Ally Judd wasn't expecting to be inserted into the Class A1 championship until overtime.

She won it in regulation.

Judd made a breakaway layup with 5.1 seconds remaining as Pittsford Sutherland outlasted Mercy 42-40 for the sectional crown at Finger Lakes Community College on Friday.

Tournament MVP Liz Greendyke scored a game-high 16 points but her biggest play came on defense.

The Monarchs had the ball under their own basket with 10.6 seconds left. Greendyke skied to deflect the inbounds pass to herself, drew a defender near midcourt and found a slashing Judd for her only points of the game. Mercy's 3-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.

"I don't play a lot and thought maybe I would get in in overtime for some defensive pressure," Judd said. "It was a big surprise to get the win like that. I've never had a winner before."

"We knew we had a foul to give so we could be extra aggressive," said Knights coach and Ally's father Dan Judd. "We didn't need a hero play but Liz made one. We're not a dominant team by any stretch. We've just been able to win a lot of these close games."

It wasn't close early on.

Greendyke and Santita Ebangwese each scored six points in the first quarter and Sutherland (20-1) led 20-6 midway through the second. That's when Mercy began to chip away at the lead. The Monarchs closed to 22-15 at halftime.

Erin Koscwiewicz buried a 15-footer, Jayla Myles put back her own miss and Koscwiewicz nailed a 3 from the right corner to give Mercy its first lead, 33-32.

"I was a little worried," Dan Judd said. "Once they finally got over the hump and took the lead we had to trust our defense. And it came up big."

Bayley Axelrod hit a 3, her second of the quarter, to put Pittsford Sutherland ahead 38-34. Ebangwese battled for a rebound and putback to make it 40-38. Danielle Cleary responded with a driving layup to knot it at 40 with 40 seconds left. The Monarchs (15-6) got the ball back after Sutherland missed two free throws and had a shot at the win. That's when Greendyke's steal snatched the victory.

"I've been watching other teams win sectionals for the past five years after losing in the semifinals," Greendyke said. "I would sit on the sidelines so jealous of them. It's a fantastic feeling and I'm really grateful I get to share it with these girls."

Myles collected 8 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks and Megan Hobler grabbed 11 rebounds for Mercy.

Ebangwese, who also won a volleyball sectional title in the fall, finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Knights.

RCMILLER@DemocratandChronicle.com

IRONDEQUOIT – Staring at the end of your high school basketball career can make you see things differently.

"Seniors don't want to go home this time of year," Pittsford Sutherland coach Dan Judd said.

His top-seeded girls and third-seeded Mercy will play in Friday's 7 p.m. Class A1 championship at Finger Lakes Community College after semifinal wins on Tuesday.

They got there, in part, thanks to a pair of senior guards. Sutherland's Liz Greendyke scored 14 of her career-high 32 points in the third quarter to help the Knights finally shake off stubborn East High, 56-37. In the first semifinal at Eastridge High, Mercy's Danielle Cleary scored half her team's 16 points in the third when the Monarchs started to finally grab hold of what turned into a 66-51 win over defending champion and No. 2 seed Pittsford Mendon.

Cleary finished with a game-high 19 points.

"That's the senior leadership every team needs to get to a sectional final," said Mercy coach Tom Vasey, whose team is in its third final in five years.

The Monarchs (15-5) won in 2010 and lost in 2012. Sutherland (19-1) hasn't captured a sectional since its 2006 squad won the state crown.

No. 4 East (14-6) threw a scare into the Knights, and Greendyke admitted unfamiliarity with the Orientals gave them concern. East led 15-5 early in the second quarter and 23-22 at halftime.

Pressing East turned up the tempo, something the deeper Knights wanted, and Greendyke bookended a 15-1 surge with fast-break layups, the first off a good pass from Allie Panara and the second from Bayley Axelrod.

"She's versatile. She can get it inside. She can get it outside. She's tough to guard," East coach Mario Velazquez said of Greendyke (17.4 ppg).

She finished with five 3-pointers. By the end of the third quarter, when she scored 14 of Sutherland's 20 points, Greendyke had 29 points, two better than her previous best. "Sometimes they fall, sometimes they don't," she said. "I just have to keep telling myself that if this one doesn't fall, there's a chance that the next one will."

Senior forward Abby Judd chipped in with five points and 11 rebounds.

Mercy led 8-0 and 25-16, but senior Kelsey Julien (15 points, four 3-pointers) helped get Mendon (14-6) back in it. It was tied at 25 at halftime.

"We just got beat up inside. We've had trouble with big forwards," coach Todd Julien said of what Mercy's trio of 6-footers — Mia Caterisano, Jayla Myles and Megan Hobler — did to Mendon in the second half.

Myles had 7 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. Caterisano had 13 points, 7 boards and 4 blocks. Hobler had six points. Cleary was a constant, steadying the Monarchs when they needed it.

"We're definitely playing some of our best basketball right now," said Cleary, whose older sister, Harley, won three sectional crowns and a state title at Nazareth.

JDIVERON@DemocratandChronicle.com

www.Twitter.com/@RocDevo

On Friday February 21, 2014, the No. 3 seeded Mercy Monarchs defeated No. 6 seeded School of the Arts 58 to 21. 

Opening up the game with a 15-0 run, the Monarchs cruised to at 43 to 6 half time lead.  Mia Caterisano had 14 points and Angelina Spampinato scored all 11 of her points in the first half for Mercy (14-5). Megan Hobler finished with seven points and 14 rebounds for the Monarchs.

SOTA finishes 10-9.

S -- 4 - 2 - 12 - 3 -- 21

M -- 23 - 20 - 10 - 5 -- 58

SCHOOL OF THE ARTS/NE-NW COLLEGE PREP: Precious Adams 4, Kyrstal Hunter 10, Clarnita Presha 0, Imoni Spain 0, Amanda Nieves 3, Te'Ari Stanbury 2, Briealle Harris 2, Isabel Torres 0.

MERCY: Emily Koscwiewicz 0, Rachel Lefebre 1, Anna Doerr 0, Abby Purcell 2, Mia Caterisano 14, Rachel Vespucci 9, Danielle Cleary 3, Erin Koscwiewicz 3, Megan Hobler 7, Angelina Spampinato 11, Rose Hefferon 2, Jayla Myles 4, Alex Raymond 2.

3-point goals: Hunter 3, Cleary, Koscwiewicz.

In the first round of the 5th Annual Mid Season Classic, the Mercy Monarchs defeated Mt. Mercy of Buffalo 44-29. Senior Erin Kosciewicz lead all scores with 9 points helping the Monarchs shoot 47.5% from the field.

In the championship game, the Monarchs faced undefeated Frontier from Section 6, the 3rd ranked team in the Buffalo News poll. Leading 32 to 20 at half, Frontier cut the deficit to one point entering the 4th quarter. Junior point guard Angelina Spampinato scored a career high of 21 points, including shooting 7-7 from the free throw line, while Sophomore Jayla Myles had a double double, grabbing 10 rebounds and chipping in 10 points.

The Monarchs have won 4 ourt of the 5 tournament championships.

In the first NY Sports Writers poll, Mercy was ranked #19 in Class A. Also from Section V, Pittsford Sutherland was ranked #5 Class A and Penfield was ranked #4 in the Class AA poll.

http://newyorksportswriters.org/nysswa/rankings/2013-14-bkw-01.shtml#.UsDWFm0o7IU

More Than A Game Tournament

Mercy 59, Christian Brothers Academy-III 47

Tournament MVP Danielle Cleary scored 12 points for Mercy (5-1).

Cleary hit back-to back 3-pointers halfway through the fourth to give Mercy a 45-40 lead.

MERCY: Emily Koscwiewicz 0, Rachel Lefebre 0, Anna Doerr 0, Abby Purcell 2, Mia Caterisano 6, Rachel Vespucci 9, Danielle Cleary 12, Erin Koscwiewicz 12, Angelina Spampinato 7, Rose Hefferon 0, Jayla Myles 9, Alex Raymond 2.

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS: Lacasse 0, Groner 0, Pierret 6, Hakivimana 0, Winderl 6, Williams 1, McKenna 0, Nardella 20, Cuomo 6, Nicholson 6, Cureri 2.

3-point goals: Cleary 4, Koscwiewicz, Spampinato; Nardella 2, Nicholson 2, Cuomo.

Bishop Kearney moves into top spot in small-school girls basketball poll; few changes in large-school poll

December 10, 2013

Mercy 67,

Honeoye Falls-Lima 32

Senior Erin Koscwiewicz scored a career-high 19 points and senior Danielle Cleary added 18 points, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range, for the Monarchs (3-0)

10. Mercy

Coach: Tom Vasey (4th year, 53-27).

Last year: 13-7 (lost in AA2 semifinals).

Key players: 5-5 jr. G Angelina Spampinato (6.4 ppg); 5-9 sr. G Danielle Cleary (8.5 ppg); 6-0 jr. F Mia Caterisano (6.8 ppg); 5-9 jr. F Rachel Vespucci; 6-1 soph. Jayla Myles.

Outlook: Three starters return in Cleary and Caterisano, both Private-Parochial League all-stars, and Spampinato, so the Monarchs have some decent experience and size (6-1 soph. Megan Hobler comes off the bench). If they can trim their turnover average of 17.4, Vasey will head home a lot happier after games and think a lot less about that 52-51 loss to Irondequoit in last year's semifinals.

To view the full article and poll, please visit: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/high-school/2013/12/05/penfield-looks-strong-out-of-the-gate/3885779/

LARGE SCHOOLS (Classes AA and A)First-place votes in parentheses

Honorable mention: Batavia, Fairport, Geneva, Honeoye Falls-Lima.