Pete Mansheffer Photo

By Pete Mansheffer

Sun Contributor

CORTLAND – Abi Selfridge did all she could, but Bainbridge-Guilford could not overcome a key missing player and a surprising switch of defense by Unatego in a 36-26, Section IV Class C girls’ basketball semifinal loss Tuesday night at SUNY Cortland.

Unatego (19-2) advanced to the Class C championship on Saturday at SUNY Cortland, where they will play Watkins Glen, who downed Newfield in the earlier semifinal.

Selfridge scored 17 points, but B-G’s usually potent offense was stifled by Unatego’s switch to a man-to-man defense for the first time this season.

“We’ve played zone all season long,” said Unatego coach Bob Zeh. “In our first two meetings against B-G, they got off to quick starts against us and we wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again tonight.

“So we went to man for the first time this season and the kids worked hard and I think we may have caught them off-guard a little bit.”

The man switch may have had something to do with the slow start, but B-G coach Bob Conway pointed to the girl in street clothes and a knee wrap as the biggest culprit.

Starting guard Macie Leizaer was injured in the Midstate Athletic Conference championship and did not play in the game. Without her and Unatego’s aggressive defense, B-G had issues anything out of their half-court offense.