TROY — The Stillwater girls’ basketball team just needed a quarter to clear the cobwebs.
Once the Warriors did that, it was a clean performance for Class C’s second-seeded team, as Stillwater defeated third-seeded Berne-Knox-Westerlo 57-30 in the semifinals of the Section 2 tournament on Tuesday at Hudson Valley Community College.
Now Stillwater gets to set its sights on winning its first sectional championship in the sport. It will play Wasaren League rival and top-seeded Greenwich in the final at 2:30 Saturday at HVCC. Greenwich beat Maple Hill 64-24 in the other semifinal.
Both teams were sloppy in the first quarter, with Stillwater (21-2) committing six turnovers and the Bulldogs committing five.
That worked in B-K-W’s favor, as it led 12-10 after one quarter.
“I told them just to handle the pressure and the press and not get sloppy,” Stillwater coach Cassidy Chapko said of her message to start the second quarter. “They like to press and speed us up, and we were getting sped up and turning the ball over. And just to execute on the offensive end. We were getting good looks, wide-open layups, they just weren’t falling.”
The Warriors listened well, scoring the first nine points of the quarter to take the lead for good. From there, Stillwater just gradually increased the lead.
What helped Stillwater do that was the absence of B-K-W 6-foot sophomore center Olivia Kirker, the Bulldogs’ lone real paint presence. She contributed two points, two rebounds, a steal, assist and a block in the first quarter, but nothing in the second, which she sat out most of with three fouls. Stillwater led 31-19 at halftime.
Despite starting three underclassmen with two seniors, Stillwater’s players have been playing together for several years, and it showed in the second half, as the Warriors knew where to look for each other.
“From the very first game, I feel like every game since then has just been improvement,” said senior Miranda Price, who had 12 points and three steals. “There hasn’t been any setbacks. I mean, we faced a few challenges, but I definitely feel like this team has just improved to our max potential right now. We’re at the best spot we can be.”
Kirker’s presence in the third quarter helped B-K-W (17-5) not let things get out of hand, with Stillwater leading 38-24, but the Warriors cruised in the fourth.
“They’re disciplined, and they’ve played together for three years and have a lot of talent out there, which is great, so they can kind of flip it on and flip it off,” Chapko said. “When they turn it on, they’re tough to stop.”
Addison Thornton led Stillwater with 17 points. Andie Luskin added 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Katie Stevens, Annie Lendrum and Kirker each had six points for B-K-W, with Kirker adding six rebounds and two blocks.
“It’s great,” Chapko said. “I’m just so happy for these girls. They’ve worked hard since November, and really, this group has been together for the past three years, and I’m just so happy they’re finally getting a chance to play for a sectional championship. It’s really special for them and the program as a whole.”
While it’s hard to beat a team three times in a season, Greenwich presents a large challenge. The Witches, who beat Maple Hill in Tuesday’s other semifinal, are 23-0 and have spent most of this season atop the state rankings in Class C. They’ve beaten Stillwater twice this season by identical 54-34 scores.
“They’re a great team,” Chapko said of Greenwich. “Those are our only two losses this year. Very talented. … We have to sit down and really look forward and get our game plan ready for Saturday.”
“I feel like it’s going to have to be more than 100% for us to win that game, but I know we can,” Price said. “I have so much confidence in us.”
Berne-Knox-Westerlo 12 7 5 6 — 30
Stillwater 10 21 7 19 — 57
Berne-Knox-Westerlo scoring: B.Deguillo 2-0-5, Edwards 1-1-3, Stevens 2-2-6, A.Lendrum 2-1-6, Shaver 1-0-2, C.Deguillo 1-0-2, Kirker 2-2-6.
Stillwater scoring: Thornton 7-1-17, Parella 3-0-6, Price 5-1-12, Thompson 0-1-1, Chatt 2-0-5, Luskin 6-1-13, Hazen 1-0-3.
Team totals: Berne-Knox-Westerlo 11-6-30, Stillwater 24-4-57.
