Just two days after what may have been one of the finest wins in program history, the Harrison girls basketball team suffered a heartbreaking season-ending loss at the Westchester County Center. On March 8, the No. 4 Huskies took on No. 2 Hendrick Hudson with the Class A championship hanging in the balance. But some clutch plays by the Sailors and foul trouble for Harrison doomed the Huskies to a 46-45 loss.
The fourth quarter provided some terrific excitement, as the Sailors and Huskies traded leads over the final minute of regulation. Gabby Marraccini gave Harrison a 45-43 advantage with just 19.7 seconds left on the clock, but on the ensuing possession, Hen Hud standout Caitlin Weimer passed out of a double team to find Mylene Smith on the baseline. Smith sank the game-tying bucket and drew the foul, converting on a go-ahead free throw that put the Sailors up for good.
Harrison had a chance to tie with a pair of foul shots in the final seconds but was unable to connect from the line.
Harrison coach Louis Kail reflected on the Huskies’ season after the game, citing the team’s come-from-behind semifinal round win against Rye and the near-win over Hen Hud as examples of the team’s mental toughness.
“Those kids gave me everything they had, every single one of them,” Kail said. “It’s just unfortunate when things happen that take the game out of the kids’ hands but it is what it is.”
Kail was displeased with the disparity of foul calls on the afternoon, as Harrison was outshot 36-7 from the charity stripe and had four starters foul out of the game.
“I think when there’s a 36-7 difference in foul shots, there’s a discussion to be had,” he said.
The Huskies were, however, able to bottle up the Sailors’ Marist-bound standout Weimer, something Kail attributed to Harrison’s ability to stick to the gameplan.
“Obviously she’s a tremendous player,” he said. “But we did what we wanted to and held her to 11 points, which was really good.”
With the victory, Hendrick Hudson earned a bye into the state quarterfinal round, and will play their next game on March 13 at SUNY Purchase. Harrison, on the other hand, will look to build upon a strong postseason showing as they prepare for next season.
“I’m so proud of what these girls were able to do,” Kail said. “When you look on the floor at the end of the game, we had two eighth graders, a seventh grader, a sophomore and a senior, all these kids showed a lot of heart.”
