BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Scotties basketball team beat the Saratoga Springs Blue Streaks in a nailbiter finish last week. The Scotties were ahead by only one basket with 30 seconds left in the game, and they managed to keep the Blue Streaks at bay to win with a final score of 68 to 64. The victory marks BSpa’s first win of the new year.
“It seems like it always is [a nailbiter] with Saratoga,” said Scotties Head Varsity Coach Benjamin Eldridge. “I think the kids have fun with it.”
The neighboring school districts have developed something of a friendly rivalry, especially after Ballston Spa’s dramatic come-from-behind victory last year. “That was one of the more fun games I’ve been a part of,” Eldridge said. “Both groups of kids like to compete against each other and take away some sense of earned respect and pride.”
In last Wednesday’s game at home, Michael Pritchard led Ballston Spa with 17 points and Blaine Zoller contributed 14. Zoller “stepped up his intensity and physicality in the game and just really played hard the whole time,” Eldridge said.
Despite the win, Coach Eldridge said his team has more work to do. He anticipated that his team would have to improve as the year progresses, and play their best basketball towards the end of the season. “It’s taken time to start clicking on the same page and get the basketball skills up there but Wednesday night was a good night,” he said.
Eldridge said that the slower start to the season is partly the result of most of his players being multi-sport athletes transitioning out of football and baseball. “It’s a fun little puzzle to figure out,” he said. “I definitely had a vision coming in of what these guys would be most successful with and I don’t know if 100% buy-in is there yet but I think there was a good step towards it on Wednesday and hopefully we keep it going.”
The Coach maintains “relatively high expectations” for the rest of the season. “I’m looking forward to seeing how February looks,” he said.
