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Lakota East seniors Whitney Wyckoff and Molly Blomer scored 14 points a piece to lead their team to a 56-46 victory against Notre Dame (Ky.) Wednesday.

The Thunderhawks entered the game ranked second in the Enquirer’s Ohio area Division I coaches’ poll, while Notre Dame was ranked third in the Enquirer’s Northern Kentucky poll.

The matchup was special for the school’s two coaches, Nicole Levandusky and Nikki Drew, who both played college ball together at Xavier University.

• Game story from the Cincinnati Enquirer

“When I found out Nicole was coaching Notre Dame, I started scheduling them because I knew she would coach them up,” Drew said of Notre Dame’s second-year coach.

In her first year, Levandusky’s team lost its season opener to Lakota East by the score of 61-35.

Both coaches also played professionally. Drew was actually the first XU player to compete on a professional level when she went to play in France and Levandusky was the first XU player to be drafted in the WNBA when she was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001.

The Thunderhawks will be back in action this Saturday when they will visit Fairfield (1-1) at 2 p.m.

Lakota East will then have its home opener against Oak Hills (0-1) at 2 p.m. Dec. 10.

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Tags: Tags: basketball, girls' basketball, Greater Miami Conference photos, Lakota East, Lakota East basketball, Lakota East photos, Lakota East Sports, Lakota East sports photos, Lakota sports photos, Molly Blomer, Nicole Levandusky, Nikki Drew, Notre Dame Academy, West Chester photos, Whitney Wyckoff, Whitney Wyckoff Lakota East, Xavier University

Three Lakota East juniors, Whitney Wyckoff, Aleth Pashi and Tazzie Shaw, scored in double figures as the Thunderhawks cruised to a 61-35 victory against the Notre Dame Academy Pandas Wednesday, Dec. 1, at Lakota East High School.

Overall, nine different players scored for Lakota East.

“With our offense, any one can score at any given time,” said Pashi.

In the win against NDA, it was Pashi’s time. The junior point guard made all five of her field goal attempts, scored a career-high 12 points, had three steals and three assists. In her team’s 68-65 season opening win against St. Ursula Nov. 27, Pashi took one shot and scored two points.

>>>NOTRE DAME AT LAKOTA EAST PHOTOS<<<

Wyckoff, who scored 24 points in the St. Ursula win, contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in the win against NDA.

“We have a team capable of having a good balanced scoring attack,” Lakota East head coach Nikki Drew said. “They can make that extra pass. They are unselfish.

“It’s a fun team.”

One player who is having a lot of fun early this season is Tazzie Shaw. Last season, Shaw played at Lakota West where she averaged 8.8 points and 5.2 rebounds a game. Now the player, who sports blue and pink shoelaces, is standing out for the Thunderhawks.

“She makes us much more aggressive,” Drew said. “You can take more chances with her out there because she is quick and has long arms. I like to play fast and she helps us with that.” (more…)

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: basketball, girls' basketball, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Nicole Levandusky, Nikki Drew, Notre Dame Academy, photo gallery, photos, Tazzie Shaw, Whitney Wyckoff

Lakota East 61, Notre Dame 35 – end of 4th quarter:

No timeouts called in the quarter as Notre Dame continued to fall behind to Lakota East. Juniors Whitney Wyckoff, Aleth Pashi and Tazzie Shaw all scored in double figures for the Thunderhawks. Pashi finished with a career high 12 points. She also had three rebounds, two assists and three steals.

Wyckoff finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. As Shaw finished with 12 points and six rebounds.

Lakota East 47, Notre Dame 23 – end of 3rd quarter:

The Thunderhawks now have a 24-point advantage over the Notre Dame Pandas. Lakota East junior Aleth Pashi, who scored two points in the opener on Saturday, has nine points and three steals. Both totals tie her 2009-2010 season highs on the varsity level.

Lakota East 43, Notre Dame 23 – 1:40 left in 3rd quarter:

Full timeout taken by Lakota East. Junior Tazzie Shaw leads both teams with 11 points. The No. 2 ranked team (Cincinnati Enquirer preseason poll) is playing extremely well in their home opener. Aleth Pashi just got another steal and made a got the three-point play after making a layup. Pashi has nine points and three steals.

Lakota East 39, Notre Dame 23 – 3:10 left in 3rd quarter:

Notre Dame’s Lizzy Brannen has helped the Pandas cut into Lakota East’s lead with five straight points. Lakota East junior Tazzie Shaw now has 11 points, but already has three fouls and has been forced to rotate in and out of the game.

Lakota East 38, Notre Dame 17 – 5:52 left in third quarter:

Shaw just hit her second three pointer of the night. She has 10 points as East continues to add to its lead in the second half.

Lakota East 33, Notre Dame 16 – end of 1st half:

Lakota East gets off to a strong start and is starting to get a big lead on the visiting Notre Dame Academy Pandas. Junior Tazzie Shaw, who transferred from Lakota West, has been impressive. She already has seven points, three rebounds and two assists. Shaw, however, sat out much of the 2nd quarter after she picked up her 2nd foul.

Lakota East junior Whitney Wyckoff, who is coming off a 24-point performance in the season opener at St. Ursula, has six points, four rebounds and two blocks in the first half.

Teammate junior Aleth Pashi, who scored two points in the opener, already has six points, two rebounds and two steals in the first half.

Notre Dame appears to have its hands full due East’s depth. Starters Lizzy Brannen (4), Chandler Clark (4) and Olivia Voskuhl (6) have scored 14 of the team’s 16 first half points. (more…)

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Tags: Tags: Alyssa Grenvenkamp, basketball, girls' basketball, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, live blog, Molly Blomer, Nicole Levandusky, Nikki Drew, Notre Dame, Tazzie Shaw, Whitney Wyckoff, Xavier University

The Lakota East Thunderhawks, who are ranked No. 2 in the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Division I preseason poll, will take on Notre Dame Academy (Ky.) tonight, Dec. 1, in their home opener. NDA is ranked No. 4 in the Enquirer’s Northern Kentucky preseason poll.

“Nothing is better than the pride you experience running out to that first song on your own court,” Lakota East head coach Nikki Drew said. “The community has really rallied around and supported the girls in last year’s run. It has created more energy and of course more fun for the girls.”

Last year’s run included an appearance in the district finals, Lakota East’s best overall record in program history and a win against rival Lakota West, who had defeated the Thunderhawks 18 straight times.

It was a season of firsts for the Lakota East program, which is expected to be even better this winter after returning four starters and three of its top three scorers in Whitney Wyckoff, Molly Blomer and Alyssa Grenvenkamp. The team has also added Lakota West transfer Tazzie Shaw, who scored 12 points and pulled down eight rebounds in Saturday’s 68-65 win against St. Urusla. Wyckoff, who led Lakota East in scoring last season with 13.1 points per game last season, scored 24 points in the win.

While Lakota East is 1-0, NDA will be playing its first game of the season. The Pandas are led by its coach Nicole Levandusky (photo – right), who actually played her college ball at Xavier University with Drew.

“She was a teammate of mine at XU for two years, she definitely knows what she is doing. We come from a similar pedigree so I am sure we share similar philosophies. I guarantee she has her girls working as hard as she did,” Drew (photo left) said.

Drew was the first XU player to compete on a professional level when she went to play in France and Levandusky was the first XU player to be drafted in the WNBA when she was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001.

WestChesterBuzz.com will have photos and a recap from tonight’s game.

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: Alyssa Grenvenkamp, basketball, girls' basketball, Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Molly Blomer, Nicole Levandusky, Nikki Drew, Notre Dame Academy, Tazzie Shaw, Whitney Wyckoff, Xavier University