By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
SWANTON (December 4, 2023) – In a normal bird world and a one-on-one dispute, an eagle would definitely have an advantage.
However, what a crow CAN do and will do, is harass and confound an eagle until it leaves the neighborhood.
Swanton’s basketball crow as in senior guard Emma Crow, befuddled a flock of Eagles as in Fayette Eagles with 13 first half points, then big play after big play in the last 4:39 of the fourth quarter to lead the Bulldogs past the Eagles 48-40. Swanton is now 2-0 on the year while Fayette is 0-2.
“Give credit to Fayette,” Swanton coach Jared Walker expressed after. “I mean they scored 30 points in the second half. They shoot it well when they get open. But right now, we are 2-0 and looking to get better every day.”
Early on, Crow canned two jumpers, one a triple and dished to Peighton Manning for two more buckets in Swanton’s 11-2 opening salvo in the first three minutes.
Crow’s scoop and score and Miranda Yeager’s hoop made it 15-2 before Emersyn Sinks countered for Fayette just before the end of the quarter.
Crow’s six second quarter points helped maintain the same margin at 23-10 heading into the half.
Olivia Gowing’s 2/2 from the stripe gave Swanton their biggest advantage 45 ticks into the third before Fayette mounted a comeback.
A Demi Storrs’ three-ball started an 8-3 mini run capped by Kelsie Storrs’ pull up jumper that brought Fayette within 28-18 with 3:45 left in the third.
Neveah Powers basket off an out of bounds play sliced the lead to single digits at 34-25 entering the fourth.
Kenadie Ramay’s fast break hoop and Powers’ triple chopped the Swanton margin to 34-30 two minutes in the fourth.
“We go really fast on defense and sometimes we go too fast and don’t readjust,” explained Walker of Fayette’s comeback. “They did a very good job of moving the ball.”
“Offensively sometimes we go too fast as well and in the second half we were too fast.” Yeager scored in transition, but Ramay did the same to keep Fayette within four. Enter one more time that annoying Crow.
The Bulldogs senior leader, found Manning for a basket against the press, then went cross to float in the key for a score to push Swanton up 40-32.
Then consecutive Crow steals turned into assists to Yeager and Manning to balloon the Bulldogs lead back to 14 at 48-34 with two minutes left.
“In the press we started getting steals and did a good job in the fourth quarter. We held on,” Walker said. “We are 2-0 to we are happy.”
Addison Schang scored the last six points for Fayette. For the night, Crow led all scorers with 15 and a handful of assists and steals. Manning added 14 and Yeager 11. Schang had 12 for the Eagles.