Missed opportunities by Wellsville, key free throws help No. 2 Avon in eliminating No. 3 Lady Lions from contention, secure spot in Class B2 Finals with 48-39 victory

Wellsville freshman Emily Robbins (21) blocks the shot put on by Avon off a breakaway opportunity, during Tuesday night’s Class B2 Semifinal contest in Honeoye Falls. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Wellsville sophomore Marley Adams (10) looks to split the Avon defense on her way up to the basket during Tuesday night’s Class B2 Semifinal contest in Honeoye Falls. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Wellsville sophomore Emily Costello (12) brings the ball back up court, as the Avon defense races back to defend during Tuesday night’s Class B2 Semifinal contest in Honeoye Falls. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Wellsville senior Milla Litzburg (24) drives her way up to the basket for the lay-in against the Avon defense during Tuesday night’s Class B2 Semifinal contest in Honeoye Falls. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Wellsville senior Regan Marsh (33) makes a pass back to the outside perimeter against the Avon defense during Tuesday night’s Class B2 Semifinal contest in Honeoye Falls. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Wellsville sophomore Kaylee Coleman, off-center, looks to split the Avon defense on her way to the basket during Tuesday night’s Class B2 Semifinal contest in Honeoye Falls. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

HONEOYE FALLS — After the team’s quarterfinal victory over Williamson right before this past weekend began, Wellsville head coach Michelle Alvord spoke of their next opponent. The team’s final hurdle standing up inside the path toward the Class B2 Finals — the second-seeded Avon Lady Braves, a team that made the move up from C1 to B2 after last season to continue their chase toward a second straight appearance in the finals.

Alvord had pointed out that both teams share some distinct similarities. Size, shooters, skill. It was a mix of ingredients that can make any team go on any given night. In Honeoye Falls on Tuesday, just one word summed up the entire night. A word that can be heard quite frequently whether it be from a coach during a timeout, or belted out by a student section supporting their team — defense.

Defense was indeed the name of the game, as both Wellsville and Avon fought their way through a close quarters battle nearly the entire way. With the Lady Lions holding a one-point lead entering the last eight minute period, the fight to the winner’s circle began. And in the end, it came down to special teams, a characteristic that Avon used to their utmost advantage.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Braves put together a lengthy run of the third-seeded Lady Lions, propelling their way back into the lead for good by capitalizing on turnovers for points, as well as hitting clutch free throws down the stretch, as a 20-10 jaunt loomed large for the second seeds to punch their ticket back to the Finals, this time in Class B2, with a 48-39 victory over No. 3 Wellsville.

“We made some bad passes. There were some mental errors. Traveling, overthrows. Neither team could really get into a flow because of it. We had the chances but we didn’t capitalize on them,” Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord said. “We made our run, and we were successful quite a bit by kicking up the tempo on the floor, but at the same time there were a lot of turnovers that saw points go the other way. Avon is a great well-coached team we went up against.“

The Lady Lions had to work their way from behind for most of the game, even after taking a scary hit in the first minute with their senior captain Regan Marsh going down with an early injury. She would return after the team made up an early 6-2 deficit with five of the next seven points going into their direction, allowing them to close the gap to a single point with nearly two minutes left in the opening quarter.

It would remain a three-point lead for the Lady Braves going into the second quarter, as the defensive battle began to settle in right away. After Avon netted 2-of-4 shots at the stripe, the Lady Lions went on to score the next four points in a row behind Marsh’s guidance from both at the line, and off an inside basket. Then, the defense for the three seeds kicked into high gear, as Emily Robbins delivered a massive block to blow an Avon breakaway basket out of proportion to keep the game separated by just a single possession.

“I was pleased with our defense. I thought we did a good job with things, and the majority of their kids got their average. So did ours,” Alvord said. “Both teams did a nice job hammering the nail on the head with their defense. Coach (Pete) Leone is a class act for Avon, and he knows how to get their girls prepared. This was a great basketball game.”

But the first half would wrap up in Avon’s favor however, as they scored six of the last nine points, despite a three-point play converted by Marley Adams at the line for Wellsville, as back-to-back baskets from both Keni Read and Sarina McDowell gave the Lady Braves a five-point cushion to work with coming back out for the second half, up 18-13.

It was used as a bit of a momentum swing going into the third quarter, as the run continued for the Lady Braves, seeing a nine-point extension after netting the first four points of the quarter in their concurrent 10-3 run of the Lady Lions with nearly three minutes gone in the frame. Soon after, Emily Costello ended the offensive drought with a three-pointer to set up a teeter-totter battle.

Each team would respond to their respective baskets, which allowed Avon to keep their six-point lead in hand. But a big power move by the Lady Lions was created off a turnover deep into the Avon zone, as Robbins picked up the loose ball and went for a breakaway jog downcourt, netting the basket to cut the Lady Braves lead down to four.

The basket would manage to create a spark of its own. Since the runaway tally, Wellsville went on to score the next six points consecutively with Milla Litzburg provided a game-tying basket on a swipe-and-go before giving them the lead with 1-of-2 made successfully at the stripe for a 28-26 lead, their first official lead of the game.

It would carry into the fourth quarter despite losing it briefly to Avon, and McDowell’s two shots at the line, as Marley Adams connected on one of many runners to the basket, earning it right before the end of the quarter to send Wellsville in with a 29-28 lead.

“Emily’s breakaway gave us a spark, and there were a couple of plays that led to that,” said Alvord. “Unfortunately, neither team really could into a flow, and both teams were in foul trouble for most of the game. You take away one of our top scorers and one of our top defenders in Regan with four fouls, the other kids had to step up. They did a great job battling back and stepping up when she wasn’t there, and it allowed us to get the lead going into the fourth.”

But then Avon’s major run in the fourth quarter soon came about, although there was no lengthy run that was built up against the Lady Lions. Avon’s lead would not grow larger than seven, and no smaller than three the entire final eight minute period, with it reaching to six with under three minutes left off a McDowell basket inside.

But then for the remainder of the game, the free throw line was used to essentially seal the game, netting their last nine points from the stripe to wrap up shop on a return trip to the Finals in the upper class.

Adams led all Wellsville scorers on the floor with a game-high 17 points. Marsh finished her final game in a Lady Lions uniform with nine points, while Costello recorded six off a pair of threes. Litzburg totaled five points, while Robbins’ breakaway rounded off the scoring.

The season is over for Wellsville, as they wrap up a highly successful season with a record of 16-6 overall. The team will graduate four seniors in all at the end of the year in Marsh, Litzburg, Ashley Sexton and Kayla Day. Looking back, Alvord says that even though the team will not return their two senior leaders, the rest will be back to make another long run next season.

“I can’t say enough about what Regan and Milla have both done, especially Milla tonight, she had the best game of her career,” she said. “I told this group of kids that we will be back. I want them to remember how this loss felt, but also, know that we’ll be back to do this again. Fortunately, this group will prepare and work hard to make it happen. It’s bittersweet, because we’re losing the seniors. The future is really bright, and I don’t have to worry about this group staying hungry, because they already are.”

Wellsville         7  6 16 10 – 39

Avon              10  8 10 20 – 48

WELLSVILLE: Marley Adams 7 3-5 17, Emily Costello 2 0-0 6, Emily Robbins 1 0-0 2, Milla Litzburg 2 1-3 5, Regan Marsh 3 3-6 9. Totals: 15 7-14 39.
AVON: Sarina McDowell 6 3-4 15, Elise Cochrane 2 3-4 7, Abby Decillis 2 6-10 11, Natalie Masten 0 0-2 0, Keni Read 4 4-4 13, Ali DeFranco 0 2-4 2. Totals: 14 18-28 48.
3-point goals: Wellsville 2 (Costello),  Avon 2 (Decillis, Read).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 22, Avon 16. Fouled out: None.