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Better Effort For Jamestown In Loss To No. 2 Lancaster

Jamestown’s Alyson Canfield shoots over Lancaster’s Kylie Harrington during Saturday’s Erie County Interscholastic Conference Division 1 basketball game at McElrath Gymasium. P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

With a shade over a minute remaining in Saturday afternoon’s Erie County Interscholastic Conference Division 1 girls basketball game, Jamestown coach Ken Ricker called a timeout.

But it wasn’t to discuss strategy or to give his starters a breather.

Instead, it was to show his appreciation.

“I’m so proud of you,” he said as his team huddled around him.

Ricker had reason to feel that way.

A month after suffering a 50-point loss at Lancaster, the Red Raiders were far more competitive this time.

Yes, the Legends, the No. 2-ranked Class AA team in the state, left McElrath Gymnasium with a 69-52 victory to raise their record to 15-0 overall and 11-0 in the division, but their talented starters played virtually from start to finish, a suggestion that Jamestown was a different team than the one that took a bus ride to Lancaster three weeks ago.

Alyson Canfield played at a different level, too.

“In terms of just making 3-point shots, she’s as good as we’ve had,” Ricker said.

The sophomore guard poured in 32 points on 8-of-17 shooting from beyond arc; made all four of her free throws; grabbed five rebounds; and collected a steal. In combination with 15 points and eight assists from junior guard Marley Drake, Ricker’s crew stayed competitive after starting the game in a 12-0 hole, a deficit that grew to 20-8 after the first quarter.

But by midway through the second period, Jamestown (7-6, 4-6), which was playing without injured point guard Mickia Freeney, had trimmed the lead to 24-20, highlighted by a four-minute stretch in which Canfield scored 13 straight points, courtesy of four 3-pointers and a free throw.

“We fought,” Ricker said. “We just kept battling.”

By halftime, though, Lancaster extended its lead to 36-22, highlighted by Brooke Bauer’s trey at the buzzer. After the break, the Legends led by many as 24 points as six different players scored in the third quarter. The Red Raiders ended the period on an 8-1 run — six points from Canfield and two from Drake — to trail 57-40, but they never got closer than 15 points the rest of the way.

Freshman Madison Francis, a 6-foot-1 guard/forward who already has a scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina, led Lancaster with 20 points, junior Casey Mahony added 16 and junior Rachel Kamrowski chipped in 13.

“Maddie is the best in Western New York,” Ricker said, “and (the rest) are all great parts. That’s why it reminds me of our old Jamestown teams in which any of those girls could be the star and they all play hard. They’ll do whatever.”

NOTES: Kylie O’Brien grabbed eight rebounds and Saydee Johnson had six for Jamestown, which will return to action Tuesday at West Seneca West. Lancaster entertains Clarence that same day.

LANCASTER (69)

Maciag 1 2 4, Kamrowski 5 2 13, Scholotterbeck 1 0 2, Gill 0 0 0, Bauer 3 0 7, Mahony 7 1 16, Hebeler 0 0 0, Wolf 0 0 0, Hangen 0 0 0, Harrington 2 3 7, Francis 9 1 20. Totals 28 9 69.

JAMESTOWN (52)

Drake 5 2 15, Leeper 0 0 0, Powers 0 0 0, Canfield 10 4 32, O’Brien 0 2 2, Johnson 1 1 3. Totals 16 9 52.

3-point goals–Kamrwoski, Bauer, Mahony, Francis, Drake 3, Canfield 8.

Lancaster 20 16 21 12 — 69

Jamestown 8 14 18 12 — 52

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