By PAUL GOTHAM
LIVONIA, N.Y. — Senior forward Kylie Buckley led all scorers with 25 points including the 1,500th point of her career, and the Livonia girls’ basketball team outlasted Our Lady of Mercy, 55-43 in the opening round of the 2022 Great Livonia Shootout.
Buckley converted a traditional three-point play midway through the first quarter to reach the plateau.
“I’m happy for her and proud of her,” Livonia head coach Karen Schuster said. “We knew she was going to be a good player back in sixth, seventh grade.”
Buckley grabbed her own miss of a free throw and drew contact as she finished at the rim. With the ensuing free throw she gave Livonia an early 11-2 advantage.
Kylie Buckley finishes off the and-one for an 11-2 Livonia lead. @NiagaraWBB commit reaches the career 1,500-point plateau. @SecVGBasketball pic.twitter.com/tkL88TSdIP
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 28, 2022
“It’s taken a lot of hard work outside of practice,” she said of the accomplishment. “It’s really exciting to reach this.”
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM RON ANDREWS HERE.
Buckley and teammate Libby Kwak combined for 24 first-half points as Livonia grabbed its largest lead of the game.
Kwak connected on back-to-back 3-pointers for a 28-12 Livonia advantage late in the second quarter.
Mercy rallied twice in the second half with chances to make it a one-possession game, but Livonia had an answer each time.
“We held our own,” Schuster said. “They made a good run, but I was proud of our kids.”
Mia Lusardi connects on the break. Mercy has scored the first five of the third, cut the deficit to 7 at 31-24. @SecVGBasketball pic.twitter.com/SlXIYKCGk0
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 28, 2022
Trailing 31-19, Mercy’s Mia Lusardi opened the third quarter with a pair of free throws before hitting a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer. Audrey Hintz scored the next six points to make it a 34-30 game.
With Mercy denying Kwak on the perimeter, Livonia scored the next five points. An Emma King jumper pushed the lead back to nine at 41-32.
“They did a nice job on Libby,” Schuster said of Mercy’s defense on the junior guard. “I thought we played well defensively. We made some adjustments the second half and try to slow down [Hintz] a little bit.”
Hintz finished in the lane before scoring on an inbound play three possessions later. Lusardi scored on a layup to make it a 44-38 game with 3:32 remaining.
Mercy could not get any closer.
Buckley connected twice from the free throw line then fed King with an inside-out pass for a triple and a 49-38 Livonia lead. Madison King and Kwak both hit free throws to push the advantage to 13 at 51-38.
Emma King finished with 12 points. Libby Kwak had 11. Mary Kwak (4) and Madison King (3) also scored for Livonia.
Emma King gets the friendly bounce. Livonia 39-30 early fourth. pic.twitter.com/bx5Vnpofgv
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) December 28, 2022
Hintz led Mercy with 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Lusardi had nine points and three steals. Brooke Wormley scored five points. Krista Harnischfeger had four points, four rebounds and nine steals. Lauren Loiacono chipped in three points and five rebounds.
Livonia (8-0 and ranked No. 9 NYSSWA Class B) will face Waterloo (7-0/ No. 4 NYSSWA Class B) in Thursday’s championship game. A 5:15 p.m. tipoff is scheduled.
Mercy (1-4) will play Elba (2-3) in the consolation game.
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