CANANDAIGUA — North Country's goal of winning the NJCAA Region III women's basketball tournament came to a screeching halt Saturday at Finger Lakes Community College.
All'aha Albright poured in a game-high 16 points as Columbia-Greene handed the second-seeded Saints (24-5) a, 71-61, loss in the semifinals.
North Country, which led by as many as 13 points with 27 seconds left in the first half, shot 30 percent (21-of-70) from the field and was outscored by a 34-18 margin in the paint.
There, North Country shot 4-for-24 from the field, and Columbia-Greene's Anyla Harper dropped in eight points.
"They made layups, and I thought we really struggled inside the paint," Saints coach Jerrad Dumont said. "We got some good one-on-one matchups but struggled.
"I thought we got tired toward the end of the game. We're pretty young. Columbia-Greene's best players are sophomores, and they stayed composed and played really well.
"I just thought we struggled offensively all night (Saturday)."
Ty Taylor led North Country with 14 points, while Jasmine Perea and Demerika Mosely both added 10.
Taylor pulled down 11 rebounds for a double-double performance.
The Saints finished their season with 24 wins and a regional semifinal appearance.
"I loved this group," Dumont said. "They worked well together, and they came ready to play. They were a pleasure to be around.
"They're great people who will be successful in life."