Wednesday Roundup: Fillmore grinds out big win at Allegany-Limestone behind Miller’s inside presence, 4th quarter push; Houghton boys, girls fall in Wednesday night home twinbill

ALLEGANY — Every team will have their fair share of trials and tribulations to overcome at some point during the season. With just over two weeks of action now in the books, the process of finding the right footing, as well as a sequential combination to gel together on the hardwood will usually kick into gear.

The Fillmore Lady Eagles would hope that their big road trip to Allegany-Limestone on Thursday would mark the beginning of it.

Although the Lady Eagles acquired the cushioning they needed to remain one step ahead of the Lady Gators, the hosts would soon catch on in a hurry with a brilliant fourth quarter start to overtake Fillmore with a lead of their own.

Coming down the stretch however, the response in return by the visitors in green, was even bigger.

After giving up six straight points that allowed Allegany-Limestone to start the fourth quarter with their newly-gained advantage, Fillmore would allow them to keep it much longer, as they provided an even bigger reply with a game-ending run of their own — a 16-5 run when it was all said and done, as the Lady Eagles dug in deep and came away victorious with a hard-fought 42-33 win over the Lady Gators in the Swamp.

“We really had to go out and earn this one tonight. We were up and down with our offense, and although we had a cushion for three quarters, Allegany-Limestone went on their run to take the lead right from out under us,” said Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks. “We responded with one of our own to take it right back, and we hit some important free throws at the end to seal it.”

For much of the battle, Fillmore (2-2) and Allegany-Limestone were in a dead heat across the first three quarters — the first half being capitalized upon by the Lady Eagles by differences no larger than three points, taking a 21-16 lead into the break.

With the Lady Gators beginning to catch a head full of steam coming down the stretch in the third quarter going into the fourth, the contest would reach its first ultimate boiling point when the hosts picked up a hot start out of the gate in the last eight minute quarter, scoring six straight points to take control of what was now a 28-22 game.

But then, the Lady Eagles saw some clutch offense in the fourth quarter possessed by Preslee Miller begin to take shape, as she hit a massive three-point play that was finished off at the charity stripe to give the team the lead right back, ultimately for good. Miller would finish with 12 points to pair with six rebounds.

The big sequence would wind up resulting in Fillmore putting a bow on the road win through a tide-turning 16-5 run after the 28-22 Lady Gators lead to open the final frame.

“Preslee had a really nice night for us. She was tough inside, and she was rewarded with a big and-one to give us that lead back again,” Parks said. “We’re still trying to figure out things, and we’re trying to continue working towards consistency across all four quarters. In the meantime, the girls keep battling, and because of it, we got a really nice road win out of it tonight.”

Leading the offensive charge for Fillmore was Hope Russell, as she recorded a game-high 13 points to couple with five steals. Behind Miller was Grace Russell, who chipped in with seven points and five assists. Amelia Rose and Mattie McCumiskey each had four points to add.

The Lady Eagles will bring the momentum back home with them, and begin preparations for another tough test coming up next week, as they get set to take on Andover/Whitesville on Wednesday. Tip-off is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start in Whitesville.

Fillmore 9 12 5 16 – 42

Allegany-Limestone 6 10 6 11 – 33

FILLMORE: Hope Russell 3 6-10 13, Grace Russell 3 1-2 7, Rachel Hatch 0 2-4 2, Amelia Rose 2 0-0 4, Mattie McCumiskey 2 0-0 4, Preslee Miller 5 2-3 12, Madi Geertman 0 0-2 0. Totals: 15 11-16 42.

ALLEGANY-LIMESTONE: Maddie Callen 3 5-5 11, Elizabeth Giardini 3 0-0 6, Addison Fisher 2 0-0 4, Amelia Herzog 4 0-0 8, Serena Frederick 1 0-0 2, Madison Kahm 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 5-5 33.

3-point goals: Fillmore 1 (H. Russell).
Total Fouls: Fillmore 8, A-L 16. Fouled out: None.

Houghton boys, girls fall in Wednesday night twinbill

HOUGHTON — Although the area was relatively quiet on an arctic-esque Thursday night, both Houghton Academy squads took the County center stage for battle with scores to settle against Andover/Whitesville and the Rochester School of the Arts.

The boys contest was first to lead off, and it featured a battle that Andover/Whitesville assumed control of from the starting, building a strong first half advantage that was cut away after the break, but eventually was secured in the game’s last eight minute quarter, as they rolled their way towards a bounce back victory by a 51-29 count over the Panthers.

“Jack Belmont really led the way for us tonight with his strongest effort so far this season,” Andover/Whitesville coach Jimmy Joyce said. “He was all over the place on offense and defense, his three-point range efficiency was outstanding. Colton (Calladine) was really aggressive on defense against the (James) Adenuga kid, and held him in check about as good as anyone could against an offensive threat like that.”

Andover/Whitesville (3-4) saw three different scorers eclipse double digits during the battle, including a season-high best from Jack Belmont. The senior saw his three-point game rise to the occasion across all four quarters, including the middle frames where the team would begin to make their escape away from Houghton Academy’s grasp, launching four out of his six in that span to help set the tone.

Belmont would finish with a team-high 18 points.

After starting the night with a 14-8 lead, the efforts would lead towards Andover/Whitesville keeping the momentum in their favor from that point forward, doubling up the Panthers (1-3) by a 12-6 count to close out the first half before nearly coming even with their opposition after the third quarter.

But in the fourth, Andover/Whitesville would wind up sprinting away towards victory with some more big senior contributions, as CJ Estep helped seal the victory with eight of his 13 points being scored in the last eight minute session to set up shop, while the defense held Houghton Academy to just five points in the process.

“I thought we rebounded extremely well and limited their second chance shots, which would make all the difference,” Joyce said. “All in all, pretty happy with the effort from the boys coming off a tough game with Avoca/Prattsburgh.”

Kohler Niedermaier chipped in with 14 points of his own to further Andover/Whitesville’s cause on the frontlines, while Estep finished with 12. For the Panthers, James Adenuga led the way with his team-high 18 points. Pedro Rebello had six points.

To close out the night, the Lady Panthers then took the stage for battle against the Rochester School of the Arts. It was a quick start that was built by the visitors, and constructed even further when they would break away and out of reach in the second half, striding towards a 55-41 road win to down the hosts in white and blue.

Houghton Academy (2-4) fell behind and into an early hole against the School of the Arts, as the Lady Silverhawks offense came to life with a strong effort. As a result, a 30-18 halftime lead was built.

It was an advantage that was never let up, despite another massive performance from Houghton Academy’s dynamic duo, as the third quarter saw the Lady Silverhawks permanently break free with a huge 19-point frame of offense.

Jess Prentice would lead the Lady Panthers offense with a game-high 26 points. Following behind was Jessica Adenuga, who recorded the remaining 15 points.

Both Houghton Academy teams are now off until the new year, as they now head down the road to visit Fillmore in a pair of contests, beginning at 6 and 7:30 p.m. respectively on January 4.

Andover/Whitesville 14 12 12 13 – 51

Houghton Academy 8 6 10 5 – 29

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Will Kent 1 0-0 2, CJ Estep 4 4-10 12, Colton Calladine 1 1-2 3, Kohler Niedermaier 6 0-0 14, Jack Belmont 6 0-0 18, Gavin Cutler 1 0-0 2. Totals: 19 5-12 51.
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jack Prentice 2 0-0 4, Josh Davidson 1 0-0 2, James Adenuga 7 2-6 18, Pedro Rebello 3 0-0 6. Totals: 13 2-6 29.

3-point goals: A/W 8 (Belmont 6, Niedermaier 2), HA 1 (Adenuga).
Total Fouls: A/W 7, HA 8. Fouled out: None.

Rochester School of the Arts 15 15 19 6 – 55

Houghton Academy 8 10 11 12 – 41

ROCHESTER S.O.A: Jazlynn Logan 6 2-4 17, Son'ger McCullough 4 0-0 10, Kayona Toney 1 0-0 2, Precious Grant 1 0-0 2, Briana Williams 8 0-0 16, Nina Pallotta 2 0-0 4, Breyelle Geiger 1 3-4 5. Totals:
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jess Prentice 8 8-12 26, Jessica Adenuga 5 5-6 15, Abby Reitnour 0 0-2 0. Totals: 13
3-point goals: RSOA 5 (Logan 3, McCullough 2), HA 2 (Prentice).
Total Fouls: RSOA 15, HA 7. Fouled out: Geiger (RSOA).

WRESTLING

Fillmore/Keshequa at Canisteo-Greenwood - No report.