Doherty Sisters Lead Sachem East to First New York State Girls Basketball Title

History was made in Troy, N.Y. Saturday night.

Sachem East earned its first New York State championship in girls basketball after beating Shenendehowa, 50-44, at Hudson Valley Community College.

Kristen Doherty (22) and Meagan Doherty (18) combined for 40 of the team's 50 points and helped East put together an impressive 11-2 run in the second half after Shenendehowa took a 10-point lead into halftime. 

"When you script this stuff this is one from the movies," Sachem East head coach Matt Brisson said via cell phone. "Every game is a challenge but for this one you hope your kids can come through one more time." 

East (22-3) will play Sunday, March 28 at 1 p.m. in the New York State Federation Championship against the winner of the Murry Bergtraum-Christ the King game. Regardless of the opponent, it should be another classic shootout.

East, which tied the school record for wins in a season, opened the game with a 7-0 lead, but Shenendehowa wasn't a push-over opponent and a balanced offensive approach from Emily Webster and Allie Setter put the Plainsmen back in the game.

Shenendehowa was on a 25-6 run by the end of the second quarter and had a commanding lead. It didn't help that East was 7-of-29 from the field in shooting.

Then the Doherty sisters took over. Kristen hit a three-pointer with 6:13 remaining and Meagan hit one when it counted most in the fourth as well.

"If the game is on the line with three minutes or less left I want those kids on my team," Brisson said. "Kristen does things that are almost not human. I swear shes got a Superman tattoo on her."

Brisson told his team of Shenendehowa's weakness in coverage up the gut of the floor at halftime. 

"They were leaving the middle open," he said. "We needed to fill that middle and do the things we do best in a high-low set. Possession by poessesion we got back into it offensively, but it was won on the defensive end. They dug in on the defensive end."

"We had to compose ourself and stay calm," Caitlin Hopkins said. "We were playing their game and not ours."

Asked if he and the team are even thinking about next weekend's game yet, Brisson said they will relax for a day or so and enjoy the win.

"We own the public high school ground now," he said. "That's where the palying field is even. We'll tackle the other ones in a few days."

Aside from her 22 points, Kristen Doherty had eight rebounds and six steals. Meagan had four assists and three rebounds. Kelsey Ferguson had eight rebounds, five steals and two assists. 

Read the complete in-game coverage blog that Sachem Patch ran throughout the contest.

Michael Feldstein contributed to this story.