High School Fridays: The cream of the Jesters (Emma WIllard @ Troy, 2/21/20

A year ago, Emma Willard made their first visit to Troy High in women's basketball. The shorthanded Jesters coughed up a halftime lead, and were eliminated by the Flying Horses, who were without their top star, Jenalyse Alarcon.

53 weeks after that game, the Jesters returned to Zotto Memorial Gym tonight, bent not only on revenge, but advancing in the Class A sectionals. Both teams were at full strength, as Alarcon has been healthy all season. Second year Troy coach Ryan Meikle's defensive philosophy in this game might as well have come from a nearly 60 year old Archie Bell & The Drells record, as the Lady Horses tightened up the pressure on the Jesters after sophomore Emma Shields gave Emma Willard an early lead. Shields scored all 5 Jesters points in the first quarter, but by the time the buzzer sounded to end the frame, Troy had run past to take a 10 point lead at 15-5. Uh-oh. Worse, Troy went into the break up by 20, 29-9. Ouch!

Still, the sparse crowd remained invested in the game as the second half began with Molly Zahnleuter hitting a three pointer for Emma Willard. Zahnleuter, the Jesters' leading scorer, finished with 8 points, far below last year.

With the game pretty much in hand, Meikle all but emptied his bench in the second half. Junior Genevive Bertrand entered to polite applause from the partisans, and rewarded their support with a pair of treys, finishing with 6 points. A bench player throughout the season, I'd think Bertrand has been auditioning for a more significant role next season.

Zahnleuter was the high scorer for Emma Willard, followed by the Shields sisters, Ashley & Emma, who finished with 7 points each. Emma played the entire second half with three fouls, and, aside from a token basket in the third quarter, played a little more cautiously, trying to avoid any more fouls. Alarcon led all scorers with 16 points, followed by senior Alaina Holmes, in her final home game, with 13, and Troy romped over the Jesters again, 58-24.

Troy (11-10) advances to a 2nd round rematch with Amsterdam Thursday night at Averill Park. Emma Willard finishes at 9-9.

The Jesters, in their 2nd season in Class A, have been playing an independent schedule, but could stand to settle into either the Suburban or Colonial Council. The Suburban has had an opening on the women's side ever since Mohonasen left for the Colonial in 2018, and I don't think it'd take much to schedule a home & home series between the two city teams every year.
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Alumni watch: After plastering Norfolk State, 10-1, on Tuesday, Virginia Commonwealth ran their record to 4-1 on the young baseball season with a 5-3 win over Sacred Heart earlier today. Danny Watson (Columbia High) picked up the win in relief. Brett Young (Albany Academy), playing outfield for the 3rd straight game, went 1-4 with an RBI. The teams will resume their series tomorrow.

Pittsburgh's softball team was to play two games in the Pirate Invite this afternoon, but the games were cancelled due to snow in Clemson. The Panthers will play Massachusetts and Towson State tomorrow, weather permitting, likely with Hunter Levesque (Troy) batting leadoff in one or both games.