Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp Championship Preview: Lyons and Marcus Whitman to decide Girls’ Class B2

Neither side has claimed a sectional title in the past decade. This will be their first meeting all year. Lyons and Marcus Whitman will battle at Finger Lakes Community College for the Section V Class B2 Girls’ Basketball title. Here’s the breakdown:

No. 1 seed LYONS LIONS (20-2 / Wayne)
vs.
No. 2 seed MARCUS WHITMAN WILDCATS (20-2 / Finger Lakes – West)
Friday, Finger Lakes Community College, 5 p.m.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM DENNIS JOYCE.

How they arrived here: Both squads received first-round byes. Lyons defeated No. 9 Attica (58-37) and No. 4 Canisteo-Greenwood (65-53), both by double-digit margins of victory, on their trip to the title game. Marcus Whitman downed No. 7 Holley (58-34) before edging out No. 3 Le Roy (49-48) in the semifinals.

Scoring offense: Lyons (62.2), Marcus Whitman (53.5)

Scoring defense: Lyons (40.5), Marcus Whitman (26.8)

Trends: Lyons enters the championship game with eight straight wins and no losses in over a month. The first seven of those victories were all by over 20 points. Marcus Whitman ripped off 11 straight wins earlier this year. Nine of those wins were by over 20.

Players to watch for Lyons: Jayla Bell Sr. (20 PPG, 10 RPG, seven APG, six SPG); Ja’Nyiah Bell Eighth grade, (11 PPG, 15 RBG, six BPG); Kamryn Bonnell (10 PPG, six SPG, five APG); Addison Jones Jr. (three PPG, six RPG); Areyanna Carter Jr. (four PPG, five RPG, three SPG).

Marcus Whitman: Lily Carroll Sr. (11 PPG, seven RPG, two SPG); Maddie Daggett Jr. (12 PPG, four RPG, five SPG); Aliysah Clark So. (12 PPG, five SPG, four APG); Sophia Snyder Jr. (10 PPG, five RPG, three SPG); Helen Snyder Sr. (six PPG, six RPG, four SPG); Evy Royston Fr. (seven PPG, five RPG, four APG, four SPG).

Coaches: Richard Hill (Lyons), Liz Royston (Marcus Whitman)

Royston is a 1996 graduate of Marcus Whitman before playing collegiately for William Smith. As a Wildcat, Royston spearheaded two Section V titles and a pair of state final-four appearances. She still holds Wildcat records for all-time points and assists.

History 101: Marcus Whitman (4) edges Lyons (3) in historic championships however, the Wildcats haven’t claimed any since a four-peat from 1995-1998. Lyons has two titles this century (2005, 2014).

What’s at stake: Winner advances to the Class B regional qualifier against either Hornell or Mynderse.