By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
WELLSVILLE — Looking to rebound after a tough defeat to one of the local area’s toughest in the water Alfred-Almond, the Lions of Wellsville made sure the trip back home for their first home meet of the new year was a successful one, as they started fast against visiting Genesee Valley/Belfast and never looked back to record a 72-64 victory on Thursday.
The Lions would kick off the meet with four of the first five wins in the water to help set an early tone in the opening half, three of them in a row, beginning with the team of JT Mariotti, Sean Driscoll, Thomas Cooke and Landon Cinque recording the winning time of 2:08.38 in the 200 medley relay. Ben Jordan and Ethan Everett would then add the first individual wins for the team a short time later, as they went back-to-back with triumphant times in the 200 freestyle (2:04.06) and 200 individual medley (2:26.92), respectively.
Tyler Rahr would end the opening half with a victorious score off the Diving board (139.80).
Wellsville would add one final overall victory from Everett, Cooke, Cinque and Ayden Faulkner in the 200 freestyle relay, as the four Lions converged to record a winning 1:53.28 time.
Genesee Valley/Belfast collected five first place finishes to keep pace behind the Lions, with Nolan Hunter fronting the efforts with a pair of individual wins in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke each, while Bryce Davis (50 freestyle) and Emalee Carman (100 breaststroke) followed with individual medals of their own. The team would also collect a relay victory from the squadron of Carman, Addison Bradt, Regina Dougherty and Ashley Burrows in the 400 freestyle relay.
The Lions will now hit the road for their next battle in the water on Tuesday, visiting Campbell-Savona at 5:30 p.m.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Hammondsport 47, Houghton Academy 27
HAMMONDSPORT — With the game’s first lead in hand, the time for the Hammondsport Lakers to build was right before the first half reached its end, as they provided solid play on both ends of the floor to keep visiting Houghton Academy at a standstill, using the tone-setting quarter to propel themselves towards their first win of the season by a 47-27 count on Thursday.
After both teams remained close with one another through the opening sequences, a turning of the tide would occur in the final eight minutes before halftime, as the Lakers brought it all together to extend their lead permanently over Houghton Academy behind a massive 14-2 run to close up shop.
The Panthers (1-5) were fronted by a team-high 15 point effort by Jack Prentice. James Adenuga chipped in with eight more points, while Jack Qi and Bob Zheng each had a two-point basket.
Houghton Academy heads back home to welcome in Andover/Whitesville for a 6 p.m. visit on Tuesday.
Houghton Academy 5 2 11 9 – 27
Hammondsport 11 14 14 8 – 47
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jack Prentice 5 4-4 15, James Adenuga 2 3-4 8, Jack Qi 1 0-0 2, Bob Zheng 1 0-0 2. Totals: 9 7-8 27.
HAMMONDSPORT: Henry Morrison 4 2-2 12, Cayden Casselbury 1 0-0 2, Andrew Morrison 1 0-0 2, Ben Dluzak 5 0-0 11, Isaiyah Ali 8 0-0 16, Alex Brown 1 0-0 2, Cody Cook 1 0-0 2. Totals: 21 2-2 47.
3-point goals: HA 2 (Prentice, Adenuga), Hammondsport 3 (H. Morrison 2, Dluzak).
Total Fouls: HA 8, Hammondsport 14. Fouled out: Adenuga (HA).
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Fillmore 31, Letchworth 24
GAINESVILLE — Since her magnificent 24-point performance back on Tuesday against the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford, Hope Russell has emerged as one of Fillmore’s main playmakers on the floor.
Two days later, it was no different when the team went north to Letchworth on Thursday, as she helped create a spark in the second half in the midst of their defensive battle with 10 of her game-high 14 points to lift the Lady Eagles towards victory — their sixth in a row, locking it up with some key free throw shooting down the stretch in their 31-24 win over the host Lady Indians.
“This was definitely a defensive battle tonight,” said Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks. “Both teams had trouble finding some sustained rhythms, but fortunately for us, we were able to find some good stretches where we took care of the basketball and made shots when we needed them. Hope had another big night for us, scoring 10 of her 14 in the second half. She helped create some big moments particularly in the third that allowed us to gain some extra breathing room. Free throw shooting was real important as well, that helped us seal the win.”
The Lady Eagles (6-2) were able to ward off a battle from Letchworth through the first half of play, winning the defensive battle by translating their game to the offense with a 12-5 lead after the opening quarter.
After an all-out defensive second quarter, the visitors in green and white would collect some more cushioning to their lead led by Russell’s big second half, branching the Fillmore lead out to 25-15 going into the fourth quarter, where they would hold it for good.
Finishing behind Russell was Preslee Miller, as she contributed six points of her own. Rachel Hatch and Mattie McCumiskey each finished with four points.
Fillmore will now head into this weekend remaining scorching hot, as they look to capture their seventh straight win at the 7th Annual Dan Barkley Showcase in Bath, facing the Lady Titans of Avoca/Prattsburgh at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Fillmore 12 3 10 6 – 31
Letchworth 5 4 6 9 – 24
FILLMORE: Hope Russell 4 4-9 14, Rachel Hatch 2 0-0 4, Kylee Ellsworth 0 2-2 2, Mattie McCumiskey 2 0-0 4, Preslee Miller 2 2-2 6, Madi Geertman 0 1-4 1. Totals: 10 9-17 31.
LETCHWORTH: Charity Scott 0 0-2 0, Hana Gill 2 0-0 6, Trinity Scott 3 1-2 8, Annika Milillo 1 0-0 2, Morgan Brace 0 1-4 1, Emily Perl 0 0-2 0, Abigale DeRock 2 0-0 4, Alyssa Milillo 1 0-0 3. Totals: 9 2-10 24.
3-point goals: Fillmore 2 (Russell), Letchworth 4 (Gill 2, T. Scott, Al. Milillo).
Total Fouls: Fillmore 12, Letchworth 20. Fouled out: None.
Andover/Whitesville 55, Cuba-Rushford 33
ANDOVER — Vanessa Hall buckled down and delivered another outstanding performance, as the Andover/Whitesville senior erupted for a monster 34-point night that started from beginning to end, helping her team roll into a big weekend with a 55-33 victory over visiting Cuba-Rushford on Thursday.
Through a back-and-forth quarter, both teams saw their leaders rise to the occasion as Hall and Cuba-Rushford’s Taylor Searle took control of their offenses with the bulk of their respective points, resulting in an early two-point lead for Andover/Whitesville (7-1) to control going forward.
With it, the hosts in white were able to continue maintaining the momentum in their favor by outscoring the Lady Rebels (5-6) in every remaining quarter to build and extend upon their lead, including two strong half-ending finishes, including a 13-5 run in the last eight minutes that allowed them to seal up the victory permanently.
Hall led all scorers on the floor with a game-high 34 points for Andover/Whitesville, 19 of those points coming in the first half of play. Zoe Baert added in six points, while Gabby Terhune had five.
Cuba-Rushford saw Searle continue leading the charge behind her team-high 19 points. Cloey Larabee had five points to add for the Lady Rebels, who are now off until next Friday night back on the road, visiting Genesee Valley/Belfast for a 7:30 p.m. contest in Belmont.
Cuba-Rushford 13 5 10 5 – 33
Andover/Whitesville 15 11 16 13 – 55
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Cloey Larabee 2 0-0 5, Shae Maples 1 0-2 3, Brynn Lavery 1 0-0 2, Taylor Searle 8 3-11 19, Destiny Darrin 0 1-2 1, Tara Duvall 1 1-2 3. Totals: 13 5-17 33.
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Vanessa Hall 14 2-4 34, Graci Lewis-Ellison 1 0-0 2, Gabby Terhune 2 1-2 5, Makaila Brewster 2 0-0 4, Zoe Baert 3 0-2 6, Gabbi Hall 2 0-1 4. Totals: 24 3-9 55.
3-point goals: C-R 2 (Larabee, Maples), A/W 4 (V. Hall).
Total Fouls: C-R 12, A/W 14. Fouled out: None.
Hammondsport 36, Houghton Academy 35
HAMMONDSPORT — A wild finish to the battle in Hammondsport came into fruition, when the Lady Panthers of Houghton Academy rallied back in their strongest quarter of the night. Applying all the pressure possible against the Lady Lakers down the stretch, the Lady Panthers would come close, but would fall just short of the mark, as the hosts held on for dear life in the last eight minute to secure the 36-35 victory on Thursday.
Hammondsport controlled much of the action to start the night on their home floor, as they produced a quick lead after a close battle with Houghton Academy (2-6) before opening it up right before the half’s conclusion in the second quarter, holding the Lady Panthers to just a trio of points in the midst of their 14-3 first half-ending run to branch it out to 15 at the break.
The visitors in blue would not back down without a fight however, as they slowly but surely started to come within reach of the Lady Lakers down the stretch of the second half, including a key fourth quarter run that very nearly sent them over the top. But despite the late pressure, the hosts in white and purple were able to hang on to the smallest of strings to secure the victory.
Despite the loss, Jess Prentice recorded a stellar night on the attack for Houghton Academy, accounting for a game-high 30 points. Jessica Adenuga had the team’s remaining five points.
The Lady Panthers will look to bounce back on Tuesday back on the road, this time down the road to their crosstown rivals Fillmore, for a 4:30 p.m. contest.
Houghton Academy 7 3 11 14 – 35
Hammondsport 11 14 13 8 – 36
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jess Prentice 10 6-13 30, Jessica Adenuga 1 3-6 5. Totals: 11 9-19 35.
HAMMONDSPORT: LaZell Locey 1 0-0 2. Danica Dresser 6 1-5 13, Rachel Wood 5 0-0 12, Samantha Pratt 3 0-0 7. Totals: 15 1-5 36.
3-point goals: HA 4 (Prentice), Hammondsport 3 (Wood 2, Pratt).
Total Fouls: HA 8, Hammondsport 20. Fouled out: Locey (HAM), Pratt (HAM).
Canisteo-Greenwood 53, Avoca/Prattsburgh 38
AVOCA — The Lady Redskins of Canisteo-Greenwood were looking for another giant head of steam to roll into this weekend’s Barkley Showcase at Bath-Haverling with. On Thursday, they were granted that after a first quarter explosion set the bar against host Avoca/Prattsburgh, as they strolled forward towards victory and never looked back on a 53-38 road win over the Lady Titans.
All the Lady Redskins needed to make a statement was the opening eight minutes, where they wasted absolutely no time in getting the start they wanted against Avoca/Prattsburgh with their most powerful stand of offense in the game — a 22-4 run of the Lady Titans that saw them bring the hammer down almost immediately, led by four different scorers from the field.
The momentum would continue to roll over in the next three quarters to help widen their lead even further against the hosts in white and black, with Lillian Mullen leading the charge in the offensive department with 15 of her game-high 21 points all coming in the first half to help set for the visitors in red, who finished the first half with a 35-12 lead.
In addition to her game-high performance, Mullen would also add in seven steals. Behind her, Brooke Burd was a single point and rebound away from capturing a double-double, finishing with nine points and nine boards. Bailey Mullen added seven points to pair with seven rebounds of her own to help round off another electric Canisteo-Greenwood performance on the attack.
The Lady Redskins will now get set for battle in a colossal showdown with local heavyweight Andover/Whitesville at the 7th Annual Dan Barkley Showcase in Bath this weekend, as the two foes come together for a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday.
Canisteo-Greenwood 22 13 11 7 – 53
Avoca/Prattsburgh 4 8 7 19 – 38
CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Bailey Mullen 3 0-2 7, Hailey Davis 1 0-0 3, Triniti Tigner 1 2-2 4, Kennedy Richardson 1 1-2 3, Lillian Mullen 7 6-9 21, Peyton Peters 3 0-0 6, Brooke Burd 3 3-4 9. Totals: 19 12-19 53.
AVOCA/PRATTSBURGH: D’Mariannah Hinson-Pike 2 2-2 6, Gwen Moon 3 0-0 6, Diane Hakes 1 1-2 3, Emma Carlton 1 0-0 3, Makena Schlesing 3 0-4 7, Kamryn Edwards 6 0-2 12, Marissa Reid 0 1-4 1. Totals: 16 4-14 38.
