Jamestown's Marley Drake goes up a for a layup during the second half of Saturday's ECIC Division 1 game against Williamsville North at McElrath Gymnasium. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

If Jamestown’s girls basketball team can bottle up the second quarter of Saturday afternoon’s Erie County Interscholastic Conference Division 1 game against Williamsville North, the Red Raiders will be able to compete for a Section VI Class AA title.

But with just seven girls on the varsity roster and five starters who play pretty much the entire game, fatigue becomes an issue.

That looked to be the case at McElrath Gymnasium as Jamestown led by 15 at halftime before suffering a 66-58 loss to the Spartans.

“It’s not about the seven girls over there, it’s about the 27 girls in the school that should be playing. We didn’t do a good enough job. … You’ve got to find a way to sell your program,” Jamestown head coach Ken Ricker said. ” … Everywhere we go has eight, 10, 12 varsity-age bodies. We have four. Over time, that’s going to wear you down.”

Senior Miranda Burgett led a second-half surge for Williamsville North with 17 of her team-high 29 points, while junior Allie Weissenburg had 13 of her 18 points during the third quarter.

Jamestown's Mickia Freeney goes up for a basket inside during Saturday's ECIC Division 1 game against Williamsville North at McElrath Gymnasium. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

The Spartans cut a 15-point deficit to four with a 21-10 third quarter during which they shot 9 of 21 from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range, and more importantly turned the ball over just three times. Weissenburg hit three shots from beyond the arc during the period.

“At the start of the third quarter they were using their post to break the press, which meant she was less of a danger to us on the back end,” Ricker said. “Give the (Weissenburg) girl credit, she got hot and hit three or four 3s in a row in a short span. … We just didn’t make plays.”

Williamsville North tied the game with 6:14 left in the fourth quarter when Burgett converted a three-point play after the Spartans came up with three consecutive offensive rebounds.

Burgett followed with Williamsville North’s next two buckets and Jamestown never recovered. During the final eight minutes, the Red Raiders went 2 of 11 from the field and turned the ball over five times.

“Usually she’s down low. I put her up high because she’s a great outlet,” Williamsville North head coach Bill Shaw said of Burgett. ” … It’s really tough to keep the ball out of the high post. It’s easier to keep it out of the block. If I put her down there we probably wouldn’t have won the game.”

Williamsville North's Miranda Burgett blocks a shot attempt by Jamestown's Kylie O'Brien during the first half of Saturday's ECIC Division 1 game at McElrath Gymnasium. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

The loss spoiled a big game for Jamestown senior Marley Drake, who scored 23 of her game-high 34 points during the first half and finished one shy of the program record for 3-pointers in a game with eight.

“She’s incredible. She’s just an incredible shooter. … I love the kid. … She plays the game the right way,” said Shaw, who is now up to 587 wins in his coaching career. “I think we put everybody but the kitchen sink on her, it just didn’t do us any good.”

The Spartans led 20-16 after the first quarter before the Red Raiders took over with a 25-6 second quarter. Drake scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers, during the period and at one point Jamestown went on a 19-0 run that included 11 Williamsville North turnovers. The Spartans only attempted two shots during the stretch.

“We lost our minds there in the second quarter. If we just held our composure and took care of the basketball … we’d be fine,” Shaw said. “We took care of the basketball really well in the second half and limited their chances. I thought our defense was outstanding in the second half.”

Red Raiders junior Alyson Canfield hit a 3-pointer late in the first half to make it 41-26 heading into the locker room before Williamsville North regrouped and began its rally.

“In the first half, we only had to run sets a handful of times and they looked great. (Marley) made shots and we looked really good. You get into transition and everybody else looks really good too,” Ricker said. “The way we play, there’s going to be runs by everybody. As coaches, we want to make our runs bigger and longer. We had a really good one, but you know any team is going to have a run, that’s how we play.”

NOTES: Jamestown finished 23 of 68 (33.8%) from the field, including 9 of 26 (34.6%) from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 22 times. Senior Mickia Freeney had eight rebounds, seven steals and six assists; senior Kylie O’Brien had eight rebounds and four steals; freshman Anna Engquist grabbed eight rebounds; Drake had four steals; and Canfield had nine rebounds. … Williamsville North shot 31 of 72 (43.1%) from the field, including 5 of 19 (26.3%) from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 20 times. Burgett had 19 rebounds and seven steals; Weissenburg had five assists and three steals; seventh-grader Mila Bissett had 9 points, six assists and five steals; and freshman Jordyn Lewis had four steals. … With his next victory, Ricker will tie Seth Beauseigneur for most wins in program history with 160.

WILLIAMSVILLE NORTH (66)

Lewis 4 0 8, Bissett 4 0 9, Weissenburg 7 0 18, Cundra 0 0 0, Burgett 14 1 29, Morphy 1 0 2. Totals 30 1 66.

JAMESTOWN (58)

Brandow 0 0 0, Freeney 1 0 2, Drake 13 0 34, Canfield 4 2 11, Engquist 2 0 4, O’Brien 3 1 7. Totals 23 3 58.

3-point goals–Bissett, Weissenburg 4, Drake 8, Canfield.

Williamsville North 20 6 21 19 — 66

Jamestown 16 25 10 7 — 58