by COVER PHOTO COURTESTY OF JEFF BARNES AT – https://jeffbarnesphotography.bloom.io/
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Amherst, OH – What a special night it was for Kristen Kelley of Amherst and her teammates Kayla Ferancy, Ava Darmos, Bradyn Silvasy and Natalie Pleban who have played with Kelley since they were all freshmen together in 2020-2021. Tonight, Kelley scored her 1,000 career point as a Comet, and celebrated with her teammates as Amherst won 59-46 over SWC Rival Midview. This was part of a 33-point night for Kelley who appeared to be unstoppable at times. Kelley would have hit this mark a lot earlier in her career, but battled through an ankle injury last year at times. When Kelley gets cooking, she can be hard to stop.
A big reason Kelley has hit this mark in her career, is her in credible on court chemistry with Kayla Ferancy who has been an All SWC player this season once again, and her entire career. Ferancy is a five tool player who can find the open teammate as easily as she can shoot with a hand in her face. Ferancy can take over a games and did so tonight at times as she went off for 17 points as well. More so than points however. Ferancy had the play of the night tonight when the Comets were nursing a 22-20 lead late in the second, a Midview breakaway made it appear as though they would tie it, but Ferancy hustled down court and stopped the play out of nowhere, to keep the lead with the Comets.
The Midview Middies were led by Leah DiFranco with 19 and Erica Baldoza with 10.
Kelley began her night, 29 seconds into the action with a putback off of a missed three ball, and never looked back from there. The next time down the court, they worked the ball to her down low, where she spot up and sunk one from five feet away. Before the ice in anyone’s soda pop could even think about melting, Kelley already had four and was off to the races.
An Erica Baldoza layup would calm things for a moment, before another Kelley basket 3 seconds later made it 6-2. Kelley was on a mission folks, the next time the Comets touched it, it was the same deal, this time on a jumper, and it was 8-2 Comets quickly. Ava Darmos took a turn the next time down the floor for the Comets, and it was five Amherst possessions, leading to 10 Comet points!
After an Aliana Stacey basket cut it to 10-4, Amherst continued their streak of scoring on every possession. This time it took a bit and the ball going out of bounds at one point, but eventually the ball would work its way back to Kelley who drained another jump shot, to extend the Comet lead to 12-4. Midview made a mini run to get back into it however, only trailing 16-11 after one. Kelley had 12 in the frame to jumpstart her special night.
A Baldoza full court breakaway cut the Comet lead to 16-13 in the second minute of the second quarter, this making the game the closest it had been since tipoff. Moments later it was Ferancy making an incredible spin move to find a cutting Kelley to the hoop to push the lead right back to 5 at 18-13, and in the process, get Kelley her 14th point of the night. By halftime, the Comets pushed the lead to double digits at 30-20. At one point however, a Riley Frei three ball from the corner, cut into the lead at 20-18, before the Comets finished the half on a 10-2 run. Kelley had 18 of her 33 in the first half as well.
The senior dynamic duo of the Comets of Ferancy and Kelley got them started hot in the second half with four quick points. Pleban was the next Comet senior to score when they touched it again, and just like that, the lead was out to 36-20 and it was all Amherst from there as they went on to win, 59-46.
The highlight of the night however, came with 3:44 left in the third quarter, when Kristen Kelley connected to score her 1,000 career point.
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