Cold Spring Harbor girls rally in second half to capture state Class B title

TROY — Sophomore Olivia Mulada hit two free throws with 1:09 remaining to snap a tie and then hit a tiebreaking layup with 31 seconds left as Cold Spring Harbor captured its first state Class B girls basketball championship with a 54-50 victory over Section V Hornell on Saturday night.

Mulada’s free throws gave Cold Spring Harbor its first lead of the game. “I just remembered all of the free throws I take during practice,” she said after the Seahawks overcame a 26-9 second-quarter deficit. “I’ve done this so much, I just needed to lock in.”

The Seahawks trailed by 10 points after three quarters, but senior Ryan Reynolds started the fourth quarter with back-to-back three-pointers and totaled 11 points in the first four minutes of the quarter.

“I knew we were down, and Coach kept telling us we needed to play our game,” said Reynolds, who finished with 14 points. “It was my last game I was ever going to play, so I had to leave it all out there.”

“Seeing the ball go in the net, it reminded us that we did have a chance to win this,” said Mulada, who scored 16 points. “That just brought all the energy we needed as a team.”

Reynolds fouled out with just over three minutes left in the game, but she had ignited Cold Spring Harbor.

“We needed a little spark, and Ryan set that trend,” coach Rory Malone said. “From there, everyone was able to follow suit.”

“I knew they were going to be able to handle it and take over,” Reynolds said. “We don’t have one star player. Everyone is able to make up for each other.”

Cold Spring Harbor outscored Hornell 14-6 and cut its deficit to two points with just under two minutes left in the game. Mulada drove and passed to freshman Ainsley Dircks, who tied the score at 48.

“I knew we needed just one basket,” Dircks said. “I remembered it’s the last game we’re going to play with these seniors. We needed this win for them and we needed to get there together.”

Mulada then scored five points in the final 1:09, going 3-for-4 at the free-throw line, and Kelly Callaghan clinched the win by hitting a free throw with six seconds left.

Though Cold Spring Harbor is known for its dominant girls lacrosse and girls soccer programs, this state championship has established the school as a standout basketball program.

“I’m the one always saying how they’re lacrosse and soccer players,” Malone said. “But they for sure see themselves as basketball players now.”

Reynolds couldn’t picture her final game ending any other way, and she’s excited for the future of Cold Spring Harbor girls basketball.

“It’s almost unreal, because all season we knew we could make it here,” Reynolds said. “We made history today.”

“I’m so proud of them,’’ Malone said. “It started in the summer and we had an inkling we’d be good and we saw a path. They’ve worked so hard, and to see the fruits of their labor, it’s just so rewarding as a coach and everything you hoped for.

“Honestly, I’m speechless,” he said. “To be state champions is unbelievable.”