After two-time Post-Journal Player of the Year Erin Radack graduated, the Trojans struggled to find their rhythm early on this year. Even by the end of the regular season, Southwestern had as many losses as wins and needed to beat multiple higher seeds to reclaim its title.

Sunday afternoon, the run was capped off in grand fashion, leaving smiles on the Trojans’ faces as they held three fingers in the air while holding yet another banner.

“It says this group is a consummate group of 12 kids, completely unselfish, all trying to help each other,” Southwestern head coach Dave Turnbull said. “This one was special. The only people who thought we could three-peat are the 12 girls on this team and the coaching staff. It tells you what a little bit of hard work and some belief in one another can do for a team — and I love them for it.”

No. 5 Southwestern claimed the Class B-2 championship banner with a 54-44 victory over No. 2 Eden at the Buffalo State Sports Arena.

Southwestern’s Gianna Hoose is pictured with her Section VI championship t-shirt and patch after the Trojans beat Eden in the B-2 final Sunday at the Buffalo State Sports Arena. Photo by Braden Carmen

The Trojans found themselves in a battle early on. The Raiders responded to an early 8-2 hole with the next seven points to take a 9-8 lead. Southwestern capped off the scoring in the first quarter with a bucket from Sofia Genareo to take a 10-9 lead into the second quarter.

It took until the final basket of the first half for the two teams to be separated by more than a possession. After a 17-all tie on the board, Genareo drilled a 3-pointer with 2:03 left for a Southwestern lead, then Allison Lundmark followed later in the period with a pair from the free throw line to lead 22-17. Eden’s Rachel Wach had a pair of blocked shots on the final possession of the half to keep Southwestern’s lead at just five points at halftime in a defensive battle.

“We take great pride in our defense,” Turnbull said. “You can control how hard you play defensively. Offense comes and goes, but conditioning and defense are some things we have some control over.”

After Eden scored on the first two possessions of the second half, the score was back within a point, 22-21. Eden missed a pair from the free throw line that could have taken the lead, and from then on, the rest of the quarter was all Southwestern. The Trojans outscored the Raiders, 18-6, the rest of the period, capped off by a Lundmark buzzer-beater. It was 40-27 after three quarters, and in the final frame, Eden never got closer than six points.

Lundmark, who was the Intense Milk/Cross Training Athletics Character Athlete of the Game, led Southwestern with 16 points. Eighth-grader Reece Beaver chipped in 14 points.

“She is unflappable. … She was very comfortable today and it showed on the floor,” Turnbull said of Beaver. “She’s a special player and a special kid.”

Genareo had 11 points while Gianna Hoose had 8 points.

Eden was led by Brooke Woodard with 15 points while Wach added 13 points.

The number three doesn’t just represent the amount of consecutive sectional championships Southwestern has after Sunday’s victory, it also represents the number of times the Trojans will have faced off with Dunkirk when they meet for the overall Class B title at 5 p.m. Wednesday back at Buffalo State College.

Dunkirk won first two meetings with a Kymi Nance buzzer-beating 3-pointer the difference in Dunkirk on Jan. 6. The Marauders also won, 71-60, in West Ellicott on Feb. 4.

“We had a five-point lead at Dunkirk inside the final 40 seconds,” Turnbull said. “We were hoping we’d get back here to get a third shot at them. I think it will be a real fun game on Wednesday night.”

SOUTHWESTERN (54)

Beaver 3 7 14, Genareo 5 0 11, Lundmark 5 6 16, Ricker 2 0 5, Hoose 4 0 8, Truver 0 0 0, Lawton 0 0 0, Turnbull 0 0 0, Curry 0 0 0, Casselman 0 0 0, Kranzo 0 0 0, Dibble 0 0 0. Totals 19 13 54.

EDEN (44)

JZittel 1 1 3, Klawon 2 0 4, Woodard 4 5 15, Wach 6 0 13, MZittel 2 0 4, ABallou 1 3 5, EBallou 0 0 0, Elvers 0 0 0, Spina 0 0 0, Hall 0 0 0, Culley 0 0 0. Totals 16 9 44.

3-point goals–Beaver, Genareo, Ricker, Woodard 2, Wach.

Southwestern 10 12 18 14 — 54

Eden 9 8 10 17 — 44