One team is seeking its second sectional title in the last four years. The other is looking for its second straight championship. Fillmore and Notre Dame Batavia will meet in sectionals for the second time in the last three years on Friday to decide the 2022 Section V Class D1 Girls’ Basketball Championship. Here’s the breakdown:
No. 1 seed FILLMORE EAGLES (22-0/Allegany County Division I) vs. No. 2 seed NOTRE DAME BATAVIA FIGHTING IRISH (17-5/Genesee Region Division II)
Scoring offense: Fillmore (49.6 PPG), Notre Dame Batavia (41.8 PPG)
Scoring defense: Fillmore (25.6 PPG), Notre Dame Batavia (31.1 PPG)
Current streak: Fillmore has won 22 straight. Notre Dame Batavia has won five straight.
How they got here: Fillmore defeated No. 8 Wheatland-Chili, 53-31, in the quarterfinals before downing No. 5 Arkport-Canaseraga, 47-31, in the semis.
Notre Dame Batavia beat No. 7 Honeoye by a 55-7 score in the quarterfinals and took down No. 3 Belfast/Genesee Valley, 31-26, in the semis.
Coaches: Tom Parks (Fillmore), Tom McCulley (Notre Dame Batavia)
History 101: This is the second time in the last three years both of these squads will match up in the Class D1 sectional bracket. Fillmore got the better of Notre Dame Batavia in the sectional semifinals in 2020 with a 55-49 victory. Fillmore is seeking its second sectional title in the last four years in what is its third championship appearance in that span. The Eagles won the Class D1 block in 2019 as a top seed before falling to D2 champion Elba in the regional qualifiers. In 2020, after defeating Notre Dame Batavia in the semifinals, the Eagles came up short in the title game against Pavilion. Notre Dame Batavia is seeking back-to-back sectional titles. The Fighting Irish were in this exact same scenario last year as they were the No. 2 seed in the bracket as well and took down the top seed, South Seneca, to claim the championship.
An 8 p.m. tip off is scheduled at Letchworth High School.
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