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By TIM IRVING
“She’s our heartbeat, she’s our confidence.”
Canandaigua girls basketball coach Michael Brennan referring to his only senior, point guard Abbey Herod, who scored 15 points in three quarters in leading the Braves to a 46-34 victory over Brockport.
Herod sat out the fourth quarter after turning her ankle scoring her last basket. Brennan said that she suffered a major injury to that ankle a couple of years ago and wanted to be careful with it.
The Braves ran out to an 11-4 first quarter lead, Herod, who has committed to play lacrosse for defending National Champion Boston College next year, scored six of her eight first half points in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Canandaigua caught a break as Brockport senior Ella Fadale, who helped the Blue Devils close the gap, scoring seven of her nine in second quarter, picked up her third foul.
“I was a little worried because we didn’t really take advantage of it,” Brennan said as Canandaigua held a 19-16 lead at half.
Herod came out hot in the second half and the lead got up to ten.
It kept growing as Macy Bacon hit a corner three.
But late in the third, Herod drove to the basket and hit the floor and sat with an ice pack on her ankle for the rest of the game, the Braves up 35-20 going to the fourth.
With four fouls, Fadale played with nothing to lose and the Blue Devils began to rally, cutting the lead to single digits.
“We didn’t play time and score basketball and with a kid like her, she can score 15 in a quarter,” Brennan said when his team shot early in the shot clock, allowing Fadale and the Blue Devils to run the floor.
With two minutes left, the Braves got a turnover. Brooke Rizzo, who replaced Herod at the point, threw a perfect lob for Kyleigh Chapman to stop the Brockport run.
Mya Herman then locked it up, scoring six points in the closing minute, including four free throws.
Canandaigua (4-1) plays rival Victor on Wednesday and are hoping to head into Christmas break with two big wins.
“This is a big win for us because this is a tough place to play and they’re a good team, they’ve got a good coach, “ Brennan said, “That’s always such a nice thing, to go into the Holidays feeling good about yourself.”
SCORING
Canandaigua
Abbey Herod 15, Liz Schorr 4, Mya Herman 9, Brooke Rizzo 1, Kyleigh Chapman 6, Elly Hubler 2, Macy Bacon 9.
Brockport
Emma Sodoma 4, Keira Wilson 2, Ella Fadale 19, Ava Velletri 5, Mia Tyndell 4.
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