ALBANY — The nation’s best player finally owns her state’s highest distinction, and she did so in historic fashion.
UConn-bound wing Breanna Stewart and Cicero-North Syracuse beat Murry Bergtraum, 60-28, in the New York State Federation Class AA girls basketball championship game yesterday at the Times Union Center.
The Northstars became the first non-New York City team to win it since Colonie in 2001.
The McDonalds All-American scored 22 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, blocked seven shots and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line in her final high school game. C-NS lost to the Lady Blazers in last year’s semifinals.
Stewart put her name in the Federation tournament’s record book. Stewart combined to score 64 points in two games to top the mark of 62 set by James Madison’s Theresa Keene in 1982.
She also grabbed 38 rebounds eclipsing John Glenn’s Harmonie Calinda’s total of 36 back in 2005 and her 42 points against Nazareth on Sunday is the most in a single girls “AA’’ Federation game.
Bergtraum’s junk defenses slowed Stewart, but Sarah Bowles scored 14 points and Brittany Paul added 13 for the Northstars (23-3), ranked No. 5 in the country by USA Today.
The Lady Blazers (18-8) played the season in memory of teammate Tayshana (Chicken) Murphy, who was shot and killed on Sept. 11.
Bergtraum, which shot just 13.1 percent from the game, was led by Shequana Harris’s 15 points and seven rebounds.