Dunbar earns MVP during Wellsville’s clutch 49-43 win over Newark Valley; Wellsville boys outlast State F4 Finalist Salamanca in waning seconds at DeCerbo Showcase
BATH — It has been four years since the Wellsville Lady Lions last had a glimpse of glory at the Coaches v. Cancer Tournament in Bath.
After finding their groove straight out of the gate to spearhead into their annual visit to the Christmas tournament red hot, the Lady Lions were in contention once again to break that five-year streak with a Championship battle on the docket against Newark Valley on Saturday.
The Lady Lions were challenged out of the gate by Newark Valley, surviving an early battle to establish a strong lead going into the break. The Lady Cardinals remained hot on their trail all the way down the stretch, and when the action transitioned to the fourth quarter, Wellsville needed a spark.
Enter Jaden Dunbar.
With the JV Lady Lions having won their third straight Coaches v. Cancer Tournament right before the night’s main event, the Wellsville junior made sure they went on to provide a clean sweep of both titles when it was all said and done, as she ignited the offense’s fuse to keep the team’s lead intact, staving off one final burst of pressure from Newark Valley along the way to become champions for the first time since the 2019-20 season behind a 49-43 victory.
“We got off to a good start and then we sustained it for a great first half,” Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord said. “The third quarter, Newark Valley switched things up and started to make a run. They kept us loose and sped up our game a bit, but I thought we did a nice job calming back down to finish things off. Jaden really propelled us in the fourth quarter to get us over the top. This group is wonderful. What impresses me the most is that they have brought the energy, they support each other and they are all unselfish.”
The Lady Lions (6-1) brought the fire right after a close first quarter saw them come away with a narrow advantage over Newark Valley, as they settled in for a strong first half finish behind a massive 17-9 run through the second quarter to extend their lead out into double-digit territory going into the halftime recess.
The deficit was not completely out of reach for the Lady Cardinals, as they kept their foot down on the gas to pressure the Lady Lions going down the stretch into the fourth quarter.
But when the team in black and orange needed it the most, Jaden Dunbar was there to deliver with an absolutely clutch performance in the waning stages, as she bucketed seven of her 14 points all within the last eight minute period to ensure Wellsville’s lead would remain frozen in place to secure the Coaches v. Cancer Tournament crown.
Dunbar also handed in a strong special teams effort, recording six assists and five rebounds.
Leading the way in the scoring for the Lady Lions was the Tournament’s MVP, Makenna Dunbar, as she collected a game-high 17 points to pair with seven rebounds. Natalie Adams earned an All-Tournament nomination with a 13-point performance, pairing them along with six steals and three rebounds.
Adding more special teams aid was Alexa Hennessy, who led with a team-high 10 rebounds off the glass alongside three assists.
The Lady Lions are now off until Thursday night back home in the Lion’s Den, hosting the Olean Lady Huskies in a 7:30 p.m. contest.
Wellsville 11 17 11 10 – 49
Newark Valley 8 9 12 14 – 43
WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 1 0-2 2, Natalie Adams 5 1-2 13, Emily Stuck 1 0-0 2, Makenna Dunbar 7 3-5 17, Jaden Dunbar 5 2-2 14. Totals: 19 7-13 49.
NEWARK VALLEY: Anika Smith 3 0-2 6, Aubrey Kwiatkowski 3 0-0 6, Adrianna Finta 7 1-2 16, Kam Short 3 2-4 8, Liv Short 1 0-0 2, Adriana Rich 2 0-0 5. Totals: 19 3-8 43.
3-point goals: Wellsville 4 (Adams 2, J. Dunbar 2), NV 2 (Finta, Rich).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 5, NV 16. Fouled out: None.
First Round
Wellsville 42, Penn Yan 35
BATH — The Lady Lions of Wellsville hit the ground running right from the start after the holiday break, Friday night.
Despite a second quarter comeback from Penn Yan to trim the deficit down, the Lady Lions were able to put all the pieces to the puzzle together for a fourth quarter grand finale to pull away from the Lady Mustangs and towards the Coaches v. Cancer Tournament’s title game the following day after a 42-35 win in Bath.
The wheels for the Lady Lions (5-1) began to turn at maximum velocity in the first eight minutes of play, as they controlled both ends of the floor in dominant fashion, capitalizing on the game’s first lead while holding Penn Yan at a near standstill in the midst of an 11-2 run. The Lady Mustangs chipped away at the deficit in the second quarter, inching as close as a pair of points heading into the locker room at the halftime break.
Penn Yan ultimately navigated through a third quarter that saw limited buckets on each side of the court to jump ahead with a 25-24 lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Lady Lions broke through one more time in the last eight minutes to close out the game on the highest of notes, assembling an 18-point frame to pull away for good.
Makenna Dunbar was a massive reason behind those successful efforts, as she recorded a game-high 26 points along with 11 rebounds to pace the offense for Wellsville with a double-double. Caelyn Stevens turned in an eight-point performance, while Reegan Perkins and Jaden Dunbar each had three points. Natalie Adams rounded off the scoring with a two-point bucket to pair with four steals.
Wellsville was also able to secure a vacancy in the JV Tournament’s Championship game earlier in the afternoon, as the Lady Lions defeated Penn Yan by a 35-22 final tally behind a team-high eight-point performance from Raegan Vogel.
The Lady Lions will now get set to face Newark Valley for the Coaches v. Cancer Tournament crown this evening right back in Bath, with tip-off slated for a 7:15 p.m. commencement.
Penn Yan 2 14 9 10 – 35
Wellsville 11 7 6 18 – 42
PENN YAN: Maihue Miranda Wiltberger 1 0-0 3, Corinne Barden 3 0-0 9, Breanne Dunning 1 1-2 3, Bailey Cooper 5 1-2 11, Makenna Mullins 0 3-7 3, Madisen Pierce 3 0-0 6. 13 5-11 35
WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 3 2-6 8, Reegan Perkins 1 1-2 3, Natalie Adams 1 0-0 2, Makenna Dunbar 8 10-14 26, Jaden Dunbar 1 1-1 3. Totals: 14 14-23 42.
3-point goals: Penn Yan 4 (Barden 3, Wiltberger).
Total Fouls: Penn Yan 22, Wellsville 8. Fouled out: Dunning (PY), Pierce (PY).
BOYS BASKETBALL
Joe DeCerbo Showcase: Wellsville 66, Salamanca 65
ALLEGANY — The final game of the Joe DeCerbo Showcase at Allegany-Limestone was one to behold, Saturday night.
It was also a game that the Lions of Wellsville looked to turn the corner entering the second half of their season when the calendar flips to January next week. Looking to rebound off their first game of the weekend in the Swamp against Warren, the road ahead was not going to get any easier for the Lions with defending State Final Four Finalist Salamanca waiting patiently in the wings.
But it was also a challenge they accepted at the absolute maximum.
Behind in the first half to the Section VI superpower Warriors, the Lions went full speed ahead in the second half for a massive comeback beginning in the third quarter to inch back within range. In the last eight minutes, the fireworks show was put on full display for the race straight to the finish line.
After finding one final basket to jump ahead, all Wellsville had to do was survive. When the final buzzer rang out, they did just that to come away with one of, if not, their biggest win of the campaign thus far to eclipse the .500 mark, staving off the Warriors at the very last second to secure a massive 66-65 victory.
“I feel like this one could be a turning point to the season. This was a huge win,” said Lions coach Tom Muska. “The whole team came through. We had Aiden (Cowburn), Karson (Grover) and JJ (Howard) all with three fouls early, and it was a complete team effort to come back and cut this lead. I’m really proud of our response tonight to the adversity we faced. Time will tell ahead. We need to be able to play at that speed and pace even when our competition cannot. But it certainly showed that we can play with anyone and win a close game against a strong program like Salamanca.”
The Lions (4-4) had to fight their way back from behind early on in the opening eight minute session with Salamanca, as a massive first quarter bombardment from Avery Brown helped charge a 22-11 doubling-up of Wellsville right away. After maintaining their advantage through the second quarter and into the locker room, the Lions then provided a resurgence of their own when the second half settled in.
With six different contributors all pitching in, including Ty Vogel, who posted his best night of the season for the Lions on the attack, the team in white and orange amassed a gargantuan 26-point frame to take a double-digit deficit and carve it down to a single point going into the last eight minutes.
The two teams went back-and-forth in the final stanza, with the Lions looking to Trent Green to keep the engine roaring on all cylinders for the offense by scoring eight of his 12 points within the frame of action.
After maintaining their lead entering the game’s final minute, Wellsville was able to stave off one last push from the Warriors in the waning seconds to score one of their biggest wins of the season.
Vogel led all scorers for the Lions with a game-high 25 points. Following Green and his 12 points was Karson Grover, who had 11 points. JJ Howard had 10 points.
Wellsville is back on the floor after the New Year, hitting the road Friday night for a 7 p.m. visit to Bath-Haverling.
Salamanca 22 13 17 13 – 65
Wellsville 11 14 26 15 – 66
SALAMANCA: Jake Herrick 7 5-5 19, Payton Bradley 3 1-2 7, Maddox Isaac 2 1-2 6, Jaxon Crouse 0 3-4 3, Avery Brown 9 1-2 20, Cory Holleran 5 0-2 10. Totals: 26 11-17 65.
WELLSVILLE: Aiden Cowburn 2 0-0 5, Karson Grover 5 0-0 11, JJ Howard 5 0-2 10, Ty Vogel 9 6-9 25, Nick Germain-Tardieu 1 0-0 3, Jack Davis 0 0-2 0, Trent Green 6 0-0 12. Totals: 28 6-13 65.
3-point goals: Salamanca 2 (Isaac, Brown), Wellsville 4 (Cowburn, Grover, Vogel, Germain-Tardieu).
Total Fouls: Salamanca 15, Wellsville 17. Fouled out: None.
First round
Warren 64, Wellsville 44, A-L downs Cuba-Rushford
ALLEGANY — Following a brief recess for all of Section V to enjoy one of the calendar year’s final major holidays with family and loved ones, it was time to fire up the engine once again on the hardwood.
Friday afternoon brought about the return to action for two of Allegany County’s boys basketball products — Wellsville and Cuba-Rushford, as both hit the road and travelled off to the west for a stop to Allegany-Limestone to participate in the annual Joe DeCerbo Holiday Showcase.
Flush in the middle of the afternoon, the Lions were first up with an opening round matchup against the Warren Dragons from below the border in Pennsylvania.
Both teams earned their fair share of looks across the first half, with Wellsville hanging right with the Dragons after the opening frame. But later on, Warren assembled two strong finishes to each half, including a massive run in the last eight minutes to pull away and out of reach of the Lions to secure a 64-44 win.
Wellsville (3-4) helped spread the wealth across the first quarter to keep pace with Warren out of the gate, as four different contributors all had a helping hand — including Aiden Cowburn, who had six of the team’s 12 points within the stanza from down low and at the charity stripe.
The Dragons went on to claim a 14-12 lead and built upon it later on in the second, scrounging a 20-point outburst — 12 of those points off four threes, two each from Lucas Thrift and Logan Crissey, to close up the first half strong with a 34-26 lead.
After both teams drew close to even across a quiet third quarter, the Dragons then turned up the temperature in the last eight minutes of battle and finished the game strong, issuing a 23-10 run of Wellsville to branch their lead in insurmountable fashion to record the victory.
The Lions were paced by JJ Howard and his team-high 13 points. Aiden Cowburn followed behind with 12 points, while Ty Vogel had 11.
Five hours later in the day, it was the Rebels turn to close out day one festivities at the DeCerbo Showcase, facing the host Allegany-Limestone Gators in an all-out blitz to the end.
Despite the Gators building a strong first half lead going into the break, Cuba-Rushford did not display one ounce of quit. Instead, they ran the table and put their biggest stand of offense together to erase a game-long deficit and tie the game going into the final minute of action.
It would all come down to the most minute of details when it was all said and done. But in the end, two clutch free throws from the Gators broke the deadlock and put them back on top with the lead going forward, as Allegany-Limestone survived a massive, late rally from Cuba-Rushford to secure the day’s final victory with a 53-51 edge.
“We struggled in the second quarter to get any type of offense going,” Rebels coach Pat Wight said. “We struggled with contesting threes as well, and we talked pregame about taking those elements away. We came out and had five straight stops defensively, despite missing a bunch of fairly open shots in turn that could have potentially tied the game. But credit to the kids, they absolutely battled their butts off in the fourth quarter to tie the game with under a minute left. Allegany-Limestone ran a nice set and got to the foul line to ice it. I’m glad our guys never quit and continued to battle. We’ve got a lot of stuff to improve on.”
Allegany-Limestone remained in firm control of the action on the floor in the first half, pulling ahead of a strong start from Cuba-Rushford (5-2) in the first quarter to record a 19-point frame led by contributions from five different Gators, as they scored a 34-22 lead going into the locker room.
Things began to look up for the Rebels in the second half however, as they continued to fight and chip away at the Gators behind some outstanding defensive play out of the gate to keep their opposition at a standstill with five straight stops in the preliminary stages of battle.
The momentum then shifted gears into the fourth quarter, where Cuba-Rushford went all in.
Down by a 44-31 count, five different Rebels all came together to assemble a remarkable fourth quarter comeback to erase their game-long deficit completely, as they captained a masterful 20-9 jaunt of the Gators to mount up the pressure and tie the game at 51 right in the game’s final minute.
But the Gators managed to find their way to the foul line after drawing a humongous Rebels foul during crunch time, connecting with both shots at the stripe to regain a two-point lead going forward, as the Rebels were kept at bay by the defense when time officially ran out.
Carter Brown stepped up off the bench and delivered a team-high performance for the Rebels, scoring 20 points to pair with six rebounds. Adam Roe handed in an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Zach Deck had eight points to go with six rebounds.
Both teams will head back to Allegany-Limestone today, with the Rebels now gracing the afternoon stage with one of Pennsylvania’s best — the Otto-Eldred Terrors, beginning in a 12:45 p.m. tip-off.
Later on in the evening, the Lions will help close out festivities with a battle against defending State Final Four representative Salamanca starting at 7:45 p.m.
Wellsville 12 14 8 10 – 44
Warren 14 20 7 23 – 64
WELLSVILLE: Aiden Cowburn 4 4-6 12, Karson Grover 0 0-2 0, JJ Howard 3 7-10 13, Ty Vogel 3 4-5 11, Jack Davis 0 2-2 2, Trent Green 1 0-0 2, Derek Coleman 2 0-0 4. Totals: 13 17-25 44.
WARREN: Lucas Thrift 6 2-2 16, Chase Sitler 4 4-6 13, Logan Crissey 6 2-4 17, Jacob McMeans 3 2-2 11, Landin Wood 2 0-0 5, Grady Corey 1 0-0 2. Totals: 22 10-14 64.
3-point goals: Wellsville 1 (Vogel), Warren 10 (Crissey 3, McMeans 3, Thrift 2, Sitler, Wood).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 13, Warren 20. Fouled out: None.
Cuba-Rushford 11 11 9 20 – 51
Allegany-Limestone 15 19 10 9 – 53
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Adam Roe 5 1-1 11, Donovan Breckenridge 3 0-0 6, Eli Sleggs 1 0-0 2, Zach Deck 3 0-0 8, Carter Brown 8 2-2 20, Finn Ricketts 2 0-0 4. Totals: 22 3-3 51.
ALLEGANY-LIMESTONE: Cooper Wilczewski 2 0-0 5, Ryan Callen 1 0-0 3, Collin Forrest 2 2-2 6, Brady Straub 1 0-0 2, Carson Kwiatkowski 6 3-6 17, Gavin Straub 6 3-4 15, Caleb Strade 2 0-0 5. Totals: 20 8-12 53.
3-point goals: C-R 4 (Deck 2, Brown 2), A-L 5 (Kwiatkowski 2, Wilczewski, Callen, Strade).
Total Fouls: C-R 12, A-L 12. Fouled out: None.
Otto-Eldred 77, Cuba-Rushford 46
ALLEGANY — One of the strongest superpowers from below the border put together an incredible final showing at the Joe DeCerbo Holiday Showcase at Allegany-Limestone, as the Otto-Eldred Terrors assembled a complete performance across the board to stymie the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford on Saturday with a 77-46 victory.
“Otto-Eldred really spread us out and attacked. Defensively, they forced us into taking some tough shots. We didn’t have our best night shooting, but we competed for the most part. We scheduled tough and these two days hopefully made us better in the long run.” Rebels coach Pat Wight said.
The Terrors came out and put their foot down early against Cuba-Rushford (5-3), as Manning Splain hammered down the offense with 10 of the team’s 18 points from all angles of the floor to help produce an 18-7 lead that they continued to build on as time went on.
With a 31-18 lead at the break, Otto-Eldred proceeded to string together their two strongest frames of attack in the contest — that included a 21-8 third quarter run to officially pull away from the Rebels.
The Rebels kept chipping away at the Terrors in the last eight minutes though, led by the spark of Carter Brown off the bench, as he posted 12 of the team’s 20 fourth quarter points.
Brown finished as Cuba-Rushford’s leading scorer with a team-high 22 points.
Following behind for the Rebels was Finn Ricketts, who had six points. Adam Roe and Donovan Breckenridge each had five points, with the two Cuba-Rushford scorers combining for 13 rebounds off the glass.
Up next for Cuba-Rushford is a 7:30 p.m. visit to Oswayo Valley, as they look to get back on track next Friday night.
Otto-Eldred 18 13 21 25– 77
Cuba-Rushford 7 11 8 20 – 46
OTTO-ELDRED: Manning Splain 10 3-3 25, Davey Schenfield 1 1-2 3, Landon Francis 6 9-9 25, Hunter App 2 0-0 6, Shene Thomas 7 3-4 17, Jared Obenrader 1 0-0 3. Totals: 27 16-18 77.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Carter Getz 1 0-0 3, Adam Roe 2 1-2 5, Donovan Breckenridge 2 0-0 5, Eli Sleggs 0 3-4 3, Zach Deck 1 0-0 2, Carter Brown 7 6-7 22, Finn Ricketts 1 4-6 6. Totals: 14 14-17 46.
3-point goals: O-E 9 (Francis 4, Splain 2, App 2, Obenrader), C-R 4 (Brown 2, Getz, Breckenridge).
Total Fouls: O-E 18, C-R 16. Fouled out: Breckenridge (C-R).
Hammondsport Tournament Consolation
Friendship/Scio 34, Campbell-Savona 29
HAMMONDSPORT — Saturday evening brought an opportunity for Friendship/Scio to end their tournament tenure in Hammondsport on a strong note. With a prior contest against Campbell-Savona slipping through their grasp earlier in the month, they were seeking redemption to level the playing field.
Both teams fought through thick and thin across their close quarters battle all game long, but with the lead in their possession, Friendship/Scio was able to hang on and ward off a late Panthers rush in the fourth quarter to secure an even split of their two-day twinbill with a 34-29 Consolation round victory.
“We were able to pull out this win, and the big thing was our toughness and grit that we had last night, we had it tonight,” Friendship/Scio coach Dillon McFall said. “We left some points out there on the court that we would have loved to have, but we found a way to win and pull this out. Jerome (Harmon) guarded the other team’s best player last night and tonight, and did a great job defensively to keep them both in check.”
After a back-and-forth exchange through the first half that witnessed Friendship/Scio (2-4) jump out on top, the lead was held intact after a brilliant start to the second half to keep Campbell-Savona in the rearview mirror, as they rolled off on a run that saw them bucket seven of the quarter’s nine points to take a lead that reached as large as seven points in the third quarter.
Down the stretch, Friendship/Scio was able to hold off a late Panthers push that consisted of some aid coming from the free throw line, as they finished their weekend trip to Hammondsport even.
Friendship/Scio was led by Jerimiah Brown and his 11 team-high points, with Deacon Brown following right behind with 10 points of his own.
On special teams, Jerome Harmon collected nine rebounds, four assists and four steals on his way to an All-Tournament selection.
After the New Year, Friendship/Scio will return to their home floor in Scio for a 2:30 p.m. tip-off against Northern Potter, next Saturday afternoon.
Friendship/Scio 9 8 13 4 – 34
Campbell-Savona 6 6 12 5 – 29
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Jerome Harmon 2 0-0 4, Connor Blouvet 3 0-3 6, Aiden Golden 1 1-7 3, Jerimiah Brown 5 1-2 11, Deacon Brown 5 0-0 10. Totals: 16 2-12 34.
CAMPBELL-SAVONA: Dawson Shoemaker 4 0-0 10, Devin Ogden 0 0-2 0, Tavion Mathis 1 1-2 3, Easton Fuller 1 1-2 3, Jackson Payne 0 0-2 0, Dakota Ogden 2 1-2 5, Chance Miller 4 0-2 8. Totals: 12 3-11 29.
3-point goals: C-S 2 (Shoemaker).
Total Fouls: F/S 14, C-S 15. Fouled out: None.
Hammondsport Tournament
Dundee/Bradford 61, Friendship/Scio 34
HAMMONDSPORT — It was a superb first half display showcased by Friendship/Scio on Friday in their return to action up north in Hammondsport, as they battled tooth and nail right alongside Dundee/Bradford for much of the first 16 minutes of their first-round tournament battle.
Within striking distance going into the break and upon their return to the court in the second half, Friendship/Scio aimed to continue laying more brickwork down onto their foundation.
But Dundee/Bradford had other plans in store, as they came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter to flip the game on its head completely, rolling away from the potential threat to keep their lead firmly intact and ultimately secure what was a 61-34 victory.
“We had a really good bounce back in the first half as opposed to the last game before break. We were right with Dundee/Bradford, even though we went down early,” Friendship/Scio coach Dillon McFall said. “The second half, the turnovers started to pile up and against a physical, scrappy team like Dundee/Bradford, they took care of our mistakes. Our guys had great effort and intensity throughout the night, and if we can find a way to maintain that the rest of the season, we’ll find our way back into the win column.”
Despite falling behind the eight-ball early in a 10-0 deficit to the BraveScots, Friendship/Scio (1-4) turned the boat around and finished the first quarter strong with nine of the last 14 points to trail by a 14-9 count going into the second.
The team in white would continue to chip away at their opposition across the stanza, with Dundee/Bradford going on to claim a lead as large as nine along the way, remaining within reach heading into the break, down by two possessions.
But in the second half, Dundee/Bradford had other plans in store for the remainder of battle, as they used a ferocious third quarter run to set the tone immediately, going on to freeze Friendship/Scio in their tracks with a 23-9 run that ultimately served as the difference maker going forward, allowing the BraveScots to hold their lead and claim victory for a spot in the Championship round the following day.
Friendship/Scio was led by Deacon Brown and his team-high eight points. Aiden Golden had seven points, while Jerome Harmon (seven rebounds, four assists, four steals) and Jerimiah Brown each collected six points of their own.
Up next is the Consolation round for Friendship/Scio, as they get set to face Campbell-Savona right back in Hammondsport tonight, beginning at 4 p.m.
Dundee/Bradford 14 12 23 12 – 61
Friendship/Scio 9 11 9 5 – 34
DUNDEE/BRADFORD: Noah Sorce 3 0-0 6, Brody Ryan 1 0-0 2, Jeremy Stiles 4 0-0 11, Chris Clancey 12 1-1 25, Alex Goltry 1 0-2 2, Aidan Webster 3 3-4 9, Grady Cole 1 0-0 2, Jake Black 2 0-0 4. Totals: 27 4-8 61.
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Jerome Harmon 3 0-4 6, Connor Blouvet 1 1-2 4, Aiden Golden 2 2-4 7, Jerimiah Brown 3 0-2 6, Carson Wonderling 0 1-2 1, Cooper Greenman 0 1-2 1, Zacoby Holder 0 1-2 1, Deacon Brown 4 0-1 8. Totals: 13 6-19 34.
3-point goals: D/B 3 (Stiles), F/S 2 (Blouvet, Golden).
Total Fouls: D/B 16, F/S 9. Fouled out: None.
Keshequa Tournament
Keshequa 58, Canisteo-Greenwood 45
NUNDA — All throughout the first half, the Lady Chargers of Canisteo-Greenwood hung right with one of Section V’s perennial powers on the hardwood. In their first game back after the Christmas holiday, the back-and-forth duel was most certainly on, as Canisteo-Greenwood and host Keshequa gave it everything they had early on.
After the first half time subsided in favor of a one-possession lead for the Lady Wildcats, the second half wrote a much different script on Friday.
Ahead by a pair, Keshequa put the gas pedal down to the floor and ignited their best stand of offense to counter the Lady Chargers in return, as they garnered just enough room to hang on down the stretch and secure a 58-45 victory.
Both teams were in the heat of battle in the first 16 minutes of play, with two points being the largest degree of separation between the foes at the end of each frame of play. In the first quarter, the Lady Chargers (6-2) and the Lady Wildcats searched for some early help from beyond the three-point arc, combining to record seven first quarter triples to ignite their offenses.
Both teams ultimately converged to record 14 total three-pointers for the game, with Canisteo-Greenwood holding an 8-6 advantage over Keshequa. But thanks to an early inside presence from both Ava Thayer and Alicia Wood, the Lady Wildcats were able to capture the lead after the first quarter and hold onto it going into the break, up 26-24.
With the lead in their possession, Keshequa wasted no time adding more fuel to the fire to start the second half, as six of their seven scorers all had a hand in piecing together a humongous 21-point offensive barrage to branch their lead wide enough to remain out in front for the remainder of the contest.
Despite the defeat, the Lady Chargers were able to garner an excellent double-double performance from Bailey Mullen, as she produced a team-high 14 points to go with 13 rebounds off the glass. Harlie McCaffery had eight points to pitch in, while MacKenna Mullen had seven.
Canisteo-Greenwood will return to Keshequa on Monday to wrap up their tournament tenure with an 11:30 a.m. Consolation round battle against Midlakes.
Canisteo-Greenwood 14 10 12 9 – 45
Keshequa 16 10 21 11 – 58
CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Kora Button 0 1-4 1, Bailey Mullen 3 6-12 14, MacKenna Mullen 2 1-2 7, McKenna Ferris 1 1-2 4, Paris May 2 0-0 6, Anna Mitchell 2 0-0 5, Harlie McCaffery 1 6-7 8. Totals: 11 15-27 45.
KESHEQUA: Ava Thayer 4 0-0 9, Bree Benner 1 1-2 3, Braelyn Isaman 6 0-0 15, Ryley Benner 4 0-0 11, Riley Nageldinger 1 2-2 5, Alicia Wood 6 2-3 15, Abby Wood 0 1-2 1. Totals: 22 6-9 58.
3-point goals: C-G 8 (B. Mullen 2, M. Mullen 2, May 2, Ferris, Mitchell), Keshequa 6 (Isaman 3, A. Thayer, R. Benner, Al. Wood).
Total Fouls: C-G 11, Keshequa 22. Fouled out: None.
