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Section V girls basketball: Large school tournaments, players to watch for postseason

Justin Ritzel, Canandaigua Daily Messenger
·3 min read

Girls basketball teams around Section V gathered for their first official practices on Nov. 13.

Three months later, those long nights in gyms and weight rooms will be put to the test.

Section V organizers released the 2024 large school tournament brackets on Thursday, signaling that a new group of champions is set to emerge.

Teams like Webster Schroeder and Canandaigua will look to repeat last season's success, while dozens of others will look to upend recent history.

This postseason also introduces a first for Section V girls basketball: the Class AAA tournament. That bracket will debut with six teams.

View: Girls basketball players to reach 1,000 career points in 2023-24

Section V girls basketball: Class AAA

Edison's JaKayla Costello takes aim at a three point shot.
Edison's JaKayla Costello takes aim at a three point shot.

  • Top seed: Rush-Henrietta

  • Defending champion: N/A

  • Semifinals: Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Penfield

  • Championship: Saturday, March 2 at Finger Lakes Community College

  • Early matchup to watch: No. 4 Athena/Odyssey vs. No. 5 Arcadia/Olympia

Greece joined its four varsity girls basketball teams for the 2022-23 season, forming the Lightning (Arcadia/Olympia) and Thunder (Athena/Odyssey). For the first time, the two teams will meet in a win-or-go-home scenario in the section quarterfinals.

The Lightning and Thunder split their season series, which included a double overtime barn-burner on Feb. 5.

Players to watch: Jada Crocker, Fairport; Alivia Day, Rush-Henrietta; Shania Estrich, Greece Arcadia/Olympia; Mariah Freeman, Greece Athena/Odyssey; Trinity Johnson, Greece Athena/Odyssey; Kaysia Jones, Edison; Gabriela Lopez, Edison; Lola Pucci, Fairport; Ashlyn Roberts, Rush-Henrietta; Aimee Turner, Greece Arcadia/Olympia

Section V Class AAA tournament bracket.
Section V Class AAA tournament bracket.

Section V girls basketball: Class AA

Canandaigua’s Kyleigh Chapman turns and shoots over Schroeder’s Rachel DeMocker as the shot clock ends down.
Canandaigua’s Kyleigh Chapman turns and shoots over Schroeder’s Rachel DeMocker as the shot clock ends down.

  • Top seed: Victor

  • Defending champion: Webster Schroeder

  • Semifinals: Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Pittsford Sutherland

  • Championship: Saturday, March 2 at Finger Lakes Community College

  • Early matchup to watch: No. 8 Spencerport vs. No. 9 Brighton

Two of Section V’s most prolific scorers will meet when the Rangers host the Bruins. Jorja Gray has been Spencerport’s most consistent scoring threat, while Sadie Scott has regularly produced 20-plus points for Brighton.

The teams met on Dec. 1, with Brighton emerging 57-51 despite 17 points from Gray.

Players to watch: Emma Alexander, Penfield; Macy Bacon, Canandaigua; Kristina Baller, Webster Thomas; Mary Bernat, Penfield; Kailey Besio, Irondequoit; Kyleigh Chapman, Canandaigua; Lydia Childs, Brockport; Ella Clark, Hilton; Cassidy Cone, Penfield; Rhylin Fehrenbach, Victor; Melice Gaye, Gates Chili; Klarissa Goode, Bishop Kearney; Jorja Gray, Spencerport; Allie Hall, Bishop Kearney; Mallory Heise, Hilton; Haley Leonard, Churchville-Chili; Devin Livingston, Victor; Natalie Mai, Pittsford Mendon; Addie Morgan, Webster Schroeder; Sadie Scott, Brighton; Aubrey Smith, Irondequoit; Hope Stone, Victor; Leah Thompson, Hilton; Mia Tyndell, Brockport; Bria Watkins, Webster Schroeder; India Williams, Gates Chili; Asia Wilson, Bishop Kearney; Alena Zaher, Spencerport

Section V Class AA bracket.
Section V Class AA bracket.

Section V girls basketball: Class A

Pittsford Sutherland's Leora Cook tries to shoot while Aquinas' Jade Harvey, left, and Samiyah Wright defend.
Pittsford Sutherland's Leora Cook tries to shoot while Aquinas' Jade Harvey, left, and Samiyah Wright defend.

  • Top seed: Pittsford Sutherland

  • Defending champion: Canandaigua

  • Semifinals: Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Webster Schroeder

  • Championship: Saturday, March 2 at Finger Lakes Community College

  • Early matchup to watch: No. 5 Newark vs. No. 12 Wayne

The two Finger Lakes-East rivals met twice during the regular season, with Newark sweeping the season series. While the Reds dominated in the first matchup on Jan. 12, the rematch on Feb. 9 was only a four-point difference.

Newark won seven of its last eight games to end the regular season. Wayne posted a modest 10-10 record, but former All-Greater Rochester selection Kaylee Marvin – a midseason transfer from Gananda – could provide a boost in the postseason.

Players to watch: Shaye Angelo, Honeoye Falls-Lima; Julia Belanger, Palmyra-Macedon; Gabby Brown-Sturdivant, East; Nataleigh Buck, Newark; Leora Cook, Pittsford Sutherland; Alyssa Cowart, Eastridge; Meghan Forbes, Geneva; Allie Good, Geneva; Taryn Goodness, Palmyra-Macedon; Aaliviah Green, Eastridge; Loren Green, Aquinas; Nevaeh Grisham, East; Marianna Hodgins, Petra Hunt, Pittsford Sutherland; Palmyra-Macedon; Semaj Jackson, East; Eden Lewis, Pittsford Sutherland; Mia Lusardi, Our Lady of Mercy; Kaylee Marvin, Wayne; Karina Natale, Newark; AJ Orr, Aquinas; Molly O’Toole, Aquinas; Rylie Pratt, Wayne; Maddie Schubach, Honeoye Falls-Lima; Caroline Smith, Honeoye Falls-Lima; Jah’zell Strong, Young Women College Prep; TaKyla Vaughn, Newark; Isabella Walsh, Batavia

Section V Class A tournament bracket.
Section V Class A tournament bracket.

This article originally appeared on MPNnow: Section V girls basketball tournament: Large school rpeview