Kiss that record goodbye, Lockport.
Junior Emma Buzak netted eight 3-pointers in Lockport’s 70-31 win over Sweet Home to not only lead her team to their first victory of the season, but break the school record for most 3s scored in one game.
Previously, the record was six, set by Ashlynn Johnson in 2020 and tied by Buzak during a sectional game last season.
“I guess I just got hot and kept shooting,” Buzak said. “I had my teammates there encouraging me, telling me to keep shooting, and they were giving me the ball and I just kept going.”
When the record-breaking 3 went up, it went in.
“It was like when you watch Steph Curry and he’s in the zone,” Lockport coach Joe Catalano said. “She was in the zone.”
Buzak was not expecting to break the record in the first game of the season, but when she did, she felt an instant sense of accomplishment and gratitude to have her teammates there to support her and celebrate with her as she achieved one of her goals for this year.
It wasn’t until last year when she nailed six triples in a 59-42 win over Frontier that she learned about how close she was to claiming the crown, and set out to make the goal reality this year.
The guard has been a varsity starter since she was a freshman — totaling 52 3-pointers in her first two varsity seasons — and has had an impactful role in the program since her talents hit the court. She’s a player that coaches and teammates can rely on, and their confidence in her helps her in each game because she knows they have her back.
“She was a starter from day one because of her intensity on defense, she plays great team ball,” Catalano said. “Pretty much, from day one, I always told her, ‘you got the green light. If you’re open from three, let it rip.’”
Last year, Lockport finished 13-9 overall and 8-5 in league play. Senior standout Azriel Hall posted 21 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.8 steals and 3.5 assists per game, but it looks like Buzak can add a little more scoring punch after scoring 8.8 points per game a year ago.
Buzak scored 28 points in that win over Sweet Home, as she combined with Hall to score 51 of the team’s 70 points. They combined for 27 points in a 24-point win over Niagara Falls to start 2-0 for the second consecutive season.
With the single-game 3-point record in hand, Buzak has eyes on other goals. After knocking down 40 3s last season, she wants to break Lockport’s single-season record of 45, set by Iyanna King in 2022.
Her other goal is to win the Niagara Frontier League, something Lockport hasn’t done since the 2017-18 season. It was a sentiment Catalano echoed.
While there is still much work to do, if Buzak and Hall can maintain their elite level of play and outlast the Day sisters from North Tonawanda, their goal may be on the horizon. But, that still isn’t the most important goal Catalano wants to achieve.
“The ultimate goal as a coach at the high school level is to build confident young women,” Catalano said. “We want to encourage them to be confident and push them to their limits every day.”