By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
FILLMORE — Andover/Whitesville made a late attempt to chip away at their deficit to Fillmore, but a first quarter start was enough for the host Eagles to make a large amount of noise, as they posted a phenomenal start to build on over time to sustain what was a 69-52 victory inside The Rock, Friday evening.
“We came out of the gates well. Luke (Colombo) got us off to a great start with some early baskets, and our press got our transition going,” said Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “But give Andover/Whitesville credit, Jimmy (Joyce) has them playing hard and they never gave up either. They made a couple runs in the second half, and knocked down some big shots. We will need to be better next time we see them.”
Six different Eagles (8-4) all contributed towards a 21-3 game-opening run against Andover/Whitesville, with 14 of the first 15 points going their way to pace it. Luke Colombo and his early stage baskets assisted in leading the charge, while the defense fed off the energy by holding their opposition shot-less from the field.
“Fillmore is quick and well-coached. They punched us in the face right away. I like how we responded but we fell into a big hole. We will learn from this,” Andover/Whitesville coach Jimmy Joyce said. “I’m really proud of the way our guys battled throughout the game and never gave up. Fillmore plays so fast, we just couldn’t match their tempo in the early going. Will Kent and Brody Vance played exceptional basketball tonight. There are certainly a lot of things we can build on, despite the loss.”
The dominant start continued on for Fillmore as their double digit lead kept growing until the second half when Andover/Whitesville (7-9) started to chip away, especially in the fourth quarter with four three-pointers and a strong 7-for-7 outing at the line from CJ Estep to ignite a 21-point stanza — their largest of the game. But the Eagles were able to ward off the late push to seal the victory.
Zach Sisson fronted a brilliant night of offense for the Eagles with his game-high 27 points — 14 of them coming in the team’s 19-point third quarter, pairing them with eight rebounds along the way. Mitch Ward followed with nine points, while Colombo (10 rebounds) and Jair Bialek each had eight points. Brent Zubikowski added more help off the boards with nine more rebounds.
Andover/Whitesville was led by the attack of Brody Vance and CJ Estep, as the two combined for 28 of the team’s 52 points. Vance finished with 16 team-high points, while Estep followed with 12. Jack Belmont knocked down three triples, for nine points. The team will head back home to host Friendship/Scio in Whitesville, Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.
Fillmore now heads into tonight’s showdown with the Elba Lancers with a full head of steam, as the two foes prepare for battle in a 6 p.m. tip-off at Houghton University.
Andover/Whitesville 3 14 14 21 – 52
Fillmore 21 15 19 14 – 69
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Jack Belmont 3 0-0 9, CJ Estep 2 8-9 12, Brody Vance 6 2-5 16, Will Kent 2 0-0 4, Colton Calladine 1 2-2 5, Gage Hall 1 1-1 3, Kohler Niedermaier 1 0-0 3. Totals: 16 13-17 52.
FILLMORE: Eben Schilke 1 0-0 2, Brent Zubikowski 1 0-1 2, Jair Bialek 4 0-0 8, Marcus Wolfer 1 0-0 2, Luke Colombo 3 1-2 8, Mitch Ward 4 1-5 9, Zach Sisson 9 5-7 27, Jonah Bialek 1 1-4 4, Layton Sanasith 1 2-2 4, Reid Cockle 1 1-2 3. Totals: 26 11-23 69.
3-point goals: A/W 7 (Belmont 3, Vance 2, Calladine, Niedermaier), Fillmore 6 (Sisson 4, Colombo, Jo. Bialek).
Total Fouls: A/W 16, Fillmore 13. Fouled out: None.
Friendship/Scio 48, Genesee Valley/Belfast 36
BELMONT — Ethan Davenport took control of one half while Brenden Loucks took over in the next for Friendship/Scio, as the dynamic duo set up shop for a successful night of basketball to spoil Genesee Valley/Belfast’s Senior Night celebration on Friday in the Jungle, capturing a big 48-36 victory on the road to get back on track.
“We’ve been getting better, and it’s showing. This is the most locked-in we’ve been all season. Ethan had a great first half. They adjusted to try and match him, with the (Kadin) Logue kid going up against him. He’s a solid defender, but Ethan helped us get things started. But in the second half, Brenden really stepped up, and carried us tonight,” said Friendship/Scio co-coach Dillon McFall. “All these guys did some great things. Hunter (Hill), Cooper (Greenman), Matt Donohue was in there in the first half. Those three guys did a great job on the defensive glass, and we’ve been stressing that the past couple weeks. We got a lot of loose balls tonight because of it.”
Friendship/Scio (5-10) established ground in the first half by providing yeoman’s service on defense to keep Genesee Valley/Belfast at bay, as Davenport first assumed totality in the opening half to establish a 24-13 lead that they would hold under wraps going into the break.
In the second half, it was Loucks’ turn for the visitors to make some noise with 14 of his game-high 21 points coming in the back half of the game, pairing them with 16 big rebounds off the glass to finish off a double-double performance that would propel the team over the top towards victory through a close quarters second half battle until the end.
Davenport finished with 15 points of his own, while Hunter Hill sank two threes, for six points to go with seven rebounds to further Friendship/Scio’s cause.
Genesee Valley/Belfast (5-9) was paced by Kyle McCumiskey and Ian McKenzie, as both scorers bucketed a team-high six points.
Both teams are back in action with a pair of 7:30 p.m. contests on Tuesday, as Friendship/Scio heads to Whitesville to continue their road trip with a visit to Andover/Whitesville, while Genesee Valley/Belfast travels over the road themselves for a meeting with Fillmore.
Friendship/Scio 14 10 12 12 – 48
Genesee Valley/Belfast 6 7 10 13 – 36
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Taylor Moore 0 4-9 4, Ethan Davenport 6 1-4 15, Brenden Loucks 8 5-8 21, Cooper Greenman 1 0-0 2, Hunter Hill 2 0-0 6. Totals: 17 10-21 48.
GV/BELFAST: Brayden Cooper 1 1-3 3, Kadin Logue 0 2-3 2, Owen Heaney 2 0-0 5, Kyle McCumiskey 2 1-4 6, Ian McKenzie 2 0-0 6, Max Wedge 0 1-2 1, Jacob Borden 2 0-2 4, Killian McKnight 1 0-0 2, Thai Norasethaporn 2 0-0 4, Ryan Daciw 0 3-4 3. Totals: 12 8-18 36.
3-point goals: F/S 4 (Davenport 2, Hill 2), GVB 4 (McKenzie 2, Heaney, McCumiskey).
Total Fouls: F/S 16, GVB 18. Fouled out: None.
PHOTO GALLERY BY TRICIA DAVENPORT, more stories after
Cuba-Rushford 83, Houghton Academy 34
CUBA — The Rebels of Cuba-Rushford were engulfed in flames across all angles of the floor on Friday.
Through a competitive first quarter battle to start the festivities, the hosts kicked it into high gear with a massive second quarter run that saw them stroll away behind an 83-point aerial attack, building momentum for Monday’s colossal showdown with Bolivar-Richburg with an 83-34 win over Houghton Academy.
“I was really happy with how well we shot the ball tonight. Jack Frank helped set everything up with 13 assists, and that was outstanding. It was great to see us making shots after struggling against Canisteo-Greenwood this past week. I’m hoping the energy level stays the same after the weekend.” Rebels coach Pat Wight said.
Cuba-Rushford (13-2) was a well oiled machine all across the 32 minutes on the floor, beginning with a close fight with Houghton Academy that saw the Panthers dig away at their lead. But a strong finish to the frame allowed them to build an overwhelming amount of momentum to rollover into the second, where they ran off behind Jacob Smith and Peyton Joy’s game down low, along with a pair of Hunter Scott three-pointers to record a 22-6 run.
The game was put away permanently by the Rebels with one final outburst against the Panthers (1-10), as Braeden Wight helped the team ignite their three-point game with six third quarter team three-pointers, four of them off his hand to provide a 25-5 run to break away towards their 13th win of the season.
Smith led all Cuba-Rushford scorers with a game-high 19 points, while Wight followed closely behind with 18 points. Finn Ricketts chipped in with eight points, while Scott, Joy and Jacob Linderman each had six.
Houghton Academy was led by James Adenuga and his 15 team-high points. Josh Davidson had 13 points. The Panthers head back home to welcome in New Life Christian for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off on Wednesday.
The Rebels will now begin preparations for a massive County showdown with Bolivar-Richburg — the first of two meetings in a span of four days next week, as the two rivals clash in Bolivar at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.
Houghton Academy 12 6 5 11 – 34
Cuba-Rushford 21 22 25 15 – 83
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Josh Davidson 5 0-0 13, James Adenuga 4 4-4 15, Marco Zanini 1 0-0 2, Pedro Rebello 2 0-0 4. Totals: 12 4-4 34.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Braeden Wight 6 0-2 18, Jacob Smith 7 4-4 19, Kaden Bell 0 2-2 2, Luke Brooks 2 0-0 4, Jack Frank 2 0-0 4, Hunter Scott 2 0-0 6, Dom Bello 2 0-0 5, Finn Ricketts 4 0-0 8, Tristan Clayson 2 1-2 5, Jacob Linderman 2 0-0 6, Peyton Joy 3 0-1 6. Totals: 32 7-11 83.
3-point goals: HA 6 (Davidson 3, Adenuga 3), C-R 12 (Wight 6, Scott 2, Linderman 2, Smith, Bello).
Total Fouls: HA 12, C-R 11. Fouled out: None.
Bolivar-Richburg 66, Hinsdale 32
BOLIVAR — After engaging in a first quarter shootout with visiting Hinsdale, the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg made sure they provided a strong finish to the frame, going ahead with a lead they would soon build insurmountably on, as they strolled towards victory behind a big second half push to lay claim on a 66-32 home decision on Friday.
Before the Bobcats began closing the gap down, Bolivar-Richburg (12-2) began the night red hot in the opening minutes with eight of the first 10 points, six of them being recorded by Aydin Sisson who went on to have another masterful night on the offense with a game-high 28 points.
The Wolverines marched forward to end the first with a 20-15 lead of Hinsdale (1-14) before rolling towards a runaway second quarter that kept them out in front for good — a 21-2 first half-ending run in all to garner the room possible to record the win.
Behind Sisson was Landon Barkley, who tallied 14 points to pair with five steals. Evan Pinney added in seven points, while Reiss Gaines had five to go with five rebounds and four helpers. Leading the work off the glass was David Baldwin, who grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Bobcats were led by Xander Pascucci and his 14 team-high points. Cody Barton had 10. Hinsdale will return to action back home next Friday with a 7:30 p.m. visit from Cuba-Rushford.
The Wolverines will have the same Rebels team first, as they meet Cuba-Rushford for the first of two colossal games in a span of four days next week, beginning on Monday in Bolivar at 7:30 p.m.
Hinsdale 15 2 8 7 – 32
Bolivar-Richburg 20 21 13 12 – 66
HINSDALE: Xander Pascucci 5 2-2 14, Joe Neubert 1 0-0 2, Cody Barton 5 0-5 10, Tyler Richards 2 0-2 6. Totals: 13 2-9 32.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 11 4-6 28, Cayden Gaines 2 0-0 4, Landon Barkley 4 4-5 14, Reiss Gaines 2 1-1 5, Trevor Pforter 1 0-0 2, Waide Karnuth 1 0-0 2, Caden Giardini 1 0-0 2, David Baldwin 0 2-2 2, Evan Pinney 2 3-4 7. Totals: 24 14-18 66.
3-point goals: Hinsdale 4 (Pascucci 2, Richards), B-R 4 (Sisson 2, Barkley 2).
Total Fouls: Hinsdale 13, B-R 9. Fouled out: None.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Allegany-Limestone 3, Fillmore 0
ALLEGANY — On the final night of regular season action, Allegany-Limestone survived a close affair with visiting Fillmore in the early-going, as they built off the start to push forward towards what would be a straight-set triumph in the Swamp on Friday, rolling towards a 25-22, 25-17, 25-21 win to claim the No. 2 seed in the Allegany County Playoffs next week.
Fillmore (2-13) was led by Nathan Tanner on offense, garnering five kills. Henry Decker chipped in with six big blocks at the front of the net to go with three more kills.
The Eagles lock into the No. 8 seed and will travel to face top-seeded Cuba-Rushford for a 6 p.m. opening round battle of the County Playoffs on Tuesday.
