Wednesday Basketball: And/Whi girls survive nailbiter to spoil Senior Night for Lady Rebels with 35-34 road win; B-R, GVB girls use balanced offense to claim home victories

CUBA — There was plenty of nail-biting to go around in the Wighthouse on Wednesday.

With plenty of emotions already on the rise for the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford and their annual Senior Night celebration, they would reach new levels in the heat of battle down the stretch, as both teams vied for the winning edge in the game’s waning seconds.

With Cuba-Rushford garnering possession of what was the final possession, a pass inside next to the rim was made and later, a game-tying attempt was let go. The shot however, rolled straight over top of the basket and back down on the other side as time expired, leaving Andover/Whitesville in the driver’s seat for good, as they warded off the Lady Rebels one more time to put away a 35-34 road victory.

“This was a pretty sloppy game as a whole. Andover/Whitesville is tough, and they really work hard every minute to put a lot of pressure on you. I am happy with how we were able to fight back after being down in the last two minutes. They earned the chance to try and tie and win the game for us.” said Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight.

The scoring was a bit difficult to scavenge at first between both squads through the first five minutes and change of battle, with Andover/Whitesville (13-4) posting the game’s first three points to break the ice. A short time later, the Lady Rebels provided a response by doubling-up their opposition from three-point land, with Lily Tompkins and Brynn Lavery going back-to-back to propel them ahead with their first lead.

Despite falling behind down the stretch, Andover/Whitesville went on to wipe the slate clean and finish the frame with the last six points in consecutive fashion themselves, using some assistance at the charity stripe along with a buzzer-beating three from Stella Bledsoe off the glass and down through the twine to score a 9-6 lead at the conclusion of the frame.

The Lady Rebels (12-8) re-assumed control on the floor with a rapid response right back to Andover/Whitesville’s quarter-ending make, as they launched a game-tying triple of their own before speeding back ahead with six more points down low. The scoreless jaunt to open the second quarter reached as much as 11 points, as the hosts in white and blue wrapped up the first half with a 17-11 lead behind an 11-2 run of their opposition.

In the second half, plenty of more fireworks came.

Especially in the fourth quarter.

After both teams combined for 12 points across a quiet offensive third quarter, the Lady Rebels went into the last eight minutes primed to finish the job. In order to do that, they would have to fight Andover/Whitesville in a back-and-forth slugfest all the way down to the end, even after the visitors in black helped spearhead a humongous 7-0 run led by Olivia Waters down low against the Cuba-Rushford defense, along with a lengthy three-point bomb from near mid-court.

It would remain close quarters entering the final minute when both teams traded stances at the charity stripe to paste more points on the scoreboard. With a 35-34 lead for Andover/Whitesville intact, the Lady Rebels were presented with one final opportunity to turn the tide in favor of overtime with a phenomenal look inside the arc off a Brynn Lavery pass on the dribble, as she then supplied a dish to Kendall Tompkins next to the rim with 3.3 seconds left.

Tompkins provided one stutter-step against a defender in front of her before turning around to let her game-tying fadeaway fly right before the buzzer sounded. But the ball rolled straight over the basket and down onto the floor on the opposite side, as Andover/Whitesville held on to capture victory by the slimmest of margins.

Lavery led all scorers for the Lady Rebels with a team-high 10 points. Lily Tompkins finished with nine points, while Lilly Farwell had six points. For Andover/Whitesville, Olivia Waters paved the way with 14 game-high points. Stella Bledsoe chipped in with nine points, while Graci Lewis-Ellison had six to add.

Right before tip-off, the Lady Rebels honored both of their senior leaders, Lavery and Cloey Larabee, during their Senior Night celebration in front of their home crowd. Wight reflected on both seniors and their endless contributions on the floor they have made over the years.

“These two seniors are really going to be missed,” he said. “They have been great on and off the court. They’re both outstanding students and outstanding people. It won’t be the same next year without them. They have both been staples here for so long, with both of them being on Varsity for more than four years. Hopefully, we can keep their careers going a little longer in Sectional play.”

The Lady Rebels will now wait for Sectional play to begin, as they officially reach the end of their regular season.

Andover/Whitesville will head back home to Andover on Friday for a colossal 7:30 p.m. showdown with the Fillmore Lady Eagles.

Andover/Whitesville 9 2 8 16 — 35

Cuba-Rushford 6 11 4 13 — 34

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Makenna Vance 0 1-2 1, Stella Bledsoe 4 0-2 9, Graci Lewis-Ellison 2 2-6 6, Lilly Harrington 2 0-0 5, Olivia Waters 5 3-8 14. Totals: 13 6-18 35.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Aubrey Williams 1 2-4 5, Cloey Larabee 1 0-3 2, Lily Tompkins 3 2-2 9, Brynn Lavery 3 2-2 10, Arlah Shaffer 1 0-0 2, Lilly Farwell 3 0-0 6. Totals: 12 6-11 34.

3-point goals: A/W 3 (Bledsoe, Harrington, Waters), C-R 4 (Lavery 2, Williams, L. Tompkins).
Total Fouls: A/W 13, C-R 18. Fouled out: None.

Bolivar-Richburg 46, Friendship/Scio 27

BOLIVAR — The Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg broke away and out of reach from visiting Friendship/Scio on Wednesday, as they used two big conclusions to each half of basketball — the latter in the final eight minutes to officially solidify a rebounding victory on their home floor, a 46-27 final count.

The two teams engaged in early back-and-forth combat through the opening quarter, with opportunities on both ends of the floor becoming limited along the way. Through it all, the Lady Wolverines (8-11) were able to find their way out in front with a one-point advantage. When the second quarter came around, that lead was branched out heavily, as they closed out in dominant fashion with the first of two 13-2 runs of Friendship/Scio to take a 21-9 lead into the break.

Friendship/Scio (3-14) brought it all back to close the gap right behind Bolivar-Richburg in the third quarter, as they used all three phases of attack to power a massive 16-point stand — with three different contributors all digging down low for eight big points, along with a pair of triples from Alexiss Herring and two shots at the line from Avery Lamberson to power their special teams efforts.

Trailing by eight going into the fourth quarter, the momentum Friendship/Scio had established was ultimately stolen away by the Lady Wolverines, as the hosts in white and red put the finishing touches on the victory with their second 13-2 run, cementing the victory that awaited at the night’s final buzzer.

Leading the scoring for Bolivar-Richburg in a balanced effort across the board was Carmen Crowley, who had a game-high 11 points. Nadia Baldwin chipped in with 10 points right behind her, while Jaelyn Kinnicutt and Raegan Giardini each had eight points.

Friendship/Scio was captained by Emily Lamberson and her team-leading 10 points. The team hits the road once more tonight, as they visit the Lady Eagles of Fillmore at 6 p.m.

The Lady Wolverines are back on the floor on Tuesday for their regular season finale, as they then host the Fillmore Lady Eagles in a 6 p.m. tip-off.

Friendship/Scio 7 2 16 2 — 27

Bolivar-Richburg 8 13 12 13 — 46

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Emily Lamberson 5 0-0 10, Kaydence Sadler 1 0-2 2, Huntar Hint 1 0-2 2, Avery Lamberson 0 3-4 3, Alexiss Herring 2 0-0 6, Emma Bolzan 1 0-0 2, Ella Perry 1 0-0 2. Totals: 11 3-8 27.

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Nadia Baldwin 2 4-5 10, Emma Sisson 1 0-0 2, Jaelyn Kinnicutt 3 0-0 8, Raegan Giardini 3 2-2 8, Sydney Faulkner 3 0-0 7, Carmen Crowley 5 1-5 11. Totals: 17 7-12 46.

3-point goals: F/S 2 (Herring), B-R 5 (Baldwin 2, Kinnicutt 2, Faulkner).
Total Fouls: F/S 8, B-R 14. Fouled out: None.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 45, Hinsdale 19

BELFAST — After the Lady Bobcats of Hinsdale took the advantage through the opening moments of battle, the Genesee Valley/Belfast ladies then took over the show, as every single scorer all harnessed the spotlight on the hardwood inside the Paul Vienna Memorial Gym on Wednesday to power what was a 45-19 Senior Night victory.

It was not easy by any means right from the starting gate, as the Lady Bobcats raced stride for stride right alongside Genesee Valley/Belfast (12-8) in a back-and-forth exchange that saw the visitors jump out first and foremost with a 9-7 lead. But the momentum then shifted hands in the second quarter in favor of the hosts following an initial 14-14 tie, as the offense went full throttle with six of the final eight points of the half to garner the advantage.

The lead would remain in their favor going forward following a dominant display of defense across the entire second half, as Genesee Valley/Belfast held the Lady Bobcats (1-15) to just four more points in the midst of what was a 25-4 run to pull out of reach once and for all, sending all four of their seniors out swinging on the highest of notes.

Shining the light on the attack was Ava Aronson, as she posted a game-high 10 points. Bayleigh Tallman had seven points to add into the mix, while Whitney Young and Jenna Hill each had six points.

Hinsdale was led by Lily Bushnell and her team-leading eight points. Sarah Easterly had four points. The Lady Bobcats return to their home floor for a 6 p.m. contest against West Valley.

Genesee Valley/Belfast has concluded their regular season, as they now await Sectional play in two weeks time.

Hinsdale 9 6 2 2 — 19

Genesee Valley/Belfast 7 13 11 14 — 45

HINSDALE: Kaylie Foskit 1 1-4 3, Sarah Easterly 1 2-4 4, Alexa Saunders 1 0-0 2, Kaleigh Buckles 1 0-0 2, Lily Bushnell 3 1-2 8. Totals: 7 4-10 19.
GV/BELFAST: Keanna Sands 2 0-0 4, Bayleigh Tallman 3 1-2 7, Sophie Zillgitt 1 1-4 4, Whitney Young 2 0-0 6, Addisyn Ely 2 0-0 4, Alexa Ely 1 0-0 2, Kate Calanni 1 0-0 2, Ava Aronson 5 0-2 10, Jenna Hill 3 0-0 6. Totals: 20 2-8 45.

3-point goals: Hinsdale 1 (Bushnell), GVB 3 (Young 2, Zillgitt).
Total Fouls: Hinsdale 15, GVB 15. Fouled out: Aronson (GVB).