one of two free throws. Lori Henry put in the game’s last basket for Eldred (1-0) who subsequently lost to rival Livingston Manor in the tournament final on December 8.

Liberty (0-1) will take on Chapel Field (0-1) in the consolation game.

Lagattuta was essentially pleased with his team’s efforts. “We came out struggling as this was our first game, but I thought we did well coming back on that 14-5 run in the third quarter. We had the momentum and were poised to go ahead but that technical foul changed things.”

Giacolone and Williams paced Liberty with nine points each. Westfall posted 13 for Eldred, a remarkable contribution considering the fact that she nearly didn’t suit up due to a badly swollen knee. Liberty was hurt by its commission of 20 turnovers. Eldred turned the ball over 12 times. Visit riverreporter.com for an album of pictures from the game.