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12/21/02 Fairport flexes its muscle in victory

By James Johnson Democrat and Chronicle (December 21, 2002) — Fairport’s 6-0 start in girls basketball looked good on paper, but the team’s top players weren’t all that impressed. “It wasn’t that pretty,” senior forward Liz Hahn explained. “We said it’s about time we showed what we can do.” What the Red Raiders did at Penfield on Friday was come out on top 62-54 in a matchup of undefeated Monroe County Division I teams after playing their best game of the season. “It feels good to have a good win and a good game,” senior Lindsay Ellis said. “We were playing well, but not our best.” Hahn, one of three four-year starters in Fairport’s lineup, spearheaded the Red Raiders’ domination of the Patriots (4-1, 5-1) with 22 points.

DANESE KENON Fairport’s Sabrina Boykin shoots on Penfield’s Alyssa Nugent during their game on Friday.

She teamed with Ellis (19 points), another 5-foot-10 forward and four-year starter, to give Fairport (5-0, 7-0) a big edge around the baskets.

The Red Raiders scored 17 points after they ran down offensive rebounds, which sometimes numbered as many as four during a single possession.

“I guess tonight it was an attitude, with fundamentals like boxing out,” Hahn said. “They were definitely taller than us but we wanted to attack their tall girls (for rebounding positioning).”

The Red Raiders also asked four-year starting guard and quick defender Sabrina Boykin to harass Ashley McMillen, Penfield’s leading scorer with 19.4 points a game.

McMillen finished with 13 points, but missed her first nine shots, including two free throws. The talented 6-foot senior didn’t score her first basket until 25 seconds remained in the second quarter.

McMillen did reach the 1,000-point mark in her high school career on a short turnaround jumpshot with about 6 minutes, 30 seconds remaining and Fairport ahead 51-36.

Freshman Kayleigh Duda, a 5-9 guard, scored a team-high 19 points and was Penfield’s most aggressive player.

“Our weakness and their strength is rebounding,” Mc-Millen said.

“They controlled the boards, and when they went on runs we couldn’t stop them.

“The whole team got off to a slow start.”

Fairport scored the first six points of the game after Ellis went to work immediately near the baseline and in the lane. Hahn put back a missed shot by teammate Kristin Olejarczyk to give the Red Raiders an 18-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.

“We were really excited all day during school and on the bus,” Boykin said.

“We wanted to come out and show that we are still around.”

E-mail address: jjohnson@DemocratandChronicle.com