Burgey, Defence Lead Whitehall to Ninth Straight Win

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By Keith Harrington

The Whitehall girls basketball team narrowly led North Warren 4-2 after the first quarter. It may have looked like a game that would come down to the wire to the casual observer. To those of us who are in the know, Coach Boyd Hunt’s team had the Cougars right where they wanted them. If a game turns into a low-scoring grind-it-out contest, Hunt’s team will win more often than not. It’s what he preaches.

Tuesday Levyn Burgey sparked a second-quarter run, and Whitehall pulled away to defeat North Warren 41-10 in an Adirondack League matchup. It was the ninth win in a row for the Railroaders who remained unbeaten in Adirondack League play.

“We struggle to shoot sometimes and that’s okay. Then we start grinding away and hitting little things here and there,” Hunt explained after the game. “As long as we keep doing that, we’re getting there.”

There seemed to be a piece of Tupperware over the rim it was sealed so tight in the first quarter. Khloe Paddock sandwiched a pair of buckets in between an Isabella Tucci hoop for the Cougars to represent all of the scoring in the first eight minutes.

Levyn Burgey scored two quick baskets for Whitehall to begin the second. Mia Waters banged a 3-pointer and Haylee Pratt scored in the lane to give the Railroaders a 13-2 advantage, that given Whitehall’s defensive prowess felt insurmountable.

Laci Bruno connected on a trey to give the Cougars a glimmer of hope, slicing the deficit to 13-5, but baskets by Paddock and Pratt jacked the lead back up to 17-5. Whitehall held a 17-8 lead at the break.

Burgey took matters into her own hands to start the third. The junior forward reeled off all 12 straight points during 12-2 run as the lead ballooned to 29-10. North Warren had no answer to Burgey’s outburst as the Railroader led 33-10 heading to the final frame.

Pratt scored the first six points of the fourth and Whitehall held the Cougars scoreless in the quarter to put the cherry on the sundae down the stretch.

Hunt loves the scoring balance he gets from his squad which makes them difficult to defend.

“We keep getting different people every night. It’s not going to be the same girls every night,” Hunt said. We had a lot of good things tonight.”

Pratt and Waters combined for 19 points off the bench, while Burgey and Paddock were the only two starters to score.

“Our bench could sometimes start for other teams,” Hunt added. “We held them to two points in the second half. I think we take people’s will sometimes.”

Burgey recorded a game-high 16 points to pace Whitehall.

Pratt added 12, Waters seven, and Paddock six to provide all of the Railroader scoring.

Tucci had four points for the Cougars.

Whitehall raised their mark to 5-0, 9-2. North Warren fell to 2-2, 7-5.