Congratulations to the Oxford Lady Blackhawks on finishing second in the State Class “D”. (Photo from Reckless Photography)

TROY - History was made for the Oxford Lady Blackhawks after their win over Notre Dame/Bishop Gibbons on Saturday.

They became the first Chenango County girls basketball team to make an NYSPHSAA state title appearance since Bainbridge-Guilford in 1999. This was Oxford’s first states run since 2003 with a whole new set of players and coaches ready to go all the way.

Oxford knew the competition was not going to be easy, moving forward to the final four. Surely they saw a tough opponent in Notre Dame/Bishop Gibbons, but Oxford stayed consistent and pushed through to earn a 75-54 win. The 23 points in the final eight minutes helped secure the victory, advancing to the finals the next day.

Madalyn Barrows continued to excel with 27 points, seven rebounds, and five steals. She also hit four three’s with Jocie Finch remaining confident as she made three three-pointers for 11 points. Ella Kelsey continued to impress with 14 points while Kyla Kelsey-Jones had nine points in the win.

Coach Chris Palmer spoke to the media, following the crucial win for his team.

“We are spread out in section IV but we are a family. Not only is the entire community proud of Oxford but section IV is as well,” he said.

With many fans in attendance supporting the Blackhawks all season, the crowd made the trip over the weekend at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. With full support, Oxford prepared for the state finals on Sunday morning against Hammond.

Hammond proved to be a strong competitor out of section 10 as they ended a great run and a great 2022-2023 season for Oxford with a 61-37 win. Oxford gave their seven seniors quite a lot of memories to look back on this season.

The Blackhawks could not find a team rhythm in the state finals as their five starters tried to perform their best under pressure. Hammond took an early lead after the first quarter and didn’t slow down at all throughout the contest.

Oxford’s Madalyn Barrows led with 16 points as Ella Kelsey had 11 points and Naiomi Smith had six points. Kyla Kelsey-Jones and Taegan Manwarren both finished with two points in the loss.

Oxford finished the 2022-2023 season with a 22-6 record.

Good luck to the seven seniors; Madalyn Barrows, Ella Kelsey, Kyla Kelsey-Jones, Naiomi Smith, Bailey Chesebro, Taylor Smith, and Kadence Gallo. Thank you for the memories, dedication and commitment all of you put into the Oxford Blackhawks basketball program.

Semi-finals:
Scores by Quarter:

NDB 16 11 12 15–54

OXF 22 16 14 23–75

NDB: Mia’Rose Wylie 22, Angelina Deitz 15, Molly Moran 4, Katie Alarcon-Mauricio 4, Tatum Liverio 3, Autumn Davis 2, Alanah Kelly 2, Paige Moran 2.

OXF: Madalyn Barrows 27, Ella Kelsey 14, Jocie Finch 11, Kyla Kelsey-Jones 9, Naiomi Smith 6, Taegan Manwarren 3, Ava Benjamin 2, Abby Denz 2, Bailey Chesebro 2, Lizzy Knapp 2,

Three-Pointers: NDB 3 (Deitz 2, Mauricio 1); OXF 9 (Barrows 4, Finch 3, E. Kelsey, Kelsey-Jones.

Finals:

Scores by Quarter:

HAM 18 15 16 12–61

OXF 12 7 12 6–37

HAM: Ava Howie 18, Haliee Manning 16, Landree Kenyon 13, Sadey Sprabary 10, Zoey Cunningham 3, Laurell Vinch 1.

OXF: Madalyn Barrows 16, Ella Kelsey 11, Naiomi Smith 6, Kyla Kelsey-Jones 2, Taegan Manwarren 2.

Three-Pointers: HAM 6 (Howie 4, Kenyon, Cunningham); OXF 1 (Barrows)