By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
WATERLOO — Wednesday night brought a long road trip for the Lions of Wellsville. Almost immediately after the school bell rang out for the day, a bus awaited their arrival for their departure up north towards Seneca Lake, where the designated pit stop was centered in Waterloo for a meeting against the host Tigers.
Their latest battle helped provide another stepping stone, as they looked to continue kicking the tires on all gears with the first of three games separating them from the Barkley Showcase at Alfred State, now quickly approaching next weekend.
With their dual threat of JJ Howard and Ty Vogel down low, along with Aiden Cowburn helping weave Wellsville through the Waterloo defense, they would ensure that nothing stood in their way when the night was over, as they provided a solid start to their game before putting the finishing touches on the victory with their most sound display of offense in what was a 54-38 road win over Waterloo.
“It was a complete team effort tonight,” Lions coach Tom Muska said. “Aiden did a great job leading us through their press and Tyler and JJ did a great job of finishing at the rim. We had five different players score too, and that ending offensively with a defensive start that we had, it shows glimpses of what we were capable of at both ends of the floor. This group came into the year very unfamiliar with one another. Now, as their chemistry grows, they are becoming a really fun team to watch.”
The start for the Lions (3-6) was ignited right off the bat in the first quarter with an early 9-4 lead of the Tigers, highlighted by six straight points out of the gate. With the advantage in hand, they would never relinquish it to the hosts in white and orange. When the action flipped to the second quarter, Wellsville bolted off on another run, as they scored a 12-0 jaunt after an 11-8 lead in the early stages of the frame to give them the room and momentum they needed to work.
Although the Tigers were able to climb back to within reach to close out the first half, as well a third quarter where they closed the gap to as little as five points, Wellsville was able to play one final card in the last eight minute frame with their largest frame of attack coming into complete fruition.
With a 35-28 lead on Waterloo in hand, the Lions saw Vogel provide some assistance down low with a pair of baskets to go with a flurry of widespread free throws from the team in conjunction — an 8-for-14 outing at the stripe altogether, to permanently cement their lead on the Tigers.
Howard led all scorers on the hardwood for the visitors in black and orange with a game-high 17 points to go with 17 rebounds, putting a wrap on a monstrous double-double. Vogel followed right behind with 16 points of his own, while Cowburn and Green each followed with nine and six points, respectively.
Wellsville is back on their home floor for the first time in 2024 on Friday, as they prepare for a 7 p.m. contest against Eugenio Maria de Hostos.
Wellsville 9 14 12 19 – 54
Waterloo 4 13 11 10 – 38
WELLSVILLE: Aiden Cowburn 2 4-6 9, Cooper Brockway 2 0-0 6, JJ Howard 7 3-6 17, Ty Vogel 6 3-6 16, Alex Green 2 2-4 6. Totals: 19 12-22 54.
WATERLOO: Cameron Jacobs 1 1-6 3, Brandon Lee 1 1-2 3, Dylan Caraballo 6 1-4 16, Fabian Berrios 2 1-2 6, Carter Peterson 1 0-0 3, John Bates 1 0-0 2, Devin Mulvey-Salerno 1 2-2 5. Totals: 13 6-16 37.
3-point goals: Wellsville 4 (Brockway 2, Cowburn, Vogel), Waterloo 6 (Caraballo 3, Berrios, Peterson, Mulvey-Salerno)
Total Fouls: Wellsville 17, Waterloo 16. Fouled out: Green (WLSV), Caraballo (WAT).
Wednesday Basketball: Lavery, Tompkins set off enormous 4th quarter to aid Lady Rebels in win over B-R; Fri/Scio’s Ross buckets 36 in 63-43 win at And/Whi, Arkport-Canaseraga boys down Dansville
CUBA — In what was a game filled with runs and filled with tons of defense, especially across the first half, Bolivar-Richburg and Cuba-Rushford engaged in close quarters combat in their first night back on the hardwood, Wednesday evening. (Photos of this game at the end of the roundup)
The Lady Wolverines and Lady Rebels had their hand in shifting the game in their favor after a back-and-forth first quarter exchange. With a slight lead going into the break, the hosts in white and blue aimed to build off of it. But across the second half, runs were traded between both teams, as Bolivar-Richburg climbed into the driver’s seat entering the last eight minutes.
Down by a pair, the Lady Rebels would work up late magic of their own on both ends of the floor. Led by the likes of Brynn Lavery and Lily Tompkins, they advanced forward to hold the Lady Wolverines to just six points while regaining the lead they previously held at halftime, using it all entirely to record a 40-33 win.
“This game was really back and forth quite a bit,” Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight said. “(Raegan) Giardini hurt us after we made a little run to start the third quarter, but we were able to finally get some points easily on the transition in the fourth quarter after creating some turnovers to put the game away.”
In the midst of a defensive battle across the first half, offensive baskets were difficult to come by in the same swing on both sides, but when the opportunities presented themselves, the Lady Wolverines were able to escape Cuba-Rushford’s grasp with some early pressure to collect a three-point lead going into the second.
The Lady Rebels (3-6) provided a big response to Bolivar-Richburg’s pressure later on with an 11-4 second quarter run, fueled behind some great looks from the field by Cloey Larabee and Lily Tompkins, along with some help at the line to overtake their opposition at the front of the line with a 19-15 lead at the break.
Upon their re-entry to the court, the Lady Wolverines (2-6) halted the momentum that Cuba-Rushford built to close out the first half and start the second half with another offensive conduction paced by a powerful second half from Raegan Giardini, who scored seven of the team’s 12 points in their 12-6 doubling-up of the Lady Rebels to jump back in front with a 27-25 lead going into the last frame.
The hosts were able to provide one last punch in the last eight minutes, forcing the momentum back in their direction with Tompkins and Brynn Lavery coming together for a forceful 15-6 run, combining to score all of the team’s points in the frame to go back on top for good to ensure their victory.
Lavery led all scorers for the Lady Rebels with 14 team-leading points, while Tompkins followed with nine points. Cloey Larabee had six points. For the Lady Wolverines, Giardini finished with a game-high 15 points. Carmen Crowley chipped in 10 points, while Nadia Baldwin had five to pitch in.
Both teams will have Oswayo Valley up next on their schedule, with Cuba-Rushford playing host this Friday night in a 7:30 p.m. battle. After the weekend ahead, Bolivar-Richburg will hit the road down below the border to visit the Lady Green Wave themselves in a 7:30 p.m. contest of their own, Monday night.
Bolivar-Richburg 11 4 12 6 – 33
Cuba-Rushford 8 11 6 15 – 40
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Nadia Baldwin 2 0-0 5, Raegan Giardini 7 0-0 15, Sydney Faulkner 1 0-0 2, Rylee Whiting 0 1-2 1, Carmen Crowley 4 2-5 10. Totals: 14 3-7 33.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Aubrey Williams 1 2-4 4, Cloey Larabee 3 0-0 6, Shae Maples 2 0-0 4, Lily Tompkins 4 1-4 9, Brynn Lavery 6 2-3 14, Lilly Farwell 1 0-0 2, Raegan Poore 0 1-2 1. Totals: 17 6-13 40.
3-point goals: B-R 2 (Baldwin, Giardini).
Total Fouls: B-R 16, C-R 16. Fouled out: None.
Friendship/Scio 63, Andover/Whitesville 43
ANDOVER — One night removed from a successful start to the new calendar year at Alfred-Almond, the road swing continued for Friendship/Scio when a visit to Andover/Whitesville eclipsed over the horizon on Wednesday.
On the floor, it turned out to be the biggest night of the season, and perhaps the career of Nevaeh Ross.
Propelled by a brilliant first quarter start, the Friendship/Scio senior struck all chords from all over the floor, as she posted 36 points to pair along with nine rebounds and seven steals to author her best game of the season to keep her team red hot to start their campaign, soaring to their seventh win in their first eight games with a 63-43 win in Andover.
“Nevaeh played with a lot of speed, and she played some really mature, under-control basketball tonight,” Friendship/Scio coach Ashleigh Lewis said. “Truth be told, the whole team played really well behind her. We had great helper defense against them to help set the tone, we had great ball movement, we did all the small things right to make this happen.”
The tone was set immediately by Friendship/Scio (7-1) right in the first half of play, as they held Andover/Whitesville to just 14 points across the two sessions of play — seven in each quarter, while the offense produced an enormous 20-point opening quarter to scamper off with the early advantage.
The visitors in black and gold added to their lead with another strong 17-7 run to close out the first half, ensuring their spot in the driver’s seat in the time ahead.
Following behind Ross for Friendship/Scio on offense was Emily Lamberson and Morghyn Ross, as both scorers bucketed 12 points each, with Ross adding eight assists and six steals. Pitching in on special teams was Avery Lamberson, who grabbed seven rebounds.
For Andover/Whitesville (2-7), Stella Bledsoe led the scoring with a team-high 14 points. Graci Lewis-Ellison chipped in with 10 points, while Lilly Harrington had eight points.
Both teams will step onto their home floors Tuesday night in a pair of 7:30 p.m. contests, with Friendship/Scio heading back home to Friendship to welcome in Genesee Valley/Belfast, while Andover/Whitesville plays host to Fillmore over the hill in Whitesville.
Friendship/Scio 20 17 18 8 – 63
Andover/Whitesville 7 7 17 12 – 43
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Emily Lamberson 5 0-0 12, Nevaeh Ross 17 2-4 36, Avery Lamberson 1 1-2 3, Morghyn Ross 5 1-2 12. Totals: 28 4-8 63.
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Stella Bledsoe 6 0-2 14, Graci Lewis-Ellison 4 2-2 10, Grace Fry 3 1-1 7, Makaila Brewster 1 0-0 2, Lilly Harrington 3 2-4 8, Olivia Waters 0 2-2 2. Totals: 17 7-11 43.
3-point goals: F/S 3 (E. Lamberson 2, M. Ross), A/W 2 (Bledsoe).
Total Fouls: F/S 12, A/W 12. Fouled out: Bledsoe (A/W).
Canisteo-Greenwood 54, Addison 15
CANISTEO — Four different scorers powered an all-balanced offensive attack for the Lady Chargers of Canisteo-Greenwood, as they used strong starts at the beginning of each half to cement their spot in the catbird’s seat against visiting Addison, rolling towards a 54-15 home victory in the Canisteo Valley on Wednesday to start the New Year on a positive.
The Lady Chargers (4-3) were able to hold the Lady Knights to no more than six points across each of the four quarters of action, including the opening eight minutes where they constructed a quick 11-2 run to set up shop.
After branching their advantage out entering halftime, the hosts in white and red pushed it out one more time in the third quarter with a 17-3 jaunt of Addison to officially lock up and secure their first win in 2024.
Behind the efforts on the attack was McKenna Ferris, who recorded a team-high 12 points. Kora Button and Bailey Mullen each had 11 points, with Mullen chipping in eight rebounds, eight steals and four assists along the way.
Harlie McCaffery was a rebound away from recording a double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine boards. Adding more help on special teams was Sidney Drouin, pitching in nine more rebounds.
Canisteo-Greenwood is right back at it tonight with a 6 p.m. contest against the Jasper-Troupsburg Lady Wildcats on their home floor.
Addison 2 6 3 4 – 15
Canisteo-Greenwood 11 13 17 13 – 54
ADDISON: Caidyn James 0 1-3 1, Julia Benton 0 0-2 0, Bregan Jones 3 1-2 12, Kylene Stierly 1 0-0 2. Totals: 4 2-7 15.
CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Kora Button 4 3-6 11, Bailey Mullen 3 3-4 11, Kadyn Piliero 3 0-2 6, McKenna Ferris 6 0-0 12, Harlie McCaffery 4 2-2 10, Sidney Drouin 2 0-2 4. Totals: 22 8-16 54.
3-point goals: Addison 3 (Jones), C-G 2 (Mullen).
Total Fouls: Addison 16, C-G 9. Fouled out: None.
Arkport-Canaseraga 74, Dansville 54
DANSVILLE — After suffering what was their first loss of the season back in early December, there was only one thing on the minds of Arkport-Canaseraga entering Wednesday night: Redemption.
That loss came against the Dansville Mustangs in incredibly close fashion in Canaseraga. Now, the path to redemption led straight to the Corral further north in Dansville. Like their previous contest with the Class B1 heavy hitters, it was not going to be easy. That was showcased in full with a tough fight in the first half, as both teams fought tooth and nail across much of the time to settle at a halftime deadlock.
But through the chaos, there was a power shift. One of such magnitude, it flipped the game on its head completely.
The Wolves began to howl deep into the night.
With a 31-31 tie waiting to be broken to start the second half, Arkport-Canaseraga took matters into their own hands in a big way. Fronted by an incredible second half effort by Ibra Ford, the visitors in black and teal prowled by holding Dansville at a near-standstill, scoring an earthshaking third quarter run that witnessed them streak past the Mustangs without a trace and towards their seventh win in eight games by a 74-54 count.
Arkport-Canaseraga and Dansville were step for step with one another across a tough first half of play, with the Mustangs claiming an early 14-11 lead in the first eight minutes. Later on, the Wolves (7-1) fired back a response that saw the game reach its half-ending deadlock, despite some foul trouble, with Caden Carey springing the attack to life with nine of the team’s 19 points in the second quarter.
The momentum entering the break would reach its ultimate boiling point when the third quarter took effect, as the Wolves assumed total control of Dansville from start to finish, providing the biggest break in the deadlock with an outstandingly ferocious 22-4 run.
That, fronted by the efforts of Ford, who posted 13 of his game-high 21 points for the visitors in the second half to set them apart from the Mustangs.
“It was a solid team effort against a well-coached Dansville team,” said Wolves coach Max Houy. “We wanted to avenge our loss at home earlier this season, and we are really happy to get the win on the road. The Arkport-Canaseraga community came out for this one, and you could feel it. The kids, us coaches, we really appreciate all the support. Our full-court pressure and ball movement made the difference in the second half. We went on that big run in the third quarter, and our veterans across the board stepped up tonight when they were out there. Even though we had some foul trouble, it was a next man up mentality and the kids embraced it.”
Houy continued, noting “I also want to send my well wishes and prayers to Zaiden (VanDurme-Blackmon), the talented point guard for Dansville. He’s going through a bit of a health scare at the moment. He’s a strong player and I hope he has a speedy recovery. I know the Dansville kids were playing with a heavy heart, and they played really hard. I know it can’t be easy when you see your teammate struggling, but my respect goes to them. Our team wishes Zaiden and Dansville the best moving forward.”
Finishing behind Ford for the Wolves was Caden Carey, who totaled 19 points. Tim Vilkhu chipped in with 11 points, while Alex Vilkhu had eight.
Coming up, Arkport-Canaseraga will look to keep their fire burning on Friday with a 6 p.m. road trip to Alfred-Almond.
