Section III basketball standouts shine at BCANY Hoops Fest

Syracuse, N.Y. — A handful of Section III basketball players competed for the Central boys and girls’ team at the BCANY Summer Hoops Festival at Monroe-Woodbury High School on Aug. 1-3.

Both teams went 4-0 in pool play and reached the tournament’s final, but each fell short in single-digit margins against teams from Rochester.

“We competed hard throughout the tournament,” said Kevin Randall, head coach of the Central girls’ team, who is also an assistant coach for the Bishop Ludden varsity girls basketball team. “It was great how quickly the team came together. We only had a few practices to prepare, but the commitment and high intensity was there.”

The Central girls’ team included Bishop Grimes’ Riley Abernathy and Sicily Shaffer, Bishop Ludden’s Ava Carpenter, Baldwinsville’s Natalie Hollingshead, Nottingham’s Keymora Woods, Fulton’s Gianna Thurlow, Rome Free Academy’s Haylee Bostwick, Hamilton’s Logan Langel, West Canada Valley’s Brooke Reddington and Phoenix’s Lyla Duskee.

Carpenter and Hollingshead each made it to the finals of a 3-point shootout at the tournament, with Carpenter knocking down her first five attempts.

“Everyone did good, and the team was strong on both sides of the court,” Randall said. “Coaching this team is everything that’s great about high school basketball. I’m proud of the girls and how they competed every day of the tournament. All of the girls have a bright future.”

The Central boys’ squad consisted of Skaneateles’ Reid Danforth and Joe Delmonico, Cooperstown’s Miles Nelen, RFA’s Surafia Norries, Bishop Ludden’s Jahzar Greene, East Syracuse Minoa’s Anthony Bryant, Central Valley Academy’s Calvin Jacquays, Lowville’s Ethan Myers, former Christian Brothers Academy standout Tavin Penix, Westhill’s Eli Prince, West Genesee’s Clyde Allen and Marcellus’ Dominick Gosh-Sandy.

“It was a great group. We had 12 really talented players,” said Westhill varsity boys basketball coach Jon Connelly, who was at the helm of the Central boys’ team. “It was fun to coach against other talented players and teams. There was a good mix.”

Penix, who is set to continue his high school basketball career at The Winchendon School in Massachusetts, won the dunk contest at the tournament.

“It was great,” Connelly said. “He went in there and was so explosive. Everybody came into this tournament and played their part. They accepted their different roles for the weekend.”