By PAUL GOTHAM
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Five players scored in double figures, and the top-seeded Bishop Kearney girls’ basketball team defeated No. 4 Victor, 65-44 in Section V Class AA semi-final action, Wednesday night.
Kaia Goode and Amaia Jackson paced a 9-0 start to the third quarter as Kearney built a double-digit lead that it did not surrender.
Jackson opened the second-half scoring with a lay-in. Goode followed with back-to-back buckets before Jackson converted a steal into an and-one. Kearney led 40-23 with 4 minutes and 58 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
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Klarissa Goode added three free throws in the stanza while Caydence Hadley connected from behind the 3-point arc and Aniya Rowe finished a drive in the lane.
Amaia Jackson steal, finish and-one @BKHS_Sports has the first 9 of the third quarter. pic.twitter.com/XVXwxCCTJq
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 3, 2022
“There is not one person that we’re trying to focus on getting the ball to,” BK head coach Kevan Sheppard said. “And they don’t care. That’s what makes this team so fun.”
Kaia Goode finished the game with a team-high 17 points. Jackson added 14. Klarissa Goode and Hadley accounted for 11 apiece. Rowe had 10 points.
Caydence Hadley connects for 3 and a 46-28 Kearney lead. pic.twitter.com/eEFVHesr43
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 3, 2022
“This year has really been whoever gets the hot hand at the time,” Sheppard noted. “Kaia is always one of them, but it’s either Kaia and Amaia, or Kaia and Aniya or Kaia and ‘Rissa.”
With the win, Kearney clinched a spot in Saturday’s championship game against No. 2 Fairport. The appearance will mark the 12th straight in the finals for the BK program.
Aniya Rowe gets in the lane to give Kearney a 50-32 lead heading to the 4th. pic.twitter.com/MrJjJ92xFb
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 3, 2022
A string that Sheppard noted is important to his team especially captains Kaia Goode and Hadley.
“It’s very big. They talk about it. They don’t want to be the team that doesn’t make it. Most of them are young, but Kaia and Kaydence remember. They are like ‘no, we can’t be that team.’ ”
Eva Pronti paced the Victor offense with 16 points. Pronti’s drive and layup tied the scored at 10 late in the first quarter. Abbie Murphy found her sister Kaitlyn Murphy for a bucket to end the second quarter and pull the Blue Devils within eight at 31-23. Kaitlin Murphy scored five. Abbie Murphy had four.
Rachel Gill added seven for Victor. Grace Callahan scored five. Mallory Clar (3), Devin Livingston (2) and Vanessa Chumacero (2) also scored for the Blue Devils (13-8).
Ball movement finds Rachel Gill for 2, but Victor trails Kearney 24-16. pic.twitter.com/WHJbnoIOSv
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) March 3, 2022
Saturday’s championship game is scheduled for a 7 PM tipoff at Rush-Henrietta High School.
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