One of the beauties of postseason basketball is that you step on the ride, and you never know when it’ll end.
Batavia Notre Dame had no expectations of a state championship this winter season. The Lady Irish were intent on beating a familiar foe and contending in sectionals. Anything beyond that was gravy.
Yet, at the conclusion of girls basketball season, Notre Dame stands alone as New York state’s Class D champion. The Lady Irish defeated Section X’s Chateaugay 65-49 last Friday, March 20 for the program’s first state title since 2013 and third overall.
“It’s still so surreal,” coach Vinny Falleti said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “Like, holy cow, did that just happen? Everything moves so quickly. You can’t really sit back and absorb it all. But all of the accolades and the alumni reaching out, it’s starting to sink in a little more.”
Batavia Notre Dame entered the season with its sights set on Elba, a Genesee region rival that had knocked the Lady Irish out of sectionals each of the past two seasons. As Section V’s Class D state tournament representative the last two seasons, the Lancers were the gold standard. And coupled with Notre Dame’s postseason ousters was a six-game losing streak against their common league foe.
Well before Notre Dame had any thought of a state title, Falleti pointed to his team’s loss to Elba on Jan. 6, which dropped the Lady Irish to 3-3 through six games, as a turning point.
Iron sharpens iron. When the teams met again in February, Batavia Notre Dame put an end to its head-to-head losing streak, then repeated the feat in rubber match section final.
“We had to slay that dragon,” Falleti said. “We had the talent, we just weren’t mentally strong enough (in previous years). We went through a hard time there early in the season, but we got through it by sticking together.”
An attitude that served Notre Dame well in the state tournament.
An unexpected achievement
So often, teams can lose a game before it’s played. Undefeated through 27 games and the No. 1 team in New York state, Chateaugay presented an imposing reputation entering the state final.
After Batavia Notre Dame defeated Section IV’s Stamford in Thursday’s first Class D state semifinal, the team looked on for the second game as Chateaugay handled Smithtown Christian with ease. That night, Falleti and assistant coach Joe Bezon scrambled to find additional film on his team’s state final opponent.
“That’s a team that … it can get out of hand quickly,” Falleti said. “We had to change the way we’d normally play.”
A hot start helped matters. Batavia Notre Dame opened the game with 10 consecutive points, eight of which came from junior Sofia Falleti.
Chateaugay closed the gap in the second quarter and held the lead, though slightly, for much of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter presented an unfamiliar situation for the undefeated Bulldogs, surely unaccustomed to such close games. While Chateaugay came unglued — which included an ejection for coach Chris Reynolds in the final minutes — Notre Dame stayed the course.
“Our confidence and poise was probably something they weren’t used to,” coach Falleti said. “Our young ladies really stuck together and had a lot of confidence.”
As the Lady Irish closed out the game with several free throws in the final minutes, the realization of a state championship started to settle in. As the final horn sounded, coach Falleti sat with head in hands, in disbelief. Making the moment all the more special was achieving it with his two daughters, senior Gianna and junior Sofia.
“It was the greatest weekend of my life. They say your marriage or birth of your kids is the greatest. But no, this is it,” Falleti said. “You want great things for your kids, but to actually be there and be part of it … I’ve been coaching them and their friends since third grade. It’s a whole other feeling entirely. I can’t describe it.”
While Notre Dame returns much of its core next year, Falleti is under no illusion that another state title is a shoe-in. He noted the popular private versus public school debate, and expects his team will bump in classification next season.
He also referenced his message to his team prior to the state final: Enjoy the moment.
“There’s a lot of hard work put in, and to have this is the crown jewel,” Falleti said. “There is no encore. I told the kids, this could be the greatest achievement we’re ever gonna have in our sporting careers. The chances of getting back are very slim, so let’s ride the wave.”
What a successful ride it was.
Players of the weekend
Sofia Falleti, junior: Batavia Notre Dame’s leading scorer in the final, Falleti finished with game-highs in both points (29) and rebounds (11). She also had 30 in the semis against Stamford.
Quinn Boardman, freshman: One of two ninth-graders in Notre Dame’s starting lineup, Boardman provided some supplemental scoring with 30 points over the weekend, including 11 in the final. “You never know what you’re gonna get with freshmen. They have those moments, where they have a bad turnover and get down on themselves. If she made a mistake, she’d come right back and make a big play,” coach Falleti said.
Shirley Thompson, freshman: Coach Falleti credited Thompson, Notre Dame’s point guard and primary ball-handler, for setting the tempo. Thompson’s knack for weaving through traffic to break Chateaugay’s press allowed Notre Dame to set up in the half-court and work its offensive sets. She finished second on the team with 18 points, including 8-for-12 shooting from the field, in the final.
Gianna Falleti, senior: One of two seniors on the roster, Gianna Falleti had several clutch moments throughout the postseason. She scored a team-high 17 points in the section final and hit some big shots in the semifinals against Stamford. The biggest of all came in the final against Chateaugay with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter, when Falleti banked in a 3-pointer to put Notre Dame ahead by nine, effectively the game’s dagger.
Here is how the game unfolded:
Batavia Notre Dame vs. Chateaugay: Game start
The Class D final is underway.
Batavia Notre Dame 16, Chateaugay 8: End of the first quarter
Fantastic start for the Lady Irish, who opened the game with 10-point run. Sofia Falleti has 10 of Notre Dame’s points so far.
Batavia Notre Dame 22, Chateaugay 16: 3 minutes left in the second quarter
Notre Dame’s offense has cooled a bit in the second quarter, as the Bulldogs try to close the gap.
Batavia Notre Dame 25, Chateaugay 23: Halftime
Notre Dame’s lead, as high as 12 points early in the second quarter, down to two. Irelynn Laplante scores on a floater at the buzzer for the Bulldogs. Sofia Falleti up to 14 points, while Shirley Thompson has seven for the Lady Irish.
Batavia Notre Dame 37, Chateaugay 36: 1:30 left in the third quarter
There have been four lead changes so far this quarter.
Batavia Notre Dame 39, Chateaugay 38: End of the third quarter
A couple late free throws by Quinn Boardman are why BND is ahead with one quarter to go.
Batavia Notre Dame 49, Chateaugay 44: 3:30 left in the fourth quarter
Sofia Falleti had the latest basket for BND, a 3-pointer that put the Lady Irish ahead by five.
Batavia Notre Dame 58, Chateaugay 47: 1:24 left in the fourth quarter
Gianna Falleti banks in a 3-pointer to put the Lady Irish ahead by nine. Chateaugay called for a technical foul the next possession, which lends two more points to BND via free throws. This is the biggest lead of the second half for either team.
Batavia Notre Dame 65, Chateaugay 49: Final
The Lady Irish defeat one of New York state’s few remaining unbeaten teams to clinch the Class D title. This is BND’s third state title.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: From sectional hopes to state champs, Batavia Notre Dame’s ride ends on top
Reporting by Justin Ritzel, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
