DECK THE HALLS: Paced by career night from Zach Deck, Rebels score 5-1 start to season behind mastodonic 2nd quarter, set up 77-56 win over archrival B-R at St. Bonaventure
Stories and photo galleries by CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
ALLEGANY — The Reilly Center was the place to be on Saturday.
Early on in the afternoon, before two of Allegany County’s biggest archrivals penned the next chapter of basketball on the hardwood, the red hot St. Bonaventure Bonnies had business to attend to.
Off to their best start in 55 years, the Bonnies paid homage to that famed 1970 Final Four team against Niagara by donning the same ensemble, featuring the signature “St. Bona” on the front that was adorned by the most legendary Bonnie of them all — Bob Lanier, on the hardwood that now bears his name.
After what was deemed a 71-52 win over the Purple Eagles to further advance their start to the third best in the program’s history before Atlantic-10 Conference play, the Reilly Center was cleared out. Soon after from the crowd down to the St. Bonaventure hardwood, the Bolivar-Richburg and Cuba-Rushford boys basketball teams emerged.
It was their turn to shine.
Right around 4 p.m. on the clock, the Wolverines and Rebels took center stage for warm-ups outside of Allegany County for the first time since their meeting at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, last December. Then after the National Anthem and player introductions by Bonnies public address announcer Adam Bennett, it was time.
And right from the get-go, the two teams traded back-and-forth runs across the opening eight minute sequence, with the Wolverines constructing the last of the pair to carry a burst of momentum into the second quarter.
But instead, the Rebels shifted gears to a completely different level and went on a run of all runs.
Cuba-Rushford opened the floor completely against Bolivar-Richburg, navigating their way across all angles known to man. Inside, outside, off the glass, on defense. You name it, the Rebels did it all, allowing them to convert what was a 26-9 second quarter run to take what was a four-point first quarter lead and grow it instantaneously going into the break.
Then at the start of the second half, the Rebels re-assumed control of the steering wheel and slammed straight down on the gas pedal again, accounting for another massive spurt of offense.
Only this time, this was headlined by the hottest hand in the building — Zach Deck.
The Rebels junior simply did not miss a beat. With Christmas around the corner, Deck went on to deck the halls of the Reilly Center with perhaps his greatest performance of his young career, as he posted a game-high 27 points — 21 of them stemming from all seven of the team’s three-pointers from long range, as they rekindled their early flame after their first loss of the season to Fillmore with a destructive 77-56 victory over the Wolverines to enter the holiday freeze with a 5-1 start under their belts.
“I was very pleased with our energy and effort throughout. We limited Bolivar-Richburg to one shot most of the night, and I thought we really did well off the glass to limit them more. I didn’t know how we would perform in a big arena as far as shooting goes, but I guess Zach took care of those issues,” Rebels coach Pat Wight said. “He played great. Adam Roe had another double-double for us, Finn Ricketts really stepped up for another great effort, Eli Sleggs did his job again off the bench, as well as Carter Brown. Defensively we made (Landon) Barkley and (Kingston) Loucks work hard to get looks. They are both great shooters and our goal was to make them make tough shots. They did, we were just fortunate to make more. I’m very proud of the guys.”
Before the second quarter explosion from Cuba-Rushford (5-1) settled in rapidly, the two foes traded back-and-forth barbs through the first eight minutes of play, with the Rebels finding their edge early behind the captaincy of Deck, who was ravenous behind the three-point line early with three first quarter triples to help aid a big lead of their opposition.
In between his third triple of the frame, the Wolverines (5-4) responded by ending the quarter on one of their own runs, scoring five of the next eight points, including a big answer from Ryder Iantorno on the outside to counter Deck’s triple, trimming the deficit from six down to a pair with less than two minutes to go.
With the Rebels ultimately carrying a four-point lead into the second, they went back to work. And fast.
As time went on, the team in white and maroon dug in and started to feel very comfortable on Bob Lanier Court, beginning the next frame with a 7-0 run of Bolivar-Richburg that instantly grew larger and larger behind multiple contributions across the floor, as five different scorers down low and at the charity stripe all found their way onto the scoresheet to record a 26-9 first half-ending run and a 43-22 going into the break.
In the third quarter, the Rebels did not stop.
Instead, they looked to Deck to keep his hot hand ignited. What was a red hot flame through the first half, now quickly turned into a five-alarm fire in the third quarter, as the junior bolstered his resume with four more long shots from the parking lot outside the Reilly Center to help create a 63-34 advantage that was never looked back on from that point forward.
Wight credits Deck’s hard work for making that happen.
“Zach struggled early in the year. We talked a lot about staying the course and ramping up practices by shooting game-like shots,” said Wight. “He’s in the gym all the time, and it was only a matter of time before he caught fire. He works very hard all year around, and I’m glad it’s paying off for him with this big game tonight. He also didn’t turn the ball over, which was a great thing to see as well. The team kept the turnovers at a minimum after we forced it over a ton at Fillmore a ton on Thursday.”
The Wolverines were granted one final opportunity in the fourth quarter to chip away at their deficit, composing their strongest outing of offense with a 22-point frame off five different contributions. But the early second quarter hole proved to be too much for the team to overcome, as Cuba-Rushford locked down a dynamic, rebounding victory to get back into the win column for the fifth time in their first six games.
Finishing behind Deck for the Rebels was Finn Ricketts, who had 18 points to go with his six rebounds and two assists. Adam Roe had 11 points to pair with 12 rebounds to complete a double-double performance, while Carter Brown concluded with 10 points.
Bolivar-Richburg was paced by Landon Barkley, who scored a team-high 17 points. Right behind him was Kingston Loucks, who had 16 points. Braden Zilker had seven points.
If there’s a common denominator that both Wight and Wolverines head coach Justin Thomas share when the activity was all said and done Saturday night, a feeling of thankfulness and gratitude was the first thing that came to mind, as the two coaches came together to collectively thank both the Bolivar-Richburg and Cuba-Rushford communities for organizing the event to allow their players another phenomenal opportunity to play outside of Allegany County.
Something both coaches hope their kids will remember for a long time, no matter the outcomes on both the collegiate and professional playing surfaces.
“It’s always fun to play in a big arena and watch some college hoops before we get our chance to play. I was very happy JT and I could come together and give these boys an experience they hopefully will always remember,” Wight said. “Outcomes don’t matter in games like these. It’s more about the experience and the fun surrounding the game. My big thank you goes out to both administrations, the parents, especially Jason Sleggs, Katie Barkley and Tricia Feuchter, and my wife Elise for helping with all the fundraising to make this possible. Also for both communities for coming out to support us and our fundraising efforts.”
Thomas echoed the experience, saying “After the awesome experience in Cleveland last year, Pat and I said on the ride home that we had to try and get back there again next year. Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out for this year to find a date that worked for all parties involved. But Pat stepped up big time and used his connections at Bonas to set this game up here tonight. It’s nice to see our teams come together and enjoy these experiences. Hopefully, these are things they talk about after their playing careers are over.”
Both teams will now pause for the holiday recess, with the Rebels being the first to re-emerge from the break with a 7:45 p.m. contest on Friday against host Allegany-Limestone at their annual Joe DeCerbo Holiday Showcase.
As for the Wolverines, they now wait until January 8 arrives on the calendar, as they hit the road for a 7:15 p.m. contest at Jasper-Troupsburg.
Bolivar-Richburg 13 9 12 22 – 56
Cuba-Rushford 17 26 20 14 – 77
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Julian Weekley 1 1-2 3, Landon Barkley 6 3-6 17, Braden Zilker 3 1-2 7, Ryder Iantorno 1 0-0 3, Karson Baker 1 2-2 4, Waide Karnuth 3 0-0 6, Kingston Loucks 5 3-4 16. Totals: 20 9-16 56.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Carter Getz 2 0-0 4, Malakai Kreamer 1 0-0 2, Adam Roe 5 1-2 11, Eli Sleggs 1 3-4 5, Zach Deck 10 0-0 27, Carter Brown 4 2-2 10, Finn Ricketts 9 0-0 18. Totals: 32 6-8 77.
3-point goals: B-R 7 (Barkley 3, Loucks 3, Iantorno), C-R 7 (Deck).
Total Fouls: B-R 8, C-R 15. Fouled out: Deck (C-R).
More stories after photo gallery:
Friday Roundup: Loucks catches fire, Wolverines get ready for colossal clash with C-R at Bonaventure with win over Portville; B-R girls win at Olean, C-G girls drop close battle with Dansville
BOLIVAR — One busy Saturday afternoon will be in store for the Reilly Center at St. Bonaventure University, with the red hot Bonnies hosting Niagara to open the docket before the floor clears completely to make room for two more local products to take the Division-I stage before the holiday break — that being Bolivar-Richburg and Cuba-Rushford.
But before that happens, the Wolverines started a brief search to build some momentum heading into that colossal clash with their longtime rival on the college floor, as they welcomed in their next door neighbors off to the west in Portville for battle on Friday.
Almost immediately out of the gate, the two teams were tied at the hip, with the visiting Panthers jumping out in front before the Wolverines made up for lost ground right behind them to close out the opening eight minute frame.
Then, a flip was switched. Kingston Loucks became engulfed in flames.
Across the next eight-minute sequence before halftime, the Bolivar-Richburg junior captained an outstanding breakaway stand of offense, scoring a vast majority of his points from within the frame while the defense in turn froze Portville in place to claim a massive advantage, never looking back in the rearview mirror to finish off what was a 63-51 home victory.
“We got a really good jump early behind a couple of threes and then we let Portville take an early lead after that. We dug in for the rest of the quarter and then went on a really nice run,” Wolverines coach Justin Thomas said. “It was a huge response to get to the basket. Especially for Kingston, he took over the offense for us. He got hot, knocked down his free throws, his other shots inside and out. That was really a big welcome back party for him. We maintained the status quo along the way and got a really nice team win to carry into Saturday.”
Following a first quarter battle that Bolivar-Richburg (5-3) circumnavigated into the lead over Portville, they would then kick the tires on a big run. How big? — How about a 24-5 half-ending jaunt of the Panthers, with Loucks spearheading the divine efforts with 14 of his season-high 29 points to flip the momentum of the game inside out and upside down.
The Panthers were granted one final opportunity to chip away and cut their deficit down in the last eight minutes of play, as they held Bolivar-Richburg to a game-low five points in the midst of their 16-5 run on the attack. But the second quarter deficit ultimately proved too much for them to overcome, as the Wolverines bolstered their momentum in full for this weekend’s trip to St. Bonaventure.
In addition to his 29 points, Loucks grabbed seven rebounds off the glass to finish his brilliant day on the offense.
Right behind him was Landon Barkley, who chipped in with 16 points, seven rebounds and six steals of his own. Brayden Zilker had 11 points to pair with four steals, while Waide Karnuth was strong down low with the team’s remaining seven points alongside a team-high 13 rebounds.
The Wolverines are now set to square off with the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford immediately following the Bonnies’ afternoon matinee against Niagara today, as they tip off for action at the Reilly Center, at 5 p.m.
Portville 14 5 16 16 – 51
Bolivar-Richburg 17 24 17 5 – 63
PORTVILLE: Kaleb Foster 1 0-0 3, Braeden Carter 3 0-2 8, Reese Benson 3 1-2 7, Luke Edwards 1 2-3 4, Chase Armstrong 4 4-7 13, Zach Green 4 0-1 10, DJ Fowler 1 0-0 2, Ryan Loncher 2 0-0 4. Totals: 19 7-15 51.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Landon Barkley 4 7-11 16, Brayden Zilker 4 1-3 11, Waide Karnuth 2 3-5 7, Kingston Loucks 9 8-12 29. Totals: 19 19-28 63.
3-point goals: Portville 6 (Carter 2, Green 2, Foster, Armstrong), B-R 6 (Loucks 3, Zilker 2, Barkley).
Total Fouls: Portville 20, B-R 17. Fouled out: Green (PORT).
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bolivar-Richburg 47, Olean 28
OLEAN — It was close quarters to start a snowy Friday night in Olean, as Bolivar-Richburg and the host Lady Huskies were stride for stride with one another across the opening 16-minute sequence.
With the Lady Wolverines continuing to hold their own entering the second half, the pressure was mounting along with it. But in the last eight minutes of play, all of that was fended off and much more, as they held Olean absolutely scoreless on the floor to provide a dominant finish to their final road trip before Christmas, as they returned home from the west victorious with a 47-28 victory.
With a balanced attack against the Lady Huskies settling in first and foremost in the opening frame, the Lady Wolverines (2-4) turned the page and unloaded their offense with the assistance of Carmen Crowley down low, along with a pair of triples from the hand of Nadia Baldwin outside, as the two scorers came together to score 15 of the team’s 18 total points to claim a 28-25 halftime lead to control.
In the second half, it was all Bolivar-Richburg straight to the end of the game, keeping Olean off the board all throughout to finish off the victory with a 19-3 second half run — all three points for the Lady Huskies stemming in the third quarter, as they dominated the final eight minutes of action with a 10-0 scoreless jaunt.
Crowley led all scorers for the visitors in black and red with a game-high 21 points. Raegan Giardini had 11 points of her own, while Baldwin totaled three of the team’s four triples, for nine points.
The Lady Wolverines are now off until the new calendar year, as they prepare to host Genesee Valley/Belfast on January 3 at 6 p.m.
Bolivar-Richburg 10 18 9 10 – 47
Olean 13 12 3 0 – 28
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Nadia Baldwin 3 0-0 9, Emma Sisson 2 0-0 4, Raegan Giardini 4 2-4 11, Sydney Faulkner 1 0-0 2, Kelsey Hogan 0 0-2 0, Carmen Crowley 9 3-4 21. Totals: 19 5-10 47.
OLEAN: Ava Finch 4 2-4 12, Alaina Hirliman 4 1-2 11, Anna Bates 0 2-2 2, Viktoriia Lazyska 1 1-2 3. Totals: 9 6-10 28.
3-point goals: B-R 4 (Baldwin 3, Giardini), Olean 4 (Finch 2, Hirliman 2).
Total Fouls: B-R 14, Olean 13. Fouled out: None.
Dansville 41, Canisteo-Greenwood 37
DANSVILLE — The Lady Chargers of Canisteo-Greenwood were in control of their own destiny in what was their final game before the Christmas holiday next week, Friday night.
After a back-and-forth exchange across most of the first half, the Lady Chargers found an opening and worked their way through it to jump out on top of host Dansville with a big lead going into the fourth quarter. But in the last eight minutes, the Lady Mustangs erased all the momentum their visiting opposition established and flipped the game upside down with a monstrous game-ending jaunt to swipe away a 41-37 victory at the Corral.
Although the Lady Chargers (6-1) were held to just three shots from the field, they used a big helping of special teams to get their offense off and running against the Lady Mustangs, as three different scorers combined to record a 5-for-7 outing at the charity stripe to claim an 11-8 advantage.
A back-and-forth series of baskets through the second quarter then allowed the visitors to maintain their lead going into the break, leading up to a third quarter of epic proportions.
In that frame to open the second half, a massive burst of momentum was built by the Lady Chargers, who used three enormous three-pointers from Bailey Mullen, Paris May and Anna Mitchell to set up shop for a big finish down the stretch, holding an advantage that reached as large as 10 points going into the fourth quarter.
But in the last eight minute stanza, Dansville had drastically altered Canisteo-Greenwood’s plans to ride the momentum wave to victory, as they ran the table and bucketed a 16-8 doubling-up of their visiting opposition off a trio of triples out of five field goals made, along with three key shots from the charity stripe to help cement their advantage until the end to complete the rebounding victory.
Leading the scoring for the Lady Chargers was Mullen, who had a team-high 14 points to pair with 13 rebounds to complete a double-double performance. McKenna Ferris and Paris May each had six points, while Harlie McCaffery had five.
Canisteo-Greenwood will now break for the holiday and return to the hardwood next Friday afternoon with a 12 p.m. visit to Keshequa.
Canisteo-Greenwood 11 7 11 8 – 37
Dansville 8 8 9 16 – 41
CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Kora Button 0 0-2 0, Bailey Mullen 4 4-6 14, MacKenna Mullen 1 0-0 3, McKenna Ferris 2 2-2 6, Paris May 2 0-0 6, Anna Mitchell 1 0-0 3, Harlie McCaffery 2 1-1 5. Totals: 12 7-11 37.
DANSVILLE: Morgan Ball 2 1-4 5, Emily Versluis 1 0-0 3, Taylor Hamsher 2 5-8 10, Megan Tyler 7 3-5 20, Kassidy Cole 1 1-3 3. Totals: 13 10-20 41.
3-point goals: C-G 6 (B. Mullen 2, May 2, M. Mullen, Mitchell), Dansville 5 (Tyler 3, Versluis, Hamsher).
Total Fouls: C-G 17, Dansville 14. Fouled out: None.
Thursday Roundup: In early duel of undefeateds, Fillmore wins back-and-forth fracas with C-R to score 6th straight win, hand Rebels 1st loss; And/Whi boys garner big road win at A-P
FILLMORE — It was undoubtedly the Game of the Week on the calendar. And rightfully so.
With two County rivals being pinned against one another for the first time this season, and because of certain circumstances at this particular stage thus far, both Cuba-Rushford and Fillmore currently stand alone at the apex of the Allegany County leaderboard with perfect starts under their belts.
Both teams were also coming off solid performances under the same roof at Genesee Community College last weekend as well, with the Rebels and Eagles having spearheaded some incredible basketball right from start of the campaign just a few short weeks ago, with Cuba-Rushford posting a 4-0 start, while Fillmore’s high-octane offense has allowed them to race off towards a 5-0 mark of their own.
Through the chronicled history the two programs have shared on the hardwood in years past, the series’ latest installment on Thursday would prove absolutely no different.
Just ask Eagles head coach Randy Crouch. It’s games like these that expose his love for coaching the game.
“Nights like tonight are why I love coaching. Two teams that compete hard, but do it with great, mutual respect on and off the court. The fans showed up and packed the stands. It was a great environment,” he said. “Pat (Wight) has his team off to a great start, and they are as good as anyone we have on the schedule. They defend, they rebound, they are deep and they can score in a variety of ways. They can really create and cause some matchup issues for us.”
The tempo was of back-and-forth variety all night long. Whenever one team managed to spring ahead, the other team was right on the doorstep with a response to counter it. Whenever a run was made, it was quickly made up in one foul swoop. As a result, there was no lead that eclipsed larger than six points at any given juncture during the battle.
In short, the fierce battle on the hardwood came straight down to the wire.
With time running out and little room for error, every chance mattered. When the opportunity arose, both teams picked it up and ran with it to keep the playing ground at the most balanced of levels.
But through it all, it was the Eagles that managed to find that one final opening from within the Cuba-Rushford defense to exploit, as they connected on huge special teams play down the stretch to draw the respective fouls and knock down the corresponding shots that came soon after, as Fillmore held on tight to come through in the clutch with a 60-55 win to remain undefeated.
“I’m proud of the guys. 6-0 before the break is great. Cuba-Rushford came out and hit a few early shots on us to take the early lead, but I felt like we did a great job of not panicking and stayed with our game plan. I felt like we had a few chances to really seize the momentum in the second quarter, but whenever we made a few plays to grab the lead, they had an answer right back,” Crouch said.
As expected through the course of the early stages, Cuba-Rushford and Fillmore ferociously set the pace up and down the floor with their speed. Along with it, came the game’s first advantage held by the Rebels, who immediately ripped the bandage off with a 9-3 run of the Eagles after some stellar ball movement deep in the offensive zone.
The Eagles (6-0) would fire right back their response — a jaunt consisting of 10 points out of the quarter’s last 14 remaining to add onto the scoreboard, with three-point shots from Carson Sanasith and Jameson Rhett sandwiching a hard-earned basket underneath the rim from JD Bialek to help finish off a 13-all first quarter deadlock.
Across the second quarter, the tempo was reapplied once again, with the Eagles continuing to take advantage of what they could find, while Cuba-Rushford (4-1) remained right behind them with as fast of a response as possible to keep pace.
The Rebels eventually would elevate themselves into the lead going into the halftime recess, witnessing a big night by Carter Brown off the bench come into full fruition right to the end of the night, as he landed a go-ahead shot with 23 seconds left before the ensuing defense buckled down to limit Fillmore’s final first half possession.
“At halftime, we switched defenses to try and disrupt them a little for some transition baskets. It really helped us, and we seemed to get rolling to get a few possessions ahead of them,” said Crouch. “Give them credit, they would not go away. Brown and (Donovan) Breckenridge made some big buckets in the fourth quarter and we just couldn’t seem to put them away when we could. Cam (Mucher) and Jonah (Bialek) were great again tonight, but I must give Isaiah (Sisson) credit, he defended a few positions for us and showed his versatility when Cam was on the bench with fouls. He came through when we needed him the most tonight.”
In the second half, Cuba-Rushford and Fillmore trade even more barbs throughout the elongation of time, with the Rebels utilizing the outside perimeter in the midst of the action, and the Eagles looking to drive the ball down low and to the rim.
Fillmore would eventually claim a five-point lead with under three minutes left on the clock, and then down to three points at the end of the third quarter off a Donovan Breckenridge bucket for the visitors in blue and maroon.
With Fillmore leading by a 42-39 count, the two foes would trade punches one final time across the fourth quarter, with Carter Brown’s late stage heroics entering the fourth quarter fray, as he assembled 12 massive points in the frame to keep the Rebels within range.
But despite it, the Eagles came through the clutch with some outstanding special teams play at the very last second after extending their lead to three with less than 10 seconds left. After 1-of-2 was hit at the line by Sisson, the Rebels immediately went to inbound the basketball, only for it to become blocked and then rebounded by the Eagles, forcing Cuba-Rushford to draw another foul against the Eagles — two free shots Cam Mucher took, one of them sinked straight through the twine as Bolivar-Richburg went on to hang on for victory.
“It’s always a good battle when we see Fillmore. They are always ready to go,” Rebels coach Pat Wight said. “I’m very proud of my guys and their effort tonight. I thought we got complacent and had some costly turnovers early in the third. That allowed Fillmore to make a run, and we settled in for some shots instead of hunting better ones and it cost us in the end. Fillmore stepped up and made some big plays. Hats off to them.”
The Rebels provided a dead-even timeshare for their offense across the board, with Carter Brown and his game-high 19 points off the bench leading the way. Donovan Breckenridge finished with 15 points, while Zack Deck dropped three triples, en route to nine points.
Cuba-Rushford is now off until the annual Joe DeCerbo Holiday Showcase at Allegany-Limestone beginning the following weekend, where they will face off against the host Gators in a 7:45 p.m. contest next Friday.
As for Fillmore, they developed a strong balance from top to bottom, as Jonah Bialek was one of four different scorers to all eclipse the double-digit plateau, finishing with a team-high 14 points to pair with seven rebounds and four assists.
Cam Mucher tallied 13 points to go alongside five rebounds and four steals, while Isaiah Sisson and Jameson Rhett concluded with 12 and 10 points, respectively, with Rhett grabbing seven rebounds of his own to further the cause.
After the holiday break ahead, the Eagles will now begin the search for their seventh straight win on January 7, when they travel up north to visit the Blue Devils of Geneseo in a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Cuba-Rushford 13 16 10 16 – 55
Fillmore 13 15 14 18 – 60
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Carter Getz 0 0-2 0, Adam Roe 4 0-0 8, Donovan Breckenridge 6 2-2 15, Zach Deck 3 0-0 9, Carter Brown 8 1-1 19, Finn Ricketts 2 0-2 4. Totals: 23 3-7 55.
FILLMORE: Carson Sanasith 2 0-0 5, Isaiah Sisson 3 5-8 12, Jonah Bialek 5 2-3 14, Jameson Rhett 4 0-0 10, Cam Mucher 4 4-6 13, JD Bialek 3 0-2 6. Totals: 21 11-19 60.
3-point goals: C-R 6 (Deck 3, Brown 2, Breckenridge), Fillmore 7 (Jo. Bialek 2, Rhett 2, Sanasith, Sisson, Mucher).
Total Fouls: C-R 16, Fillmore 9. Fouled out: None.
More stories after photo gallery:
Andover/Whitesville 67, Avoca-Prattsburgh 52
AVOCA — The number one task at hand for Andover/Whitesville in their final game before the holiday freeze, was to build a head-full of steam for when they return in a couple of weeks time.
On Thursday, they were presented with an opportunity to do just that over the road at Avoca-Prattsburgh.
It was an opportunity that Andover/Whitesville simply would not let pass by, as the team’s tag team duo on Brody Vance and Colton Calladine helped lay the foundation down for what was a dominant first half of play against the Titans, with Vance’s massive first quarter start setting the tone to propel the team back over .500 heading to Christmas break following a 67-52 victory in Avoca.
“This was a good one for us going into the break. We came out very strong early, which goes against everything we had done in previous seasons. I am very pleased with our starts thus far now. Defense has always been the key. When we are locked in, good things happen,” Andover/Whitesville coach Jimmy Joyce said. “I felt like we let off the gas a little bit in the second half, but credit to Avoca-Prattsburgh, they battled the whole way. It got pretty physical, but Colt and Brody led the way for us along with even more contributions across the board again. All in all, I’m pretty happy with where we are.”
Andover/Whitesville (4-3) made all the noise possible throughout the first half against Avoca-Prattsburgh, starting immediately in the first quarter with the hot hand of Vance, who took matters into his own hands with a dynamic nine-point frame in the midst of an even more powerful 19-7 run of the Titans to set up shop.
The lead grew to as large as 20 when halftime approached, with Calladine serving as one of six different contributors from within a 21-point stand of offense to push their advantage out even further, leading the way with nine more points of his own to help claim a 40-20 lead.
The lead would remain firmly intact, despite Avoca-Prattsburgh’s efforts to cut away at their early deficit with their two strongest outings of the game, as the visitors in black wrapped up the calendar year back in the win column.
Vance led as Andover/Whitesville’s leading scorer with a game-high 25 points, with Calladine trailing right behind him with 21 points of his own. Vinny Joyce was the third shooter to eclipse over double digits in the contest, posting 11 points.
Andover/Whitesville will look to maintain their momentum when they return to the hardwood on January 7 over the road, visiting the Alfred-Almond Eagles in a 6 p.m. tip-off.
Andover/Whitesville 19 21 12 15 – 67
Avoca-Prattsburgh 7 13 14 18 – 52
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: James Miller-Young 3 0-0 6, Ethan Warriner 0 2-2 2, Vinny Joyce 5 0-0 11, Brody Vance 11 0-1 25, Jon Vallieres 1 0-0 2, Colton Calladine 9 1-2 21. Totals: 29 3-5 67.
AVOCA-PRATTSBURGH: Landon White 1 0-0 2, JJ Crowder 6 7-10 22, Austin Swift 4 2-2 11, Carter Button 5 1-2 13, Colin Zurlick 2 0-0 4. Totals: 18 10-14 52.
3-point goals: A/W 6 (Vance 3, Calladine 2, Joyce), A-P 6 (Crowder 3, Button 2, Swift).
Total Fouls: A/W 18, A-P 9. Fouled out: None.
Hinsdale 42, Friendship/Scio 30
SCIO — Thursday night presented two different stories that were told in Scio for Hinsdale and host Friendship/Scio on the main stage.
Through the first half, it was neck and neck, with the hosts in white and gold propelling forward with the halftime lead in hand. In the second half however, the Bobcats were able to completely flip the script and hold Friendship/Scio to just seven more points amidst a massive jaunt to reverse the momentum into their favor all the way to the final buzzer, as Hinsdale came away winners of a 42-30 road victory.
The first back-and-forth battle settled into place right in the first eight minutes of play, with the largest lead held by either side reaching at most five points, with Friendship/Scio holding the 12-7 advantage down the stretch before Hinsdale (2-4) trimmed it down to a pair of points off a Robert Childs three-pointer.
Near the midway point of the second quarter, the hosts continued to cement their advantage by branching it out into double-digit territory with a strong effort on both ends of the floor, as they scored the frame’s first nine points before the Bobcats rebounded in a big way with nine of the last 11 points to close the gap back down to a single possession at the break.
The momentum Hinsdale created ultimately shifted into high gear across the second half, as they proceeded to hold Friendship/Scio (1-3) at a near standstill across the remaining 16 minutes of play with a dominant 23-7 finish to their game to record the victory.
Leading the way for the Bobcats was Tyler Richards, who posted a game-high 14 points. Aiden Baird recorded 10 points, while Chris Forney had nine points.
Friendship/Scio was paced by both Jerome Harmon and Connor Blouvet, as they each bucketed 10 team-high points. The team will hit the road for tournament action in Hammondsport after the holiday, next Friday night.
Up next for the Bobcats is a 6 p.m. trip to Keshequa upon the arrival of the new calendar year, on January 6.
Hinsdale 10 9 12 11 – 42
Friendship/Scio 12 11 4 3 – 30
HINSDALE: Cody Hand 1 0-0 2, Alex Dove 0 0-4 0, Chris Forney 4 1-2 9, Sean Forney 1 0-0 2, Aiden Baird 5 0-1 10, Tyler Richards 6 1-2 14, Robert Childs 2 0-0 5. Totals: 19 2-9 42.
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Jerome Harmon 3 4-8 10, Connor Blouvet 3 4-6 10, Aiden Golden 0 2-2 2, Jerimiah Brown 1 0-2 2, Deacon Brown 3 0-0 6. Totals: 10 10-18 30.
3-point goals: Hinsdale 2 (Richards, Childs).
Total Fouls: Hinsdale 18, F/S 14. Fouled out: Childs (HIN), Blouvet (F/S).
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Genesee Valley/Belfast 36, Friendship/Scio 8
BELFAST — There was plenty of balance to go around for the Genesee Valley/Belfast ladies on Thursday.
In their latest battle against Friendship/Scio in Belfast, they established a dominant lead early on and held onto it from start to finish, as they coasted their way towards a 36-8 home victory to close out the calendar year on a high note.
“I was proud of the team for focusing on our goals and staying disciplined. It was great to see them play together and have very balanced efforts on both ends of the floor. Friendship/Scio deserves a lot of praise for their resilience tonight. They didn’t make anything easy for us.” said GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan.
Genesee Valley/Belfast (5-2) saw their offense spring to life in the first half of play to set the tone right away against Friendship/Scio, with a strong second quarter powered by Addisyn Ely helping lead the charge for a 14-4 half-ending run that they never looked back on.
Ely led all scorers for the hosts with her game-high 12 points. Bayleigh Tallman and Sophie Zillgitt each had six points to add.
Friendship/Scio (1-5) was led by Alexiss Herring and her six team-high points. Huntar Hint had the team’s remaining two points.
Both teams are now off until after the holiday break, returning on January 3 in a pair of 6 p.m. contests, with Genesee Valley/Belfast visiting Bolivar-Richburg, while Friendship/Scio plays host to Hinsdale in Friendship.
Friendship/Scio 0 4 4 0 – 8
Genesee Valley/Belfast 7 14 7 8 – 36
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Kaydence Sadler 0 0-4 0, Huntar Hint 0 2-2 2, Alexiss Herring 3 0-0 6. Totals: 3 2-6 8.
GV/BELFAST: Keanna Sands 1 0-0 2, Bayleigh Tallman 3 0-0 6, Sophie Zillgitt 2 0-2 6, Addisyn Ely 6 0-1 12, Ava Aronson 2 1-5 5, Jenna Hill 2 1-2 5. Totals: 16 2-10 36.
3-point goals: GVB 2 (Zillgitt).
Total Fouls: F/S 12, GVB 12. Fouled out: None.
Wednesday Roundup: Despite season-high 26 from Dunbar, Section V perennial Keshequa hands Lady Lions 1st loss of season in 68-47 victory; Wellsville, B-R wrestling both downed in home openers
WELLSVILLE — The Keshequa girls basketball program is as good as it gets.
Through many, many years of success under the guidance of legendary head coach Pete Piraino, who surpassed 600 career wins right at the tail end of last season, the Lady Wildcats have established themselves as a Section V perennial powerhouse with the richest of pedigrees.
After another storied season that landed them back in the Class C2 Finals, the majority of the Lady Wildcats are all back to attempt another return trip back to that grand stage that saw them fall five points short from championship glory to eventual prizewinner Dundee/Bradford.
For the Lady Lions of Wellsville, winners of their first four games of the campaign, Wednesday night’s home opener in the Lion’s Den was their first of two big glimpses of the reigning Class C2 Finalists they will receive this season.
And right off the bat, the Lady Wildcats caught fire.
There were no signs of slowing down in sight, as the Lady Wildcats attacked from all angles on the offensive end of the floor, while the defense applied all the pressure imaginable against the Lady Lions to put them on their feet early, accounting for a near-flawless first half of basketball to set the tone going forward, as they rolled past Wellsville with a 68-47 victory.
“We will be fine, but hopefully this is a wake-up call in order to do things much better going forward,” said Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord. “We were outworked and outplayed in all aspects tonight. I’m confident that we will definitely learn from this. We’ll get to where we need to be and this game will definitely help with that. The best thing is that we’ll have another chance to face them later on in the season, so I’m looking forward to seeing how we can compete when that time comes.”
There was no denial for a fast start for the Lady Wildcats, as they took full advantage of the opportunity right from the opening tip at center by scoring an early 7-0 run in the first minute. The Lady Lions (4-1) found their way into the game for the first time with five straight of their own right behind them, including the first of two triples off the hand of Natalie Adams.
The two teams went on to exchange baskets, with Wellsville closing the gap down to as little as three behind Makenna Dunbar’s first three out of three made in the game. But the advantage for Keshequa was branched back out upon the closure of the first quarter, as the Lady Wildcats wrapped up the frame with five of the last six points — three more from the outside, this time from Bree Benner, to claim an 18-11 lead going into the next session.
Ava Thayer would reignite for the visitors in black and orange after setting up shop in the very early sequences of the game, as she went back-to-back from long range to keep the gas pedal straight down to the floor, along with some aid from Braelyn Isaman on the outside later on along the way.
In total, Keshequa took a lead as large as 15 over the Lady Lions going into the break after finishing a 15-7 second quarter run.
All the momentum the Lady Wildcats carried into halftime was reapplied in time for the second half, despite Wellsville matching their offense with their best stand of attack in the contest, as both teams posted 19 third quarter points, which allowed the visitors to remain in the lead once and for all with one final jaunt in the last eight minutes.
Despite the defeat, the Lady Lions were able to get a season-best game out of Makenna Dunbar, who finished with a game-high 26 points to pair with four rebounds. Natalie Adams finished with 11 points to go with four assists, while Caelyn Stevens and Emily Stuck finished with four assists and four rebounds respectively, to wrap up the special teams play.
The Lady Lions JV squad proclaimed victory over Keshequa, paid in part by a heavy 21-point outburst from Raegan Vogel, as they went on to claim a 45-39 victory.
Wellsville will close out the calendar year back on the road one final time in 2024, as they prepare to visit Avoca-Prattsburgh in a 7:30 p.m. contest on Friday.
Keshequa 18 15 19 16 – 68
Wellsville 11 7 19 10 – 47
KESHEQUA: Ava Thayer 7 0-0 19, Bree Benner 3 0-0 7, Braelyn Isaman 9 0-0 19, Ryley Benner 2 0-0 4, Riley Nageldinger 2 0-0 5, Alicia Wood 3 4-4 10, Abby Wood 2 0-0 4. Totals: 28 4-4 68.
WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 2 0-0 4, Natalie Adams 4 1-2 11, Emily Stuck 1 0-0 2, Ayla Faulkner 1 0-0 2, Makenna Dunbar 7 9-11 26, Alexa Stuck 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 10-13 47.
3-point goals: Keshequa 8 (Thayer 5, B. Benner, Isaman, Nageldinger), Wellsville 5 (M. Dunbar 3, Adams 2).
Total Fouls: Keshequa 11, Wellsville 7. Fouled out: None.
Canisteo-Greenwood 47, Avoca-Prattsburgh 37
CANISTEO — With Bailey Mullen and Paris May steering the ship for much of Canisteo-Greenwood’s battle against incoming Avoca-Prattsburgh, the Lady Chargers would not be refused their sixth straight win to open the season on Wednesday, as they edged out the Lady Titans right down the tire wire and secure what was a 47-37 victory.
It was a tight, defensive battle from start to finish, with no cushion ever eclipsing as high as five points through the first three quarters. In the last eight minutes however, the big difference arrived in full, with Bailey Mullen knocking down a humongous triple following the force of a 35-35 fourth quarter tie.
Then, a chance for Avoca-Prattburgh to return entered the fray.
After the visitors trimmed down their deficit back to well within striking distance going into the break, a chance to break free and put Avoca-Prattsburgh on thin ice, would arrive. They assumed control of the offensive production, as the Lady Chargers would go on to score a 17-11 run in the last eight minutes.
But that offensive presence saw a defensive shadow being cast by the Lady Titans along the way, as they put the pressure on late themselves to force a back-and-forth exchange in the game’s final minute.
Fortunately enough for the hosts in white and red, Mullen and May came to the rescue with two gigantic baskets, alongside finishing the night with a 5-for-6 outing at the charity stripe, to help aid the Lady Chargers towards a sixth straight win in crunch-time.
Leading the scoring for Canisteo-Greenwood was Mullen and her game-high 13 points, pairing them with nine rebounds. May finished with 10 points, while Harlie McCaffery had nine points to chip in along with eight rebounds.
The Lady Chargers will close out their 2024 slate on Friday, as they hit the road for a 7 p.m. visit to Dansville.
Avoca-Prattsburgh 8 10 8 11 – 37
Canisteo-Greenwood 7 12 11 17 – 47
AVOCA-PRATTSBURGH: D’Mariannah Hinson-Pike 2 1-2 6, Meyah Putnam 2 3-4 7, Breanna Jorritsma 1 4-8 6, Evelyn Travis 2 3-4 7, Tyanna Rivero-Pike 3 1-3 7, Payton Hopkins 2 0-0 4. Totals: 12 12-21 37.
CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Bailey Mullen 3 5-8 13, MacKenna Mullen 2 1-2 5, McKenna Ferris 2 0-0 4, Paris May 4 0-0 10, Anna Mitchell 2 0-0 4, Harlie McCaffery 3 3-6 9, Lyla Greenfield 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 9-16 47.
3-point goals: A-P 1 (Hinson-Pike), C-G 4 (B. Mullen 2, May 2).
Total Fouls: A-P 15, C-G 16. Fouled out: Putnam (A-P).
Bolivar-Richburg 44, Hinsdale 29
HINSDALE — Right off the bat in the opening half of play, the Bolivar-Richburg Lady Wolverines were relentless on the offensive front in their latest road trip on Wednesday, registering a monstrous first 16 minute segment to bring the hammer down on host Hinsdale right away, en route towards a 44-29 victory – their first win of the campaign.
The first two quarters of play for the Lady Wolverines (1-4) were exceptional, as they plugged in all the pieces of the attack to travel towards a meteoric 32-9 lead of the Lady Bobcats — that included a humongous 20-5 second quarter run to create more than enough separation to claim the victory all for themselves at the end of the night.
The Bolivar-Richburg ladies were paced up front by Carmen Crowley, who recorded a game-high 15 points. Raegan Giardini was right behind her with 13 points of her own, while Sydney Faulkner had seven to add in.
Up next, the Lady Wolverines will close out and head into the winter break on Friday with a 6 p.m. visit to Olean.
Bolivar-Richburg 12 20 8 4 – 44
Hinsdale 4 5 10 10 – 29
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Nadia Baldwin 1 0-0 3, Emma Sisson 1 2-2 4, Jaelyn Kinnicutt 1 0-0 2, Raegan Giardini 6 0-1 13, Sydney Faulkner 2 1-4 7, Carmen Crowley 7 1-1 15. Totals: 18 4-8 44.
HINSDALE: Kaylie Foskit 1 0-0 2, Sarah Easterly 1 0-0 3, Jen Tuttle 7 0-4 16, Lily Bushnell 3 2-4 8. Totals: 12 2-8 27.
3-point goals: B-R 4 (Faulkner 2, Baldwin, Kinnicutt), Hinsdale 3 (Tuttle 2, Easterly).
Total Fouls: B-R 12, Hinsdale 11. Fouled out: None.
WRESTLING
Canisteo-Greenwood 50, Wellsville 18
WELLSVILLE — Just in time before the holiday break officially settles in beginning next week, the Wellsville Lions grapplers were front and center in the Lion’s Den for the very first time on Wednesday, with Section V perennial Canisteo-Greenwood traveling the snowy roads for a visit.
Some back-and-forth victories across the first four matches between both teams were exchanged early on, but then the floodgates opened soon after for the Chargers, recording four straight victories to stay out in front of Wellsville permanently to spoil their home opener with a dominant 50-18 victory.
With the match beginning at 152 pounds, Wellsville’s Jack Cicirello and Canisteo-Greenwood’s Mathias Sharp went the entire distance across all three periods of action on the mat, beginning with a 4-0 lead for Cicirello before Sharp countered with four points of his own to tie the match. Sharp ultimately finished off his comeback victory in the third period with two buzzer-beating points off a near-fall against Cicirello to claim the 6-4 decision.
Wellsville punched right back with the next two wins in action, both shared between a Colton Havens forfeit for the Chargers at 170 pounds, with Mason Edwards garnering the first for the Lions off a strong pinfall win over Ziah Sharp at 160 pounds part way into the second period, while Gabe Black scored a second period explosion of points consisting of two takedowns and a near-fall to hold a 13-4 lead before ultimately pinning Skyler Miles at the 4:16 mark to claim what was the final win in action for the hosts.
Dominic Dennis helped Canisteo-Greenwood take the lead back once and for all with a comeback finish over Wellsville’s Brayden Taggart at 215 pounds, after Taggart controlled most of the tempo on the mat, as he climbed through an opening and provided a match-changing reversal and pin to score the Chargers win and a 15-12 lead.
Zachary Stilson (285 pounds), Ryan Gemmell (101 pounds) and Garrett Hall (108 pounds) all scored forfeit wins for the visitors in red before a 116 pound double forfeit and a 124 pound forfeit win for Wellsville’s Paul Giovanniello followed behind.
In the last three matches, Canisteo-Greenwood assembled a strong finish with all three victories, as Dylan Depew-Cappadonia (131 pounds), Triston Williamson (138 pounds) and Ethan Gayhart (145 pounds) all recorded wins via pinfall, technical fall and forfeit respectively to close out the match.
The Lions will return to regular season action on January 8, when they host a tri-match with both Addison and Avoca-Prattsburgh/Hammondsport beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Results (* indicates starting weight)
101 – Ryan Gemmell (C-G) by for.
108 – Garrett Hall (C-G) by for.
116 – Double for.
124 – Paul Giovanniello (WLSV) by for.
131 – Dylan Depew-Cappadonia (C-G) def. Jensen Spicer (WLSV) by pin, 1:49.
138 – Triston Williamson (C-G) def. Brock Mattison (WLSV) by tech fall, 20-5.
145 – Ethan Gayhart (C-G) by for.
*152 – Mathias Sharp (C-G) def. Jack Cicirello (WLSV) by dec, 6-4.
160 – Mason Edwards (WLSV) def. Ziah Sharp (C-G) by pin, 2:44.
170 – Colton Havens (C-G) by for.
190 – Gabe Black (WLSV) def. Skyler Miles (C-G) by pin, 4:16.
215 – Dominic Dennis (C-G) def. Brayden Taggart (WLSV) by pin, 6:03.
285 – Zachary Stilson (C-G) by for.
Addison 36, Bolivar-Richburg 22
BOLIVAR — The Knights of Addison assembled a hot start out of the gate against host Bolivar-Richburg on Wednesday, scoring wins in four of the match’s first five scheduled battles to set the tone, scoring six total victories in all to coast towards victory with a strong 36-22 victory over the Wolverines.
The Wolverines recorded four total wins against the visiting Knights, with their first stemming after the first two Addison victories from Gary McDowell at 138 pounds, as he rolled up Rockey Brook at the 2:54 mark to help break the ice on their side of the scoreboard.
Following a double forfeit and two Addison forfeits, the hosts grabbed a gigantic technical fall win from Tavyn MacDonell at 170 pounds, as he scored a 21-5 win over Spencer Westervelt.
In the lightweight division, Bolivar-Richburg rounded off their victories with back-to-back triumphant finishes from Teegan Sibble (108 pounds) and Presley McDowell (116 pounds), with Sibble recording the pin-fall win at the 1:07 mark over Aurora Anderson, while McDowell scored a 17-2 technical fall win over Conner Watson.
Bolivar-Richburg will host their annual Wolverine Holiday Scuffle at 1 p.m. next Friday afternoon.
Their next regular season match will take place on January 7, when they join Arkport-Canaseraga for tri-match action at Alfred-Almond at 5:30 p.m.
Results (* indicates starting weight)
101 – Double for.
108 – Teegan Sibble (B-R) def. Aurora Anderson (ADD) by pin, 1:07.
116 – Presley McDowell (B-R) def. Conner Watson (ADD) by tech fall, 17-2.
*124 – Langden Green (ADD) def. TJ Coleman (B-R) by pin, 1:26.
131 – Eric Payne (ADD) by for.
138 – Gary McDowell (B-R) def. Rockey Brook (ADD) by pin, 2:54.
145 – Double for.
152 – Kamden Aloi (ADD) by for.
160 – Kolby Mclean (ADD) by for.
170 – Tavyn MacDonell (B-R) def. Spencer Westervelt (ADD) by tech fall, 21-5.
190 – Brice Combs (ADD) def. Haizen Hall (B-R) by pin, 1:54.
215 – Newt Jones (ADD) def. Kailob Lipka (B-R) by pin, :17.
285 – Double for.
More stories after Chris Brooks photo gallery of wrestling and basketball:
Tuesday Roundup: B-R boys hold off late charity stripe push from GV/Belfast to secure 55-53 home victory; And/Whi boys explode over road at Houghton, GV/Belfast girls rebound
BOLIVAR — The back-and-forth game was on during a Tuesday night in the Wolverine Den, where runs aplenty were exchanged amongst Genesee Valley/Belfast and Bolivar-Richburg across all 32 minutes of regulation play.
After a quick recovery in the first quarter for the host Wolverines led to the teeter-totter battle all throughout the remainder of the night, the final eight minutes provided one final opportunity to create some separation.
What momentum that was still harnessed, was unleashed in full for the team in white and black to capitalize upon, as they engineered an advantage that eclipsed as much as 12 during the frame to take the upper hand.
Despite some late foul shots from Genesee Valley/Belfast to help close the gap right back to within striking distance one more time, the Wolverines were able to fend off the very late pressure from their opposition to close out the night on top with a 55-53 victory.
“We got off to a terrible start and then, we dug in to finish strong and take the lead. Later on, it was pretty even across the board,” Wolverines coach Justin Thomas said. “We didn’t do too much damage to them, they didn’t do too much damage to us. It was kind of the same at the start of the second half too. We built a lead and then we let them back into it. We played pretty well in the fourth and then GV/Belfast hit their stroke and came back again. Instead of keeping pace, they got hot and we cooled down. Thankfully, we were able to stave it off.”
Genesee Valley/Belfast kicked the tires on an early lead straight out of the gate, scoring seven of the first eight points before the Wolverines (4-3) countered right back with a big punch of their own to close out the frame, leaving their opposition frozen in their tracks with 12 of the quarter’s last 14 points in their own right.
From the second quarter onwards, the pendulum could have tilted either way, with no degree of separation at the end of each frame eclipsing over three points. That included a monster 20-point second half debut for the Wolverines to push their lead to five going into the last eight minute session.
Bolivar-Richburg would go on to use every bit of momentum they created after their strongest outing of offense in the contest, posting a 15-point frame of attack that would see their advantage blossom to as large as 12 point during a particular juncture of battle.
Despite some late special teams play from Genesee Valley/Belfast (3-2) down the stretch, the hosts were able to hang on tight to secure the victory that awaited at the final buzzer.
When the action wrapped up completely, Landon Barkley emerged as the night’s leading scorer for the Wolverines, as they recorded a game-high 22 points, including four of the team’s seven three-pointers. Brayden Zilker followed with the remaining three triples from outside, putting them towards a 15-point effort of his own. Kingston Loucks collected 11 points.
For the visitors, Ian McKenzie led the way with a team-high 17 points. Ethan Davenport contributed 11 points, including a trio of Genesee Valley/Belfast’s eight total triples from downtown, while Cane Treusdell had eight points.
Genesee Valley/Belfast is now off until the calendar flips to January, as they get set for a road trip to Honeoye on January 7 beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Bolivar-Richburg has two more games remaining in their 2024 portion of the docket, with action recommencing on Friday with a 7:30 p.m. visit from Portville before heading to St. Bonaventure the following day to take on archrival Cuba-Rushford, Saturday night.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 9 8 18 18 – 53
Bolivar-Richburg 13 7 20 15 – 55
GV/BELFAST: Will Guilford 1 0-0 2, Cane Treusdell 3 0-0 8, Ian McKenzie 6 5-6 17, Brayden Cooper 2 0-0 4, Ethan Davenport 4 0-0 11, Lannden Tilton 2 0-0 6, Kenton Shultz 1 0-0 2, Riley Rogers 1 0-0 3. Totals: 20 5-6 53.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Maddox Davison 0 2-2 2, Landon Barkley 7 4-6 22, Brayden Zilker 6 0-0 15, Dylan Abdo 1 0-2 2, Waide Karnuth 1 1-2 3, Kingston Loucks 3 5-11 11, Shawn Murphy 0 0-2 0. Totals: 18 12-25 55.
3-point goals: GVB 8 (Davenport 3, Treusdell 2, Tilton 2, Rogers), B-R 7 (Barkley 4, Zilker 3).
Total Fouls: GVB 17, B-R 5. Fouled out: None.
Andover/Whitesville 78, Houghton Academy 46
HOUGHTON — Every single Andover/Whitesville scorer all registered at least a point to set the offense ablaze over the road at Houghton Academy on Tuesday, with Brody Vance and Vinny Joyce headlining the efforts with a pair of 20-point outings, as they rolled past the host Panthers with a strong, rebounding 78-46 victory.
“It’s always fun to play against Jeff’s (Prentice) teams. He’s a class act along with his program. I was really pleased with our overall effort tonight,” said Andover/Whitesville coach Jimmy Joyce. “We got contributions from everybody across the board and each of our guys was able to show up on the stat sheet. It was nice having Brody back, he played very well in his return game. Vinny was great on the offensive end and off the boards, Colt and James (Miller-Young) were very heavily involved on both ends. The (Jack) Prentice and (Josh) Davidson kids are very gifted offensive players, and it was virtually impossible to keep them in check, but we did a fairly decent job in limiting what we could against them.”
The first half told the entire story for Andover/Whitesville (3-3), as Vance and Joyce electrified the offense on all fronts, combining for 14 of the team’s 18 points in the opening eight minutes to get the engines rolling before spreading the wealth amongst six different scorers across a mammoth 24-9 run of Houghton Academy to close out the half with an advantage they proceeded to never lose from their grasp again.
In all, four different scorers all eclipsed the double-digit plateau for the evening, with Vance leading all Andover/Whitesville scorers with his team-high 21 points.
Behind him, Joyce followed with a dominant presence down in his 20-point performance. James Miller-Young chipped in 14 points, while Colton Calladine had 13 points.
The Panthers (3-2) were led by Jack Prentice and Josh Davidson, as the two combined to record 44 of the team’s 46 total points, with Prentice’s 24 leading the way. Davidson finished with 20, including four of the offense’s six shots from outside. Arthur Wang had two points to round off the scoring.
Houghton Academy is now off until the new calendar year, as they hit the road for their return on January 10 with a 7:30 p.m. visit to Friendship/Scio, in Friendship.
Andover/Whitesville will close out the 2024 section of their slate Thursday night with a 7:30 p.m. trip to Avoca-Prattsburgh.
Andover/Whitesville 18 24 18 18 – 78
Houghton Academy 9 9 11 17 – 46
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Gage Putnam 1 0-0 2, James Miller-Young 7 0-0 14, Trey Kent 1 0-0 2, Ethan Warriner 0 1-2 1, Vinny Joyce 10 0-0 20, Brody Vance 9 1-2 21, Jon Vallieres 2 0-2 5, Colton Calladine 4 5-7 13. Totals: 34 7-12 78.
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Josh Davidson 9 2-2 24, Jack Prentice 9 0-0 20, Gavin Martino 0 0-4 0, Arthur Wang 1 0-0 2. Totals: 19 2-6 46.
3-point goals: A/W 3 (Vance 2, Vallieres), HA 6 (Davidson 4, Prentice 2).
Total Fouls: A/W 7, HA 9. Fouled out: None.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Genesee Valley/Belfast 44, Warsaw 30
BELFAST — Jenna Hill served as the firestarter in the first half while Bayleigh Tallman provided a big amount of gasoline in the last 16 minutes of play for the Genesee Valley/Belfast ladies on Tuesday, as the two shooters reversed the momentum against visiting Warsaw down the stretch to hold them at bay, warranting a hard-earned 43-30 victory over the Lady Tigers.
“Warsaw played hard the whole night. Credit to them and their coaching staff, they pressed from start to finish and simply had no quit,” GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan said. “We came out to a slow start but we found a better rhythm against the pressure in the second half. I am really proud of the team for their resilience in the face of persistent pressure. There’s a lot of growth happening within them, and we have one more opportunity to build on it before we head into break.”
The Lady Tigers were able to put their stamp on a strong first quarter start to set up shop against Genesee Valley/Belfast (4-2) out of the gate, as the hot hands of Emily Klump and Veronica Streamer from outside helped jump-start a 14-8 advantage behind their trio of triples combined.
To formulate their response, Hill assembled a strong eight-point first half in its entirety, along with four big points from Ava Aronson in the second quarter to close their halftime gap to 21-18 behind Warsaw.
In the second half, Genesee Valley/Belfast would see the eruption of Bayleigh Tallman come to life, as the sophomore pieced together a dominant 13-point stand of offense, helping finish off a 15-4 third quarter run to propel ahead of the Lady Tigers with a strong end to her night in the last eight minutes with eight big points, ending the night in victorious fashion.
Tallman would conclude as Genesee Valley/Belfast’s leading scorer with a game-high 17 points. Hill finished with nine points, while Ava Aronson had six points.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will mark their return to action one last time before the holiday recess on Thursday, as they welcome in Friendship/Scio for a 7:30 p.m. visit right back in Belfast.
Warsaw 14 7 4 5 – 30
Genesee Valley/Belfast 8 10 15 10 – 44
WARSAW: Emily Klump 5 0-2 13, Kaitlyn Treutlein 0 0-2 0, Veronica Streamer 2 2-2 7, Izzy Carmichael 0 1-4 1, Maddie Schurr 2 0-0 4, Zoe Kaminski 2 1-2 5. Totals: 11 4-12 30.
GV/BELFAST: Bayleigh Tallman 7 2-3 17, Sophie Zillgitt 2 0-0 4, Whitney Young 1 1-2 3, Addisyn Ely 2 1-2 5, Ava Aronson 3 0-0 6, Jenna Hill 4 1-2 9. Totals: 19 5-8 44.
3-point goals: Warsaw 4 (Klump 3, Streamer).
Total Fouls: Warsaw 16, GVB 10. Fouled out: Streamer (WAR).
Portville 33, Cuba-Rushford 23
CUBA — In what is now their ninth game of the season, the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford continue to keep on battling from start to finish. It was no different on Tuesday when they remained neck-and-neck with visiting Portville through the first three quarters of play in the Wighthouse.
But in the fourth quarter, the Lady Panthers changed the complexion of the game completely from the charity stripe, as they powered a 9-for-16 outing in the last eight minutes to pull ahead of the Lady Rebels down the stretch and secure what ultimately shaped into a 33-23 road victory.
“I’ve got to give some credit to our girls for the way they show up and work hard each game,” Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight said. “Tonight was game nine for us this early in the season, and it’s certainly been a grind. You really wouldn’t know it by watching the effort from our girls. I thought we did a pretty good job defensively tonight, although we didn’t shoot well. Portville is a solid team and they don’t give up many easy looks. Hopefully, we can reset a little bit over break and bounce back from these last few losses.”
It was as narrow as advertised through the first half of play, with the biggest lead of the half being no bigger than four points across each frame. The Lady Rebels were able to score a 5-2 start out of the gate before Portville followed behind by wrapping up the first quarter with the last five points in a row to claim a 7-6 lead.
The two teams would exchange back-and-forth baskets across the second quarter until the Lady Rebels worked their way out front with a 11-10 halftime lead.
In the second half, the action began to tilt Portville’s way after two advantageous frames of offense allowed them to regain control, including a fourth quarter where they leaned heavily upon the charity stripe to officially lock up the victory, all while holding the Lady Rebels (5-4) to just seven points.
Lily Tompkins led the way for Cuba-Rushford with nine team-high points. Lilly Farwell bucketed eight of her own along the way.
The Lady Rebels now propel into the holiday break, as they return to the hardwood in the new calendar year with a January 7 contest against New Life Christian back inside the Wighthouse beginning at 6 p.m.
Portville 7 3 8 15 – 33
Cuba-Rushford 6 5 5 7 – 23
PORTVILLE: Ashley Carls 2 1-2 5, Emma Rhinehart 5 1-4 12, Ali Haynes 2 6-8 10, Ava Jo Edwards 1 4-6 6. Totals: 10 12-18 33.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Aubrey Williams 1 0-0 3, Lily Tompkins 4 1-2 9, Brynn Lavery 1 1-2 3, Lilly Farwell 3 2-4 8. Totals: 9 4-8 23.
3-point goals: Portville 1 (Rhinehart), C-R 1 (Williams).
Total Fouls: Portville 16, C-R 21. Fouled out: Farwell (C-R).
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Wellsville 3, Portville 0
PORTVILLE — The Portville Panthers provided a strong showing out of the gate to set the tone against visiting Wellsville on Tuesday, as they used their first set momentum to set up a straight-set sweep of the Lions, claiming the victory by a 25-17, 25-16, 25-21 count.
The Lions (3-2) were paced by Terrence Benz on the attack, scoring three team-leading kills to pair with a duo of blocks. Xavier Scott had two more kills, one ace and a block to chip in, while Kamron Dodge finished with two kills and an ace of his own to add.
Wellsville is now off until the new calendar year, as they travel to visit Cuba-Rushford on January 6 at 6 p.m.
Fillmore 3, Bolivar-Richburg 1
FILLMORE — Despite the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg fighting their way back to force a tie after the second set, the rebound provided by host Fillmore was much larger, as they recovered and countered with a strong finish to their battle on Tuesday to pick up back-to-back wins in a span of three days, squeezing towards a four-set, 25-20, 17-25, 25-12, 25-19 victory on their home floor.
The Eagles (2-3) were generated by Nathan Tanner on the attack, scoring nine kills to go with 14 digs on defense. Anderson Wiltsey (16 assists) pitched in six more service points along with two kills, while Skylar Freeman added in 25 assists at the front of the net, a team-high, to pair with 13 service points, 11 digs and four aces.
Bolivar-Richburg (1-4) was captained by Ayden Music on the attack with nine kills, two blocks, one ace and one helper. Right behind him was the team’s setter, Owen Unfus, who had 13 assists to hand out alongside two kills, two aces and a block of his own.
The Wolverines are back on the floor January 3 with a 7 p.m. road trip to Portville.
Fillmore will now break for the holidays, marking their return to action on January 6 with a 6 p.m. visit to Genesee Valley/Belfa
