Nina Fedullo scored 17 points and teamed up with Guiliana Pritchard and Monica Rouse for 34 rebounds as the Amsterdam Lady Rams basketball team advanced in the Class A sectionals with a 33-23 win over a physical Mohonasen team Wednesday night at Amsterdam High School.
“The girls rallied around each other and the bench cheered them on,” Amsterdam head coach Eric Duemler said. “They showed good team energy and I’m proud of them for that.”
Amsterdam needed that energy as they found themselves in a close game at the half. Leading 15-8, the Lady Rams defense took control. A pair of steals by Kaitlin Devine led to points by Fedullo and would expand the lead to 20-10. Consecutive baskets by Mohonasen’s Saeeda Abdul Aziz later cut the lead to 20-16. Fedullo then stole the ball at half court and pushed the lead to six points. The lady Rams were also winning the defensive battle under the boards.
“We played hard down low and we boxed out,” Duemler said. “Mohonasen didn’t get a lot of offensive rebounds. Monica Rouse had nine rebounds from down low.”
Fedullo finished with ten rebounds and Pritchard had eight. Pritchard’s first points of the game came in the fourth quarter and put AHS up 25-18. Fedullo scored the next four points assisted by Devine and AHS opened up a ten point lead. Mohonasen’s Madelyn Egan drilled a three point shot to cut the lead to 29-23 but it would be her only three of the game. That was something AHS had tried to deny her all night.
“We wanted to key on number 22 (Egan),” Duemler said. “She got only one good look. Our girls knew what they had to do.”
Mohonasen would get no closer as AHS closed out the win. Egan and Abdul Aziz each had seven points for the Lady Warriors. Mohoasen’s physical defense held the Lady Rams to only seven first quarter points.
“I’m so proud of them,” Mohonasen coach Kelley Urbano said. “We’ve had our defensive struggles but we held them to 15 in the half and 33 for the game. That’s the type of style we like to play. We like the physicality.”
The two teams were at the free throw line often and combined were 15 of 44 shots. Fedullo and Rouse scored all but one of Amsterdam’s points in the first half.
“Mohonasen was aggressive with their defense,” Duemler said. We had to play hard and play through it..”
The Lady Rams advance to play a familiar foe in Troy in the next round of the sectionals at Troy High School.
“We’re not afraid of anyone’” Duemler said. “Just let the chips fall where they may.”
