TULLY –– The No. 5 Tully girls basketball team used a 22-2 second quarter, fueled by some suffocating defense, to pull away from No. 12 LaFayette for a 57-39 win in the Section III Class C first round Saturday at Tully High School.
Tully will take on either No. 4 Weedsport or No. 13 Alexandria Thursday.
The Black Knights’ full-court press caused plenty of problems for LaFayette, with tipped passes and runouts coming all over the court.
“We upped our tempo a lot and we were cheering for each other a lot,” Tully forward Anna Congelli said. “That helps us move the ball and score it more.”
Freshman Desiray Gables made her varsity debut Saturday after playing JV all season, but provided an instant impact. She got on the floor midway through the first quarter with starter Emily Hall in foul trouble. The freshman scored nine first-half points, including six in the big second, to announce her arrival.
“I was a little nervous, but I had my teammates to cheer me on,” Gables said. “I knew I would be able to pull through and have a good game.”
Once Gables got comfortable and adjusted to the speed of the game, she was off and running.
“I wasn’t as nervous and I knew from practices that I had it and that if I calmed myself down I could pull through,” Gables said.
Tully head coach Jeff Russell went to Gables with confidence Saturday, knowing her athletic profile can change a game.
“It’s just a speed thing,” Russell said. “She changes the speed of the game. By doing that, it speeds up everybody else as well. She’s fast, she’s athletic as all get out.”
The Black Knights enabled their 22-2 second by forcing LaFayette into foul trouble. Mya Stafford, the Lancers’ leading scorer, and Shayla Benedict, the second-leading scorer, both had two fouls midway through the first quarter and Benedict never appeared to get comfortable in the game after.
“I said before we even left the locker room that if we drive, they’ll foul,” Russell said. “That was an issue from the get go, of driving the seams and making them foul you. Don’t settle and don’t jump away.”
Tully cruised in the second half, with the lead never dipping below 11 or above 19. Russell felt his girls let their guard down a bit after halftime, something he knows can’t happen the rest of the postseason.
“We did throw the ball away,” Russell said. “We forced the ball in spots where it shouldn’t go. They just get impatient.”
Russell was proud of the way his girls cleaned the glass against a big and physical Lancers team, something he feels changed the game.
“We talked about this as soon as we learned we were playing LaFayette; you have to get the defensive rebound because they’re going to get the offensive rebound,” Russell said. “I was really proud of the way we rebounded because even if we didn’t get it, we batted it out so they couldn’t get that instant put back.”
Congelli paced Tully with 15 points, Gables recorded 13 points in her first varsity action, Ella Polak pitched in 11 points, Gabby Flatt scored 10 points, Kameryn Meaney knocked down a pair of triples for six points and Sydney Arnott scored two points.
Tully’s win Saturday was its third over rival LaFayette this season. The Black Knights also beat the Lancers 43-37 at home on Jan. 14 and 58-51 on the road on Feb. 4.
“This doesn’t really happen a lot, so to beat them three times is awesome,” Polak said.
