The Newark girls’ basketball team entered the sectional tournament as the sixth seed in a highly competitive Class A bracket. They battled their way to the championship game on Saturday afternoon at Finger Lakes Community College but ultimately fell short, losing 61-45 to fourth-seeded Pittsford Sutherland. The defeat ended their pursuit of their first sectional title since 2009.
The Reds (17-7) started strong, leading 17-8 after the first quarter and trailing by just one at halftime, 28-27. However, Pittsford Sutherland (18-6) took control in the second half, catching fire in the third quarter with a 26-8 run to build a 19-point lead heading into the fourth. The Knights maintained their double-digit advantage the rest of the way, securing their first sectional championship since 2014 and their fourth overall.
Senior TaKyla Vaughn closed out her high school career with 13 points, finishing with 1,161 career points. Karina Natale contributed 11, Naomi Jones added six, Arizona Chapple chipped in five, while Malia Brown and Martianna Chance combined for eight.
Pittsford Sutherland’s sophomore duo of Lucy Bush and Petra Hunt led the charge, scoring 26 and 23 points, respectively, accounting for 49 of the team’s 61 points.
With the victory, the Knights advance to the state quarterfinals, where they will face the Section VI Class A champion next week.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].