Magical run ends for SAR in finals of Yeshiva tournament, Lady Sting fall just one game short of championship encore

 

By Jason Eisenberg

 

March 28, 2011 -- The clock finally struck midnight on the Cinderella team of this year’s local basketball playoffs.

 

After an improbable ride all the way to the Metropolitan Yeshiva League title game for the second straight season, the Salanter Akiba Riverdale (SAR) High School girls’ basketball team ultimately came up a single win short of successfully repeating as champions.

 

Considering the fact that they did not even secure a playoff spot until the very last game on the schedule, SAR was clearly heading in to the postseason as a heavy underdog. Yet, once the tournament actually began, the Lady Sting showed renewed determination to defend their crown and were not going to let it slip away without a fight. The third-seeded local team first knocked off number-two Ramaz in a tight, hard-fought quarterfinal matchup, and then kept the momentum going with a surprising 10-point victory over top-ranked Frisch in the semifinals.

 

These two impressive upsets set up a rematch of last season’s final, as SAR again met Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway (HAFTR) to decide the championship, in front of a packed house at North Shore Hebrew Academy High School last Thursday evening. Unfortunately for the fans wearing black and gold, the Lady Sting had finally run out of gas and the result from one year ago was reversed in a 39-30 HAFTR victory.

 

“Obviously, this was not one of our better days and we just were not firing on any cylinders, but the truth is nobody expected us to be here,” said SAR head coach Tali Cohen. “Actually, if I am being 100-percent honest, even I did not think we had any chance of getting this far. Everything just seemed to come together in the playoffs and these girls definitely deserve to be proud of what they accomplished.”

 

Initially, it looked like there was still some magic left in the Lady Sting, as they took an early 6-3 lead on a long jumper by Shira Gaffney, a bank shot by Sophia Altholz and an offensive put-back from Suzanne Schrag. As it turned out, though, these first four minutes of the opening quarter was the only time SAR would hold a lead during the entire contest.

 

From that point on, HAFTR outscored SAR 18-6 over the next 12 minutes and was comfortably ahead by a score of 21-12 at halftime. There were several factors that contributed to this deficit, including SAR’s two best players -- Schrag and Altholz -- both spending time on the bench due to early foul trouble, as well as an effective defensive scheme that was specifically implemented by HAFTR to take away the Lady Sting’s inside scoring game. While facing aggressive coverage in the paint and constant pressure that flustered their guards, the Lady Sting were unable to regularly get the ball to the post and instead had to consistently settle for tough outside shots.

 

SAR did come out with a much better showing after the break and managed to get back within five points when Tamara Sastow scored on a fast break and then fed the ball to Schrag in the post just 30 seconds later for another basket. This started an eight-minute stretch, bridging the third and fourth quarters, that would see Schrag score eight of SAR’s 11 points, as the senior center almost singlehandedly tried to keep her team in the game. However, during this same period of time, the Lady Sting could not come up with a big defensive stop when they needed it and actually allowed HAFTR to increase its advantage on the scoreboard.

 

With the result no longer in question, Coach Cohen took her starters off the floor -- many for the final time -- and gave some of her senior reserves a last chance to get out on the court. Keren Swergold made the most of this opportunity and drilled a three-pointer in the final 30 seconds of play. This shot cut the overall deficit back down to single digits and helped SAR match HAFTR’s second half total of 18 points, but it was not enough to overcome what had taken place prior to halftime.      

 

Although SAR eventually finished as runners-up this time around, in many ways, the surprising late-season streak might have made the 2011 season almost as memorable as what the Lady Sting achieved one year ago.

 

“I think this was even better. Last year was amazing but everybody knew how talented we were,” said Coach Cohen. “When you lose eight seniors and pretty much your entire starting lineup, it usually takes some time to rebuild. So, for us to get right back to the championship game again, it make this an incredible season. These past few weeks in particular have been an absolute treat.”

 

 

GAME SCORESHEET

 

SAR Lady Sting

#34 Suzanne Schrag - 12 points (6-fg, 0-3pt, 0-ft)

#3 Shira Gaffney - 6 points (3-fg, 0-3pt, 0-ft)

#11 Sophia Altholz - 5 points (1-fg, 0-3pt, 3-ft)

#4 Tamara Sastow - 4 points (2-fg, 0-3pt, 0-ft)

#20 Keren Swergold - 3 points (0-fg, 1-3pt, 0-ft)

 

 

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK

SAR PLAYER OF THE GAME: Suzanne Schrag - Playing her final game in the black and gold jersey, Schrag was the team’s leader on the court just as she has been all season. Despite missing several minutes because she was in early foul trouble, the 5-foot-11 center reached double-digits in rebounds and had 12 of SAR’s 30 points, which was double the amount scored by her next closest teammate.

 

 

SAR Report Card

Offense: C

Defense: B-

Rebounding: B+