GAINESVILLE — To headline their opening act of the brand new campaign on Friday, it was a case of clutch shooting for the Lady Lions of Wellsville.
Wherever the opportunity presented itself, they were there to knock at the door. But for host Letchworth, they did the same exact thing with a big fourth quarter run that saw them force overtime.
As for that clutch shooting, there was no better time for it to come into play than in the last four minutes the night would see, when the charity stripe made the biggest difference of them all. Wellsville saw Natalie Adams and Averee Palmatier rise to the occasion in that special teams department, as the two Lady Lions combined to go for a perfect 6-for-6 at the line to help sway the momentum back in their favor permanently to collect their first win of the season by a 54-49 count.
“It’s going to be an interesting season. We’re young, and it’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve,” said Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord. “Tonight, free throws really helped us out big time in overtime, especially from Natalie and Averee. They didn’t miss a shot, they went 6-for-6. We were outscored in the fourth quarter and that kind of exposed some of our youth a little bit. But the girls came together and did enough in extra time to get us the win.”
For much of the first half, it developed into a close quarters battle between the two squads, with the Lady Lions (1-0) garnering the edge behind a mixed bag of offense that saw four different scorers find the basket inside, as well as a 5-for-6 outing at the stripe to power their special teams between Natalie Adams and Makenna Dunbar.
With Letchworth remaining right behind them, the balanced attack from Wellsville continued to kick into gear going into halftime with an 8-4 doubling up of the hosts, as the defense held their opposition to just two shots from the field to claim a 21-14 lead.
The advantage grew instantly upon the team’s return to the court in the third quarter, as the Lady Lions recorded their largest frame of the night behind Adams and Dunbar once again from all angles. In all, a 15-4 second half-starting spurt to more than double their lead in size.
But Letchworth would not let up one bit however, as they pulled together a tremendous fourth quarter comeback behind their 17-9 run of the Lady Lions that included a last-second triple to force the extra four-minute session right at the very end, tying the game at 45 in the same swing.
In overtime, Letchworth was able to build onto their lead, but the Lady Lions were able to break it back down one more time with some clutch free throw shooting — a 7-for-10 outing at the stripe, and 17-for-26 overall in the game.
An element that allowed the Lady Lions to secure their first win over the road.
When it was all said and done, Adams led all Lady Lions scorers with a game-high 19 points, pairing them with six steals. Palmatier followed with 13 points of her own to couple with five assists, while Makenna Dunbar chipped in with 10 points, six rebounds and five steals. Caelyn Stevens added in six additional boards.
Up next, the Lady Lions are back home for their home opener Tuesday night, when they welcome in the Penn Yan Lady Mustangs for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off in the Lion’s Den.
Wellsville 13 8 15 9 9 – 54
Letchworth 10 4 4 17 4 – 49
WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 4 0-1 8, Natalie Adams 5 9-12 19, Alexa Hennessy 1 0-0 2, Averee Palmatier 4 4-6 13, Makenna Dunbar 3 4-7 10, Alexa Stuck 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 17-26 54.
LETCHWORTH: Sasha Bellamy 2 0-0 4, Charity Scott 6 1-6 14, Annika Milillo 6 2-4 14, Emily Perl 1 0-0 2, Abbie DeRock 4 1-3 9, Alyssa Milillo 2 0-0 6. Totals: 21 4-14 49.
3-point goals: Wellsville 1 (Palmatier), Letchworth 3 (Al. Milillo 2, Scott).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 13, Letchworth 18. Fouled out: An. Milillo (LET).
Saturday Roundup: 2nd half comeback by boys, Hamer’s MVP game for girls allows GV/Belfast to record complete sweep of Rotary Club Tourney; B-R boys record 3-peat at Portville’s ACE Tourney
BELMONT — The very last day of the 2nd Annual Rotary Club Tip-Off Tournament arrived in full force, Saturday afternoon. With the girls squad starting the day off right with a championship-winning performance of their own, it was now the Genesee Valley/Belfast boys turn to take the floor with an opportunity to showcase a complete sweep of the titles.
It was not an easy task by any means against Andover/Whitesville, especially in the first half, as they took advantage of everything they were able to garner against the Genesee Valley/Belfast defense to come away with a double-digit lead at the half.
Down 27-16, a conversation between the team and coach Lintz Bliven. The message that was sent: Never give up.
When the first half came and went, Genesee Valley/Belfast received that transmission. And in turn, constructed an incredible second half comeback to remain undefeated with a 3-0 start, as Ian McKenzie and Jacob Borden helped lead a balanced offensive outburst for the hosts in white, while the defense only allowed just 11 more points across the entire final 16 minutes to come away as Rotary Club Tip-Off champions with a 55-38 victory in The Jungle.
“We told them at halftime. They have to come out and play with their hearts and their heads. We always tell them to never give up, no matter what they do in life,” Bliven said. “It was all left on them. They stepped up in the second half, and Kyle (McCumiskey) was the leader out there, using his voice. That, and some adjustments on defense, they really knew how to help each other out. The way the first half went, and the second half, I was really proud of them and proud to be their coach.”
Turnovers would be forced in the early stages of the battle by the Andover/Whitesville defense, permitting the offense to start their engine behind the guidance of both Colton Calladine and Brody Vance, as the two sharpshooters converted on runs to the basket inside before going back-to-back downtown towards the end of the opening quarter to finish off a 16-4 run of Genesee Valley/Belfast.
Although the hosts chipped away at the early deficit in the second quarter, Andover/Whitesville (2-1) continued to respond in every way possible in the midst of a defensive frame, keeping their double digit lead intact. To finish the half, the visitors in black saw Vance knock down a long triple from near midcourt to pair with a duo of free shots at the buzzer from Calladine to record a 27-16 lead at the break.
But after a conversation in the locker room, Genesee Valley/Belfast (3-0) ripped away the pen and rewrote the script themselves in the second half.
After another triple started the new session for Andover/Whitesville, it would be their last shot from the field all the way until the waning stages of the fourth quarter. It was Genesee Valley/Belfast’s turn to take over, as the offense came to life and cultivated a massive 16-6 third quarter run to trim their deficit down to a single point.
The fourth quarter was where it really witnessed the pressure start to boil over, as the hosts in white put the finishing touches on a massive comeback victory behind a scoreless run of Andover/Whitesville, hitting every single facet on the floor possible to orchestrate a 23-5 jaunt to close out the title-clinching victory.
Jacob Borden and Ian McKenzie both led the offense for Genesee Valley/Belfast with 15 points each. Matt Cater recorded nine points of his own, while Kadin Logue had seven, earning an All-Tournament nod along the way. Kyle McCumiskey was awarded MVP honors for the team at game’s end.
For Andover/Whitesville, Brody Vance finished with a monstrous 22-point game to lead the attack, en route to an All-Tournament nod. Colton Calladine followed with 11 points.
Through the double doors and into the Elementary gym, a strong start for Friendship/Scio in the Consolation round against Alfred-Almond was exchanged for a back-and-forth battle to the end. But at the conclusion of it all, Friendship/Scio would do just enough to squeeze out a strong finish to their term at the Rotary Club Tip-Off Tourney with a narrow 37-35 edge over the Eagles.
The Friendship/Scio (1-1) offense was propelled by a balanced attack, one that saw them roar right from the start with a 9-0 run of the Eagles in the first quarter. As time progressed, the Eagles would shake it off after being down 20-9 at the break, as they recorded a massive third quarter to remain well within reach.
In the last eight minutes, each team would trade near-even quarters of offense again, as Friendship/Scio came away with the winning edge at the end of it all to claim their first win of the season. The offense was paced by Deacon Brown in the middle, who recorded 12 team-high points to earn his All-Tournament selection at the end of the day.
“Deacon had a really nice game today, having six buckets on nine attempts. I will say that this was a big wake-up call for us after the Andover/Whitesville game yesterday,” said Friendship/Scio coach Dillon McFall. “It was something we didn’t respond to. Our main goal today was to hit the glass harder than we did the first time, and we did. There’s still room for improvement, but it was nice to see them play harder. We don’t return very many guys from last year stat-wise, but those that have, are playing much bigger roles. Today was a good game to really figure out relearning to win.”
Following Brown was Aiden Golden, who had 10 points to pitch in. Matt Donohue had eight points. For Alfred-Almond, Jackson Jusianiec led all scorers with four of the team’s five triples from downtown, en route to a game-high 24 points.
Down below are the next games on the docket for all three County teams after the weekend:
GV/Belfast: at Bolivar-Richburg, Tuesday 7:30 p.m.
Andover/Whitesville: vs Cuba-Rushford (at Whitesville), Wednesday 7:30 p.m.
Friendship/Scio: vs Bolivar-Richburg (at Scio), Friday 6 p.m.
Consolation
Friendship/Scio 9 11 17 10 – 37
Alfred-Almond 2 7 17 9 – 35
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Aiden Golden 3 2-7 10, Jerome Harmon 0 2-6 2, Connor Blouvet 0 2-2 2, Matt Donohue 2 2-4 8, Cooper Greenman 1 0-2 3, Deacon Brown 6 0-4 12. Totals: 12 8-25 37.
ALFRED-ALMOND: Jackson Jusianiec 10 0-1 24, Noah Heffley 1 2-3 4, Liam Ruthven 2 0-0 5, Welch 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 2-4 35.
3-point goals: F/S 5 (Golden 2, Donohue 2, Greenman), A-A 5 (Jusianiec 4, Ruthven).
Total Fouls: F/S 12, A-A 17. Fouled out: Washburn (A-A).
Championship
Andover/Whitesville 16 11 6 5 – 38
Genesee Valley/Belfast 4 12 16 23 – 55
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: James Miller-Young 0 1-2 1, Derek Perkins 0 0-2 0, Jake Mattison 0 1-2 1, Ethan Warriner 1 0-2 2, Vincent Joyce 0 1-2 1, Brody Vance 8 1-7 22, Colton Calladine 4 2-2 11. Totals: 13 6-17 38.
GV/BELFAST: Kyle McCumiskey 1 2-5 4, Kadin Logue 1 5-6 7, Matt Cater 3 3-6 9, Ian McKenzie 6 2-2 15, Owen Heaney 1 1-2 3, Jacob Borden 4 7-12 15, Kenton Shultz 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 20-33 55.
3-point goals: A/W 6 (Vance 5, Calladine), GVB 1 (McKenzie).
Total Fouls: A/W 24, GVB 21. Fouled out: Mattison (A/W), Warriner (A/W), Calladine (A/W).
ACE Tournament Championship
Bolivar-Richburg 60, Portville 53
PORTVILLE — The Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg were given everything they could possibly handle on Saturday. With the host Portville Panthers, behind an outstanding performance from Aidan DeFazio, remaining hot on their trail, there was little room for error when the teams duked it out for the ACE Tournament’s grand prize.
But in a quarter like the last eight minutes of play, it’s a timeframe where stars can be born. Fortunately enough for the Wolverines, some baskets of utmost importance from both Landon Barkley and Waide Karnuth down low helped keep the flame ablaze long enough to come away victorious when it was all said and done, as Bolivar-Richburg recorded the three-peat of the ACE Tournament with a 60-53 victory over Portville.
“The DeFazio kid was tough, he hit some big shots, especially late. He is going to be a headache for many coaches out there that play Portville,” said Wolverines coach Justin Thomas. “But Landon really pushed the envelope late in the game with two big threes and a big basket, and Waide (Karnuth) stepped up when we needed it the most. Portville brought it with some tenacious defense. They’re fast, energetic, athletic, and they made things difficult. We learned a lot of important lessons and we were still able to win, even though we fell short in a lot of areas tonight.”
At the end of every single quarter, the difference between Bolivar-Richburg and Portville was no more than two possessions. The Wolverines (2-0) was captained by Aydin Sisson and Landon Barkley — the team’s dynamic duo that came together to record 40 of the team’s 60 points. On the other side, Aidan DeFazio, who was red hot all night long from downtown by recording eight of the team’s nine three-pointers.
Bolivar-Richburg (2-0) was the first to grab a big 10-point halftime lead to work with, using an 18-point second quarter to propel the offense. But down the stretch, Portville was able to remain within scoring distance of the Wolverines, especially in the fourth quarter, when they used their best offensive outing to keep the pressure on.
But clutch baskets by Barkley and six fourth-quarter points off the hand of Karnuth down low allowed Bolivar-Richburg to remain on top each step of the way, as they lay claim to a third straight ACE Tournament championship. Barkley was awarded the tournament’s MVP behind his team-leading 21-point effort. Aydin Sisson was not far behind, garnering 19 points in his All-Tournament performance. Reiss Gaines had six points.
On special teams, Karnuth was big off the boards to go with his six points in the last eight minutes, grabbing 12 in all. James Margeson chipped in seven rebounds to go with four assists.
Up next on the docket, the Wolverines are back home to square off with Genesee Valley/Belfast in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off on Tuesday.
Bolivar-Richburg 13 18 12 17 – 60
Portville 11 12 14 16 – 53
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 7 4-6 19, Landon Barkley 8 2-4 21, Brayden Zilker 1 0-0 3, Waide Karnuth 3 0-2 6, Reiss Gaines 2 2-3 6, James Margeson 1 0-0 2, Kingston Loucks 1 1-1 3. Totals: 23 9-16 60.
PORTVILLE: Chase Armstrong 1 2-2 4, Lucious Young 1 0-0 2, Aidan DeFazio 12 1-2 33, Troy VanSickle 2 0-2 4, Tyler Stives 0 3-4 3, Ethan Obergfell 3 0-0 6. Totals: 19 6-10 53.
3-point goals: B-R 5 (Barkley 3, Sisson, Zilker), Portville 9 (DeFazio 8, Obergfell).
Total Fouls: B-R 13, Portville 20. Fouled out: Gaines (B-R).
Warsaw Tournament Championship
Byron-Bergen 80, Fillmore 66
WARSAW — After edging out host Warsaw to earn their spot in their home tournament, the Eagles of Fillmore were in for a bigger challenge against powerhouse Byron-Bergen for the championship. The kind of challenge that can make you even better, especially when the second season approaches in February.
The Eagles were able to answer that call against a Bees offense that saw a massive eruption caused by an incredible performance from Braedyn Chambry down low. In turn, Fillmore provided a blistering response of their own — Jonah Bialek.
In the first quarter of play, Bialek was scorching hot from every angle, as he posted 19 of his team-leading 30 points within the frame — 15 of them from downtown off five triples to keep pace with a Bees offense that saw Chambry take command. The two teams continued to wheel and deal until the team in maroon claimed a one-point advantage at the break.
With the upper hand, a chance for Byron-Bergen to break away presented itself. Enter Brody Baubie.
Inside the team’s 25-point third quarter, the wildfire had spread to the outside with Baubie now serving as the team’s three-point arsonist, hitting four big triples while Chambry continued to take care of business inside. Because of it, the Bees were able to garner enough room to wiggle free and towards the Warsaw crown with an 80-66 win over the Eagles to close out the weekend.
“We had a heck of a first half, and Jonah put on an incredible shooting exhibition in the first,” Eagles coach Randy Crouch said. “We made the mistake of falling in love with the three, and stopped working to create quality shots. We need to be a team that has eight to 10 guys scoring and we got away from that tonight. We also didn’t have an answer for Chambry, and when we did adjust, Baubie hit some big shots. It’s not the outcome we wanted, but we will learn and get better. We have some big games next week, and we will need improvement to be successful.”
It was a fine first half for the Eagles (1-1), keeping pace with Byron-Bergen behind Bialek’s massive first quarter to garner the early 23-20 lead. The tide was slightly turned in the favor of the Bees in the second quarter, as they captured a halftime lead behind 11 more points from the hand of Chambry — eight of them from the field, as he finished with 20 first half points.
Down by one, Fillmore was able to find a way to limit the Byron-Bergen senior inside, but the Bees opened the floor up for Brody Baubie to take control of the spotlight outside, as his three-point came blossomed to life in the third quarter to propel the team’s 25-point stanza behind an array of three-pointers.
In all, a 25-16 outscoring of the Eagles was collected at the end of it, as the lead stood at 10 heading into the fourth.
In the last eight minute session, the Bees were able to finish the job behind Chambry’s curtain call, as he put the finishing touches on a 41-point performance with a humongous 12-point frame, keeping that one giant footprint in front of Fillmore until the very end to lock up the tournament’s crown.
Finishing behind Bialek and his 30 points for the Eagles was Zach Sisson, who pitched in 19 points. Campbell Mucher had seven points to add in.
Coming up on Wednesday, Fillmore will look to regroup back on the road with a 7:30 p.m. visit in store at Houghton Academy.
Byron-Bergen 20 17 25 18 – 80
Fillmore 23 13 16 14 – 66
BYRON-BERGEN: Cody Carlson 1 0-2 2, Noah Clare 1 0-0 2, Joel Lamb 1 2-2 4, Colin Martin 3 0-0 6, Braedyn Chambry 17 7-10 41, Brody Baubie 7 3-4 22, Brendan Pimm 1 0-0 3. Totals: 31 12-18 80.
FILLMORE: Campbell Mucher 1 5-5 7, Isaiah Sisson 2 1-4 6, Zach Sisson 6 5-6 19, Jonah Bialek 12 0-0 30, JD Bialek 2 0-0 4. Totals: 23 11-15 66.
3-point goals: B-B 6 (Baubie 5, Pimm), Fillmore 9 (Jo. Bialek 6, Z. Sisson 2, I. Sisson).
Total Fouls: B-B 14, Fillmore 21. Fouled out: JD Bialek (FIL).
GIRLS BASKETBALL
GV/Belfast powers up rapid 1st half to claim Rotary Club title, Fri/Scio rolls to Consolation win
BELMONT — After a phenomenal lead-off performance last night over the Lady Eagles of Alfred-Almond, Genesee Valley/Belfast had now found themselves one victory away from starting the Raegan Ryan era with a season-opening championship from within their home Rotary Club Tournament.
The lone obstacle impeding their path there was Andover/Whitesville, a team also coming off a strong finish in game one of the season against Friendship/Scio to open the tournament.
The same exact scenario would unravel once again when the two teams came together in a clash for the tournament’s grand prize in the High School gym inside The Jungle, Saturday afternoon. But it would only apply for one of them.
In the first eight minutes of play, the hammer was slammed down by Genesee Valley/Belfast, who capitalized on both ends of the front with dominant emphasis, as they used a strong first half of play to set up shop for Mary Hamer in the third quarter. The Genesee Valley/Belfast senior went on to author a MVP-performance for the hosts with 11 of the team’s 18 points in the frame to record the title-clinching 58-24 victory over Andover/Whitesville.
“Mary loves this game. She really knows how to make those around her even better,” GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan said. “I thought the girls played well together tonight on both ends of the floor. Offensively, they really found the open person. It was really cool to see them play really unselfishly. Defensively, they were aggressive and played solid overall.”
A well-balanced first quarter for Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-0) across the board, as five different scorers all posted at least a basket from the field to power up the offense. The defense in turn, kept the fort held down by holding Andover/Whitesville to just one shot from the field and a connection from the free throw line to formulate a 13-3 lead.
The advantage remained fully intact across the remainder of the game, as the hosts in white saw an even bigger response come from Mary Hamer’s explosive outburst in the third quarter, providing 11 of the team’s 18 points in the midst of their 18-7 run of Andover/Whitesville (1-1) that ensured their victory for good to claim tournament glory at the end of the day.
Hamer would go on to earn MVP honors behind her game-high 18 point performance for Genesee Valley/Belfast. Following behind was Sophie Zillgitt, who chipped in with 10 points. Abby Sullivan picked up eight points on her way to an All-Tournament nod.
Leading the way for Andover/Whitesville was a 12-point game from Graci Lewis-Ellison, who also recorded an All-Tournament nod. Adding more help on offense was Makaila Brewster and Olivia Waters, each recording four points.
As for the Consolation game next door in the Elementary gym, it was also a game that saw a fast start come into full fruition for Friendship/Scio in what was a rebound game, as they used a pair of 11-2 quarters in the first half to power up a split of their tenure at the Rotary Club Tournament with a 34-11 victory over Alfred-Almond.
“It was a nice bounce back game, and it was great to have Nevaeh back on the floor. We’re close to getting back to full strength, and tonight was a great game all around. We moved the ball around better and we stayed composed to work on things to be better as the season goes on.” said Friendship/Scio coach Ashleigh Lewis.
The first 11-2 assembly that Friendship/Scio (1-1) captained was electrified by the Ross sisters — Nevaeh and Morghyn, as the two shooting stars combined for all 11 of the team’s points within the frame. Eight of those points came from Morghyn, who knocked down a pair of early triples to pave the way.
The momentum shifted into the second quarter, where the team in black and gold once again mirrored another 11-2 frame of command against the Lady Eagles to finish the opening half strong, en route to their Consolation round triumph.
Both Nevaeh and Morghyn Ross combined to record 14 points to pave the way for Friendship/Scio, with Nevaeh grabbing 14 rebounds to complete her double-double, and Morghyn collecting six rebounds and five steals in addition. Grace Drumm (10 rebounds), Huntar Hint and Serenity Godley all rounded off the scoring with two points each.
Listed below are the next games for all three County teams after the weekend:
GV/Belfast: vs Jasper-Troupsburg (at Belfast), Wednesday 6 p.m.
Andover/Whitesville: vs Cuba-Rushford (at Andover), Tuesday 7:30 p.m.
Friendship/Scio: vs Bolivar-Richburg (at Friendship), Tuesday 7:30 p.m.
Consolation
Friendship/Scio 11 11 6 6 – 34
Alfred-Almond 2 2 2 5 – 11
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Grace Drumm 1 0-0 2, Kady Sadler 0 0-2 0, Nevaeh Ross 5 4-7 14, Avery Lamberson 1 0-2 2, Morghyn Ross 5 0-2 14, Serenity Gadley 0 2-2 2. Totals: 12 4-9 34.
ALFRED-ALMOND: Kayli Clark 2 0-0 4, Kylie McMichael 1 0-0 3, Maeve Turner 1 0-0 2, Paige Marlatt 1 0-0 2. Totals: 5 0-0 11.
3-point goals: F/S 2 (M. Ross), A-A 1 (McMichael).
Total Fouls: F/S 2, A-A 16. Fouled out: None.
Championship
Andover/Whitesville 3 8 7 6 – 24
Genesee Valley/Belfast 13 11 18 16 – 58
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Graci Lewis-Ellison 5 2-6 12, Makaila Brewster 0 4-8 4, Lilly Harrington 1 0-0 2, Olivia Waters 2 0-5 4, Reece Winters 1 0-0 2. Totals: 9 6-19 24.
GV/BELFAST: Abby Sullivan 4 0-0 8, Sophie Zillgitt 4 1-2 10, Whitney Young 1 0-0 2, Mary Hamer 8 1-1 17, Morgan Yackeren 2 0-0 4, Ava Aaronson 4 1-6 9, Jenna Hill 4 0-0 8. Totals: 27 3-9 58.
3-point goals: GVB 1 (Zillgitt).
Total Fouls: A/W 10, GVB 16. Fouled out: None.
Fillmore 64, Pavilion 22
FILLMORE — While the rest of the County got their season underway just a few days prior to the weekend, the Lady Eagles of Fillmore saw their time finally come Saturday afternoon from inside The Rock. The challenge that lay ahead was Section V powerhouse Pavilion — a team that has become winners of three Sectional titles in the last four years.
It was an opportunity to take that first giant leap to open the new season on the hardwood against an opponent of immense stature. For Fillmore, they would make the most out of every opportunity that was presented right before them, beginning right away in the first quarter to claim a hefty lead that they would never lose in what shaped into a 64-23 season-opening win against the Lady Golden Gophers.
“There’s always a lot of unknowns going into the first game. Pavilion has won three Sectional championships in the last four seasons, but they lost quite a bit to Graduation this past year,” Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks said. “They are still very much a great program with a great coach, and we didn’t know what to expect. Today, we just tried to let our athletes be athletes, and not overthink the first game from a game plan perspective. The girls definitely didn’t disappoint.”
All the Lady Eagles (1-0) needed to do, was to make their mark in the opening quarter on both ends of the floor. They would go on to do just that right from the very beginning with style, with the defense holding Pavilion to just a single point in the midst of an 18-1 run.
A run that allowed them to set the tone in fast and furious fashion.
Leading the scoring for the Lady Eagles was Hope Russell, who scored a team-high 22 points to pair alongside five rebounds and a trio of steals. Preslee Miller was next in line with her 14 point performance. Amelia Rose and Grace Russell both pitched in to help further the cause with 12 points, respectively.
The Lady Eagles will now await their next challenge coming up on Monday over the road for the first time, as they prepare for a visit to the Arkport/Canaseraga Lady Wolves beginning at 6 p.m.
Pavilion 1 2 9 11 – 23
Fillmore 18 12 16 18 – 64
PAVILION: Ella Tillotson 4 0-0 9, Kylie Conway 0 2-4 2, Breanna Palmer 1 0-0 2, Makayla Washburn 2 0-0 4, Lia Lombardo 1 0-1 2, Bryleigh Burns 2 0-0 4. Totals: 10 2-4 23.
FILLMORE: Hope Russell 8 4-5 22, Grace Russell 4 3-6 12, Rachel Hatch 0 1-2 1, Amelia Rose 5 2-3 12, Kylee Ellsworth 1 1-2 3, Preslee Miller 6 2-3 14. Totals: 24 13-21 64.
3-point goals: Pavilion 1 (Tillotson), Fillmore 3 (H. Russell 2, G. Russell).
Total Fouls: Pavilion 16, Fillmore 6. Fouled out: Palmer (PAV).
ACE Tournament Consolation
Ellicottville 52, Cuba-Rushford 20
PORTVILLE — A well-balanced and well-oiled offensive machine conducted by the Ellicottville Lady Eagles engineered as strong of a start they could have hoped for.
To close out their time at the ACE Tournament in Portville, as they scored a game-high 19-point frame in the first to gather all the room they required to take care of business with a 52-20 win over Cuba-Rushford to split the tournament down the middle.
The first quarter was the bright light that shone upon the hardwood, as Ellicottville gained possession of what was a massive 19-point frame behind a slew of contributions from multiple Lady Eagles from inside, and out, to take a 19-4 lead going forward.
The frame would also serve as the game’s early difference thus far, as Ellicottville continued to add to their lead with more from their all-balanced attack while keeping Cuba-Rushford (0-2) at a standstill.
Despite the defeat, Lilly Farwell was able to crack the double-digit plateau to pair alongside her All-Tournament nod she received at the end of the battle, as she posted 10 team-high points for the Lady Rebels. Raegan Poore had six points, while Aubrey Williams and Lily Tompkins each had a two-point basket.
Cuba-Rushford will look to turn it around on the road Tuesday night with a trip to Whitesville in store to visit host Andover/Whitesville beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Ellicottville 19 13 11 9 – 52
Cuba-Rushford 4 6 5 5 – 20
ELLICOTTVILLE: Dalayla Alexander 5 3-4 13, Addison John 4 2-2 10, Daliana Velasquez-Garcia 1 0-0 2, Keelin Finn 3 0-0 6, Kalyn Crowley 1 0-1 2, Ande Northrup 1 0-0 3, Natalee Leiper 2 1-2 5, Courtney Marsh 5 1-4 11. Totals: 22 7-13 52.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Aubrey Williams 1 0-0 2, Lily Tompkins 1 0-2 2, Lilly Farwell 3 4-8 10, Raegan Poore 3 0-2 6. Totals: 8 4-12 20.
3-point goals: Ellicottville 1 (Northrup).
Total Fouls: Ellicottville 15, C-R 9. Fouled out: None.
Friday Roundup: And/Whi, GV/Belfast boys use strong starts to set up Rotary Club Tournament title game
BELMONT — On the first day of the 2nd Annual Rotary Club Tip-Off Tournament in Belmont, both opening round games between Andover/Whitesville and Friendship, as well as Alfred-Almond and host Genesee Valley/Belfast, saw a common theme develop almost immediately — a rapid start.
On Friday, those advantages were garnered by both Andover/Whitesville and Genesee Valley/Belfast, as they used the first quarter to the absolute fullest to build a lead that was never relinquished, as they two squads collected their respective victories to set up the tournament’s championship game, Saturday afternoon.
In the Elementary gym, Andover/Whitesville (2-0) was red hot straight out of the gate with five different scorers all finding the stat sheet in the team’s 17-point opening quarter. The inside game was clicking across all facets against Friendship/Scio, while defense in turn held their opposition to just four points to claim a big advantage they never lost – a 69-32 victory at the final buzzer.
“We finally got the fast start we have been looking for,” Andover/Whitesville coach Jimmy Joyce said. “The defense played extremely well again. Vinny (Joyce) and Colt (Calladine) led the way offensively, and Brody (Vance) was able to play facilitator from the point guard spot while still chipping in his usual load of points. James (Miller-Young) played with the aggression we needed and it showed. It was another one of those games where everyone did their part, and it allowed us to concentrate on more than one or two guys to help us score. We can really mix things up when we are able to.”
After Andover/Whitesville continued to further their lead going into the break, they would march forward and permanently cement their trip to the title game the following day with a 38-point second half — one that included a 20-10 run of Friendship/Scio (0-1) in the third quarter.
Paving the offense towards big success was Vincent Joyce and Colton Calladine, as each recorded 16 game-high points. James Miller-Young and Brody Vance were the third and fourth scorers for Andover/Whitesville to eclipse the double-digit plateau for the game, as each shooter bucketed 14 points.
For Friendship/Scio, Connor Blouvet tallied seven points to lead the offense. Aiden Golden and Jerimiah Brown each had five points to pitch in.
Through the double doors and into the High School gym, another fast start was to be had, this time by Genesee Valley/Belfast, as they pumped out an 16-6 lead through the first eight minutes of play to set up shop for success of their own with what morphed into a 58-24 victory at the end of the night over Alfred-Almond.
Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-0) established their presence right from the start, as they used a even distribution of offense to ignite their spark while the defense buckled down on the opposite end of the floor, holding the Eagles to single digits across all four frames of play to keep the upper-hand within their possession.
In the midst of their level attack, Kadin Logue led all Genesee Valley/Belfast scorers with a game-high 13 points. Following behind was Ian McKenzie and his 10 points. Jacob Borden and Kyle McCumiskey both chipped in with nine points, with McCumiskey hitting three of the team’s eight triples from downtown.
Alfred-Almond was led by Brogan Donlon, who sank a pair of triples for six points.
Today, Friendship/Scio and Alfred-Almond did battle in the tournament’s Consolation round, while Genesee Valley/Belfast and Andover/Whitesville went toe-to-toe in a battle of early unbeatens to determine this year’s champion.
Andover/Whitesville 17 14 20 18 – 69
Friendship/Scio 4 10 10 8 – 32
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Skylar Orpet 1 0-0 2, James Miller-Young 7 0-0 14, Derek Perkins 1 0-2 2, Ethan Warriner 2 1-2 5, Vincent Joyce 6 2-4 16, Brody Vance 6 0-3 14, Colton Calladine 7 2-3 16. Totals: 30 5-14 69.
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Aiden Golden 2 0-1 5, Jerome Harmon 2 0-0 4, Connor Blouvet 2 1-2 7, Charlie Taylor 0 1-2 1, Sean Dieter 1 0-0 3, Kiernan Romero 0 0-1 0, Jerimiah Brown 2 0-0 5, Matt Donohue 1 0-0 3, Deacon Brown 2 0-0 4. Totals: 12 2-6 32.
3-point goals: A/W 4 (Joyce 2, Vance 2), F/S 6 (Blouvet 2, Golden, Dieter, Brown, Donohue)
Total Fouls: A/W 13, F/S 12. Fouled out: None.
Alfred-Almond 6 4 7 7 – 24
Genesee Valley/Belfast 16 8 24 12 – 58
ALFRED-ALMOND: Jackson Jusianiec 1 0-0 3, Ryan Washburn 2 1-1 5, Brogan Donlon 2 0-0 6, Noah Heffley 2 0-0 4, Sam Bensley 1 0-0 2, Liam Ruthven 2 0-0 4. Totals: 10 1-1 24.
GV/BELFAST: Kyle McCumiskey 3 0-0 9, Kadin Logue 6 0-0 13, Lannden Tilton 3 0-0 8, Matt Cater 1 0-0 2, Ian McKenzie 4 0-1 10, Jacob Borden 4 1-4 9, Kenton Schultz 2 0-2 4, Fisher Herdman 1 1-2 3. Totals: 24 2-9 58.
3-point goals: A-A 3 (Donlon 2, Jusianiec), GV 8 (McCumiskey 3, Tilton 2, McKenzie 2, Logue).
Total Fouls: A-A 7, GVB 8. Fouled out: None.
Mount Morris 61, Hinsdale 21
HINSDALE — Defending Sectional champion Mount Morris had a perfect start to their title defense over the road on Friday, as they used a powerful first quarter presence to pave the way forward towards victory by a 61-21 count over the host Bobcats of Hinsdale.
Statistics and a complete box score were not made available to report upon publication.
Hinsdale (0-2) will return to their home floor on December 13 when they face West Valley in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
GV/Belfast garners win No. 1 for Ryan, And/Whi squeezes past Fri/Scio in Rotary Club Tourney
BELMONT — Before all four boys teams could take the floor to close out the night, the Andover/Whitesville, Friendship/Scio, Alfred-Almond and Genesee Valley/Belfast girls squads were up first to kick off the 2nd Annual Belmont Rotary Club Tip-Off Tournament from within the confines of the Jungle.
Both gymnasiums adjacent to one another were occupied at the same time, with Andover/Whitesville and Friendship/Scio taking the stage in the Elementary gym, while next door, Alfred-Almond and Genesee Valley/Belfast kicked off their battle in the High School gym.
As for the first battle in the Elementary gym, it was one that witnessed a strong start by one team and an even stronger end by the other. For Friendship/Scio, it was theirs to control right from the opening quarter, as they garnered an advantage over Andover/Whitesville that was held firmly for a vast majority of the battle.
But in the fourth quarter, Andover/Whitesville was able to perform a complete flip of the script, turning the tables on Friendship/Scio with their best frame of offense. Trailing by a single point, the team in black shaped a comeback victory to earn their spot in the tournament’s Championship round, as they floored it towards a 40-27 victory on Friday.
“It was not the start we wanted, but being down two starters in our first game, I was proud of the effort the girls gave,” Friendship/Scio coach Ashleigh Lewis said. “It’s promising to say the least, but hopefully better things will come. This year should be a great season. This is a young team, and Andover/Whitesville is too. We had a great start in the first quarter, and we led all the way into the second half. We just got gassed in the fourth quarter and it got away from us.”
Friendship/Scio was the first to strike while the iron was still hot, capitalizing on both ends of the floor to keep Andover/Whitesville at an early standstill through the first eight minutes, garnering a 12-4 lead to control. But the lead they held was soon trimmed down to as little as a single possession by the time the first half reached its conclusion, as Andover/Whitesville (1-0) rebounded with a strong 10-4 run in the second quarter to cut the deficit to a pair of points.
As time progressed in the second half, the action would ramp up and become tighter across the board, as Andover/Whitesville continued to close in on Friendship/Scio (0-1) before the tide completely turned in the last eight minute quarter with an 18-4 game-changing run, officially solidifying their newly-garnered advantage for their first victory of the season.
Leading Andover/Whitesville was Olivia Waters and her game-high 16 points. Grace Fry chipped in with 12 points of her own, while Makaila Brewster had six. For Friendship/Scio, Morghyn Ross recorded 15 team-leading points. Avery Lamberson had five points, while Grace Drumm and Huntar Hint both collected seven rebounds off the glass.
Next door, Genesee Valley/Belfast was able to overcome a slow first quarter start to end the first half on a powerful note against the Lady Eagles of Alfred-Almond, as the dynamic duo of Abby Sullivan and Mary Hamer came alive to deliver masterful performances on offense to power the team’s 40-9 victory in their opening round battle of the Rotary Club twinbill.
“We had a bit of a slow start, but eventually we found our offensive rhythm, which was really propelled by our defense,” said first-year GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan. “They really took pride in their defense, and it was great to see. I am really proud of how our girls played together. It’s always great to see so many people score. I’m glad to have our first game under our belt as we continue to grow.”
Just eight combined points between both squads led off the action in the High School gym, as Genesee Valley/Belfast (1-0) spread the wealth all across the floor, using two-point baskets from three different scorers to grab a narrow 6-2 upper-hand on Alfred-Almond. It would help serve as the team’s foundation for what came to be in the second quarter — the game-changer.
The offense fired on all cylinders in the midst of their 20-4 run, as both Abby Sullivan and Mary Hamer aided the efforts for the hosts in white by combining to score for 13 of those 20 points, with Sullivan bucketing 10. In all, nine different Genesee Valley/Belfast scorers all had a hand in finding the statsheet, with Sullivan’s 16-point performance paving the way for the offense. Hamer dug in down low and delivered a 10-point effort, while Keanna Sands added in a three-pointer.
Alfred-Almond was led by Paige Marlatt, who had five points.
Today, the Consolation round between Friendship/Scio and Alfred-Almond will begin at approximately 12 p.m, while this year’s title game sees Andover/Whitesville and Genesee Valley/Belfast pinned against one another to help close out the final day of action from the Jungle with a 2 p.m. tip-off back inside the High School gym.
Andover/Whitesville 4 10 8 18 – 40
Friendship/Scio 12 4 7 4 – 27
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Graci Lewis-Ellison 1 0-0 2, Grace Fry 5 1-4 12, Makaila Brewster 2 2-5 6, Lilly Harrington 1 0-0 2, Olivia Waters 6 4-8 16, Katrina Lewis 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 7-19 40.
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Grace Drumm 1 0-4 3, Morghyn Ross 7 0-0 15, Avery Lamberson 2 0-0 5, Emily Lamberson 1 0-0 2, Huntar Hint 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12 0-4 27.
3-point goals: A/W 1 (Fry), F/S 3 (Drumm, Ross, A. Lamberson).
Total Fouls: A/W 11, F/S 18. Fouled out: Ross (F/S), Hint (F/S).
Alfred-Almond 2 4 1 2 – 9
Genesee Valley/Belfast 6 20 9 5 – 40
ALFRED-ALMOND: Noelle Emerson 0 1-2 1, Kaitlyn Diestler 1 1-2 3, Paige Marlatt 2 0-0 5. Totals: 3 2-4 9.
GV/BELFAST: Keanna Sands 1 0-0 3, Abby Sullivan 7 1-2 16, Sophie Zillgitt 1 0-2 2, Kendra Bigelow 1 0-0 2, Mary Hamer 5 0-0 10, Morgan Yackeren 1 0-0 2, Ava Aaronson 0 2-2 2, Kate Calanni 0 1-2 1, Whitney Young 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 4-8 40.
3-point goals: A-A 1 (Marlatt), GVB 2 (Sands, Sullivan).
Total Fouls: A-A 11, GVB 11. Fouled out: None.
Oswayo Valley 51, Bolivar-Richburg 13
BOLIVAR — The first quarter was a powerful one for Oswayo Valley to behold behind a lockdown of both ends of the floor in boisterous fashion to set a tone that host Bolivar-Richburg could not match on Friday, as they rolled towards victory by a 51-13 count to head into the weekend on a positive note.
Despite falling behind by a 14-2 count through the first eight minutes of play, the Lady Wolverines (1-1) chipped away at their early deficit with some big help outside from Nadia Baldwin, as she produced a pair of triples — two of three in all she would have in the game. But after halftime, the Lady Green Wave picked up right where they left off to push their advantage out insurmountably, as they held the hosts in white without a score in the midst of a 16-0 third quarter run.
Baldwin would finish with 11 points for Bolivar-Richburg, while Raegan Giardini followed with the team’s remaining two points on a basket inside.
Up next, the Lady Wolverines will look to bounce back over the road for the first time this season with a 7:30 p.m. visit to Friendship/Scio, in Friendship.
Oswayo Valley 14 7 16 14 – 51
Bolivar-Richburg 2 6 0 5 – 13
OSWAYO VALLEY: Charlotte Austin-Keech 7 1-1 15, Shayden Mesler 1 0-0 2, Eva West 7 0-0 14, Layken Enty 4 0-0 8, MaKenna Manning 4 0-0 9, Brooke George 1 1-2 3. Totals: 24 2-3 51.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Nadia Baldwin 4 0-0 11, Raegan Giardini 1 0-0 2. Totals: 5 0-0 13.
3-point goals: OV 1 (Manning), B-R 3 (Baldwin).
Total Fouls: OV 10, B-R 9. Fouled out: Enty (OV).
ACE Tournament at Portville
Portville 46, Cuba-Rushford 18
PORTVILLE — Behind a forceful first quarter from Lillian Bentley down low, the Lady Panthers of Portville set up shop and took care of business right from the start, as they held visiting Cuba-Rushford in check to provide a massive tone that allowed them to remain in the driver’s seat, capturing a spot in the Championship round of their ACE Tournament with a 46-18 win on Friday.
Out of the 14 total points that Portville was able to garner right from the beginning, Bentley made her presence known to the Lady Rebels (0-1) inside with four big baskets. In turn, the Lady Panthers defense was able to keep their opposition in gray and blue off the board completely to claim an early 14-0 lead.
The advantage was held across the board by the hosts in white and maroon, as they held Cuba-Rushford below 10 points in each of the last three quarters to further cement their way to the Championship game the next day.
The Lady Rebels were paced by a team-high nine points from Brynn Lavery. Following was Cloey Larabee and Shae Maples, knocking down a triple each.
Cuba-Rushford will now partake in Consolation round action this afternoon back in Portville, taking on Ellicottville at 11 a.m.
Cuba-Rushford 0 6 8 4 – 18
Portville 14 11 11 10 – 46
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Cloey Larabee 1 0-0 3, Shae Maples 1 0-0 3, Lily Tompkins 0 1-2 1, Brynn Lavery 3 1-2 9, Lilly Farwell 1 0-2 2. Totals: 6 1-6 18.
PORTVILLE: Ashley Carls 1 0-0 2, Avery DeFazio 1 0-2 2, Ava Haynes 1 0-0 2, Jackie Scanlon 2 3-3 9, Ali Haynes 5 0-0 10, Meghan Lyle 0 1-2 1, Lillian Bentley 8 0-0 16, Emma Rhinehart 2 0-0 4. Totals: 20 4-7 46.
3-point goals: C-R 4 (Lavery 2, Larabee, Maples), Portville 2 (Scanlon).
Total Fouls: C-R 9, Portville 11. Fouled out: None.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Arkport/Canaseraga 3, Wellsville 0
ARKPORT — It was a tight battle through and through to open the volleyball season in Arkport on Friday, but in all three sets that the match would see, host Arkport/Canaseraga was able to take care of business with the upper-hand by claiming the straight-set decision over Wellsville by a 25-18, 25-17, 25-18 count.
Pacing the offensive front for the Lions (0-1) was Xavier Scott, who posted four kills to go with two aces and a block. Following behind was Brody Heaney with three more kills and a pair of aces, while Nolan Kozlowski chipped in four aces from the service line to go with four assists at the front of the net.
Arkport/Canaseraga was led by Noah Drouin with five kills and three blocks.
Wellsville is back on the floor Monday night with a 6 p.m. visit from Bolivar-Richburg in store for their home opener.
Cuba-Rushford 3, Friendship/Scio 1
SCIO — Friday night marked the beginning of a title defense for a second straight season for the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford. And it was one that began on the absolute right foot, despite splitting the night’s first two sets down the middle, as they prepared a strong finish to the end against host Friendship/Scio to claim the 25-21, 19-25, 25-19, 25-20 win in Scio.
Charging the Rebels (1-0) attack was Anderson Siegel, who recorded five aces to go with his one kill. Furthering the cause was Coen Kellogg, who also pitched in with five more aces of his own, dishing out five assists along the way, and one kill.
Friendship/Scio (0-1) was led by Lena Frost, who recorded 14 service points. They return to the floor on Tuesday with a 6 p.m. visit to Wellsville.
Cuba-Rushford will continue their road swing on Monday, when they hop on the bus and head for Allegany-Limestone for a 6 p.m. contest.
Allegany-Limestone 3, Fillmore 0
FILLMORE — A strong start right out of the gate by last season’s County runners-up was enough to set a massive tone on Friday to open their slate, as Allegany-Limestone connected on all angles to deliver a straight-set sweep of host Fillmore with a 25-15, 25-15, 25-21 victory inside The Rock.
Paving the way for the Eagles (0-1) on offense was Reid Cockle, who recorded eight service points to couple alongside six big kills and a pair of aces from the service line. Following up was Jayce Ashton and his eight additional service points, pairing them with four aces. Setter Anderson Wiltsey was active on the front line, handing out 15 assists.
Fillmore returns to the floor on Monday with a 6 p.m. visit in store from Genesee Valley/Belfast.
