Sherman falls to Notre Dame-Batavia in Class D FWR

Junior forward Sofia Falleti scores 21 points to lead Fighting Irish past Wildcats

Mar. 16, 2026 at 5:37am

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CANANDAIGUA — Notre Dame-Batavia's junior forward Sofia Falleti scored 21 points to lead the Fighting Irish past the Sherman Wildcats 47-40 in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D Far West Regional at Finger Lakes Community College. The win sends Notre Dame into this weekend's state final four at Hudson Valley Community College.

Why it matters

This game determined which team would advance to the state final four in the Class D basketball tournament. Sherman was seeking its first trip to the final four since 2022, while Notre Dame-Batavia was looking to continue its postseason run.

The details

Falleti proved to be too much for Sherman to handle, scoring 12 of her 21 points in the second quarter to help Notre Dame build a lead. Sherman fought back in the second half, cutting the deficit to four points in the fourth quarter, but a late 9-0 run by Notre Dame sealed the victory. Sherman shot just 16-of-53 from the field and turned the ball over 18 times.

  • The game was played on Saturday evening at Finger Lakes Community College.
  • Notre Dame-Batavia will take on Section IV's Stamford in the 6 p.m. semifinal on Thursday at Hudson Valley Community College.

The players

Sofia Falleti

A junior forward for Notre Dame-Batavia who scored a game-high 21 points.

Emily Eckwahl

The head coach of the Sherman Wildcats.

Baya Oehlbeck

A player for the Sherman Wildcats who scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers.

Emmersen Crawford

A player for the Sherman Wildcats who scored 15 points and had five steals.

Quinn Boardman

A player for Notre Dame-Batavia who scored 10 points.

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What they’re saying

“She was definitely the toughest matchup for us.”

— Emily Eckwahl, Sherman head coach

“We were certainly not surprised, these girls have been down a lot before and came back. Everyone on our bench knew we still had a shot if there was time on the clock.”

— Emily Eckwahl, Sherman head coach

“We got to within four for the second time. It definitely took the wind out of our sails a bit, but we were playing high-risk, high-reward and when you do that sometimes people get loose.”

— Emily Eckwahl, Sherman head coach

What’s next

The winner of the Notre Dame-Batavia vs. Stamford semifinal game on Thursday will advance to the Class D state championship game on Saturday.

The takeaway

Despite falling short of the final four, Sherman's young team showed resilience in fighting back against a talented Notre Dame-Batavia squad. The Wildcats' performance suggests they have a bright future and could be a team to watch in the coming years.