by Dick Sterling
It was a give-and-go, worked to perfection, with 2.7 seconds remaining that allowed the Gouverneur Ladycat varsity basketball team slip by a very determined Edwards-Knox Lady Cougar team in a nonleague Northern Athletic Conference West-Central crossover game on Saturday in the Gouverneur High School gym.
With the score tied at 43-43 and just 2.7 seconds on the clock, the Ladycats, after a timeout, inbounded the ball right in front of their own bench. Senior Ashlyn Besaw passed the ball right in front of herself to sophomore teammate Ragean Vrooman, who simply handed it back to Besaw, who went unguarded to the hoop for what proved to be the winning layup. The old standard give-and-go play worked exactly how it was designed to and allowed the Ladycats to remain undefeated as the calendar turned from 2025 to 2026 and the perfect season remained just that… perfect.
Gouverneur got their first look at E-K seventh grader Zoie Hillabrandt, who was recently promoted from the junior varsity to the varsity, a rare occurrence for a seventh grader. Zoie didn’t take long to introduce herself to the Gouverneur crowd as she connected on an early three-pointer as the visitors rolled to a quick 5-2 lead before Raegan Devlin tied the game with a three-pointer of her own. Devlin would add another first quarter three, and Besaw would close the quarter with one of her own as the Ladycats held an 11-5 advantage after eight minutes of play.
Physical defense seemed to be the theme in the second quarter as both teams turned up the intensity and eight free throws were attempted before the half. The only basket from the Lady Cougars, other than three foul shots, was another three from Zoie Hillabrandt. The Ladycats didn’t take advantage as they only scored five points in the second quarter, a free throw from Arianna Wood, a basket from Besaw and an inside putback from Audrey Ormasen. At the halftime break the Ladycats held a 16-11 lead… the pace would certainly pick up in the third quarter.
After only 27 total points were scored in the opening half, the crowd would be in for an offensive treat in the third quarter… amazingly the two teams came out running and gunning, fast breaks were abundant and by the end of the eight minute quarter, a grand total of 41 points would go up on the big scoreboard… 17 for the Ladycats and a big 24 for the Lady Cougars.
E-K opened the third with a quick 10-2 run, a three from Zoie, an inside putback from Sami Lottie and five points from freshman Addison Foster allowed the visitors to open up a 21-18 lead. Besaw would heat up and score six in the quarter, Foster did even better, netting 10 in the third quarter. A long three-pointer from Isabelle Foster, Addison’s older sister, put an exclamation point on the exciting quarter as the two teams, a bit out of breath, headed to their respective benches with the Lady Cougars holding a 35-33 lead.
Six straight points from Electa Fitzgerald gave the Ladycats the lead back at 39-35. Elise Fitzgerald and Besaw added baskets as the Gouverneur lead grew to 43-35, but Edwards-Knox refused to back down. Lottie scored inside, and Addison Foster scored inside, was fouled and completed the three-point-play to trim the lead to 43-40 with 59 seconds remaining. Isabelle Foster connected on a free throw and her sister drilled the equalizer with just a few seconds remaining.
Ladycat Head Coach Sean Devlin called timeout to advance the ball, and set up the play that would end up winning the game. The Lady Cougars had one more chance to win or tie the game… and they went to their youngest player. Hillabrandt, who had spent several minutes on the bench after picking up her fourth foul late in the third quarter, caught the ball at the top of the key and launched it… but the shot didn’t fall as the star of this buzzer-beater was Besaw, who connected on her easiest shot of the night, an uncontested layup with nearly no time on the clock, to help Gouverneur improve to 6-0.
Besaw scored 15 to lead the Cats. Electa Fitzgerald finished with eight. Devlin and Vrooman, Raegan and Ragean, each scored six, Elise Fitzgerald added five. Addison Foster topped the Lady Cougars, and was the game’s top score, with 19 points. Hillabrandt finished with nine and Lottie added seven. Avery Benson and Isabelle Foster scored four points each.
The two teams will remain busy as the new years opens. Edwards-Knox hosted Colton-Pierrepont on Wednesday, play a key West Division game today (Friday) when they host Hammond, play against Hermon-DeKalb tomorrow at home and head to Harrisville on Monday. The Ladycats entertained St. Lawrence Central yesterday (Thursday) and head to Canton for an important Central Division contest on Monday.