Alemany Wins but Kennedy Makes It Close

Melissa Melton’s face had a look of disbelief Tuesday night after her Alemany team defeated Kennedy, 57-56, in a nonleague game at Kennedy High. Her amazement was prompted as much by her team’s poor play in the fourth quarter as it was by the close victory.

Alemany (3-2) led, 54-40, entering the final quarter, but was outscored, 12-3, in the first five minutes. Kennedy trailed, 57-52, with 53 seconds remaining when the Cougars’ Christine Anderssen was fouled by Alemany’s Carol Schoenmann. Anderssen sank both ends of the one-and-one, cutting Alemany’s lead to three.

The Indians then missed a shot and the ball bounced off an Alemany player out of bounds, again giving Kennedy possession. Anderssen scored on a 10-footer from the right baseline with 31 seconds remaining to reduce Alemany’s lead to one, but Kennedy was unable to get the ball back before the clock ran out.

Alemany’s three fourth-quarter points came on free throws.

“I don’t think we could have played any worse in the fourth quarter,” Melton said. “And that No. 54 had the game of her life.”

Melton was referring to Kennedy sophomore Falicia Stanley, who played tenacious defense and scored a team-high 23 points.

Alemany took a 39-27 halftime lead behind the play of Nikki Davis, who scored 18 points before intermission and finished with a game-high 24. Schoenmann had 12 of her 14 points in the first half and Millie Junio scored eight of her 12 in the first half.