After a Blown Lead, Sachem East Girls Defeat North Babylon to Advance to County Final

FARMINGDALE, N.Y.-- Nobody said it would be easy for defending Class AA champion Sachem East en route to a repeat.

The Arrows found themselves up 15-2 after the first quarter against North Babylon Monday night, but needed the final 24 minutes to put the Bulldogs away, 45-44, to advance to the Suffolk County Class AA championship game Friday against No. 4 Deer Park.

"[North Babylon] is a resilient, tough, championship-caliber team," said Sachem head coach Matt Brisson said. "The team hadn't lost a game yet because they're as strong as they are. I'm just happy the kids stayed the course. We gutted it out."

Games like these are often considered character builders, and for a young team like third-seeded Sachem, Brisson said it's huge.

"You can't even put a value on it," he said when asked of the heart his team has shown. "It's really something that's without question that matures kids. You try to simulate it, but this is the real deal."

Sachem (18-3) controlled the opening quarter from start to finish, not allowing the second-seeded Bulldogs to get anything going offensively. On the other side of the ball, the Arrows were hitting big-shots in what seemed like every trip into North Babylon's end, led by Meagan Doherty.

"Last year in the county championship we played this same team and did the same thing," said Doherty, who finished with a team-high 14 points. "We went up big in the beginning. We know they're a good team, and you just play 32 minutes of basketball.

"Brisson always tells us the game's not over and you have to play all 32 minutes whether you're up 10 or down 10. We knew they had the ability to come back, and we just kept playing hard and got the win."

North Babylon (20-1), though, found its game in the second quarter. Down 18-2 early in the quarter, the Bulldogs turned it around, led in large part to Charise Wilson and Tamara Simpson, who finished with 14 and 12 points, respectively. With Sachem ahead 18-9, Simpson brought down a rebound, and put it home to trim the lead to seven, 18-11. Moments later, she put home another rebound to bring the Bulldogs to within four, 18-14.

The Bulldogs owned most of the quarter, like Sachem did in the first, going on a 12-0 run. Sachem, though, found its game late in the stanza on points by Kathleen Everson and Samantha Drake, to extend its lead to 25-14 going into the half. Everson finished with 13 points.

North Babylon opened the fourth on a 4-0 run, bringing them back in striking distance. The Bulldogs had the momentum and the crowd on their side, and made it a game again, led by Wilson, who was the best player on both sides in the quarter. She tied the game, 27-27, with a jump shot, followed moments later by a 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs the three-point lead.

Sachem looked to their leader in Meagan Doherty, and she answered back in a big way, hitting a 3-pointer to tie the game and calm not only her team, but the raucous crowd. The teams went into the fourth quarter tied, 33-33.

Emily Carmel's 3-pointer a minute into the final quarter gave the Arrows a 37-33 lead. With Sachem up two, Katie Doherty hit a 3-pointer to give the Arrows a crucial five-point lead, 42-37. She finished with 10 points.

North Babylon wouldn't go down without a fight, and brought the game back to within a point. Sachem, though, managed the clock late in the fourth, and Meagan Doherty, who was fouled intentionally with 20 seconds remaining, hit both free-throws to give the Arrows a three point lead.

After the Bulldogs hit a jumpshot, they had the ball back with five seconds remaining for one last shot. From just outside the arc, North Babylon threw up one last shot that just missed, and Sachem escaped with the one point victory, 45-44.

"Don't go in," Brisson said laughing when asked what was going through his mind when the shot was put up.

The experience of last season contributed to Meagan Doherty staying calm on the court even as the Bulldogs chipped away at the Sachem lead.

"I've been in a lot of big games with my sister the past few years," she said. "You can't let it get to you. You just have to keep playing hard whether you're up 20 or down two, you have to play with the same intensity."

"We really do have a lot of heart," she added. "We're young, but we know what it's like."

Moving forward, Brisson said this game is a confidence builder for the championship game.

"Any experience at this stage in the post-season is a big help," he said. "The maturity they gain in each individual possession in the post-season makes them better because you're in situations you've never been in before. It's all uncharted territory."

Notes

• With the victory, Sachem East improves to 17-6 all-time in the post-season.
• They are 5-0 at Farmingdale State College the past two seasons. 

Check Sachem Patch later this week for a Suffolk County championship preview.