LOCKPORT —
With the Section VI playoffs set to begin this week, you couldn’t have scripted a better tune-up for the Lockport Lady Lions.
Tournament Most Valuable Player Marisa Guyton scored a game-high 18 points Saturday, sparking underdog Lockport past Shenendehowa 47-38, in the championship game of the 30th Kiwanis Girls Basketball Classic.
It was deserving win for the entire Lady Lions program, which entered the game against one of the state’s top teams in the Albany-area school. Lockport’s Lady Cubs took the JV tournament championship as well on Saturday, 57-35, over Lancaster.
Guyton (14 rebounds, 3 steals) was the difference in the two-day event for head coach Bill Shaw’s Lady Lions (15-3 overall), but it took a strong defensive game, especially on the boards, as well as clutch outside shooting from seniors Maggie Glenn (12 points, 2 rebounds) and Patti Burdick (5 points, 3-pointer, 6 assists), to fell head coach Ken Strube’s high-octane Lady Plainsmen (16-2).
“This tournament is a great event. Bill always gets four spectacular teams here. It’s a great way for all four teams to prepare for the postseason. I can’t say enough good things about this tournament and the people who put it together,” Strube said.
“I’m happy for Bill and his team in winning. I hope this is a reversal of last year for us when we won the tournament, but got beaten early in the playoffs. Hopefully, we can meet Lockport again in the states later this month.”
Lockport came out strong, jumping out to an 11-6 lead after one quarter. Burdick made her presence known immediately, shadowing Shen’s big scorer senior Emily Weber (29 points in tourney opener), allowing her just two field goals (both tres) the entire title game — and the second came with under a minute to go.
While Guyton and Glenn were hitting their shots inside, LHS senior Emma Sobieraski (10 points, 9 rebounds, five assists, 2 steals), sophomore Sara Franco (10 rebounds, 2 steals), Guyton and steady senior Kendra Warren (8 rebounds) mopped up on the boards, limiting Shen second opportunities to almost nil.
The Lady Lions held Shen to six points again in the second quarter and built a 23-12 halftime lead as Glenn continued her torrid shooting pace with three arching swishes from the baseline.
The Lady Plainsmen dominated the third, out-scoring Lockport 12-5 to cut the lead to four, 28-24, but the blue and gold got two late buckets by Guyton hold on to the lead.
“We knew we were up against one of the top teams in the state and everyone elevated their play tonight,” Guyton said. “A win like this let’s us know that we can play hard and win against a good team under a lot of pressure.”
The Lady Plainsmen kept fighting back and had an opportunity to take the lead for the first time in the game, but missed a pair of freethrows. Glenn drained another baseline jumper to up Lockport’s lead to 35-31. Moments later, Sobieraski took an in-bounds feed from Burdick and laid it in to give the hosts a 38-31 lead with just over three minutes to go.
The stubborn Lady Plainsmen would not fold yet as Weber sank a desperation three-pointer off the glass with 26.7 seconds left, cutting the lead to five, 43-38, but that’s as close as Shen would get.
“We’re gaining confidence. We have our heads high going to the playoffs,” Burdick said.
Lancaster, coached by Lockport district guidance counselor and former JV girls coach Karen Catalano, won the varsity consolation contest, 55-23, over Olean, led by Samantha Wozniak’s 20 points and Katie Healy’s 18.
Burdick, Guyton and Sobieraski were named to the All-Tournament Team, along with Weber (14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals) and Mary Kate Cusack (6 points, 2 steals) from Shen and Lancaster’s Wozniak (All Hustle Award winner) and Healy.
Hailey Bechtold led head coach Jill DiTullio’s LHS Lady Cubs (17-1) with 16 points in their tournament championship win. Jordyn Kwoka added 11 points for Lockport.
High Schools
Related Photos
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Lockport High School senior Marisa Guyton was named Most Valuable Player of the 2012 Lockport Kiwanis Club Girls Basketball Classic at LHS. John D'Onofrio/Staff
Lady Lions shock Shen, 47-38
Guyton named MVP in impressive team victory.
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