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Aquinas looks formidable in Class A: Section V teams in girls basketball state rankings

Justin Ritzel, Canandaigua Daily Messenger
·4 min read

Aquinas Institute's season has been a balancing act of increasing maturity of an abnormally young team, and trying to contend in a difficult private league and Class A schedule.

When Aquinas met Pittsford Sutherland last Thursday, that balancing act struck the perfect note. The Lil' Irish led for much of the first three quarters and, despite several lead changes in the fourth, prevailed for a 53-49 win.

Sutherland entered that game as the projected No. 1 seed in the Class A sectional tournament.

"Tonight they took another step and grew up a little bit and handled adversity," Aquinas coach Mark Loria said. "There were clutch shots, and the girls moved on to the next play if they made a mistake. They didn't hang their head or sulk, they just kept battling and battling."

Bookmark this: Section V girls basketball scores for the 2023-24 season

Youth often coincides with potential, and Aquinas has both in spades. Despite a senior-less roster, the Lil' Irish are 14-5 with all five losses against Class AA competition.

Such young rosters can induce moments of frustration, following by learning opportunities.

That was evident during the third quarter against Sutherland when, frustrated with the absence of a foul call, Lil' Irish sophomore AJ Orr was called for a technical.

Orr retreated to the bench for much of the third quarter. In the fourth, she was Aquinas' most productive player with 10 of her team-high 17 points in the final eight minutes.

"For me it means a lot, and for her it means a lot because it shows the maturation process," Loria said. "She made a mistake and owned it. She responded, and that's what you like to see. Kids make mistakes, but as a coach you don't give up on them. You teach them and instruct them, and give them another opportunity to get back out there."

Orr is one of Aquinas' most dynamic players, and she'll team with junior Molly O'Toole and freshmen Loren Green and Jade Harvey to push the Lil' Irish through the upcoming sectional tournament.

As the regular season winds down, Aquinas projects as the No. 6 seed in the Class A tournament.

Seedings, though, can be deceiving. Loria believes his group is as capable as any to be the last team standing.

"I think we're one of the teams to beat," Loria said. "I don't even pay attention (to seeding), I'm just focused on the last games. Whatever happens, I'm sure teams don't want to play us.

"It's not about other teams, it's about the things that we do. If we do that, we're going to be in good shape."

New Section V team joins Class D rankings

Elba has been the top -- and often only -- Section V team in the Class D state rankings.

In the latest edition from the New York State Sportswriters Association, another team joined the list.

Batavia Notre Dame (13-6) makes its debut at No. 13 in Class D, leaping over Elba following the teams' meeting on Feb. 7, won by Notre Dame.

This marks the first time since Dec. 31 that multiple Class D teams in Section V are ranked.

It's also an example of the discrepancy between state rankings and sectional seedings. While Batavia Notre Dame is the top-ranked team in Class D according to the NYSSWA, the Lady Irish are currently seventh in sectional standings.

Charles G. Finney, currently the projected top seed, has gone unranked so far this winter.

Section V girls basketball teams in NYS top 25 rankings for Feb. 13

Class AAA

  • N/A

Class AA

  • No. 4: Victor (18-1)

  • No. 7: Hilton (15-4)

  • No. 9: Canandaigua (13-4)

  • No. 12: Webster Schroeder (13-6)

  • No. 13: Bishop Kearney (13-5)

Class A

  • No. 4: Palmyra-Macedon (17-1)

  • No. 7: Aquinas (14-5)

  • No. 13: Pittsford Sutherland (15-4)

  • No. 17: Newark (15-4)

Class B

  • No. 4: Hornell (16-2)

  • No. 9: Dansville (16-3)

  • No. 12: Mynderse (15-4)

  • No. 22: LeRoy (15-4)

  • No. 24: Waterloo (11-8)

  • No. 25: Livonia (11-8)

Class C

  • No. 8: Keshequa (17-2)

  • No. 11: Gananda (15-3)

  • No 13: Bloomfield (17-2)

  • No. 16: Dundee/Bradford (18-1)

  • No. 17: Lyons (12-7)

  • No. 18: York (13-6)

  • No. 20: Byron-Bergen (13-6)

  • No. 21: Caledonia-Mumford (13-6)

  • No. 22: East Rochester (14-6)

  • No. 23: Oakfield-Alabama (16-3)

Class D

  • No. 13: Batavia Notre Dame (13-6)

  • No. 17: Elba (15-4)

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Section V girls basketball teams in NYS rankings: The list for Feb. 13