by Gary Danforth
New first year varsity basketball Coach Kerry Branigan saw her Hoosick Falls Central School Panther girls basketball team drop their season opening, first round game in the Mechanicville Thanksgiving Tip-Off Tournament on Friday, November 28, versus the tourney host, the Mechanicville Red Raiders, by a 43-35 score.
Mechanicville jumped off to a 13-6 advantage after eight minutes only to see the Panthers come back and outscore their hosts by a 14-8 margin in period two and trail by just one point, 21-20, at the break.
Mechanicville took a 32-28 lead after three quarters of play. The hosts outscored the Panthers 11-7 over the final eight minutes to take the 43-35 opening round victory.
Sarah McMahon led HFCS with 11 points while teammates Kristi Bennet with 6, Jenna Priore, 6, Carly Pine, 4, Samantha Skott, 4, Nicole LaCroix, 2, and Kim Pelkey, 2, contributed in the Panthers’ season opening game. Nicolle Manupella with 14 points and Shannon McBride with 13 paced the Red Raider win.
Rebounding from afar: After the Panthers consolation game in this tourney, HFCS will take to the road at Emma Willard on Wednesday, December 10, in Troy, for their third consecutive road game of the season. The Hoosick Falls girls will have their home season and WASAREN League seasonal debut opener on Friday, December 12, when they entertain the Granville Golden Horde in a 6 pm JV start.