Saturday Roundup: And/Whi sweeps Belmont Rotary Club Tournament, as boys and girls teams capture titles over GV/Belfast; Lady Lions go back-to-back below the border at Jack Bush Tournament

BELMONT — There was plenty of electricity to go around in The Jungle, Saturday afternoon. Just days after opening the season in Cleveland, Andover/Whitesville and Genesee Valley/Belfast converged to assemble yet another epic clash to close out the Belmont Rotary Club Tournament.

It was a neck-and-neck battle through and through between both teams from start to finish, with the end of regulation morphing into an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride right down to the final buzzer. With Andover/Whitesville claiming a one-possession lead down the stretch, overtime was forced following an absolutely herculean shot by Genesee Valley/Belfast to tie the game.

But despite the clutch shot, Andover/Whitesville shook it off and came right back with an epic finish, as they accounted for a 14-5 run that featured plenty of offensive assistance to go around, as they flipped the script and claimed the tournament’s championship crown at the end of the day with a 70-61 overtime victory over Genesee Valley/Belfast.

A win that head coach Jimmy Joyce will savor as time goes on.

“This win certainly hits towards the top of the list since I’ve come back to the program. It was a pretty similar situation to last year’s tournament finale when we built a lead, but we couldn’t hold on,” he said. “This time, I think we learned a little from our mistakes and finished the job. I am so proud of each and every one of our men. We certainly demonstrated the next man up mantra. Credit to Jason (Hamer) and his boys, they battle their tails off. We got them into foul trouble early and also put some defensive pressure on them which helped us get out to a lead. We could never quite shake them though.”

Both teams went back-and-forth exchanging runs all through the day, with Genesee Valley/Belfast getting the action started with a 14-9 lead after the first eight minutes. Andover/Whitesville (2-1) came back with a punch of their own with their strongest outing of offense in the game, with five different scorers all pitching in towards a 22-13 finish to the first half, carrying what was a four-point, 31-27 lead going into the break.

The momentum began to turn back into Genesee Valley/Belfast’s (2-1) favor at the start of the second half, as Ian McKenzie led the charge on the rush alongside a long Ethan Davenport triple to establish a 12-4 jaunt. But when the fourth quarter arrived, it was anyone’s game to take advantage of, as Genesee Valley/Belfast journeyed on to force overtime behind an absolutely clutch buzzer-beating triple from McKenzie — his lone three-pointer of the game.

For Andover/Whitesville, it was a shot that did not faze them.

Instead, they put the finishing touches on one final run of Genesee Valley/Belfast in the last five minutes, with the defense holding their opposition to just one shot from the field, while Colton Calladine and Jon Vallieres both paced the overtime efforts with 11 combined points of the team’s 14 in total.

“Ian drilled that deep ball to send it to overtime and our guys could have very easily folded, but they took the exact opposite attitude and played even harder,” Joyce said. “James Miller-Young put in a phenomenal weekend, Vinny (Joyce), Ethan (Warriner) and Colt (Calladine) also stood out throughout the weekend. Colt had a tough day at the line today, but never wavered and kept attacking. Jon Vallieres also continues to develop at a rapid pace to give us huge minutes and contributions. If not for that, we don’t win this game. I think we learn a little more about our team each day, and it’s only going to make us better for the late season run.”

Calladine led all scorers with a game-high 20 points. Vinny Joyce followed up with 15 points, while James Miller-Young had 12 points to pace Andover/Whitesville’s offensive efforts.

As for Genesee Valley/Belfast, they were captained by Cane Treusdell, who posted a team-leading 16 points. Ian McKenzie and Lannden Tilton each had 11 points, while Ethan Davenport had 10. The team will look to regroup back on their home floor in Belmont on Friday, hosting Hinsdale at 7:30 p.m.

Andover/Whitesville will look for their third victory in their first four games come Monday night, hosting Jasper-Troupsburg in Andover at 7:30 p.m.

Andover/Whitesville 9 22 4 21 14 – 70

Genesee Valley/Belfast 14 13 12 17 5 – 61

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: James Miller-Young 5 0-0 12, Jake Mattison 1 0-0 3, Trey Kent 1 0-0 2, Ethan Warriner 2 6-12 10, Vinny Joyce 5 5-7 15, Jon Vallieres 3 1-2 8, Colton Calladine 9 2-12 20. Totals: 26 14-33 70.

GV/BELFAST: Cane Treusdell 7 1-3 16, Cal Tallman 1 1-2 3, Ian McKenzie 5 0-0 11, Brayden Cooper 0 5-6 5, Ethan Davenport 3 1-2 10, Lannden Tilton 5 0-1 11, Kenton Shultz 2 1-1 5. Totals: 23 9-15 61.

3-point goals: A/W 4 (Miller-Young 2, Mattison, Vallieres), GVB 6 (Davenport 3, Treusdell, McKenzie, Tilton).
Total Fouls: A/W 18, GVB 25. Fouled out: Shultz (GVB).

Portville Tournament

Championship: Cuba-Rushford 60, New Life Christian 33

PORTVILLE — They took care of business with a strong win over Bolivar-Richburg to advance into the Championship game of the ACE Tournament, back on Friday. One day later, the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford went on to win it all after a dominant start right out of the gate allowed them to set the tone against New Life Christian in the midst of their 60-33 victory in Portville to close out the weekend on top.

“We did a very nice job rebounding and taking care of the basketball tonight,” Rebels coach Pat Wight said. “We executed very well and got great ball movement for some lay-ups against New Life’s man defense. They have a very solid player (Nii Narku Hanson-Nortley), and we contained him after halftime and didn’t allow their other shooters many looks. I was very pleased with our effort and energy on the second night of a back-to-back. In-season tournament championships are always a nice way to start the season.”

The Rebels (2-0) made their impact known right off the bat in the first eight minutes of play, as six different scorers all had a hand in finding the basket to jumpstart a 17-4 first quarter run that wound up making all the difference going forward.

Carter Brown was a big driving force behind the Cuba-Rushford offense, as he delivered a game-high 16 point performance to fuel his All-Tournament selection. Right behind him was the tournament’s MVP, Donovan Breckenridge, as he finished his weekend in Portville with an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double. Adam Roe and Eli Sleggs each chipped in eight points, with Roe grabbing 10 rebounds and Sleggs garnering nine.

Adding more aid to the special teams cause for the Rebels was Finn Ricketts, who collected seven rebounds and handed out six assists.

Cuba-Rushford is back home Friday night, as they welcome in Andover/Whitesville for a 7:30 p.m. contest in the Wighthouse.

New Life Christian 4 10 12 7 – 33

Cuba-Rushford 17 18 15 10 – 60

NEW LIFE: Nii Narku Hanson-Nortley 6 2-4 15, Samuel Quampah 2 2-2 7, Daryl Selikem 1 0-0 2, Emmanuel L. Botchway 4 0-0 9. Totals: 13 4-6 33.

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Dean Frank 2 0-0 4, Carter Getz 1 0-0 2, Adam Roe 4 0-0 8, Donovan Breckenridge 5 1-2 11, Eli Sleggs 4 0-0 8, Zach Deck 2 0-0 4, Carter Brown 6 2-4 16, Finn Ricketts 3 0-0 7. Totals: 27 3-6 60.

3-point goals: C-R 3 (Brown 2, Ricketts), NLC 3 (Hanson-Nortley, Quampah, Botchway).
Total Fouls: C-R 6, NLC 9. Fouled out: None.

Consolation: Bolivar-Richburg 48, Portville 40

PORTVILLE — With Cuba-Rushford putting the finishing touches on the ACE Tournament’s crown, the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg were put into a position to come away with an even split of the action in Portville early Saturday afternoon. Squaring off against the host Panthers, the Wolverines used a fast start to their advantage while evading a late rally down the homestretch to secure what was a 48-40 win in the Consolation round.

The Wolverines (1-1) provided a fierce start to their game in the opening eight minute segment, as they controlled both ends of the floor with ease behind an 18-7 run of Portville to lay claim on the driver’s seat going forward. With the Panthers remaining hot on their trail all the way into the game’s last eight minutes, the tide was nearly turned behind a 16-8 run of Bolivar-Richburg themselves.

But the early jumpstart ultimately allowed the team in black and red to remain unfazed, as they held on to finish the weekend strong with an even split of both contests in Portville.

Landon Barkley and Brayden Zilker came together to deliver a massive one-two punch for the Wolverines on the attack, as they combined to record 32 of the team’s 48 total points against the Panthers, with Barkley’s 17 points laying down the foundation. Barkley also added four steals and three assists along the way. Zilker finished with 15 points himself to pair with three additional steals.

Waide Karnuth furthered the offense’s cause with seven points down low to go with 14 monstrous rebounds off the glass, while Ryder Iantorno chipped in eight more boards along the way.

Bolivar-Richburg is back on their home floor for the first time this winter to face off against Oswayo Valley at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.

Bolivar-Richburg 18 13 9 8 – 48

Portville 7 18 6 16 – 40

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Julian Weekley 1 0-0 3, Maddox Davison 1 0-0 2, Landon Barkley 5 4-5 17, Brayden Zilker 5 1-2 15, Ryder Iantorno 0 1-2 1, Waide Karnuth 3 1-4 7, Mason Baldwin 1 0-0 3. Totals: 16 7-13 48.

PORTVILLE: Peyton Carter 5 0-0 14, Braeden Carter 4 0-0 8, Reese Benson 1 0-0 2, Chase Armstrong 2 0-0 6, Zach Green 5 0-0 10. Totals. 17 0-0 40.

3-point goals: B-R 9 (Zilker 4, Barkley 3, Weekley, Baldwin), Portville 6 (P. Carter 4, Armstrong 2).

Total Fouls: B-R 5, Portville 14. Fouled out: None.

Houghton Academy 46, Lyndonville 40

LYNDONVILLE — Following a clamorous first quarter start from Lyndonville, the Houghton Academy Panthers turned the ship around almost immediately, as the defense buckled down to hold the Tigers in check while Josh Davidson and Jack Prentice led the charge on offense along the way to help set up a successful season debut on the road with a close 46-40 edge on Saturday.

After a 17-9 run was conducted by Lyndonville through the first eight minutes of play, Houghton Academy (1-0) had to work their way back from behind for a good majority of the battle. The Panthers defense helped deliver by holding the Tigers to under 10 points across the remaining three quarters of play, allowing the offense to record two big second half runs to swipe the advantage away, beginning in the third quarter.

Those efforts were led by Josh Davidson, as he posted 10 of his 19 points within the frame before Jack Prentice aided in finishing the victory off for Houghton Academy with a couple of clutch three-pointers. Prentice went on to lead all scorers on the floor with a game-high 26 points, including a 7-for-10 outing at the stripe.

The Panthers will look to keep the momentum rolling back home on Monday, hosting Hammondsport at 6:30 p.m.

Houghton Academy 9 10 13 14 – 46

Lyndonville 17 7 7 9 – 40

HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Josh Davidson 7 4-8 19, Jack Prentice 8 7-10 26, Gavin Martino 0 1-2 1. Totals: 15 12-20 46.

LYNDONVILLE: Colton Smith 5 1-2 13, Lane Woodworth 3 0-0 7, Juan Alberdi 5 2-6 12, Quincey McClinsey 1 0-0 2, Jacob Pitcher 3 0-0 6. Totals: 17 3-8 40.

3-point goals: HA 4 (Prentice 3, Davidson), Lyndonville 3 (Smith 2, Woodworth).
Total Fouls: HA 10, Lyndonville 18. Fouled out: None.

Warsaw Tournament

Championship: Fillmore 73, Pavilion 38

WARSAW — Jonah Bialek was absolutely ferocious for the Eagles of Fillmore on Saturday.

After emerging victorious to move one step closer towards tournament glory in Warsaw, Fillmore made sure to provide one last lights out performance to secure their crown just a few miles up north, as they assembled a trio of 20-point frames of offense to set the bar against Pavilion in what was a dominant 73-38 victory.

“Pavilion is an athletic, aggressive team and they really apply a lot of ball pressure. We got off to another slow start with turnovers in our first three possessions, but we settled in after that,” said Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “Jonah had a tough shooting game on Friday, but I knew he could turn it around tonight. He missed his first big three, but then he hit eight straight from all over the place. He also handled their full-court man pressure flawlessly. JD (Bialek) and Isaiah (Sisson) also played really well on both ends and made some big plays when we needed them.”

Bialek was working his three-point game right out of the gate for the Eagles (2-0), setting the twine on fire with seven first half triples — five of those coming in the team’s 24-point second quarter to keep their foot down on the gas pedal with a 24-13 half-ending run of Pavilion. On the opposite end of the floor, the Eagles defense froze the Golden Gophers into place to ensure the lead they established was never lost, holding their opposition to just two points while punctuating their 22-2 run to help wrap up the tournament’s championship.

Bialek went on to finish with a game-high 31 points for Fillmore. Isaiah Sisson and Cam Mucher each chipped in 11 points of their own, with Sisson handing out five assists and three steals, while Mucher added more special teams aid with four more steals and three assists. Off the glass, JD Bialek and Carson Sanasith both garnered 10 rebounds.

Fillmore will look to remain hot to start their new campaign on the hardwood Monday night, as they hit the road for a 7:30 p.m. contest at Franklinville.

Pavilion 12 13 2 11 – 38

Fillmore 22 24 22 5 – 73

PAVILION: Evan Kingdon 1 0-1 2, Mason Gilkes 2 1-6 6, Liam Campbell 3 2-9 8, Ryan MacKay 1 0-0 2, Keean Cummins 1 0-0 3, Joe Meehan 1 0-0 2, Alex Rudgers 2 0-1 4, Landen Stoddard 3 0-0 8, Hayven Cordes 1 0-2 3. Totals: 15 3-19 38.

FILLMORE: Jordan Bialek 1 0-0 3, Carson Sanasith 2 0-0 5, Isaiah Sisson 4 2-2 11, Jonah Bialek 9 5-5 31, Ezra Knapp 1 0-0 3, Cam Mucher 5 1-1 11, JD Bialek 4 0-0 9. Totals: 26 8-8 73.

3-point goals: Pavilion 5 (Stoddard 2, Gilkes, Cummins, Cordes), Fillmore 13 (Jon. Bialek 8, Jor. Bialek, Sanasith, Sisson, Knapp, JD Bialek).
Total Fouls: Pavilion 10, Fillmore 18. Fouled out: None.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Jack Bush Tournament at Cowanesque Valley

Championship: Wellsville 46, Cowanesque Valley 32

WESTFIELD, PA — Both the JV and Varsity Lady Lions of Wellsville brought out the brooms to bring the house down below the border, Saturday night. For the second straight year, both squads defending their throne at Cowanesque Valley’s Jack Bush Tournament would successfully remain seated at the top.

In the case of the Varsity Lady Lions, it was an overwhelming performance from Makenna Dunbar that ultimately led her towards MVP honors in the tournament, as well as the team’s second straight title, as they emphasized a strong end to the first half with an even stronger finish to their game at the end of the night with a 46-32 win over host Cowanesque Valley.

“It was a close game,” Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord said. “It was pretty back-and-forth for the most part, but then we had a strong second quarter to carry into the half. Some early foul trouble hurt them and it really allowed Makenna to start dominating in the second half. Timing wise, it was great when we got the big shots when we did. I was really pleased with how we played the last two nights. The more we play and the more we work hard, the better it will be.”

The Lady Lions (2-0) made the most of the opportunity early on in the first half to help create a 22-15 going into the break, taking a double digit lead before Cowanesque valley fought their way back to close the gap to as little as a single possession. But in the second half, Makenna Dunbar hopped into the pilot’s chair and helped the Wellsville offense take off, as she ultimately finished with a game-high 20 points to pair with her seven rebounds off the glass.

Following up was Natalie Adams, who earned an All-Tournament selection after a 10-point, six-steal performance. Caelyn Stevens and Jaden Dunbar each scored five points, with Stevens and Dunbar both combining for seven additional rebounds off the glass.

To help finish the weekend sweep below the border, the Wellsville Lady Lions JV team finished off a 34-28 victory over Northern Potter in their Championship game earlier in the afternoon behind a dynamic 17-point performance from Lexi Coleman.

Wellsville is now off until Friday night, as they hit the road for a 7:30 p.m. contest at Allegany-Limestone.

Wellsville 12 10 8 16 – 46

Cowanesque Valley 9 6 7 10 – 32

WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 1 3-6 5, Natalie Adams 4 0-0 10, Emily Stuck 2 0-0 4, Makenna Dunbar 7 4-5 20, Jaden Dunbar 2 0-0 5, Alexa Stuck 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 7-11 46.

COWANESQUE VALLEY: Starr Ordway 5 1-4 12, Ashley Woodring 1 0-0 2, Ella Churchill 5 0-0 12, Lily Vargeson 2 0-1 4, Jesse Quick 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 1-5 32.

3-point goals: Wellsville 5 (Adams 2, M. Dunbar 2, J. Dunbar), CV 3 (Churchill 2, Ordway).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 11, CV 11. Fouled out: Ordway (CV).

Belmont Rotary Club Tournament

Championship: Andover/Whitesville 43, Genesee Valley/Belfast 29

BELMONT — It was their first half defense that caught Honeoye off guard back in the opening round on Friday.

But on Saturday, it was their defense in the first quarter alone that allowed them to get the start they wanted to have in their back pocket, as Andover/Whitesville advanced forward to hold host Genesee Valley/Belfast absolutely shot-free from the field to set up a lead they did not lose after all four quarters of play.

As a result, Andover/Whitesville dethroned the hosts of the Belmont Rotary Club Tournament and became champions themselves after a 43-29 victory to push towards a 3-0 start to their campaign.

“We knew coming into this match-up that it would be a physical game. I thought our girls battled for every point that was scored. Andover/Whitesville did a great job defensively holding us to very limited scoring opportunities in the first and third quarters,” said GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan. “We made some adjustments to try and get into a rhythm offensively, and we came alive in the fourth quarter to close the gap a little bit. I’m proud of the grit the team demonstrated and we will learn from this. This is a really great learning tool for us moving forward.”

The tone was set by Andover/Whitesville (3-0) in the first eight minutes of play, as their defensive presence held Genesee Valley/Belfast at a standstill with a 10-1 lead behind the guidance of Stella Bledsoe down low, as she advanced forth to post eight of her 12 team-high points across the first half to help maintain the team’s position in the driver’s seat. Bledsoe went on to earn All-Tournament honors at game’s end.

Genesee Valley/Belfast (1-1) shook it all off for one more final run, conducted by Sophie Zillgitt, in the last eight minutes of play, as the senior came alive for seven of her eight points within the frame to help put the pressure on Andover/Whitesville late. But at the sound of the final buzzer, the early deficit in the first half ultimately became too much to overcome.

Finishing behind Bledsoe in the midst of an all-out balanced offense was Olivia Waters and Lilly Harrington, as the two Andover/Whitesville shooters followed with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Graci Lewis-Ellison went on to earn Tournament MVP honors.

Bayleigh Tallman and Jenna Hill each recorded six points to aid Genesee Valley/Belfast’s offense, with Tallman netting an All-Tournament nod along the way. Ava Aronson had five points.

Both teams are back in action Monday night, with Andover/Whitesville looking to extend their winning ways back home with a 7:30 p.m. visit from Friendship/Scio in Whitesville, while Genesee Valley/Belfast looks to get back on track at 6:30 p.m. in a visit to Campbell-Savona.

Andover/Whitesville 10 14 9 10 – 43

Genesee Valley/Belfast 1 11 5 12 – 29

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Makenna Vance 1 0-0 2, Stella Bledsoe 5 2-4 12, Graci Lewis-Ellison 2 0-0 5, Lilly Harrington 4 1-4 10, Olivia Waters 4 3-4 11, Reece Winters 1 0-0 3. Totals: 17 6-12 43.

GV/BELFAST: Bayleigh Tallman 2 2-10 6, Sophie Zillgitt 3 2-5 8, Whitney Young 1 0-0 3, Addisyn Ely 0 1-2 1, Ava Aronson 1 3-6 5, Jenna Hill 2 1-2 6. Totals: 9 9-25 29.

3-point goals: A/W 3 (Lewis-Ellison, Harrington, Winters), GVB 2 (Young, Hill).
Total Fouls: A/W 22, GVB 14. Fouled out: Waters (A/W).

ACE Tournament at Portville

Consolation: Cuba-Rushford 44, Ellicottville 34

PORTVILLE — Ellicottville was able to get the early jump on the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford on the final day of ACE Tournament action in Portville, Saturday morning.

With the Lady Eagles managing to branch their lead closer to double digit territory when halftime settled in, Cuba-Rushford had one more half to put the pieces to the puzzle back together. In the third quarter, the Lady Rebels did exactly that, as they held Ellicottville at an absolute standstill for the remainder of the game while putting up 30 combined points to come back and claim Consolation game honors with a 44-34 victory.

“We got off to a bit of a slow start today, but I was happy with the intensity we showed in the second half. We started to get transition points off of turnovers that we helped create, and it really helped open things up for us.” said Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight.

It was a first half that the Lady Rebels (3-1) had to bounce back from after a red hot offensive outburst allowed Ellicottville to establish their ground early, claiming a 22-14 lead at the break with 15 of those points coming in the first eight minutes. Despite being held to just three points to close out the half, Cuba-Rushford shook it off and delivered an incredible 17-6 run of the Lady Eagles in the third quarter to jump into the lead and pull away for good.

The Lady Rebels held Ellicottville to just six points in each second half frame of play to finish off the victory.

Brynn Lavery once again found the top of the scoresheet for Cuba-Rushford with a game-high 16 points. Lily Tompkins finished with 14 points, while Cloey Larabee had six points to chip in.

The search for a fourth win in their first five games will begin Monday night, as Cuba-Rushford hits the road for a 7:30 p.m. visit to Olean.

Ellicottville 15 7 6 6 – 34

Cuba-Rushford 11 3 17 13 – 44

ELLICOTTVILLE: Karle Northrup 1 0-0 2, Ainsley Edwards 1 0-0 2, Kalyn Crowley 2 2-3 6, Drew Ficek 2 0-0 4, Riley Whitmer 3 1-2 7, Natalee Leiper 5 2-4 13. Totals: 14 5-9 34.

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Aubrey Williams 1 0-0 3, Cloey Larabee 2 2-2 6, Kendall Tompkins 1 0-5 2, Lily Tompkins 6 1-2 14, Brynn Lavery 6 0-0 16, Lilly Farwell 1 1-4 3. Totals: 17 4-13 44.

3-point goals: Ellicottville 1 (Leiper), C-R 6 (Lavery 4, Williams, Tompkins).
Total Fouls: Ellicottville 12, C-R 6. Fouled out: None.