Playing on the varsity, this middle schooler is closing in on school and Section V records
By Bill Collmer, Hornell Sun Senior Sports Writer; photos courtesy Steve Harrison
CANISTEO — It’s already been a memorable season for the Canisteo-Greenwood Chargers girls varsity basketball team as they just captured the Steuben County tournament championship and head into Class C1 Sectionals as the No. 4 Seed with a record of 18-2.
Their only losses came at the hands of Class AA Canandaigua and Class AA Horseheads from Section IV. Both losses were on the road.
On January 24, Canandaigua traveled to Canisteo for game two with the Lady Chargers. The game ended up going to overtime where 8th-grader Kara Mahany took over.
Mahany scored 9 of her 16 points in overtime hitting two 3-pointers and going 3-for-3 from the foul line leading C-G to a 64-54 overtime victory.
Mahany has been lights out for the Lady Chargers all season.
Consider:
• Mahany averaged 13.4 PPG at Arkport-Canaseraga last season as a 7th grader, making 63 3-pointers and scoring 286 points.
• She’s scored 321 points this season and is averaging 16.1 PPG to lead the Lady Chargers.
• She already has 607 career points heading into the Section V Class C Sectional Tournament.
• Mahany can really twinkle the twine from the outside and has 65 3-pointers so far this season. She has multiple games this season with six 3’s in a game. In 2011 Morgan York set the Canisteo-Greenwood single season record with 66 3-pointers. York also holds the C-G career record with 151 3-pointers.
• She hit six 3-pointers and scored 27 points versus Wellsville. She scored a season high 28 points and knocked down eight 3-pointers versus C-G Finney.
Canisteo-Greenwood Coach Collin Button said despite her age, she has quick hands and can get her shot off despite the defenses trying to stop her.
“Kara has a motor that does not stop. Her shot is the quickest I have ever seen at the high school level and if she gets hot from the outside, she can fill up the stat sheet very quickly,” Button said. “One thing people might not notice is how quick her hands are as well. She gets many deflections and steals that generate our fast break and open up our scoring. I am so excited to see how she progresses over the next few seasons. I anticipate an outstanding career for her at C-G.”
Another reason Canisteo-Greenwood is competitive? The other players on the team have accepted an underclassmen and treat each player with respect.
“Kara has great teammates around her, who are also some of her best friends,” Button said. “This group of girls are very competitive and push each other each day.”
Mahany is not alone, C-G has a team full of sharpshooters as they knocked down a season high 15 3’s versus C.G Finney earlier this season. As a team have hit a whopping 176 3-pointers so far. Their season low was four, they’ve hit 10 or more 3’s in a game eight times.
Mahany was recently named a First Team Steuben County All-Star and was named to the Steuben County tournament All-Tournament team for the second year in a row. She helped lead Arkport-Canaseraga to the Tournament Championship last year and helped lead C-G to the Championship this season.
Mahany hopes to help lead Canisteo-Greenwood to their first ever Sectional Championship in Girls Basketball. The Lady Chargers only have two seniors and are scheduled to return ten players’ next season including Mahany’s 8th grade classmate Addy Andrus and four freshmen, her sister Gracen Mahany (7.9 PPG) who was named a Second Team Steuben County All-Star and can also knock it down from outside hitting 23 3-pointers this season. Mackenna Mullen (8.5 PPG), Paris May (4.5 PPG) & Anna Mitchell (4.5 PPG). Mullen has knocked down 33 3-pointers this season. Mitchell and May were second team Steuben County All-Stars last season as 8th graders. Senior Bailey Mullen has hit 25 3’s this season.
With all of these young guns Canisteo-Greenwood should be very competitive for years to come and if Mahany keeps knocking down 3-pointers at this pace she could reach Izzy Wilbur’s Section V career record of 326 career 3’s. The New York State Record for career 3-pointers is 421 set in 2023. The New York State Record for 3’s in one game is 16 set in 2017. The New York State Record for 3-pointers in a Single Sason is 108 set in 2013. Record Books – New York State Public High School Athletic Association
Mahany already has 128 career 3-pointers with four full seasons to play after this, if she stays healthy, she could graduate as Section Five’s all-time leader in 3-pointers.
Class C1 No.4 Canisteo-Greenwood opens up Section Five Sectional Play at Home Wednesday February 25th versus No.13 Alexander. The Lady Chargers are undefeated at home this season.
Section Five Career 3-Point Records
Player 3 pointers School Grad Year Izzy Wilbur 326 Red Creek 2021 Heather Shepard 277 Bloomfield Caitlin Howe 237 Fairport Jessica Chapin 237 HFL Marissa Bunce 227 Newark 2009
Jamie Burke 226 Prattsburgh 1994
Jessica Petruchik 221 HFL Madison McCulley 220 Batavia 2016 McKenzie Bezon 215 Elba Kayli O’Keefe 215 Sutherland/HAC Lisa Button 197 Jasper-Troupsburg Olivia Piacentini 195 Eastridge 2006 Emily Piacentini 181 Eastridge 2013 Melissa Alwardt 176 Athena Tara Snavlin 167 HFL 1999 Jadyn Abrams 164 Bath Haverling 2018 Haley Zambito 161 Bloomfield 2012 Regan Sherwood 161 Cal-Mum Katie Pauley 155 Athena Joanna Beardsley 154 Fillmore Katie Sullivan 153 Churchville-Chili Brittany White 151 Bloomfield Morgan York 151 Canisteo-Greenwood 2011 Madelyn Czajkowski 150 Bath Haverling 2016 Liz Greendyke 147 Pittsford Sutherland 2014 Katie Murphy 146 Athena Kerri Soppe 146 Irondequoit 2011 Savannah Crocetti 143 Irondequoit 2015 Lauren Foster 143 Jasper-Troupsburg Andrea Kaufman 142 Honeoye Michelle Potter 139 Wheatland-Chili Billie Jo Ribble 131 Campbell-Savona
Kylie Kolb 129 Honeoye
Kara Mahany 128 Canisteo-Greenwood Active
Annie DiPasquale 121 Brighton 2013 Amanda Coots 120 Bath Haverling Erica Bellis 119 Bloomfield Olivia Meier 118 Greece Odyssey 2006 Brittany Anderson 117 Mynderse 2013 Brooke Wolff 116 Brighton 2016 Kelsey Bezon 116 Elba Jenny Ognibene 115 Elba Molly Curtis 110 Wayland-Cohocton Ashley Cerniglia 104 Pittsford Sutherland 2004 Section Five Single Season 3-Point Record
Player 3 pointers School Grad Year Izzy Wilbur 90 Red Creek 2019 Ameelia McCulley 88 BND 2023 Izzy Wilbur 83 Red Creek 2020 Emily Peters 80 Pembroke 2020 Heather Shepard 77 Bloomfield 2001 Heather Shepard 70 Bloomfield 2000 Heather Shepard 70 Bloomfield 1998 Lisa Button 70 JT 2007 Aleen Heffron 69 Prattsburgh 1999 Joanna Beardsley 67 Fillmore 2000 Morgan York 66 Canisteo-Greenwood 2011
Kara Mahany 65 Canisteo-Greenwood Active
| Jamie Burke | 63 | Prattsburgh | 1992 |
Kara Mahany 63 Arkport-Canaseraga 2025
Jessica Chapin 62 HFL 2006 Jessica Chapin 62 HFL 2004 Marissa Bunce 62 Newark 2009 Jamie Burke 62 Prattsburgh 1993 Jessica Chapin 61 HFL 2005 Jamie Burke 61 Prattsburgh 1994 Haley Zambito 59 Bloomfield 2011 Haley Zambito 59 Bloomfield 2010 Jessica Petruchik 59 HFL 2008 Madison McCulley 57 Batavia 2016 Madelyn Czajkowski 57 Bath-Haverling 2014 Madison McCulley 56 Batavia 2013 Olivia Piacentini 56 Eastridge 2005 McKenzie Bezon 55 Elba 2012 Lisa Button 55 JT 2005 Madison McCulley 54 Batavia 2015 Nicole Bini 53 Aquinas 2012 Olivia Piacentini 53
