Wednesday Roundup: Dynamic game from Adams, enormous late and-one by Dunbar aids Lady Lions in evading Penn Yan; C-R doubles-up And/Whi, Fillmore rolls past Houghton in boys action
Photos and story by CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
WELLSVILLE — It was another true test of surviving and conquering. After the season-opener saw them going into overtime against Letchworth over the road, the Lady Lions of Wellsville would have another fight to the finish on their hands in their home opener against the Penn Yan Lady Mustangs.
After a brilliant first act in the opening eight minutes of play, the Lady Lions would then soon find themselves under pressure. With a second quarter from the Lady Mustangs that saw them capitalize on some early missed opportunities from the hosts, they would become within reach going into the break.
Each team would go on to trade an out-scoring across the second half, with Penn Yan turning the heat up to the highest temperature possible in the last eight minutes of regulation, closing the gap to as little as three on multiple occasions in order to try and turn the tide in their direction for the first time in the contest.
But thanks to a colossal and dynamic game from Natalie Adams and a clutch and-one basket from Makenna Dunbar in the waning seconds, Wellsville was able to hang on for dear life, as they kept Penn Yan in the rearview mirror despite them inching ever closer as time went on, claiming the 57-52 edge to move to 2-0 heading into their weekend tournament down below the border.
“We never relinquished our lead, but Penn Yan hung around,” said Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord. “Natalie carried us with her junior leadership, and the experience she holds helped complete a great, overall game. In the fourth quarter, it was balanced across the board. All the girls scored. Even after tonight, we’re still working on trying to find ourselves and what identity we should carry forward.”
The Lady Lions (2-0) assumed control right away in the first eight minutes of action, scoring the game’s first five points, including the first of a flurry of baskets from Adams in the contest. The run would ultimately blossom even larger, as Wellsville went on to score eight of the first 10 points just past the midway mark.
When it was all said and done, it was a 21-point first eight minutes that witnessed a mixed bag of contributions that allowed them to take control. The Lady Mustangs in return however, provided a strong end to the half with a 15-8 out-scoring across the second quarter, starting with five of the first seven points all while Wellsville had difficulty finishing the plays underneath.
As a direct result, the advantage the Lady Lions held after the first quarter shrank to four points going into the half.
When the two teams returned to the floor for the second half, the Lady Lions were back to their scoring ways behind the guidance of Adams and Averee Palmatier throughout the third quarter. With a 35-29 lead in hand, Wellsville was able to barge through the metaphorical opening and rip eight straight points against the Lady Mustangs to claim a 14-point lead — the largest advantage the game would see.
After Penn Yan ended the frame with a big response of seven straight points of their own accord, the momentum shifted between both teams in rapid succession. That was until the Lady Mustangs found their groove to cut their deficit down once again in the biggest of ways, carving it from 14 down to three on multiple occasions to keep the pressure pinned up against the Lady Lions.
They were hot on their trail with time continuing to tick away on the clock. With less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation play, some of that pressure was alleviated by Makenna Dunbar and her hard work down underneath the rim, as she buried a clutch and-one bucket to push Wellsville’s lead to five.
An advantage that would remain there until the game’s final buzzer sounded, as the Lady Lions officially declared victory in hard-fought fashion.
Paving the Wellsville offense was Adams, who finished with 21 game-high points. Palmatier followed with 10 points of her own to go with nine rebounds — one shy of record a double-double performance.
Adding more help along the way was Dunbar, who recorded eight points and six rebounds, while Caelyn Stevens and Jaden Dunbar each had five. On special teams, Dunbar also pitched in four steals.
Prior to the Varsity clash, the Wellsville JV Lady Lions saw three different scorers all lead the offense towards triumph in the end, as they went past Penn Yan with a 26-10 win. Leading the scoring was Addison Hennessy, Hailey Cowburn and Reegan Perkins, all of which scoring a team-high six points.
Coming up next is a trip to Cowanesque Valley for tournament action beginning Friday night for the Lady Lions, as they prepare to face North Penn-Mansfield in opening round action at 6 p.m.
Penn Yan 10 15 11 16 – 52
Wellsville 21 8 16 12 – 57
PENN YAN: Aubriana Greene 2 0-0 4, Corinne Barden 3 0-0 7, Taylor Mullins 3 1-2 7, Hailey Trank 6 3-7 15, Bailey Cooper 6 2-4 15, Madisen Pierce 1 2-2 4. Totals: 21 8-15 52.
WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 1 3-3 5, Natalie Adams 9 2-2 21, Alexa Hennessy 1 0-0 2, Emily Stuck 1 2-2 4, Averee Palmatier 5 0-0 10, Makenna Dunbar 3 1-2 8, Jaden Dunbar 2 1-1 5, Alexa Stuck 1 0-2 2. Totals: 23 9-12 57.
3-point goals: Penn Yan 2 (Barden, Cooper), Wellsville 2 (Adams, M. Dunbar)
Total Fouls: Penn Yan 16, Wellsville 15. Fouled out: None.
More stories after photo gallery:
Jasper-Troupsburg 38, Genesee Valley/Belfast 30
BELFAST — Genesee Valley/Belfast was challenged straight out of the gate by the Lady Wildcats of Jasper-Troupsburg, as they found themselves in an early hole to climb out of. Under the guidance of Mary Hamer, and some key third quarter defense, they were able to do just that by creating a brand new ball game come the fourth quarter.
In that last eight minute timeframe, Genesee Valley/Belfast was able to trim their deficit down to as little as a single possession. But the Lady Wildcats had other plans, as Reagan Miles scored six of her 10 points in a big way to ensure that Jasper-Troupsburg remained out front the entire way, as they left Belfast victorious with a 38-30 edging.
“I was really proud of our defensive effort that we displayed,” said GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan. “I was proud of their grit tonight too. We were down seven at the half, and then we came out and won the third quarter to jump back in it. We got it to two in the fourth, but we didn’t have enough left to put it over the top. It was a great test for us, and we will get better from this.”
The Lady Wildcats put the pedal to the metal across the first eight minutes with five different scorers all breaking through to provide a spark, while on defense, they held Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-1) to just a pair of baskets from the field — one each from Abby Sullivan and Mary Hamer, as they capitalized on both fronts to create a 13-4 lead going into the second quarter.
The hosts in white were able to trim down the deficit however with Hamer and Sullivan springing the offense back to life once more in the team’s 12-point stanza, as Hamer went straight to the hole for a pair of baskets before knocking one down outside alongside Sullivan to put the pressure on Jasper-Troupsburg heading into the second half.
That pressure build up would reach a boiling point in the midst of a defensive third quarter, when Genesee Valley/Belfast looked to Jenna Hill and Ava Aaronson to win the frame, as the two scorers combined for all nine points to outscore Jasper-Troupsburg with a 9-5 run to trim their seven-point halftime deficit down to three.
Something had to give, come time for the fourth quarter of play.
With Genesee Valley/Belfast hot on the trail of the Lady Wildcats, the visitors in black witnessed Reagan Miles rise to the occasion in the biggest of ways, as she scored six humongous points to help set up shop for what was a 10-5 doubling-up of their opposition, permitting them to keep their lead fully intact to record the big road win.
Hamer led all scorers for Genesee Valley/Belfast with 13 points. Hill followed behind with six points, while Sullivan concluded with five.
On Friday, Genesee Valley/Belfast will look to bounce back into the win column with a 7:30 p.m. visit from Perry back inside the Jungle in Belmont.
Jasper-Troupsburg 13 10 5 10 – 38
Genesee Valley/Belfast 4 12 9 5 – 30
JASPER-TROUPSBURG: Madison Cody 2 0-0 4, Keira Marsh 1 0-0 2, Annabelle VanNorman 2 1-2 5, Natalie Cornell 7 1-2 15, Alexis Potter 1 0-0 2, Reagan Miles 5 0-0 10. Totals: 18 2-4 38.
GV/BELFAST: Abby Sullivan 2 0-0 5, Sophie Zillgitt 1 0-0 2, Mary Hamer 6 0-0 13, Ava Aaronson 2 0-3 4, Jenna Hill 2 2-3 6. Totals: 13 2-6 30.
3-point goals: GVB 2 (Sullivan, Hamer).
Total Fouls: J-T 14, GVB 8. Fouled out: None.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Cuba-Rushford 60, Andover/Whitesville 30
WHITESVILLE — Led by leading performances by both Finn Ricketts and Peyton Joy, the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford took care of business over the road in Whitesville on Wednesday, as they doubled-up host Andover/Whitesville and returned home with a 60-30 victory.
Ricketts navigated his way to the top of the Cuba-Rushford (2-0) scoresheet with his 18 points. Joy followed behind with 16 points. Statistics for Andover/Whitesville (2-2) and a complete box score were not made available to report upon publication.
Both teams are back in action at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, as the Rebels partake in the annual IAABO Tournament in Wellsville with a first-round matchup against the host Lions, while Andover/Whitesville looks for a big bounce back at Alfred-Almond.
Fillmore 83, Houghton Academy 49
HOUGHTON — Everything was clicking across all facets on the hardwood for the Eagles of Fillmore. Four different Eagles scorers all eclipsed double figures, including a massive night from the field from Zach Sisson, as they propelled straight towards victory just down the road against host Houghton Academy by an 83-49 count.
The Eagles (2-1) were right on the button to start the night off in Houghton, as the offense conducted the first of three straight quarters where they would score at least 20 points. Leading that charge was JD Bialek, who was one of five different scorers to all record at least a basket from within the team’s 23-6 game-starting run to set the tone.
Behind Jack Prentice and his 10 second quarter points, the Panthers (2-1) would start to chip away at their deficit to Fillmore, but the red-hot hand of Zach Sisson was lit ablaze all throughout the frame to aid in producing another 20-point marker to extend their advantage even further going into the locker room.
Sisson would take charge one final time at the start of the second half for the Eagles, as they cemented their victory at the end of the night with a 29-point frame — the game’s largest of the night, to come away victorious with a bounce back victory after their championship game battle with Byron-Bergen back on Saturday.
When it was all said and done, Sisson led all scorers for Fillmore with a game-high 28 points. Following behind was JD Bialek and his 15 points. Campbell Mucher had 14 points to chip in, while Jonah Bialek had 12.
Houghton Academy was led by James Adenuga, who had a hot hand from downtown, sinking five of the team’s eight triples from outside to record a 19 team-high point performance. Prentice followed with 14 points, while Josh Davidson had 11.
Both teams are back in action Friday night, as the Eagles now head for Wellsville to partake in IAABO Tournament festivities with a first-round battle against C.G. Finney begins in a 6 p.m. tip-off, while the Panthers look to rebound in a 6 p.m. contest of their own, visiting Jasper-Troupsburg.
Fillmore 23 21 29 10 – 83
Houghton Academy 6 12 15 16 – 49
FILLMORE: Campbell Mucher 7 0-0 14, Marcus Wolfer 2 0-0 4, Isaiah Sisson 2 0-0 4, Layton Sanasith 2 0-0 4, Zach Sisson 12 2-4 28, Jonah Bialek 5 0-0 12, Jameson Rhett 1 0-0 2, JD Bialek 7 1-2 15. Totals: 38 3-6 83.
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jack Prentice 7 0-0 14, Josh Davidson 4 1-2 11, James Adenuga 7 0-0 19, Ricky Song 1 0-0 2, Xiangming Chen 1 0-0 3, Jerry Yu 0 0-2 0. Totals: 20 1-4 49.
3-point goals: Fillmore 4 (Sisson 2, Jo. Bialek 2), HA 8 (Adenuga 5, Davidson 2, Chen).
Total Fouls: Fillmore 10, HA 5. Fouled out: None.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Allegany-Limestone 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 0
ALLEGANY — AJ Riordian posted a 10-kill, 10-service point night to pace the Allegany-Limestone Gators on the offensive front, using a dominant opening set start to set the dinner table for a straight-set sweep of visiting Genesee Valley/Belfast on Wednesday, claiming the 25-7, 25-16, 25-8 win.
Statistics for Genesee Valley/Belfast (1-1) were not made available to report upon publication.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will return to action on Friday with a 6 p.m. visit from Wellsville.
