Knights, Lionesses win Lions Club Ladies Classic
Amherst area well represented in senior all-star girls hoops affair
by JASON NADOLINSKI Reporter

Sacred Heart senior Kate Keller tries to make a mover on her defender during the Knights' 65-61 victory over the Lions in the second game of last Saturday's ninth annual Cheektowaga Lions Club Senior High School Ladies Basketball Classic doubleheader at Cheektowaga Central High School. Keller, who played for the Knights, finished with four points and a steal. Photo by John Normile Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

All-star games aren't exactly known for their displays of defensive strategy, and while the score of the second of last Saturday's two senior girls all-star basketball games would seem to fit that lack-of-defense stereotype, nothing could be further from the truth.

Every player on both the Knights and Lions squads were hustling to make defensive plays the entire time during the Knights' 65-61 victory in the nightcap of the ninth annual Cheektowaga Lions Senior High School Ladies Basketball Classic at Cheektowaga Central High School, with more steals, blocks and pressure-altered shots than most regular-season games.

That's not to say the girls didn't want to put up the points. It's just that everyone had to work hard to earn their baskets.

Sweet Home senior Kiaya Burks makes her move around Christian Central's Noelle Dinkins during the Lionesses' 50-35 victory over the Justinettes in the first game of last Saturday's ninth annual Cheektowaga Lions Club Senior High School Ladies Basketball Classic doubleheader at Cheektowaga Central High School. Burks, who played for the Justinettes, finished with two points, six rebounds and two blocks. Photo by John Normile Purchase color photos at www.BeeNews.com

"The other team outsized us by a lot, so we knew that defense and our fast break were going to win this game," said Kenmore East's Kacie Mills, who had nine points, an assist and a steal to garner MVP honors for the Knights. "It's most of the girls' last high school game, and most of the girls love the sport so you've got to go out there and play with that intensity."

The Knights and Lions contest was a back and forth affair most of the way. The Knights did manage to open up a 16-7 lead just a couple minutes before the halfway mark of the first half, but the Lions battled back with a 23-10 run the rest of the way - including three-point baskets by Lancaster's Barb Kiliszek and Iroquois' Lindsay Henry, and an old-fashioned three-point play with 1:53 to play in the first half by Williamsville South's Katie Ostroot - to take a 30-26 lead at the half.

"I just figured I'd go out there and play my hardest, and whatever happens, happens," said Henry, who took home the Lions' MVP honors with her 11 points, two rebounds and one steal. "It was pretty intense out there, but I knew it would be aggressive. It was just a lot of fun to play with all the great players from around the area."

The Lions pushed their lead to eight points just 2:30 into the second half on Courtney Donovan's basket, but the Knights never conceded. Instead, the Knights dug in their heels defensively and recaptured the lead - their first in nearly 20 minutes - for the first of many times with 10:40 to play in regulation, 47-46, on Alana Laguerre's basket.

The game went back and forth the rest of the way with the lead changing hands six more times before all was said and done. The Lions led for the final time with 2:12 to play in regulation on another basket by Laguerre, but the Knights closed out the game with a 6-1 run to seal the decision.

"At the beginning of the game, you could tell that it was slow because everyone was playing tough defense," Orchard Park's Mandy Sahhar said. "We just all picked it up offensively and defensively and it got awesome. We subbed a lot more in the second half and that gave us our legs. We basically said once we got the lead, we weren't going to give it back up again."

Sahhar led the way for the Knights with 14 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists, while Depew's Jordan Schrimmel added 12 points and two rebounds. Iroquois' Holly Beats (five rebounds), Sacred Heart's Katie Keller (one steal) and Williamsville East's Kaitlin Roseti (six rebounds, three blocks and one steal) all added four points for the victors.

Ostroot finished with seven points and four rebounds for the Lions, while Kenmore East's Meaghan Freund contributed six points and three rebounds. Kiliszek added five points, five steals and two assists for the Lions.

The doubleheader's opening contest, pitting the Justinettes against the Lionesses, was equally as fast paced. Both teams were working the fast break for all it was worth as the Justinettes built a lead as high as eight points (20-12) before the Lionesses clawed back into the game. However, the Justinettes were able to push their lead back up to eight points by halftime, 26-18.

"We got the ball inside as much as we wanted to, but we were just missing easy layups," said Lancaster coach Joe Catalano, who co-coached the Lionesses with St. Mary's of Lancaster coach Keith Junik. "We could have played a lot better defensively too. We had a lot of occasions in the first half where we'd play good defense for 25 seconds and then we'd let up and give them a good shot. We did stop the ball a lot better in the second half."

The Lionesses claimed their first lead of the game just 2:30 into the second half, 28-26, and pushed their advantage to 32-26 before the Justinettes finally put a stop to the Lionesses' 14-0 half-opening run on the only points of the night from Sweet Home's Kiaya Burks. The Lionesses continued to pour on the offense, though, going on to outscore the Justinettes 32-9 for the second half to secure the lopsided victory.

"I never thought I'd be here, that I could play with girls like this, but I proved everyone wrong," said Burks, who had six rebounds, two blocks and a steal to go along with her pair of free throws. "It's nice for people to notice you."

Jen Godson of Depew had eight points and one rebound for the victors, while Amherst's Jodi Battaglia added six points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. Mount St. Mary's Katie Carroll (three assists) and Lancaster's Melysa Markut (two assists) also helped the Lionesses achieve victory.

Mount St. Mary's Sheila Sullivan had six points, five rebounds, two blocks and a steal to contribute one of the Justinettes' more well-rounded efforts, while Sacred Heart's Gina Ricotta added two points, an assist and a steal. Maryvale's Nicole Odrobina (one rebound) was the town of Cheektowaga's only representative in either game.

"I'm a competitive person and I was hoping to win," Odrobina said. "I was really honored to be picked to be a part of this. I think I could have done better, but it's a lot different with all the people and the (television) cameras out there. It makes you nervous."

A total of 81 applications were submitted to the Cheektowaga Lions Club for girls wanting to play in the game. Thirty-four public, private and Catholic schools were represented in the game, which was attended by numerous college scouts and coaches.

e-mail: jnadolinski@beenews.com