News from the weekend and Monday: B-R shows resilience despite Finney’s 1st half offensive fissure, fall to Falcons in titanic Class C bout; Fillmore’s Sisson eclipses 1,000 career points in home win over Franklinville
by CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
BOLIVAR — Just one game separated the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg from the grand stage at Alfred State this weekend for the Dan Barkley Showcase. Not only was it just one game, it is one that will give them a great big look at the surrounding field of competition ahead when the middle of February approaches in just over a month’s time.
To start the week Monday night, the opponent of choice was the C.G. Finney Falcons — a team that has the expertise to take advantage of the opportunity right off the bat.
They showcased that in its entirety right away.
Led by a hawkish three-point attack and a stout and stingy defensive stand across the first half, the Falcons made connections across all facets on the court. They assumed complete and total control of the Wolverines, starting with a first quarter fissure that grew larger and larger as time went on. Despite some second half resilience from Bolivar-Richburg to climb back into the game, the visitors were able to hang on for a 77-63 victory.
“They hit six threes in the first quarter, and it was quite the trick to keep pace with them,” said Wolverines coach Justin Thomas. “When you start 20-8, that’s pretty rough sledding right there. We played even with them the rest of the way, mathematically, but they hit a few more shots to keep that lead without turning it over. They were just too hot for us to flip the script on them completely.”
The Falcons stormed out of the gate with a thunderous presence, starting with a buffet of offense against Bolivar-Richburg (8-2) that consisted of six first quarter three-pointers, a slew of offensive rebounds and a ton of defensive pressure back down to the opposite end of the court. All of those ingredients mixed together allowed C.G. Finney to orchestrate a 22-8 run of the Wolverines to put them in front with the big advantage.
The offense proceeded to keep unraveling in the second quarter, not missing a beat by beginning the new frame with eight straight points — most the scoring stemming off multiple Bolivar-Richburg turnovers courtesy of their defensive pressure. As a result, the C.G. Finney lead would reach as much as 25 during the first half, despite the Wolverines starting a run of their own that saw them score 11 of the following 16 points with near two minutes remaining on the clock to climb back to within reach.
The run would help build a pile of momentum for the hosts in white and black to use in the third quarter, as they started the second half red hot with a 24-point stanza of offense. A response that Thomas was more than pleased with.
“It’s a testament to the resiliency of these guys. I even said during a timeout that they weren’t giving up and they had to find some sort of foothold,” he said. “They started to play better in the second, but they turned it around in the third to get us right back into the game. But they kept on hitting those shots to stay out in front. But from 25 down to close it to six, they’re a big group of gamers that work tirelessly until the buzzer.”
At one point during the fourth quarter, the Wolverines kept shelling out responses to the Falcons, one after another until the double digit deficit decreased down to just a pair of possessions with enough wiggle room in time to work with to continue construction on a potential momentum shift.
But in the end, C.G. Finney held on to the victory behind their corresponding buckets to Bolivar-Richburg while garnering some help at the charity stripe to close up shop.
Aydin Sisson led all Bolivar-Richburg scorers with a team-high 23 points. Landon Barkley chipped in with 19 points of his own, while Kingston Loucks finished with 15.
The Wolverines are now off until this weekend’s eighth installment of the Dan Barkley Showcase at Alfred State, where they will partake in battle against the Addison Knights in game three of the five-game set, beginning at 4 p.m.
C.G. Finney 22 19 17 19 – 77
Bolivar-Richburg 8 16 24 15 – 63
FINNEY: Mikey Crandall 2 0-0 4, Brealen Broome 6 4-10 21, Ethan Krogg 9 6-6 31, Ethan Snavely 2 0-0 4, Xavier Owens 5 2-4 12, Daniel Colon 2 0-0 5. Totals: 26 12-20 77.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 10 1-2 23, Landon Barkley 6 4-5 19, Waide Karnuth 2 0-0 4, Reiss Gaines 1 0-0 2, Kingston Loucks 6 0-1 15. Totals: 25 5-8 63.
3-point goals: Finney 13 (Krogg 7, Broome 5, Colon), B-R 8 (Barkley 3, Loucks 3, Sisson 2).
Total Fouls: Finney 10, B-R 12. Fouled out: None.
Fillmore 70, Franklinville 50
FILLMORE — The start of a new week couldn’t go without making a little more history in the Allegany County Basketball ledger. Over the years since his uprising to the Varsity level, Zach Sisson has quickly and quietly made all the noise he could for the Eagles of Fillmore, emerging as one of the team’s leaders, as well as one of the best shooters in the area.
Just days after Genesee Valley/Belfast’s Mary Hamer joined the elite club of 1,000-point scorers in Belfast school history, it was time for another to hit the books in the boys basketball scene.
Partway into the fourth quarter, Sisson was the next one up, as he gathered a phenomenal back-door pass underneath the rim to put away, as he sent the Fillmore bench into a frenzy after he eclipsed that historic mark in the midst of the team’s 70-50 home win — their fifth in a row, over Franklinville on Monday inside The Rock.
“The story of the night is Zach,” Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “He was able to hit 1,000 career points. I’m so proud of him, and nobody has outworked him over the last four years, and the way he has evolved from being a great shooter to being a great scorer and being a leader on both ends of the floor. It truly has been awesome to watch, and I’m really happy to have been there for every point.”
Out of his game-high 33 points, Sisson took charge of the Fillmore (7-2) offense with 22 points in the opening quarter. In a back-and-forth exchange with the Panthers early on, the Eagles found their opening to close out the opening quarter with the upper hand in their possession, as the senior sharpshooter raced in and let a jumper inside the paint fly right before the buzzer sounded to gnab a 19-16 advantage to carry onward.
With Franklinville closing the gap to as little as five points on multiple occasions across the second quarter, the Eagles remained in firm control when the first half closed up, as they assembled a massive 24-point stand of offense, led by Sisson, along with some added assistance from Cam Mucher and JD Bialek to blossom their lead to double digits.
With 3:45 left to go and a 31-26 lead of the Panthers in hand, the Eagles marched forward and closed out the half on a 12-2 run to ensure their lead remained intact.
“Franklinville is a tough team to play, and their coach always gets them ready to play,” Crouch said. “They have a little bit of everything in terms of athleticism, size and skill. They were better prepared for pressure tonight, and we got impatient and made some poor decisions early. We let Noah (Shenk) get some open looks, and he made us pay in the first. Once we settled down and found a rhythm, we were able to dictate pace and play our game. Cam (Mucher) made some big plays on both ends and really helped us through a couple of lulls.”
As Fillmore continued to add onto their lead across the second half, the big moment for Sisson arose just past the midway mark of the final eight minute period, as he gathered a pass from behind on the run from Jonah Bialek and provided the lay-in with ease before being swarmed by his teammates in celebration of the historic marker.
His final basket of the game.
Following behind Sisson on the Fillmore leaderboard was Mucher, who finished with 20 points — 12 in the first half to coincide with Sisson’s monstrous performance. JD Bialek recorded six points, while Jonah Bialek finished with five.
The Eagles will now go for six straight wins when they return to action Wednesday night with a 7:30 p.m. road trip to Andover/Whitesville, in Andover.
Franklinville 16 12 11 11 – 50
Fillmore 19 24 16 11 – 70
FRANKLINVILLE: Colin Terwilliger 2 1-1 5, Bretton Blecha 5 0-0 10, Eli Shenk 1 0-0 2, Grant Cornell 0 2-2 2, Noah Shenk 3 2-2 11, Matthew Spittler 1 0-2 2, Isaac Towne 4 1-1 9, Collin Mooney 3 1-2 7, Bill Slavinski 0 2-2 2. Totals: 19 9-12 50.
FILLMORE: Eben Schilke 1 0-0 3, Cam Mucher 6 2-2 20, Isaiah Sisson 0 1-2 1, Zach Sisson 11 9-9 33, Jonah Bialek 1 2-2 5, Brayden Hennard 1 0-0 2, JD Bialek 3 0-0 6. Totals: 23 14-15 70.
3-point goals: Franklinville 3 (N. Shenk), Fillmore 7 (Mucher 3, Sisson 2, Schilke, Jo. Bialek).
Total Fouls: Franklinville 13, Fillmore 15. Fouled out: None.
Perry 48, Genesee Valley/Belfast 47
PERRY — It was an early back-and-forth battle to begin Monday night, and down the stretch, a late fourth quarter comeback allowed Genesee Valley/Belfast to ascend into the lead in the waning stages. Alongside host Perry, the two teams came together and duked it out one final time with time of the essence.
With the visitors continuing to cling onto a four-point lead going into the last minute of play, the Yellowjackets were on the clock. Their response? — A go-ahead winner.
Down 45-41, Perry went on a rapid run of Genesee Valley/Belfast by scoring seven of the game’s last nine points. Amongst those baskets, a long triple that served as the bullseye for the Yellowjackets from deep, as Bryce Tallman knocked down his final triple from the parking lot to wrap up a 29-point performance and the comeback victory for the hosts in a 48-47 thriller.
The pace was reminiscent of a teeter-totter for much of the first half, including the opening quarter where both Genesee Valley/Belfast and Perry exchanged baskets at a constant, where the visitors in black were able to capture a one-point lead. But the momentum was held for only a brief juncture entering the next frame of play, as the Yellowjackets piloted a run that saw them score eight of the first 10 points to jump out to an 18-13 advantage.
Genesee Valley/Belfast would navigate their way back into reach, closing the gap behind the Yellowjackets to as close as one before the hosts in white and blue kept them in the rearview mirror to close out the half with another run, carrying a four-point lead into the locker room.
After Perry scored a 12-7 advantage across the third quarter, Genesee Valley/Belfast pushed their chips to the center of the table with a fourth quarter comeback, outscoring the Yellowjackets by a 17-9 count to overtake them at the top of the peak with a 45-41 entering the final minute of play.
Despite capturing the upper hand, the Yellowjackets had one final card to play in the shape of Tallman, who knocked down the most clutch of baskets from the outer perimeter to shift the balance of power back in their direction once and for all, as they closed the game with seven of the last nine points to claim victory at the buzzer.
Leading the scoring for Genesee Valley/Belfast was Kadin Logue, who recorded a team-high 17 points. Kenton Schulz chipped in with 14 points of his own, while Ian McKenzie had seven.
The road swing journeys on for Genesee Valley/Belfast Wednesday night, as they prepare for a 7:30 p.m. visit to Friendship to battle host Friendship/Scio.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 11 12 7 17 – 47
Perry 10 17 12 9 – 48
GV/BELFAST: Kyle McCumiskey 1 0-0 2, Kadin Logue 6 3-6 17, Ian McKenzie 3 0-0 7, Owen Heaney 1 0-0 2, Jacob Borden 1 0-0 2, Kenton Schulz 7 0-0 14, Ryan Daciw 1 1-3 3. Totals: 20 4-9 47.
PERRY: Bryce Tallman 11 5-11 29, Beau Slocum 1 1-2 3, Emmit Hill 1 0-0 2, Trenton Washburn 1 0-2 2, JT Grover 1 0-2 2, Hunter Henchen 5 0-0 10. Totals: 20 6-17 48.
3-point goals: GVB 3 (Logue 2, McKenzie), Perry 2 (Tallman).
Total Fouls: GVB 18, Perry 12. Fouled out: None.
Arkport-Canaseraga 64, Jasper-Troupsburg 40
GREENWOOD — The three-point game was hitting all strides for the Wolves of Arkport-Canaseraga, Monday night. Out of their 12 total they collected across their 32-minute battle with host Jasper-Troupsburg, seven of them were posted in the opening half. Led by a game-leading charge from Caden Carey, they went on to score their ninth win in their first 10 games by a 64-40 count over the Wildcats.
“That’s the most that we’ve shot all season. This was a great team win on the road against a well-disciplined Jasper-Troupsburg club,” Wolves coach Max Houy said. “Their coaching staff has them prepared, and you have to hustle your tail off and play as hard as you can against them. It’s always been this way, especially during my time when Coach (Tom) Price was coaching. It was always a battle that we never took for granted. I’m really proud of the guys and their effort, especially on the defensive end. Every guy out there battled with great intensity on a Monday night.”
Arkport-Canaseraga (9-1) settled right in with ease in the first half, especially in the opening quarter where four of their seven first half triples all found nothing but the twine on the way down, scoring an early 16-9 lead on the Wildcats to carry forward. After conducting a similar run to close out the first half, the offense would reach a boiling point when the second half opened up.
Led by Carey’s 10-point third quarter, along with a 7-for-9 outing at the charity stripe, the Wolves put their foot down on the gas and never let off of it, as they strolled away and out of reach of Jasper-Troupsburg with a 22-7 run to change the complexion of the game completely. Carey finished with a game-high 22 points for Arkport-Canaseraga.
Following behind in the scoring was Ibra Ford, who had all four of his three-pointers in the first half, totaling 18 points for the contest. Devin Moran knocked down two more triples for six points, while Kohler Preston had five.
Jasper-Troupsburg was paced by a team-high 12 points from Sawyer Troxel.
The Wolves will look to eclipse the 10-win mark on Wednesday, when they take aim for the complete season sweep of the defending State Champion Avoca-Prattsburgh Titans back home in Canaseraga, starting at 7:15 p.m.
Arkport-Canaseraga 16 16 22 10 – 64
Jasper-Troupsburg 9 10 7 14 – 40
ARKPORT-CANASERAGA: Devin Moran 2 0-0 6, Connor Westfall 1 0-0 3, Caden Carey 7 5-5 22, Ibra Ford 6 2-2 18, Lucas Smith 1 0-0 3, Kohler Preston 2 0-0 5, Tim Vilkhu 0 4-5 4, Dan Clark 1 1-2 3. Totals: 20 12-14 64.
JASPER-TROUPSBURG: Braylon Lawson 2 1-2 5, James Ainsworth 4 0-0 8, Sawyer Troxel 5 0-0 12, Jackson Hayes 1 1-2 3, Landon Zver 2 1-4 7, Jacoby VanGorden 2 0-0 5. Totals: 16 3-8 40.
3-point goals: A-C 12 (Ford 4, Carey 3, Moran 2, Westfall, Smith, Preston), J-T 5 (Troxel 2, Zver 2, VanGorden).
Total Fouls: A-C 10, J-T 10. Fouled out: None.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Wellsville 3, Friendship/Scio 0
SCIO — Despite a very tough battle from host Friendship/Scio across the night, Brody Heaney and Lucius Griggs helped provide some big offensive firepower to ignite the Lions of Wellsville over the road Monday night, as they came together to assemble a straight-set sweep by a 25-21, 25-21, 25-14 count in Scio.
Heaney led the Lions (6-3) offense behind a team-high 10 kills to pair alongside with two aces and a block. Griggs followed suit with eight more kills of his own to couple with two aces and two assists at the front of the net.
For Friendship/Scio (1-7), Lawson Ector paced the offense with his nine kills and one ace. Following was Nathan Griffiths, who had seven assists to hand out, along with a pair of digs on defense. The team will return to action Wednesday night with a 6 p.m. visit to Bolivar-Richburg.
“Coming off a long day and good showing at the Midseason Tournament on Saturday, we just didn’t have our legs tonight. Our lack of depth caught up to us, having only six players the past week,” said Friendship/Scio coach Kaiden Bowers.
Wellsville is back home Thursday night with a 6 p.m. visit from Genesee Valley/Belfast.
Arkport-Canaseraga 3, Fillmore 0
ARKPORT — Remaining right behind undefeated Allegany-Limestone, the Wolves of Arkport-Canaseraga keep on trailing a blaze of glory with their eighth win of the season in their home quarters, as they knocked off the visiting Fillmore Eagles in straight-set fashion on Monday, claiming the 25-16, 25-22, 25-23 decision in Arkport.
Noah Drouin electrified the Arkport-Canaseraga (8-1) offense from start to finish at the front of the net, recording a game-high 11 kills to go with three aces from the back line. Marcos Gutierrez complimented the offense with five more kills and three aces, while Curtis Hartman had six aces and three kills.
Statistics for the Eagles (4-5) were not made available to report upon publication.
Fillmore is back on their home floor Wednesday night, hosting Cuba-Rushford at 6 p.m.
Cuba-Rushford 3, Bolivar-Richburg 0
CUBA — Both Bolivar-Richburg and Cuba-Rushford gave it everything they had in a close battle to start the week, Monday night in the Wighthouse. With no decision in each set eclipsing more than six points, each would share the same result — a Rebels victory, as they came out of the match winning the war amongst rivals with a 25-21, 25-19, 25-19 straight-set decision.
Anderson Siegel helped set the stage for a strong performance on defense to captain Cuba-Rushford (3-6), as he posted nine big digs to keep the ball off the floor, pairing them with five aces from the back line and four kills on the attack. Brock Stadler chipped in with six kills, three digs and an ace, while Coen Kellogg handed out nine helpers to couple with five more digs on defense and an ace.
The Wolverines (0-10) saw Dustin Murray engineer a strong presence on offense, recording eight team-high kills to go with four blocks at the net and an ace. Owen Unfus was busy in the middle of the floor setting up the attack, handing out 19 apples to pair with two aces and a kill. Bolivar-Richburg heads back home for a 6 p.m. contest against incoming Friendship/Scio.
The Rebels will look to continue their winning ways back on the road tonight in a quick turnaround, visiting Portville in a 6 p.m. first serve.
Allegany-Limestone 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 0
BELMONT — Genesee Valley/Belfast came out with a powerful start to their game, hanging right alongside the unbeaten Gators of Allegany-Limestone to begin the night on Monday.
But when it was all said and done, the Gators were able to create just enough wiggle room to grab the two points they needed to close out the opening set, also building momentum in the same swing to put towards what morphed into a straight-set victory over the road to claim their ninth win of the campaign — a 25-23, 25-13, 25-15 decision.
“I felt really good about our game one. We really pushed them hard, but we had a few mistakes that we had to shore up to really fix that game. But I was really proud of how they were pushed and how they responded. Hopefully this was a great sign that we can continue that growth.” said GV/Belfast coach Darren Bradt.
Brayden Cooper led the offense for Genesee Valley/Belfast (4-6) with eight kills and three blocks at the front of the net. Sean Mahon and Noah Miller converged to record 14 combined assists to help set up the attack in the middle of the floor.
Allegany-Limestone was paced by Josh Nolder on offense, recording 12 kills to pair with 12 digs on defense. CJ Ellison continued fueling the team’s cause, handing out 23 assists.
Up next, Genesee Valley/Belfast prepares for a 6 p.m. bus ride off to the west, meeting the Portville Panthers on Wednesday.
Saturday Basketball: Gananda scurries past Lady Lions behind torrent 3rd quarter run to score snowy 57-43 home win; C-R boys bounce back behind Brooks, Wight in victory at Oswayo Valley
GANANDA — Old Man Winter made his presence felt all day long on Saturday.
Vast sheets of snow shrouded and plastered the entire Southern Tier, making commuting a little difficult for some. Amongst those in travel: The Lady Lions of Wellsville, who made the trek north just outside of Rochester to visit the Gananda Lady Blue Panthers — one of Class C1’s top dogs.
While the blankets were falling outside, the first of two titanic matchups for Wellsville took the spotlight on the hardwood indoors. The first eight minutes between the two foes was filled with an effervescent amount of scoring. The majority of which were responses to corresponding baskets, as the battle witnessed the Lady Lions claim a four-point edge.
Gananda remained stride for stride with the Lady Lions all the way to the end of the first half, but thanks to a strong end, they carried their propulsion over to the second half and started it by running the table.
To start the last 16 minute strophe, the Lady Blue Panthers grooved to the right tune on the dance floor, as they started off with nine straight points to overtake Wellsville in the driver’s seat, ultimately for good, as they wrapped up the third quarter with all the momentum off their game-changing jaunt of the Lady Lions to lay claim on a 57-43 home win.
The pace settled with a torrent and constant opening chapter between Wellsville (7-3) and Gananda, as both teams combined to record 38 points across the frame. For the Lady Lions, five different scorers all pitched in to aid the efforts to remain side-by-side with the Lady Blue Panthers throughout, as they scored the quarter’s last four points to break a 17-17 tie and morph it into a four-point lead going into the second.
While the offenses went at full force to start, it was now the defense’s turn to buckle in to close out the half, as the teams held one another in check. That would allow the visitors in black and orange to continue holding the 28-25 lead going into the break, but not before the Lady Blue Panthers built one final burst of energy to carry over by finishing with six of the half’s last 10 points.
In the third quarter, a completely different narrative. It was Gananda’s turn to take over.
The Lady Blue Panthers caught fire right at the start by rattling off nine straight points to eventually snag the lead away from Wellsville’s grasp, as they now positioned themselves at the top with a 34-28 lead, extending upon it even further with what formulated into an 18-9 doubling-up of the Lady Lions across the entire frame.
The majority of those points were gathered by Eva Jenny, who posted 18 of her game-high 32 points in the second half to ignite the Lady Blue Panthers to ultimate success. The run they created would serve as their game-changing moment, as Gananda went on to claim victory with one more strong finish in the last eight minutes to keep the Lady Lions in the rearview mirror for good.
Despite the defeat, Wellsville saw three different scorers all eclipse double figures on the stat sheet. Heading the efforts was Averee Palmatier and her team-high 13 points. Natalie Adams and Makenna Dunbar each had 10 points to chip in, with Adams recording seven rebounds and six assists, while Dunbar completed a double-double with 11 rebounds to round off the special teams contributions.
Prior to the Varsity contest, the Wellsville Lady Lions JV squad started off the day with a strong 40-24 win over Gananda. Leading the charge in the victory was Reegan Perkins, as she posted 17 points.
The Lady Lions are now off until next weekend, when they now get set to head for the Orvis Activities Center on the confines of Alfred State College to help open up the eighth installment of the Dan Barkley Showcase with the tournament’s preluding event — the Sheriff’s Classic, where they square off against their longtime rival: The Hornell Lady Red Raiders.
Tip-off is set for a 6 p.m. start on Friday.
Wellsville 21 7 9 6 – 43
Gananda 17 8 18 14 – 57
WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 1 1-1 4, Natalie Adams 2 4-6 10, Averee Palmatier 6 1-1 13, Makenna Dunbar 3 4-8 10, Jaden Dunbar 3 0-0 6. Totals: 15 10-16 43.
GANANDA: Leah Buffan 2 2-4 7, Nyah Cruz 1 0-0 2, Eva Jenny 12 7-8 32, Nicole Cruz 2 0-1 4, Madison Dohse 4 0-2 8, Ana VanAntwerp 2 0-0 4. Totals: 23 9-15 57.
3-point goals: Wellsville 3 (Adams 2, Stevens), Gananda 2 (Buffan, Jenny).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 13, Gananda 15. Fouled out: None.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Cuba-Rushford 40, Oswayo Valley 29
SHINGLEHOUSE, Pa. — It was not easy by any means, but after a snowy trip down below the border to visit Oswayo Valley on Saturday, the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford were able to get back on the right side of the tracks behind the guidance of Braeden Wight in the first half and Luke Brooks in the next, as they surfed past the Green Wave with a 40-29 win to hop back above .500 on the season.
“We started slow again and we have to figure that out going forward,” Rebels coach Pat Wight said. “It was a very physical game, and we didn’t take care of the ball. Fortunately enough, we were able to make some of the right shots and escape with the win. Credit to Oswayo Valley, they played extremely hard and they never quit.”
Through the opening quarter, the Rebels (6-5) exchanged early glances with the Green Wave from inside, with Wight and Peyton Joy coming together to score eight of the team’s 12 points to help seize a 12-8 lead.
The momentum continued into the second for the visitors in blue and maroon, as they branched their lead to nine after another advantageous jaunt sparked by the inside game once more.
With a 25-16 advantage, it was time for Brooks to rise to the occasion for the Rebels, as he helped put a lock on the victory with with 10 of his game-high 12 points all in the second half — eight of them in the third quarter, while the defense in transition held Oswayo Valley to just five points off a pair of field goals.
Following Brooks and Wight were Kaden Bell, Finn Ricketts, Adam Roe and Peyton Joy — all recording four points each to further the Cuba-Rushford cause.
The Rebels hit the road again Wednesday night for a 7:30 p.m. visit to Houghton Academy.
Cuba-Rushford 12 13 11 4 – 40
Oswayo Valley 8 8 5 8 – 29
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Braeden Wight 4 1-2 10, Kaden Bell 2 0-0 4, Luke Brooks 5 2-2 12, Dean Frank 0 0-2 0, Finn Ricketts 2 0-0 4, Tristan Clayson 1 0-2 2, Adam Roe 2 0-0 4, Peyton Joy 2 0-0 4. Totals: 18 3-8 40.
OSWAYO VALLEY: Brayden Wiley 1 0-0 3, Dawson Welch 1 0-0 3, Landon Flurschutz 2 1-2 6, Dain Lyons 0 0-2 0, Nik Bonney 2 0-0 4, Isaiah Goode 3 0-0 6, Conner Resig 0 3-4 3, Gabe Mundt 2 0-0 4. Totals: 11 4-8 29.
3-point goals: C-R 1 (Wight), OV 3 (Wiley, Welch, Flurschutz).
Total Fouls: C-R 16, OV 15. Fouled out: None.
Friday Roundup: Hamer becomes 1st Belfast girls player since 1983 to gain entrance into 1K-point club in GV/Belfast’s win over Warsaw; Cowburn’s clutch go-ahead 3 lifts Wellsville past Eugenio Maria
BELFAST — It’s something that hasn’t happened in just over 40 years. Many Lady Bulldogs have come and gone over the years, including Lisa Hayes, who was last to accomplish such a feat back in 1983.
That feat being a punching of the golden ticket into the school’s 1,000-point club.
After countless hours of hard work and dedication, that four-decade long drought was reaching its end. Right before the holiday break, Mary Hamer found herself just under 20 points away from history. In their December 21 road battle in Fillmore, the Genesee Valley/Belfast senior very nearly reached that mark before time expired.
The magic number to clinch it was now down to three. But the long wait began until the first week of the New Year.
The next time out on the court was Friday night in front of a packed home crowd in Belfast. There wasn’t an empty seat in the house for Genesee Valley/Belfast’s return to the floor against the Warsaw Lady Tigers, and right from the opening tip, the hosts in white assumed complete control of the action.
As a result, in just over a minute into the game, Hamer would rewrite the school’s history books. That 41-year wait was finally over.
After the defense capitalized off a Warsaw turnover deep in their own zone, the pace shifted back up court on offense where a series of passes worked its way to Hamer down low. With pressure up against her, Hamer did not hesitate one bit, as she went up for the jumper and knocked it down with ease to send the home crowd into an electric frenzy, as she became the first in the combined program’s history and just the second girls basketball player in Belfast school history to eclipse 1,000 career points to aid Genesee Valley/Belfast’s ascension to victory with a 47-27 win.
When the historic bucket went through the twine, a pause in the game was held for recognition of Hamer’s remarkable achievement, where she was presented a game ball and poster. In the midst of the celebration, Hamer’s head coach, Raegan Ryan spoke briefly about the hard work that Hamer has put in towards the highlight of her career. Afterwards, the microphone was passed along to a familiar face on the opposite side of the court.
A familiar face that has seen Hamer blossom into the player she has become since the very beginning of her basketball playing days back in fifth grade. That being Bill Horn, Mary’s longtime coach in AAU who now serves as the head coach of the Lady Tigers. Along with Hamer, several other teammates she has played AAU ball with were also in attendance in the stands, as well as multiple players from the Lady Tigers along the sideline.
Emotions were at an all-time high, especially for Horn. The word “family” had never meant more than at that very moment.
“To see the companionship and togetherness that these girls have for each other puts a lot of things into perspective. It should show the people that it’s not about the winning and scoring, but about the friendships that you obtain,” he said. “Mary’s been with the organization since she was in fifth grade, and her sister has even played with us. She is not only a very good player, but she’s an even better person just willing to do what you ask, and willing to be humble and help with any other player to become better. It was a lot more emotional than what I thought. I’ve been doing this for so long, and to see her teammates from AAU come together to see this goal happen for her, it was really special to be a part of.”
Ryan added on Hamer’s achievement, saying that “I’m really thrilled for Mary. She has earned this recognition, and she has put in so much time to improve her game over the years and it’s very fulfilling to see it pay off. I’m so happy for her. She would be the first to give credit to the teammates she has had around her throughout her career, and acknowledge their role in achieving this milestone too.”
The two magical baskets Hamer tucked away in the early stages of the first quarter allowed Genesee Valley/Belfast (7-2) to set the tone right away by building an advantage they held securely as time passed on in the midst of what was a 20-2 run of Warsaw, with the hosts in white scoring 17 of those points consecutively.
Hamer went on to score 10 of her team-tying 12 points right in the opening eight minutes.
Abby Sullivan also came away with a 12-point performance, highlighting the early run with a couple of big three-pointers to set the stage. Following behind was Sophie Zillgitt, who chipped in with 11 points. Ava Aaronson had five points.
“I was very happy to get a win in our first game back from break. I give a lot of credit to Warsaw, they played very hard from start to finish. They are a program that will continue to improve under Coach Horn.” said Ryan.
Genesee Valley/Belfast is back in action on Tuesday with a big 7:30 p.m. visit to red hot Friendship/Scio — winners of seven of their first eight games, in Friendship.
Warsaw 2 11 4 10 – 27
Genesee Valley/Belfast 20 8 9 10 – 47
WARSAW: Evelyn LaWall 1 0-0 2, Emily Klump 3 1-4 9, Veronica Streamer 1 0-2 2, Kylie Britton 4 7-17 15. Totals: 9 9-23 27.
GV/BELFAST: Abby Sullivan 5 0-0 12, Sophie Zillgitt 5 0-0 11, Kendra Bigelow 1 0-0 2, Mary Hamer 6 0-0 12, Morgan Yackeren 1 0-0 3, Ava Aaronson 2 1-2 5, Jenna Hill 1 0-0 2. Totals: 21 1-2 47.
3-point goals: Warsaw 1 (Klump), GVB 4 (Sullivan 2, Zilligitt, Yackeren).
Total Fouls: Warsaw 3, GVB 20. Fouled out: None.
Letchworth 37, Fillmore 34
FILLMORE — Compared to last year’s battle just a 15 minute drive up north, it was as tight of a defensive battle as you could imagine in The Rock on Friday. Points were going to be hard to come by, but when they mattered, it saw one team take advantage of their opportunities slightly more than the other.
After a finish that saw multiple trips to the charity line in the game’s final minute, visiting Letchworth was able to get the job done while playing the role of spoiler to hand the Lady Eagles of Fillmore their first loss of the season, as they survived with a 37-34 win to close out the week.
“We figured that this would be a low-scoring battle coming in. Despite their record, Letchworth has a nice team,” Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks said. “They’ve played a very strong schedule and have been on the opposite end of several one-possession games. Tonight, they found their way to the good side. We showed some resiliency after the third quarter, but ultimately turnovers hurt us tonight. We just couldn’t get into a rhythm because of it. We’ll learn from this one and get ready for a couple of important League games coming up.”
Letchworth began the constant shifts of momentum with an early first quarter lead over the Lady Eagles (6-1) behind their defense, as they held their opposition to just five points — the lowest frame Fillmore would produce in the contest. But the hosts in white and green started to see the gears shift their way after trimming their halftime deficit down to six.
Despite a hot start from the visitors in red, the Lady Eagles responded in a big way across the remainder of the time in the third quarter, they took what was a 13-point deficit and knocked it down to two behind an 11-0 run, setting up shop for an exciting finish in the last eight minutes.
It was anyone’s game across the fourth quarter, but when it was all said and done, some clutch defense and some big shots at the charity stripe allowed Letchworth to remain in the driver’s seat down the homestretch, regaining a lead that eclipsed at most, five points with less than a minute remaining to hang on for the victory.
Across a balanced offensive effort, Hope Russell and Emalyn Mucher led the scoring with seven points each, with Russell recording three steals along the way. Mattie McCumiskey chipped in with six points to go with 11 rebounds, while Rachel Hatch had five points. Grace Russell handed out five assists.
The Lady Eagles will look to bounce back on the road Tuesday night with a 7:30 p.m. visit to Andover/Whitesville, in Whitesville.
Letchworth 12 8 7 10 – 37
Fillmore 5 9 11 9 – 34
LETCHWORTH: Annika Milillo 6 2-2 14, Emily Perl 2 0-2 4, Alyssa Milillo 4 0-0 12, Abbie DeRock 0 1-2 1, Charity Scott 3 0-0 6. Totals: 15 3-6 37.
FILLMORE: Hope Russell 2 3-5 7, Grace Russell 1 2-2 4, Rachel Hatch 2 0-0 5, Kylee Ellsworth 1 0-0 2, Mattie McCumiskey 3 0-0 6, Preslee Miller 1 1-2 3, Emalyn Mucher 2 2-3 7. Totals: 12 8-12 34.
3-point goals: Letchworth 4 (Al. Milillo), Fillmore 2 (Hatch, Mucher).
Total Fouls: Letchworth 19, Fillmore 13. Fouled out: Al. Milillo (LET).
Oswayo Valley 44, Cuba-Rushford 16
CUBA — The Oswayo Valley Lady Green Wave were at the apex of their game Friday night above the border at Cuba-Rushford, as they made their presence known right from the very beginning on both ends of the floor, keeping the Lady Rebels on their feet with a complete performance that allowed them to claim a 44-16 victory in the Wighthouse.
In the opening eight minutes, the Lady Green Wave ushered in a dominant start of the Lady Rebels (3-7) by using an overload of defensive pressure to force multiple turnovers — the majority of which were cashed in on the following transition back up the court. As a result, Oswayo Valley was able to build a massive 19-5 run to set a bar that the hosts in white and blue could not match, as they held the lead firmly within their grasp until the end.
The Lady Rebels were led by a team-leading six points from Cloey Larabee. Shae Maples had five points to add in.
Coming up next, the Lady Rebels will hit the road for a 7:30 p.m. contest against the Lady Eagles of Fillmore on Thursday.
Oswayo Valley 19 11 11 3 – 44
Cuba-Rushford 5 5 6 0 – 16
OSWAYO VALLEY: Charlotte Austin-Keech 4 1-6 9, Eva West 4 0-0 8, Layken Enty 3 0-0 6, Makenna Manning 7 2-6 17, Brooke George 2 0-0 4. Totals: 20 3-12 44.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Cloey Larabee 3 0-0 6, Kendall Tompkins 1 0-0 2, Shae Maples 2 0-0 5, Brynn Lavery 0 1-2 1, Lilly Farwell 1 0-2 2, Raegan Poore 0 0-2 0. Totals: 7 1-6 16.
3-point goals: OV 1 (Manning), C-R 1 (Maples).
Total Fouls: OV 10, C-R 14. Fouled out: Enty (OV).
BOYS BASKETBALL
Wellsville 66, Eugenio Maria de Hostos 64
WELLSVILLE — Like the last meeting just over a week ago, Wellsville was in total command. With an early first quarter lead in hand, it was built upon several highlighting finishes. To name a few, a JJ Howard dunk in the second quarter and a hot three-point hand from Cooper Brockway in the third to open up the second half.
The advantage for the Lions reached as much as 18 at one point, but across most sports, no lead is ever safe. Eugenio Maria de Hostos answered that bell in the last eight minutes with a wild comeback, posting the biggest frame of the offense the night either side would see to claim the lead over the hosts in white and orange down the homestretch.
But with nearly a minute left to go, that comeback was put to rest with a signature shot. After a pass from Karson Grover at the top of the key, Aiden Cowburn let one fly.
With the visiting Hornets holding a one-point lead, the Wellsville junior knocked down a shot outside in the cold parking lot that hit nothing but twine on the way down, giving the Lions the two-point edge to hold onto for dear life until the final buzzer rang out, claiming their fourth win in the last five games by a 66-64 count.
“It was a wild ending, that’s for sure. With JJ having to sit the fourth quarter, they hit a few hail mary three-pointers to get back into the game,” said Lions coach Tom Muska. “But this says a lot about the kids and their perseverance to get a win with your best player getting hurt. Everything changed on both sides with him gone, and they pulled through for us. Tyler (Vogel) was great down low, Aiden’s three-pointer at the end was a big time shot, something I’m going to remember for a while and Alex Green did a great job holding the paint as well.”
It was a battle that the Lions (4-6) drove with the entire night, starting with an early 13-7 lead and branching it out before halftime with a 19-point second quarter that was propelled by both JJ Howard and Ty Vogel, as the two juniors combined to record 13 of the team’s points in the frame to keep the offensive blaze lit.
The third quarter would allow the Lions to branch out their lead even further, blossoming it to a dozen after the fiery hand of Cooper Brockway knocked down a pair of big three-pointers, and later on, to as much as 18 with five more contributors all helping fuel the cause. But in the final eight minute period, the Hornets put on one last clinic — a 30-point frame fronted by six enormous three-pointers, feeding them the momentum to claim the 61-60 lead going down the stretch.
With time of the essence, Wellsville had to find a way to respond. The perfect way to do that — knock down a three-pointer of their own. That courtesy of Cowburn after a great pass from his right by Karson Grover, as he knocked down the go-ahead trey with 1:14 left to go to put them back ahead essentially for good, as they survived a back-and-forth finish straight down to the wire to foil the Eugenio Maria de Hostos comeback.
Vogel was one of three different scorers to eclipse 10 points in the contest, as he led the Lions with a team-high 14 points. Cowburn would settle with 13 points, while Howard had 10.
After the weekend, the Lions will now make their way to the McLane Center at Alfred University, where they will take on the Attica Blue Devils in a 7 p.m. contest.
Eugenio Maria 7 16 11 30 – 64
Wellsville 13 19 18 16 – 66
EUGENIO MARIA: M. Thomas 1 3-4 5, M. Chevese 4 0-2 9, E. Joseph 5 3-3 15, S. Patterson 4 0-0 12, H. Vargas 4 9-10 18, J. Lewis 2 1-2 5. Totals: 20 16-21 64.
WELLSVILLE: Aiden Cowburn 4 3-4 13, Karson Grover 3 0-0 6, Cooper Brockway 2 2-4 8, JJ Howard 3 2-3 10, Ty Vogel 6 2-2 14, Ethan Bailey 2 2-2 6, Kamron Dodge 1 0-0 2, Alex Green 1 5-7 7. Totals: 22 16-22 66.
3-point goals: EMCS 8 (Patterson 4, Joseph 2, Chevese, Vargas), Wellsville 4 (Cowburn 2, Brockway 2),
Total Fouls: EMCS 22, Wellsville 22. Fouled out: Chevese (EMCS), Bailey (WLSV).
Arkport-Canaseraga 70, Alfred-Almond 18
ALMOND — With redemption over Dansville officially sought, the Arkport-Canaseraga Wolves have entered maximum overdrive. To close out the week on Friday, they remained on fire after their latest road trip to Alfred-Almond, where every single Wolf on the floor and on the bench all recorded at least four points to aid their 70-18 win over the Eagles.
It began right from the start in the first eight minutes of play where the tone was automatically set by the Wolves (8-1), as they scored the game’s first 23 points — their highest stand of offense in the battle, as they captured a lead they never relinquished behind a trio of scorers that all eclipsed double figures to help the team’s cause.
Among them was Caden Carey, as he led all scorers with a game-high 16 points, pairing them with five steals. Ibra Ford chipped in with 10 points to pair with five assists and three steals while Dan Clark had 11 points to put towards his first double-double of the season, grabbing 11 rebounds along the way.
Alfred-Almond was led by a seven-point performance from Jackson Jusianiec.
The Wolves will return to action Monday night back on the road, as they prepare for a 7:15 p.m. visit to the Wildcats of Jasper-Troupsburg.
Arkport-Canaseraga 23 16 19 12 – 70
Alfred-Almond 0 1 2 15 – 18
ARKPORT-CANASERAGA: Devin Moran 3 0-0 7, Connor Westfall 2 0-0 5, Caden Carey 6 3-5 16, Ibra Ford 4 0-0 10, Alex Vilkhu 2 1-2 5, Lucas Smith 2 0-0 5, Kohler Preston 3 0-0 7, Tim Vilkhu 2 0-0 4, Dan Clark 5 1-4 11. Totals: 28 5-11 70.
ALFRED-ALMOND: Jackson Jusianiec 2 1-4 7, Ryan Washburn 1 0-0 2, Brogan Donlan 2 0-0 6, Liam Ruthven 1 0-0 3. Totals: 6 1-4 18.
3-point goals: A-C 7 (Ford 2, Moran, Westfall, Carey, Smith, Preston), A-A 5 (Jusianiec 2, Donlan 2, Ruthven).
Total Fouls: A-C 7, A-A 9. Fouled out: None.
Hinsdale 33, West Valley 30
WEST VALLEY — In a back and forth battle from start to finish, the degree of separation was just three points. Those three points allowed the Hinsdale Bobcats to claim an advantage that was threatened by host West Valley, but never lost to assist in completing their two-game sweep of the Wildcats on Friday with a close 33-30 edge.
Stats for the Bobcats (4-3) and a complete box score were not made available to report upon publication.
Hinsdale will return to the floor again on January 22, when they get set to face the defending Class D2 champion Mount Morris Blue Devils in a 6 p.m. tip-off.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Portville 3, Bolivar-Richburg 0
PORTVILLE — The Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg hung right with host Portville for much of Friday night’s battle to close out the week. But across straight sets, the Panthers were able to dig themselves free to power their way forward towards victory that awaited in the end, as they scored the straight-set win by a 25-20, 25-13, 25-19 count.
Stats for the Wolverines (0-9) were not made available to report upon publication.
After the Midseason Tournament at Genesee Valley this afternoon, Bolivar-Richburg will return to regular season action on Monday with a 6 p.m. contest at Cuba-Rushford.
Allegany-Limestone 3, Fillmore 0
ALLEGANY — Behind 25 combined kills between AJ Riordan and Josh Nolder, along with a whopping 28 assists from setter CJ Ellison, the undefeated Allegany-Limestone Gators made it eight straight trips into the win column on Friday, as they brought out the brooms to perform a clean straight-set sweep against visiting Fillmore on Friday, 25-16, 25-15, 25-12.
Stats for the Eagles (4-4) were not made available to report upon publication.
Fillmore resumes play after the Midseason Tournament this weekend at Genesee Valley, on Monday, as they visit the Arkport-Canaseraga Wolves in a 6 p.m. first serve.
BOYS SWIMMING
Wellsville 95, Genesee Valley/Belfast 63 (Friday)
BELMONT — The bounce back from Tuesday’s defeat to the hands of the Olean Huskies in their home waters, was never felt more alive by the Lions of Wellsville on Friday. With Eli Brophy and Ben Jordan both fronting the pack, they would not be denied, as they scored nine total first place finishes to help set up a huge 95- 63 victory on the road against host Genesee Valley/Belfast.
Jordan and Brophy ignited the victorious fire for the Lions (6-2) in the water, each scoring a pair of victories to help set them up for success, with Jordan claiming his wins in the 50 freestyle (24.53) and 500 freestyle (5:28.08), while Brophy provided his wins in the 200 individual medley (2:33.97) and in the 100 breaststroke (1:14.04).
Sean Driscoll and Thomas Cooke both helped keep the momentum in Wellsville’s favor with one more win each, with Driscoll winning in the 100 freestyle (58.55) and seeing Cooke add a 100 backstroke (1:18.32) win to his resume. Aside from their nine total individual wins, the Lions would also record a clean sweep of all three relay events, claiming the winning times in the 200 medley (1:59.40), 200 freestyle (1:57.29) and the 400 freestyle (4:13.87) at the very end.
Genesee Valley/Belfast was able to garner a pair of first place finishes to pair with a multitude of secondary finishes, both by Nolan Hunter, as he came away victorious in the 200 freestyle (2:08.33) and the 100 butterfly (1:08.85). The team is back in the water this morning with a 10 a.m. visit to Alfred-Almond.
Wellsville hops back into the water on Tuesday back home, hosting Campbell-Savona in a 5:30 p.m. first swim.
