GIRLS BASKETBALL: Livonia Shows Promise Nearing Sectionals Defeating Letchworth 55-26
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- Written by BRYAN JACKSON
LIVONIA — The Livonia Bulldogs girls’ varsity basketball team started strong and never looked back in their 55-26 victory over visiting Letchworth.
Livonia (6-7) used a big 20-7 second-quarter blitz to take a 33-11 lead into the locker room. Livonia head coach Karen Schuster said her team’s second-quarter dominance could be attributed to hard work on the glass and a ramped up fast break offense.
“I felt like we controlled the boards, we got on the boards, and we pushed the ball down the floor pretty well,” Schuster said. “We have a tendency to always outlet the ball to the point guard, but on missed baskets I’m trying to teach my girls to get the ball to any guard and let everybody else filter down the floor, and I thought they did a really nice job of that.”
Senior Cassie Pope scored 12 points and reeled in nine rebounds, and junior Natalie Pope netted 12 to pace the Bulldogs’ scoring attack. Senior captain Carly Sherman eight points and two assists, and freshman Taylor VanThof was all over the court finishing with four points, six boards, four assists and four steals.
Morgan Shearing’s nine points led Letchworth (3-10), but the senior guard was in foul trouble from the tip, limiting her impact on the game. Juniors Samantha Downey and Kelly DeGroff added five points and four points, respectively.
Livonia controlled the boards all night, outrebounding the Indians 33-20. Schuster said while she was impressed with her team’s effort on the boards Tuesday, she felt the Bulldogs still needed to work on rebounding and defense moving forward.
“We work on (rebounding) every single day; I’d like to see them go out and get somebody rather than turn and watch the ball,” she said. “And man-to-man defense, just on the ball defense – don’t reach don’t play tight, just contain and move your feet.”
