Kings Park Surprises Blue Devils, 46-44
Kings Park surprised the Huntington girls’ basketball team in the opening game of the season for both teams, 46-44. The outcome was in doubt until the last seconds and kept a crowd of about 200 on the edge of its seats in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium.
Huntington, which was without the services of guard Maria Marascia who was nursing a twisted ankle, trailed 2-0 until senior Casey Scully scored the first of her eight consecutive points, 1:45 into the game.
The Blue Devils eventually extended their lead to 14-6 when Meredith McCourt went 4-for-4 from the foul line with little more than a minute remaining in the first quarter. But, then Kings Park went on a little run of its own, hitting a pair of baskets, including a three-pointer at the buzzer to get to within 14-11.
The two proud teams battled it out the rest of the way, with Huntington managing to maintain an advantage for most of the game. Several times the Blue Devil lead grew to large enough that some in the crowd thought Huntington had finally gained control of the game, only to see the Kingsmen come roaring back.
The Blue Devils held a 28-25 lead at halftime, but subsequently failed to gain any sustained momentum despite many second half opportunities. The game featured the expected large amount of turnovers and the sometimes tentative play that an early season contest usually produces. The teams met three times last season and each one resulted in fierce play, with Huntington winning every game.
Huntington’s floor general, junior Kerry Hicks scored 17 points, including a pair of three-pointers, but each time the Blue Devils tried to break it open, Kings Park responded.
The ending sequence saw both teams let scoring opportunities slip through their proverbial fingers, missing open shots, turning the ball over or otherwise failing to capitalize on the other’s mistakes. A lay-up by Kings Park’s Kayla Koch gave her team a 46-44 lead, which held up as Huntington couldn’t convert two more opportunities as the seconds ticked down to the final buzzer.
Blue Devil Notes: Casey Scully scored 12 points and was in double figures in steals, too . . . Julie Forster sunk six points and was effective under the boards on both ends of the court . . . Caitlin Ortiz nailed a three-pointer . . . Huntington never lost a home game all last season . . . Matte Scully scored two points.
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