Jeff DiVeronica
Staff writer
 

(January 30, 2008) — PERINTON — One player took over Tuesday night's Monroe County showdown between Rush-Henrietta and Fairport, but it probably wasn't the girl most followers of Section V basketball thought it would be. Fairport senior guard Brittany Wilson — not R-H star Shenise Johnson — drilled a career-high eight 3-pointers and scored 25 of her personal-best 35 points in the second half to lead the Red Raiders to a convincing 64-50 win over the two-time defending Class AA state champions. "She's gotten on streaks before, but she's closer to the basket," teammate Caitlin McKinnon said of Wilson, who shoots about 40 percent from beyond the arc. "That was a treat to watch." For Fairport fans, yes. For R-H, not so much. Wilson torched the Royal Comets for four 3-pointers and 14 points in the third quarter, fueling an 18-8 surge that turned a 28-24 halftime deficit into a 42-36 lead. She went 4-for-6 from 3-point range in the third quarter against a sluggish R-H zone defense and 2-for-2 in the fourth, finishing 8-for-15 from long range.

CARLOS ORTIZ staff photographer   Rush-Henrietta's Shenise Johnson, left, blocks Fairport's Allyson DiMagno.

"I was happy to see that zone," said Wilson, who shot 12-for-25 overall (8-for-12 second half).

It was a performance that conjured memories of another great Fairport shooter, Caitlin Howe. Wilson's eight 3-pointers were one shy of the school record set by the former star guard in 2000.

R-H (13-3, 7-3), ranked fifth in the Democrat and Chronicle large-schools coaches' poll, also lost 57-51 to No. 3 Fairport (14-1, 9-0), on Dec. 21. That halted a 38-game winning streak against Section V foes.

"We obviously have some work to do on (the 2-3 zone)," R-H coach Steve Shepanski said. "You get someone as hot and as streaky as Wilson was tonight, you can't leave her. It took two timeouts for us to get the picture to two girls."

Wilson also grabbed nine rebounds to tie McKinnon (12 points) and Allyson DiMagno (six) for team honors. Junior Shelby Vakiener added seven steals. DiMagno scored only six points, 12 below her average, but she also guarded Johnson, the two-time All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year who finished with 20 points.

"Wilson was hot. She was on tonight. She's a good player," the University of Miami-bound forward said. "We need to close down on the shooters better."

Even when that did happen in the fourth quarter, Wilson was on the mark. She buried a 3-pointer to ignite a 14-2 spurt to start the final quarter.

"This is such a big rival it makes me play harder," said Wilson, who averages 19.5 points.

Coach Scott Forrest has seen Wilson go on streaks, but nothing like Tuesday.

"I have to say that in all of our big games this year she's stepped up," he said. "She just seems to rise to the occasion when we need her. That's one of the things I love about her."

JDIVERON@DemocratandChronicle.com