SECTION 4 GIRLS' BASKETBALL: HORSEHEADS TOPS BINGHAMTON IN OT TO WIN SECTIONAL TITLE (24 PHOTOS) (2025-03-09)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
BINGHAMTON — From an eighth-grade guard, to three seniors playing key roles, the Horseheads Blue Raiders got contributions out of everyone as they edged Binghamton 54-51 in overtime on Sunday to win the Section IV, Class AA title.

“I’m really proud,” Horseheads coach Andy Scott said. “They showed a lot of resiliency today because that’s a really good ball club. Just the way, not only Megan (Wolf) today, but it was a collection of everybody.

“Last time we got out rebounded, they had 20 offensive rebounds, we put in (Sadie) Gustin (Sunday) and I thought she did a great job today. When they went small we put Kamas back in and she had a big three and a free throw at the end. It was awesome the way they battled. The games at the Josh Palmer Tournament, and playing Hilton and West Genesee just made us better and today it showed.”

The Horseheads players were happy with the way everything happened on Sunday.

“It’s a great feeling, wonderful moment. Great to share with all these girls,” Wolf said.

“It’s great to have our senior year, we worked so hard for it and put it in the work,” senior Jordyn Gross added.

 After a Maddie Ribble three and a Gross hoop had Horseheads up six with under four minutes left.

Binghamton got within one with 2:14 left and just 34 seconds later they took the lead.

Binghamton took the lead on a pug. Z k with a minute left.

Horseheads had a shot and miss and grabbed the offensive board, but couldn’t score.

Down one, Horseheads drew a tie-up and got the ball back, but were not able to score and Binghamton hit a foul shot with 6.9 left to go up two.

Horseheads got the ball back with 6.3 seconds left. The Blue Raiders inbounded the ball and Ribble found Gross, who cut across the lane and put up the shot to tie things up and send the game to overtime.

“That (The Gross shot) was the second choice,” Gross said. “The first choice was a shot, but you’ve just got to be ready for when your chance comes.

While Gross didn’t think she was the first option, Scott knows she was.

“The funny thing is, it was the number one option, but we aren’t going to tell her,” Scott said with a chuckle. “No, actually we were going to try and get her the ball. We needed a two at that point and time. It was either that or go for the win and we liked our chances in overtime. We just hoped she could get a good position to make it and she made. Great move like she doest every day in practice and we are really proud of her.”

Wolf knew that Gross would make the shot.

“100%,” Wolf said. “She works very hard, works every day, works on her post moves. Great player, going to college to play basketball, so we have faith in her in those moments.”

In overtime the Blue Raiders started strong as Wolf hit a three and had a steady and a basket. Binghamton got within three multiple times, but the Blue Raiders were able to close out the win.

“My team fought, my team helped me out,” Wolf said. “Not my best game, but we are a team, we played together, it was a team effort. Really proud of all my girls, because we did it together.”

Wolf, Gross and Kamas are three of the six seniors for the Blue Raiders.

“We had three seniors who played pretty much the whole game,” Scott said. “Those three who didn’t play today have done so many great things for us. They are so valuable in practice and on the bench today. Cook, Scott and Als, they just did a great job cheering the entire game. They are so unselfish. Most kids would be pouting about not playing and they are just great people to have and that’s why we win ball games, because we have great kids.

Binghamton led most of the first half, but a Ribble steal and layup tied things with 2:40 left in the half.

“She (Ribble) made some really big plays on offense, but also was big on defense,” Scott said. “That number 11 (for Binghamton) is really solid, a lefty. The No. 4, Megan (Wolf) did a great job on her and the girls switched off when they could. I was just really proud of how the girls played. I thought they did a nice job executing the game plan. Defensively we kept ourselves in the game and offensively we hit shots down the stretch when it counted.”

Bonnell had hit a three to get Horseheads within three before the Ribble hoop and Bonnell hit another three then to put Horseheads up three.

Bonnell had two big threes in the games second quarter.

“13 years old in eighth grade,” Scott said. “I have her in class. You look at her and she’s this big. She played her tail off today. She led, she maybe had one turnover, possibly. Just a great job leading the offense in a AA sectional championship, that’s pretty awesome. She’s a great kid, great player.”

It’s Bonnell’s first sectional final and she was up to the challenge.

“It was great, just great being with this team, everyone is great,” Bonnell said. “It got to be riled up to finish the game.It’s even better being on the court, knowing I can play with such a great team.

“Just the fact that we are here and playing in sectionals got my confidence up. It was surprising, and very exciting (Bonnell said of what the experience of playing in the arena was like). It got my confidence up.”

Wolf was happy to see what Bonnell did in the game.

“It’s great, we really needed someone to do that this year,” Wolf said. “She (Bonnell) stepped up, did her part and she’s a great player. It’s going to be hard not having her next year.”

Those threes by Bonnell just got the team going even more.

“It got the whole team riled up,” Wolf said. “Really got momentum for us at that point in the game. We had really good moments that kept us in the game and kept our momentum on their size.”

Wolf had 21 in the game, 19 in the final three quarters, and Gross had 11, while Bonnell finished with 10 points.

Ribble had six points and Kamas had four points, while Gustin had two points.

Gianna Hughey got her first varsity minutes, playing key minutes in the second half for a player called up from JV after the JV season.

“She just has size and length and this Binghamton team killed us last time on the boards, they had 20 offensive rebounds,” Scott said. “We had to go different routes. She played great on JV and we watched her, she came onto varsity and we had a scrimmage against Johnston City. She did a very good job, so we said if we need her in a pinch and we’ll use her and she did fine. She did a great job, proud of her.”

For the Horseheads seniors they weren’t about to let their careers end on Sunday.

“We knew we had to get the win,” Gross said. “We want to go as far as we can and play together as long as we can. We love this team.”

And, the final in the arena was another memory for the seniors to take in.

“Your whole senior year you take pride in the moments,” Wolf said. “You take in the moments because you never know when your last moments are going to be. I think all of us, all six of us, really took in every moment we had today.”

Shania Beylo had 22 points to lead Binghamton and Melody Finn had 13 points.

It’s back to states for the Blue Raiders as Horseheads meets Warwick, the Section IX champion, at 3 p.m. on March 15 at Kingston High School.

“I’m very excited, I’m glad for them, because I think they deserve it,” Scott said of a trip back to states. “They watch film eery night, we do film sessions every day. They go to practice, they learn the other teams plays. They execute, they work their tails off. We ask so much of them and they never complain. The fact that they get to go play in a regional game is very important. Last year we got dumped by Albertus Magnus (Who plays Elmira in the AAA regional round) and hopefully we can compete and represent our section with class.”
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PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES

PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE GAME:


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