Girls Basketball Clinches Third Consecutive NYSAIS Championship with Undefeated Season
With one final dominant win, Dalton Girls Basketball won the NYSAIS Championship on Saturday, February 25 and made history. Wrapping up a perfect season with an undefeated 26-0, Dalton overpowered league rival Fieldston with a commanding 69-37 victory at the Spence School Athletic Center.
This victory marks Dalton's third state championship in as many years and their fifth in the past eight.
The atmosphere was electric at the Spence School Athletic Center as a raucous crowd witnessed the team's dominance on the court. The core trio of senior Susannah Zimmerman and juniors Izzy Wesley and Nyla Blake-Soden showcased their scoring prowess, combining for an impressive 59 points in the finals.
Their stellar performance wasn't limited to offense; they also anchored a formidable defense along with sophomore Astou Toure, freshman Tali Ben-David, and 8th-grade Joie Christie-Ward that stifled their opponent, holding them to under 25% field goal shooting.
The championship game remained close until the middle of the second quarter when a three-point barrage by Zimmerman propelled Dalton to a 14-point lead at halftime. The team continued their dominance in the fourth quarter, outscoring Fieldston 20-8 to secure the championship convincingly.
What set Dalton's remarkable season apart is not just the title itself, but the manner in which the team achieved it. Dalton displayed remarkable consistency by winning 23 of their 26 games by double digits while facing a challenging schedule that included games at the prestigious She Got Game Classic in Washington D.C. and matchups with top New York City CHSAA teams.
This dominant season extends Dalton's impressive winning streak to 38 straight games dating back to last season. With its success, the school secured the top rank in New York State Class A.