GLENS FALLS – Kristen Doherty evaded questions about herself as easily as she danced past defenders. She turned “me” into “we” as many times as she tickled the twine.
But make no mistake about it. Sachem East (L.I.) was only in the game with Christ the King because Doherty scored 29 points and made every key shot in a 73-67 loss in the New York State Federation Class AA championship game Sunday at Glens Falls Civic Center.
“I thought that was one of the best performances,” CK coach Bob Mackey said.
When Sachem East (22-4) was down 25-19 in the second quarter, Doherty made two 3-pointers to earn the Flaming Arrows a tie at the half. She scored five points in a 7-0 run that gave her team a 34-31 lead with 5:47 left. And when all seemed lost, Doherty hit another 3 to pull Sachem within 53-47 with 1:57 to go in the game.
“We gave it everything we had,” she said.”We had a great season.”
“Me” or “I” was not in her vocabulary after the game. Not even after every CK attempt to stop her all but failed. The Royals (26-5) started with Rayne Connell on her, then a combination of Bria Smith and Nia Oden. When all else failed, Mackey ran two girls at the 5-foot-11, Boston College-bound guard at once. Doherty was still able to make a wide array of jump shots, tear drops and layups.
“I haven’t begun to face up to the fact that I’m letting her go now,” Sachem East coach Mathew Brisson said. “She’s largely responsible for what the program is now. … She’s just a champion.”
Doherty did everything in her power to make sure the Flaming Arrows were Federation champions. But she couldn’t do it alone. Stephanie Burrow and Caitlin Hopkins were the next two scorers with eight points. Doherty ran out of steam at the end after playing every second of the game. That was Christ the King’s plan all along.
“I was not taking a timeout to give her any chance to breathe,” Mackey said.
Mackey mentioned that now she’ll be off to the McDonald’s All-American Game in Columbus, Ohio next week, but that isn’t case. Doherty, who many felt was snubbed, will be playing in the WBCA All-American game, though. And she still has a Long Island championship and NYSPHSAA title to brag about it.
Not that she ever would.
“We couldn’t ask for anything better than what we got,” Doherty.
If Doherty ever spoke in the first person after a game, it might be the first time.
