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Miles Ahead, Again

Posted by pblackwell | 02/04/09

A decade ago, as I was starting out at this job, the first team that really captivated my storytelling senses was the Fayetteville-Manlius girls basketball squad that would win 22 in a row before Corcoran beat them in the sectional finals.
Steve Miles coached that team, then left a few years later, tending to family and setting priorities, as we all should.
Now, in 2009, it's looking a lot like 1999 - except the venue is Cazenovia and the team isn't unbeaten. But the same championship dreams linger.
When Paul Harney couldn't return to coach last year's Section III Class B-2 champion Lakers, Miles got the job just weeks before practice started - his first stint in six years. Even with a Division I-bound star like Kiley Evans, the hastiness of the whole thing had a chance to really not work.
Of course it has worked, to the tune of 15-2, the only losses coming to Corcoran (the reigning AA champs wore them down in the fourth quarter) and Bishop Ludden (missed free throws hurt in a 53-50 defeat).
And in the last four days alone, the Lakers may have emerged as the Class B favorites.
First, on Super Bowl Sunday, Caz went to Westhill, fell behind by as much as 10 in the third quarter, then came all the way back to win it 47-42. Evans got nine of her 20 points in the fourth quarter, and Kassie Kleine (1) held Carly Cooper without a 3-pointer on defense and (2) hit her own big trey with 1:24 left that broke a 40-40 tie and put the Lakers ahead for good.
Then came Wednesday night, and some revenge on Ludden, earned the hard way in a 47-46 nail-biter not decided until the last ticks.
Caz led most of the first half, fell behind by five in the fourth quarter, then made it all up without a lot from Evans on the scoring side - but plenty from Kleine and sophomore Ashley Stec.
As it has done all season under Miles, the Lakers' defense came through, never more so than in the last seconds when it took away Michelle Roesch and forced Ashley Cianfriglia into a baseline runner that went off the rim.
Then the real kicker. Stec was fouled with 1.6 seconds left. Only four Ludden players were under the basket when Stec missed the front end of her one-and-one, and if one of them grabbed the board, there would be a quick time-out and, perhaps, one more prayer.
Stec got that rebound. Game over.
Class B has quite a contending field. Caz still has a rematch with Westhill, Ludden will be tough, South Jefferson, Watertown IHC, Clinton, Canastota, they'll all have something to say before it's done.
But maybe a decade later, Miles will take that last step and grab that crown....

CATEGORY: Basketball

TAGS: Steve Miles, Cazenovia, road wins

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