Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp Championship Preview: Keshequa and Lyndonville to battle for Girls’ Class D1 title

One team is on the search for its first ever sectional title. Another looking to win its second in four years. Keshequa and Lyndonville will match up for the 2023 Section V Girls’ Class D1 Championship. Here’s the breakdown:

No. 1 seed KESHEQUA INDIANS (17-5/Livingstom County Division 3)
vs.
No. 3 seed LYNDONVILLE TIGERS (15-7/Genesee Region Division 2)

Scoring offense: Keshequa (55 PPG), Lyndonville (44.8 PPG)

Scoring defense: Keshequa (34.6 PPG), Lyndonville (39.9 PPG)

Current streak: Keshequa has won three straight and seven of eight. Lyndonville has there wins in its past four games.

How they arrived here: Keshequa coasted past No. 9 Mount Morris, 60-26, in the quarterfinals and followed it up by rolling No. 4 Genesee Valley/Belfast, 44-23, in the semis. Lyndonville outlasted No. 6 South Seneca, 37-35, in the quarterfinals, and knocked off No. 2 Fillmore 43-42 in semifinals.

Players to watch:

Keshequa: Libby Benner 5-foot-6 Jr. G 14.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.0 SPG; Braelyn Isaman 5-foot-4 8th-G. G 10.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3 SPG; Ava Thayer 5-foot-4 So. G 8.4 PPG, 4.4 SPG; Ryley Benner 5-foot-4 8th-G. G 6.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG; Julia Wilkins 5-foot-9 Sr. F 5.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.8 SPG

Lyndonville: Addison Dillenbeck 5-foot-6 So. G 12.6 PPG; Lorelei Dillenbeck 5-foot-6 Sr. G 9.6 PPG; Ashlee Stephens 5-foot-8 Jr. F 9.4 PPG; Haley Shaffer 5-foot-4 Sr. G 5.9 PPG; Shelby Boring 5-foot-7 Sr. F 4.0 PPG

Coaches: Pete Piraino (Keshequa), Katelyn Draper (Lyndonville)

History 101: Keshequa last won a sectional crown in the 2020 season, knocking off Pembroke for the Class C2 title. The Indians seventh title in program history. Lyndonville will look to capture its first ever sectional title after advancing to the finals for the first time in the past 27 years. The Tigers made their only sectional championship game appearance in the 1995-96 season, when they ultimately fell to Wheatland-Chili in the Class DDD title game.

What’s next: The winner will face the Class D2 Champion (either Andover/Whitesville or Elba) in the NYS Class D Far West Regional qualifier.

An 8 p.m. tip off is scheduled at Letchworth High School.