Meet the 2023-24 Greater Binghamton Elite 15 Girls Basketball Team

Kevin Stevens and Andrew Legare, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin
Newark Valley's Makana "Cha" Gardner became the program's career scoring leader in a 51-25 win over Elmira Notre Dame in girls basketball Feb. 2, 2024 at Notre Dame High School. Gardner needed five points to break the record of 1,269 points held by Denise Pitcher and scored 15 to move her total to 1,280.
Newark Valley's Makana "Cha" Gardner became the program's career scoring leader in a 51-25 win over Elmira Notre Dame in girls basketball Feb. 2, 2024 at Notre Dame High School. Gardner needed five points to break the record of 1,269 points held by Denise Pitcher and scored 15 to move her total to 1,280.

Makana “Cha” Gardner

Player of the Year

Makana “Cha” Gardner
Makana “Cha” Gardner

School: Newark Valley

Year in school: Senior

Position: Center

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 22 points, 14.7 rebounds, 4.9 blocks, 4.2 assists … 1,414 varsity points a program record … In her five varsity seasons, Cardinals played to a 100-7 record (undefeated at home) … Helped Newark Valley to two Section 4 titles, four IAC overall Large School championships.

Sophia Bonnell

Sophia Bonnell
Sophia Bonnell

School: Horseheads

Year in school: Senior

Position: Guard

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 16.5 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds per game for STAC and Section 4 Class AA champion Blue Raiders … 73 three-point goals on 40-percent accuracy … BCANY Section 4 Class AA Player of the Year.

Haley Carey

Haley Carey
Haley Carey

School: Vestal

Year in school: Junior

Position: Guard

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 17.4 points, 3.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals … STAC Metro/West All-Conference … BCANY Section 4 Second Team all-star.

Ava Cirigliano

Ava Cirigliano
Ava Cirigliano

School: Sidney

Year in school: Senior

Position: Guard/forward

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 22 points and 7 rebounds per game … Midstate Athletic Conference MVP … 1,000-plus-point varsity scorer.

Ellie Clearwater

Ellie Clearwater
Ellie Clearwater

School: Elmira

Year in school: Senior

Position: Guard

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 14 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 steals per game for Section 4 Class AAA champs … BCANY Section 4 Class AAA Co-Player of Year … STAC All-West Division Selection.

Lizzie Craft

Lizzie Craft
Lizzie Craft

School: Unatego

Year in school: Junior

Position: Forward/center

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 18 points per game … Collected 212 rebounds … Had 17 double/doubles … First-team All-Midstate Athletic Conference and first-team BCANY Section 4 all-star.

Adriana Fontana

Adriana Fontana
Adriana Fontana

School: Union-Endicott

Year in school: Senior

Position: Guard

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds … All-BCANY Section 4 first-team all-star … STAC West/Metro All-Conference.

Jordyn Gross

Jordyn Gross
Jordyn Gross

School: Horseheads

Year in school: Junior

Position: Forward

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 10 points, 8 rebounds per game … Second-team All-Section 4 BCANY … STAC West All-Division.

Payton Littlefield

Thomas A. Edison girls basketball player Payton Littlefield.
Thomas A. Edison girls basketball player Payton Littlefield.

School: Thomas A. Edison

Year: Senior

Position: Guard

Stats/accomplishments: Scored 1,726 varsity points, second-highest in the greater Elmira area ... Averaged 24.9 points and 6.6 rebounds this season and connected on 90 3-pointers, a top-15 total in New York history. ... Her 279 varsity 3-pointers rank fourth in New York (pending updates from 2023-24).

Mariah Matias

Mariah Matias
Mariah Matias

School: Elmira

Year in school: Freshman

Position: Forward

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 16.0 points, 14.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists … BCANY Section 4 Class AAA Co-Player of the Year … STAC All-Metro/West Conference … Set program records for rebounds in a game (28), season (301).

Madison McEvoy

Madison McEvoy
Madison McEvoy

School: Owego

Year in school: Junior

Position: Guard

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 14.5 points (54 three-point goals), 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals … STAC All-Conference … First team BCANY Section 4 all-star.

Marisa Smith

Marisa Smith
Marisa Smith

School: Johnson City

Year in school: Senior

Position: Forward

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 18.1 points and 8 rebounds per game … BCANY Section 4 Class A Player of the Year … Three-time STAC All-Conference … Has committed to Binghamton University.

Ally Stank

Ally Stank
Ally Stank

School: Union-Endicott

Year in school: Senior

Position: Forward

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 14.7points and 9.6 rebounds per game … STAC West/Metro All-Conference selection.

Maggie Warpus

Maggie Warpus
Maggie Warpus

School: Chenango Forks

Year in school: Sophomore

Position: Guard/Forward

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists per game for Section 4 Class B champions … BCANY Section 4 Class B Player of the Year.

Megan Wolf

Megan Wolf
Megan Wolf

School: Horseheads

Year in school: Junior

Position: Guard

Stats/accomplishments: Averaged 14.5 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals per game … Made 37 three-point goals on 46-percent accuracy … Always guarded opponent’s best player … First-team All-Section 4 BCANY.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Meet the 2023-24 Greater Binghamton Elite 15 Girls Basketball Team

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