Girls Basketball
East girls hoops open league schedule 3-0, Durr picks up 200th coaching win
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Williamsville East’s Bridget Steele lays in a basket during the Lady Flames’ 64-11 ECIC Division II home win last Friday over West Seneca East East is 3-0, 4-1 overall. Photo by John Rusac

Williamsville East’s 60-29 road win at Williamsville South also marked a milestone for coach Chris Durr.

The victory was Durr’s 200th with the Lady Flames.

“It’s a tribute to the kids who’ve I had over the past 12 years,” said Durr. “It’s great for the program and school.”

The East players did not let their coach down, jumping out to a 15-5 first quarter advantage and 29-14 halftime lead. They were ahead 48-23 after the third quarter.

“The first time down the floor we had four chances to score and couldn’t put the ball in the basket,” said South coach Duke McGuire.

The biggest discrepancy in the game was at the free throw line. East made 22-of-35 free throws to South’s 3-of-14.

“We were in the one-and-one in the first quarter,” said Durr.

Kaitlin Roseti led East with 14 points, nine rebounds and six steals. Molly Bojanek had eight points. Taylor Klun scored seven points and grabbed eight rebounds. Neha Bakhai added six points. Bridget Steele had eight steals to go along with five points. Meghan Scheidemann had six rebounds.

Katie Ostroot had nine points and 19 rebounds to lead South.

East’s other league wins came at home over Amherst, 53-35, on Dec. 1 and West Seneca East, 64-11, last Friday.

Amherst led East 11-9 after the first quarter thanks to 5-of-7 free throws and three baskets.

Durr said in the second quarter, his team caused more turnovers and shot the ball better.

“Christa Morgante and Jessica Kowalski both hit three-pointers and we got a few steals with our press and they committed a few more turnovers,” said Durr.

Roseti finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Klun had six points and nine rebounds. Morgante and Kowalski had five points each. Bojanek and Pooja Bakhai added four points each. Steele dished out five assists.

East dominated West Seneca East, leading 35-9 by halftime. They outscored the Lady Trojans 13-0 in the fourth quarter.

Roseti scored 14 of her 16 points in the first quarter on 8-of-12 shooting. She also grabbed nine rebounds and blocked five shots. Aleece Burgio (10 points), Klun (nine), Bojanek (five) and Neha Bakhai, Steele, Scheidemann and Anna Stolzenburg (four each) also contributed. East shot 29-for-60 from the floor.

East (4-1, 3-0) hosts Hamburg at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

“For us to be 4-1 and 3-0 at this point, when we’re not in preseason mode but a few games behind where we need to be, is really positive,” said Durr.

Williamsville South

South played a much better game at home Friday against Hamburg, losing 52-43.

Hamburg had a 31-19 halftime advantage but by the end of the third, the lead was 37-30.

Sarah Marcus led South with 15 points and five assists. Ostroot added 14 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Claire Licata chipped in eight points on 4-of-5 shooting. Sophomore guard Allison Couche only scored two points but did a great job handling the ball against Hamburg’s pressure, McGuire said.

“She had four rebounds and a couple of assists,” said McGuire. “An all-around good game.”

The Lady Billies opened with a 36-33 non-league loss at Starpoint on Nov. 29.

South trailed the entire game but outscored Starpoint 13-6 in the fourth. Down one, the Lady Billies turned over the ball and had to foul with a second to play. Starpoint hit both free throws to seal the win.

Ostroot led South with 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Cassiana Hyppolite added 10 points.

South’s only game this week is a non-league home contest with City Honors at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Amherst road game, previously scheduled for Thursday, has been moved to Monday, Dec. 18.