Work zone

Tri-Valley girls hold sway over Monticello in helter-skelter opener of teams under construction

By RICHARD A. ROSS

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — “If you build it, they will come,” is the famous line from the movie “Field of Dreams.” For the ladies of Tri-Valley and Monticello, those dreams are about playing competitive basketball and helping their schools rebuild programs that once excelled but have struggled mightily in recent years.

For Tri-Valley girls basketball coach Andy Taggart, who has just taken over the reins of a team of talented but inexperienced Lady Bears, there’s much building to be done before such dreams can begin to materialize.

Taggart, a veteran coach who stresses fundamentals, teamwork and execution, is quite mindful of the task that lies before him. Establishing a successful girls basketball program is going to take time, but with the season opening on December 3 against Monticello, the extensive process of teaching his players everything he wants them to know, including the terminology of the game, will now take place under fire as well as in practice.

Across the gym in her pre-game huddle, Monticello coach Karen Atack was facing a similar challenge. With eight girls gone from last year’s team, including some who are still in school but didn’t come out, the Monties prepared to take to the court with little experience.

“We’re behind in skills and concepts and we’re going to have to work on the basic fundamentals, teamwork and try to hang together,” noted Atack following her team’s 57-21 loss to Tri-Valley, a game in which both teams evinced some positives as well as flaws that will have to be rectified quickly in the face of much more daunting competition, looming large and soon.

A year ago, both Monticello and Tri-Valley registered few wins and neither team came close to qualifying for sectionals. Monticello returned only three players to this year’s team: senior Nyoki Tate, junior Dorentina Rraci and sophomore Valentina Rraci. Last year, Monticello beat Tri-Valley twice.

The Bears have six veterans onboard, including Kelly McNamara, Skylar Musa, Jakki Pugh, Kathryn Schneyer, Amanda Martin and Danielle Sanok, but with the advent of Taggart’s new system, past experience is basically wiped clean as the team starts from scratch.

Not surprisingly, this game had a harried look to it. Turnovers abounded on both sides with three of them coming in the first 30 seconds. By halftime, the teams had combined for upwards of 20 turnovers. Tri-Valley’s aggressive help defense, Taggart’s first priority toward establishing effective gamesmanship, created havoc for the Monties, who often found themselves trapped and unable to get the ball up the floor. In possessions where they did not turn the ball over with errant passes, they were met at the basket by Tri-Valley players who rotated to the ball, denied easy access to the basket and dominated the glass.

Tri-Valley’s advantage in rebounding wasn’t lost on Atack who noted that on one possession, the Lady Bears pulled down five straight offensive rebounds before finally getting a bucket. “That’s unacceptable,” Atack told her team.

Both teams struggled offensively as they missed numerous shots close in, but as the first quarter got underway, the Lady Bears were able to score with baskets from Katelyn Torres, Musa, Schneyer, McNamara and Martin. Monticello went scoreless during the first quarter, which ended with Tri-Valley leading 12-0.

Tate scored her team’s first points barely a minute into the second quarter after Torres got the first bucket of the frame moments before. Tri-Valley point guard Pugh sent a slicing pass across the lane to an open Martin. Pugh blocked two shots in the frame and scored four of her game-high 12 points. Musa deftly dribbled up the floor and went wire to wire for a bucket.

Meanwhile, Monticello got it going with baskets from Dorentina Rraci, Tate Alma Gashi and Anastasia Bowden. The Lady Bears took a 28-8 lead into halftime.

Pugh began to evince more of her talent in the third quarter with her assists and her travels up the floor that resulted in slashes to the rim. She scored six in the third quarter. Torres, Martin, Allyson Bowers and Heather Knox contributed to the Lady Bears’ 15-point output in the period, which extended the lead to 43-12. A three-pointer from Tate and a free throw from Rraci was all the Monties could manage.

Monticello’s offense became more productive in the fourth quarter with four from Tate and baskets by Brittany Santos and Dorentina Rraci, and a free throw from Bowden.

Tri-Valley’s final frame featured an 0-for-six performance from the free-throw line, something else Taggart will require his players to work on relentlessly in practice. The Lady bears finished five-for-13 from the line. Monticello was two-for-seven.

Tate’s six steals marked one of the few facets of the game that Atack felt were positive. “We never gave up tonight,” said the veteran coach. “These girls realize we have a lot of work to do.”

Tate led Monticello with nine points. Dorentina Rraci had five. Monticello (0-1) will travel to Ellenville on December 8 and host Sullivan West on December 12 before heading to Warwick on December 12.

Pugh led Tri-Valley with 12 points, while Torres and Martin each had 11.

Taggart summed things up thusly: “I’m impressed with the hustle. I have a great bunch of girls. Our offense didn’t look very good today, and we turned the ball over 10 times more than I want to turn it over. It’ a work in progress and defense comes before offense. With me coming in, everything is new. It’s going to take time to click, but we’re going to get better. Monticello is in the same boat. If we had played the way we did tonight against a more established team, we would have gotten killed.”

Tri-Valley (1-0) will host Roscoe, Liberty and Eldred on December 8, 10 and 12 respectively.