The Sherman Wildcats pose with the Section VI Class D girls championship plaque Saturday at Jamestown Community College. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

JAMESTOWN – With 6:15 remaining in Saturday’s Section VI Class D final, Forestville cut Sherman’s lead to just six points with a quick 6-0 run.

Nothing a timeout couldn’t fix for the Wildcats.

No. 4 Sherman answered No. 3 Forestville’s spurt with a 15-0 run of its own and coasted to a 63-48 victory at Jamestown Community College’s Physical Education Complex.

The title, the Wildcats’ second straight and fourth in the past six years, sends Sherman into next Saturday’s 6 p.m. Far West Regional at Finger Lakes Community College against Section V’s Notre Dame-Batavia. The Fighting Irish beat the Elba 49-35 in Saturday’s Rochester-area final.

The Wildcats entered the fourth quarter with a 45-35 lead, which grew to 12 on Emmersen Crawford’s basket to open the period. But Olivia Valentine answered for the Hornets before Carilene Sliwa scored off a Sherman turnover and followed with a putback for Forestville to make it 47-41.

No sweat for the Wildcats, who scored on their next seven possessions, including 11 points off turnovers, to make it a 21-point game with about three minutes remaining.

Forestville would get no closer than the 15-point final margin.

Baya Oehlbeck had her second straight strong shooting game for the Wildcats with 24 points, including five 3-pointers. She was particularly impressive in the middle two quarters when she scored 18 points, including all five of her 3-pointers.

Emmersen Crawford had 20 points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists for Sherman.

Sliwa, Forestville’s all-time leading scorer in boys or girls basketball, scored 21 points in her final game for the Hornets.

Forestville led 15-12 after a foul-filled first quarter that saw the teams combine to shoot 10 for 16 from the charity stripe.

Oehlbeck opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer to tie the game at 15-all before hitting another one on the Wildcats’ next possession to give her team the lead for good.

Sherman’s lead grew to 15 on Oehlbeck’s third 3-pointer of the quarter, but Sliwa hit a 3-pointer and Gibson followed with a bucket to make it a 10-point game at halftime.

The Wildcats’ lead grew to as many as 17 in the third quarter before Forestville closed the period on an 8-0 run that included a banked 3-pointer from Sliwa to set up the final eight minutes.

NOTES: The title is the Wildcats’ 14th in program history. … Ava-Kay Irwin had 8 points while Jayne Chambers had six rebounds for Sherman, which shot 24 of 67 from the field, including 9 of 27 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 16 times. … Ingrid GIbson had 10 points and Elizabeth Case had 8 for Forestville, which shot 18 of 45 from the field, including 4 of 12 from 3-point range, and turned the ball over 27 times. … Gibson and Oehlbeck were named the Heart of a Champion Character Athletes of the Game for their respective teams. … Eckwahl was honored with the 2026 Frank Martin Coach/Person of the Year Award postgame.

SHERMAN (63)

Gable 2 0 4, Emory 1 0 2, Chambers 2 1 5, Crawford 7 5 20, Palmatier 0 0 0, Kranz 0 0 0, Oehlbeck 9 1 24, Irwin 3 0 8. Totals 24 7 63.

FORESTVILLE (48)

Sliwa 9 2 21, Genevese 3 0 7, Valentine 1 0 2, IGibson 4 1 10, Bertino 0 0 0, Hall 0 0 0, Lillie 0 0 0, RGibson 0 0 0, Case 1 5 8. Totals 18 8 48.

3-point goals-Crawford, Oehlbeck 5, Irwin 2, Sliwa, Genevese, IGibson, Case.

Sherman 12 20 13 18 – 63

Forestville 15 7 13 13 – 48