Scoring just never appealed to Noelle Mancini. For a long time, the thrill in playing basketball was blocking shots, contesting jumpers, defending the post and rebounding.
The Spackenkill High School junior said last fall that it would be a challenge for her this season, being relied on to score. But the 6-foot-1 post said she was willing to give it a shot.
The collective reaction of her Spartans teammates: Shoot!
The collection reaction of opponents this season: Aww, shoot!
Mancini had 17 points and 11 rebounds on Thursday, leading top-seeded Spackenkill in a 44-28 win over No 4. James I. O’Neill in a Section 9 Class B semifinal.
The win sets up a showdown between Spackenkill, seeking its first section title since 2015, and upstart Highland in the final on Saturday, 2 p.m. at SUNY Orange.
Sixth-seeded Highland beat No. 2 Fallsburg, 51-35, in its second successive playoff upset on Thursday. Bri Rozzi had 17 points and four assists, and Sam Garcia had 10 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Huskies (15-5).
“We never thought of ourselves as underdogs,” Highland coach Jim Malak said. “We thought we were better than a sixth seed, and we’ve played our best ball in the playoffs.”
Spackenkill, meanwhile, rolled against O’Neil. Maya-K Johnson had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Spartans (10-11). Issy Herrera added 11 points and Eileen Fiore had seven rebounds and, coach Don Neise said, “anchored the defense that did a great job against them.”
But it was Mancini who again shined. She also had 16 points in their quarterfinal blowout of Ellenville.
“The talent was always there, it was just a matter of her building confidence on the offensive end,” Neise said. “She’s been able to provide us with a great inside presence.”
Neise warned that Highland is a “very athletic” team that can’t be taken lightly.
“We respect Spackenkill,” Malak said. “But at this point, we’re just two teams fighting for the same goal.”
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
Basketball in Hoop