Hilton looks to continue reign at the top of state rankings

By PAUL GOTHAM

Three Section V Girls’ Basketball teams are among the top 10 of this week’s New York State Sportswriters Association Class AA poll. All three will host games on this the final full weekend of January.

Hilton (11-0) remains atop Class AA – a spot the Cadets have held in all five polls thus far this season. With an average scoring margin of 24-plus points (56.6 points for/32 points allowed per game), Hilton has yet to play a game decided by single digits. This includes a pair of wins last weekend over state-ranked squads. The Cadets defeated Section IV’s Waverly (No. 18 NYSSWA Class B), 63-45 and Horseheads (No. 23 NYSSWA Class AA), 74-41. Earlier this season, Hilton also beat Our Lady of Mercy (No. 3 NYSSWA Class A), 58-43.

Senior Mallory Heise became the program’s all-time leading scorer earlier this year. The St. Bonaventure commit also set the Hilton girls’ single-game mark with a 41-point performance.

The Cadets host Greece Arcadia/Olympia this Saturday. A 7 p.m. tip-off is scheduled.

Bishop Kearney (No. 4 Class AA) and Aquinas (No. 7 Class AA) also take to the court this weekend.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM JEROME DAVIS. 

Kearney will host Cardinal O’Hara (No. 22/Class AAA) of the Buffalo-area Monsignor Martin Association for the second time this season. The two teams met last month at the Josh Palmer Fund Elmira Classic. Kearney (10-1) came away with a 59-55 victory in that contest. BK, which hasn’t played in two weeks because of postponements, brings a 10-game winning streak into the action. Both Klarissa Goode and Asia Wilson reached the career 1,000-point scoring mark earlier this season. Cardinal O’Hara is 9-4.

A 1:30 p.m. start time is scheduled Saturday at Ed Nietopski Gymnasium.

Coming off a win over Webster Schroeder, Aquinas (No. 7 AA) will host East on Saturday. The Li’l Irish (11-1) have won eight straight including victories over Utica Notre Dame (No. 10 A) and Albany Academy (No. 2 A) in the Juggler Classic last weekend. Both Molly O’Toole and Loren Green have topped the 1,000-point career mark.

A 1:30 p.m. start time is scheduled at the Wegman Napier Athletic Complex on Saturday.

Elba (11-0) and Fillmore (11-0) join Hilton as the remaining unbeaten teams in Section V Girls’ Basketball. Elba (No. 1 Class D) will host Attica for a 7 p.m. tip-off on Friday. Fillmore (No. 5 Class D) has the weekend off before traveling to play Arkport-Canaseraga on Monday.

State-ranked teams in action this weekend:

Eastridge (No. 6 A/10-1) will host Honeoye Falls-Lima for a 7:15 p.m. start on Friday.

Waterloo (No. 8 B/8-3) welcomes Palmyra-Macedon for a Finger Lakes East battle on Friday. A 7:00 p.m tip is slated.

Marcus Whitman (No. 14 B/10-1) travels to Romulus for a 7:30 p.m. game.

Wellsville (No. 15 B/10-3) travels to play Avoca-Prattsburgh on Saturday. A 2:45 p.m. start is scheduled.

York (No. 7 C/11-2) hosts Geneseo for a 7:00 game.

C.G. Finney (No. 6 D/10-11) hosts Rochester Prep for a 6:00 p.m. start on Friday.

Notre Dame-Batavia (No. 15 D/8-4) plays twice this weekend. The Fighting Irish travel for a 7:00 p.m game at Alexander on Friday and then host Holley for a 7:00 p.m. start on Saturday.

Andover-Whitesville (No. 16 D/9-1) travels for a 6 p.m. game at Addison on Friday.

Not in action this weekend:

Our Lady of Mercy (No. 3 A/10-3), Hornell (No. 2 B/11-1), Lyons (No. 16 B/9-1), Keshequa (No. 2 C/12-1) and Dundee-Bradford (No. 8 C/10-3).

For the complete schedule click here.