UHigh finishes off the year at 31-2 (Photo Courtesy You-Name-It-Sports Jake Johnson)
By Nick McClintock
ROCHESTER- An opening dominant first quarter led to an improbable loss for the UHigh Pioneers Thursday night at the Rochester Sectional Championship. The Pioneers were defeated by the host Rockets 40-39.
Uhigh came out firing on all cylinders in the beginning of the contest, going on a long, 13-1 run that would take the entire quarter to complete. It wouldn't be until the first possession of the second quarter for the Rockets to get a field goal, a Laryn Sapetti layup.
Both teams went basically basket-for basket for the remainder of the second quarter, as the Pioneers would head to the halftime break with an 11 point lead at 27-16.
The second half started much the same as the second quarter, as both teams would get nine points, playing to a draw on the scoreboard, but the final basket and momentum would go to the Rockets. At the end of three, Uhigh led 36-25.
The fourth quarter saw redemption for the Rockets of Rochester, as they scored the first 11 points of the quarter to tie up the game at 36. Sapetti of the Rockets would increase her total point to 13 in the quarter, as Uhigh turned the ball over three times over a six minute stretch.
Compounding the issues in the final quarter for the Pioneers was free-throw shooting, missing four shots, before Chante Stonewall would put make one, putting the Pionners back on top by one, 37-36. Stonewall would get another shot to go in after a Sapetti layup to retake the lead 39-38 with less than a minute to go.
The final second of the game saw an errant shot by Rockets Sophmore Angela Perry, but she picked up the foul on the shot. Perry would make the first free throw to tie it up, and flushed the second to give the Rockets the ultimate lead.
UHigh was led in scoring by Avery Hamm with 11. The Pioneers finish the season at 31-2 on the year.
