Monday Roundup: In Barkley make-up, B-R’s Sisson becomes 2nd 1K-point scorer in 3 seasons in win over Addison; Eagles net 14th straight win behind Sisson’s 35 in spoiling of Wellsville’s Senior Night

[PHOTO PROVIDED]

[PHOTO PROVIDED]

BOLIVAR — In the history of Bolivar-Richburg basketball, just two Wolverines currently stand alone in the program’s most coveted guild: the 1,000-point club. Jeff Mountain was the first member to earn his entrance back in the mid-1990’s, and more recently, Landon Danaher was the last to reach the feat as the program’s second all-time member just two seasons ago.

Now in the present day, the program did not have to gaze very far into the distance for the next member waiting in the wings and his opportunity to punch that golden ticket into the Wolverines history books. In fact, it’s Danaher’s former teammate — Aydin Sisson.

With the determination, the drive, the diligence, the hard work and everything else in between, Sisson has risen to the occasion as not only one of Bolivar-Richburg’s leaders, but perhaps one of the best in Allegany County to take the floor this season. All the Wolverines senior would need to cement his legacy was a magic number.

11.

Sisson’s chance to do it came right after the weekend on Monday, when the Wolverines welcomed in the Addison Knights in a game that was originally going to take place at Alfred State College as part of a five-game docket for the 8th installment of the Dan Barkley Showcase. But due to the torrential snowfall and high winds, the battle was ultimately pushed to a later date.

In what is officially the final game of the Barkley Showcase for this season, Bolivar-Richburg wasted no time whatsoever springing their offense to life against the Knights, with four different Wolverines all posting at least 10 points or more to help set the tone. Amongst the scorers was someone who would see a long wait come to an end.

It was Aydin’s time.

The 11 points that Sisson would need all came from within what was a 26-point tone-setting first quarter for the hosts in white and black, helping knock a triple along with two runaway baskets to the rim off a couple of defensive turnovers — the last of which stemming at the very end of the quarter to serve as the team’s 26th point, as he became just the third Wolverine in history to eclipse the 1,000-point mark in their career on his way to being named MVP of the Barkley Showcase battle in the same swing in what was a 75-33 win over Addison.

“It’s such a great achievement. It’s something that we never talked about, and he handled it the way people should,” Wolverines coach Justin Thomas said. “Everyone wants to be the one that gets it, and he never really wanted to know, but he always had an idea of sorts. He was focused all season long at the task at hand, and he is such a great kid and a coach’s dream as far as receptiveness and desire. He puts in the extra work, and from a personal standpoint, I don’t think I missed any of his points since he started playing. To see it all come together for him is something really special.”

Before Sisson was able to eclipse that historic marker, the Wolverines (11-5), along with Addison, would have to battle through some full-court pressing on each end of the floor early on, as both teams held the offenses idle while forcing a handful of turnovers. The Knights would start the game with a long three from outside, but Bolivar-Richburg immediately shook it off and restarted their engines with a big 9-0 run to jump in front, headlined by some stellar inside work from Waide Karnuth.

After the Knights found a way to halt Bolivar-Richburg in their tracks, the Wolverines re-routed and delivered another scoreless punch into the fray, seeing Sisson and Reiss Gaines each knock down a triple to aid their next run consisting of eight straight points — a 17-6 run in all with nearly two minutes left in the frame.

The Wolverines would go on to put a wrap on their 26-point opening stanza to break the ice in vehement fashion. Along the way, the game was paused with under a minute remaining when Sisson netted that ultimate basket to reach 1,000 career points on the button on his final basket of the frame. He was met a short time later with warm embraces from his parents, Scott and Rhiannon along the center court bleachers to share that special moment together.

Starting the game was an element to the game itself that was identified as the thorn in their side for most of the season. But for Thomas, he says that the inception they provided this time around is something they need to keep glued together with Sectionals beginning to loom in the distance a mere two weeks away.

“The challenge has been to get off to that good start, and we have failed to do that several times this year,” he said. “It was nice to put the beginning together and set the tone for the game. We want that, because slow starts can lead to early exits in Sectionals. As far as the Showcase, Jimmy Joyce got to stop Allegany County’s slide in this with Andover/Whitesville last month, and we pushed it out to two games tonight to get a winning streak going for next year’s tournament.”

Bolivar-Richburg would advance forward with another long run of the Knights across the second quarter to aid in further bolstering their 40-11 halftime lead they never looked back on, as they ended the night with a brilliant start to the week ahead. As for Sisson, he would lead all Wolverines scorers on the hardwood with his game-high 19 points, coupling them with five boards, two assists and two steals.

Furthering the cause was Kingston Loucks, who assembled a monster second half for the Wolverines with his 17 points. Landon Barkley chipped in with 10 points to go with seven rebounds, while Waide Karnuth finished with 10 points and six additional boards. On special teams, Reiss Gaines posted 10 boards off the glass — a team-high, while handing out eight assists and garnering three steals.

Addison was led by Jackson Nichols and his eight team-high points.

With the victory for the Wolverines, it officially closes out the Dan Barkley Showcase for this year, with Steuben County seeing wins from both the Hornell boys and girls squads, along with the Canisteo-Greenwood, Jasper-Troupsburg and Arkport-Canaseraga boys help claim the 5-2 overall edge over Allegany County.

Up next for the Wolverines is a Wednesday night trip to Houghton Academy, beginning at 7:30 p.m. before coming back home the next night to host their annual Senior Night celebration against Hinsdale.

Addison 8 3 8 12 – 33

Bolivar-Richburg 26 14 12 23 – 75

ADDISON: Zane Wheeler 3 0-0 7, Jackson Nichols 3 2-2 8, Frank Heidrick 2 0-0 4, Joshua Held 2 1-2 5, Aidan Knowles 1 0-0 2, Caleb Stuby 3 0-0 7. Totals: 14 3-4 33.

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 8 2-5 19, Landon Barkley 5 2-2 12, Brayden Zilker 1 0-0 3, Waide Karnuth 5 0-0 10, Trevor Pforter 1 0-0 2, Caden Giardini 1 0-0 3, Reiss Gaines 2 0-0 6, James Margeson 1 1-2 3, Kingston Loucks 7 1-4 17. Totals: 31 6-13 75.

3-point goals: Addison 2 (Wheeler, Stuby), B-R 7 (Loucks 2, Gaines 2, Sisson, Zilker, Giardini).
Total Fouls: Addison 13, B-R 10. Fouled out: None.

Fillmore 76, Wellsville 61

WELLSVILLE — The crowd. The drumline. The atmosphere. When you know it’s Senior Night in the Lion’s Den, you know.

For all three of Wellsville’s seniors — Cooper Brockway, Alex Green and Ethan Bailey, they will have played their very last regular season game on the court they have come to know over the years. Surrounded by friends, family and the fans in attendance, the Lions paid tribute to their three leaders and the overwhelming amount of contributions they have provided since they put on the jersey for the first time.

After memories were shared, there was business to attend to against a team they had not seen since the beginning of the year. A team that has transformed into a red hot juggernaut — the Fillmore Eagles.

Ever since the IAABO Tournament in early December, the Eagles have not skipped a single beat, garnering wins in each of the next 13 games leading up to their final visit into the Lion’s Den. One of the main driving forces: Zach Sisson, who continues to put the most explosive of exclamation points to his senior career, night in and night out.

To say that Monday night was any different, would truly be an understatement.

Right from the start, Fillmore assumed command of the ballgame with an early run that allowed them to claim the upper edge. From the second quarter on, the majority of the offense rested upon the shoulders of Zach Sisson the rest of the way, as the Eagles phenom posted a game-high 35 points — a performance that included six of the team’s 10 threes and a perfect 15-for-15 outing at the charity stripe, elements that allowed his team to play spoiler on Senior Night for the Lions with a 76-61 win over Wellsville.

“Nights like tonight are what we need to get ready for Sectionals. A tough opponent, a packed house, a loud student section, the pep band. It was a lot of fun,” said Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “My guys came out with energy, ready to meet the challenge ahead. I don’t know what else to say about Zach. There aren’t a lot of superlatives left in my vocabulary. Tonight, he was not going to be denied. He carried us for the first 12 minutes until he picked up his second foul. The third quarter came, and he picked up right where he left off. Give credit to Tom (Muska) and his team, they fought us right to the end and made us battle.”

The ruckus for the Eagles (16-2) stemmed right in the opening frame of play, when a quick four-point play that started outside and finished at the free throw line was used as the spearhead in the team’s 11-0 run of the Lions approaching the midway mark. The visitors in green began to turn the heat up on defense in the back half of time remaining, forcing a handful of turnovers against Wellsville before the Lions were able to shake it off and score six of the next eight points to close the gap to five with a minute left.

But what momentum was built by the hosts in white and orange was syphoned by the Eagles to close out the quarter, as Cam Mucher delivered back-to-back strikes from the parking lot outside to garner the double-digit edge. In the second quarter, the curtain came up for the Zach Sisson show, as he caught sparks that ultimately transformed into a towering inferno to pace the offense, scoring 14 of Fillmore’s 20 points, including a trio of triples to push the advantage to as much as 20 at one point.

“He had about as nice of an offensive performance as our gym has ever seen tonight. The three triples in the second quarter gave them a lead we never really came back from,” said Lions coach Tom Muska. “We cut the lead to around 10 or 15 and then Sisson really put the game on his shoulders for a stretch. They held that for the rest of the game, and that’s a team that can stretch you defensively with so many great shooters. Unfortunately, we let them get too many attempts from 3 off and it cost us.”

The Lions (7-11) chipped away at the deficit with some hard-fought baskets from JJ Howard and Ty Vogel down low, with Howard netting the half’s last bucket off a steal underneath the rim to close the gap to 14 when halftime settled in.

“Tyler has been fantastic all season for us and followed that up tonight with another nice game all around. JJ was great tonight as well, and together, the two of them have a real burden to play well every night for us to come through,” Muska said of his juniors. “It’s not going to get any easier. We’re going to go play some great basketball teams in some tough environments to close out the season. We need to do whatever we can to prepare ourselves for another run in Sectionals. These kinds of games will help us.”

Across the second half, the Eagles were able to maintain one step ahead of the Lions every step of the way, despite the hosts continuing to chip and claw back. To ensure a permanent seal to the victory, Sisson would proceed to take his talents to the charity stripe, where he nailed a sublime 10-for-10 outing to finish it off.

Following behind Sisson for the Eagles was Cam Mucher, who aided in the team’s rapid start back in the first quarter with a pair of three points to put towards what was a 19-point performance. Layton Sanasith and Jonah Bialek each had nine points to pitch in.

The Lions were propelled by JJ Howard down low, scoring 22 team-high points. Ty Vogel was right behind him with 12 points of his own, while Cooper Brockway and Alex Green finished with eight each. Wellsville will hit the road for their final pair games left on the regular season docket, beginning on Wednesday with a visit to the Corning Hawks at 7:15 p.m.

Prior to the contest, Wellsville honored all three seniors in Brockway, Green and Ethan Bailey for their endless contributions over the years. As for his opportunity to coach them, Muska says that it makes him proud to know that they’ve become an excellent representation of the program.

“You couldn’t ask for better people to have in your program. They are all hard workers who are willing to come early and stay late,” he said. “They are nice kids who you are proud to see represent Wellsville basketball. I hope they continue to wear it on their chest for years to come. I’m proud to be a part of a town that produces young men like them.”

Fillmore will continue their road swing on Wednesday with a 7:30 p.m. trip to Friendship to take on host Friendship/Scio.

Fillmore 21 20 19 16 – 76

Wellsville 10 17 16 18 – 61

FILLMORE: Cam Mucher 6 4-4 19, Marcus Wolfer 1 0-0 2, Layton Sanasith 4 1-2 9, Zach Sisson 7 15-15 35, Jonah Bialek 4 0-0 9, JD Bialek 1 0-0 2. Totals: 23 20-21 76.

WELLSVILLE: Aiden Cowburn 3 0-0 6, Cooper Brockway 2 2-3 8, JJ Howard 8 4-4 21, Ty Vogel 6 0-0 12, Trenton Green 3 0-1 6, Alex Green 2 4-4 8. Totals: 24 10-12 61.

3-point goals: Fillmore 10 (Sisson 6, Mucher 3, Jo. Bialek), Wellsville 3 (Brockway 2, Howard).
Total Fouls: Fillmore 9, Wellsville 16. Fouled out: Howard (WLSV).

Cuba-Rushford 69, Oswayo Valley 56

CUBA — Oswayo Valley gave Cuba-Rushford everything they could handle across the board, Monday night. The balance of power between both teams went in every direction imaginable all throughout, but when it mattered most, one team was able to deliver in the end.

With an eight-point lead going into the last eight minutes and the visiting Green Wave beginning to turn the heat up down the game’s final stretch, the Rebels had to turn their attention towards providing a spark plug. Enter Braeden Wight and Adam Roe, as the two Rebels came together to record the bulk of the team’s 18 fourth quarter points — six off them off the bench for Roe, to garner the room required to lock up the victory to send their seniors out swinging with a 69-56 win on Senior Night.

“It’s always great to get a win on Senior Night. Oswayo Valley fought us hard and we were able to make some big shots in the fourth to extend our lead,” Rebels coach Pat Wight said. “Adam Roe and Dean Frank were a great spark off the bench in the second half that helped us get going. I’m very proud of the Seniors and it’s been a pleasure to coach them the past 10 years. This group I’ve watched grow with Braeden since they were five. I was happy they could get a win on their night. Thank you to Braeden, Tristan (Clayson), Kaden (Bell) and Luke (Brooks). They are solid ball players and even better people.”

All beyond the first half, it was a neck-and-neck battle between the two foes, with the Rebels (11-7) keeping one step ahead of the Green Wave in each frame, beginning with a first quarter that saw them jump out to a lead as big as six points, courtesy of a 7-0 run near the midway mark of the frame after a handful of back-and-forth baskets.

With a 14-11 lead in hand, the back-and-forth pace carried into the second quarter, where no lead was bigger than four points. That degree of separation was garnered right at the buzzer when Finn Ricketts fought his way to the basket to put away the lay-in off the glass for the score and a 32-28 advantage over the Green Wave going into the break.

In the second half, Cuba-Rushford fed off the momentum and started the third quarter hot where they took a four-point lead and branched it out into double figures right before the Green Wave ended the frame with a buzzer-beater of their own. But despite the temporary momentum silencer, the hosts in white and maroon shook off and strung together a strong 18-point finish headlined by both Wight and Roe to put a cap on the victory to send the seniors out swinging.

Wight would go on to lead all scorers with his game-high 19 points for Cuba-Rushford. Kaden Bell and Peyton Joy each collected 10 points, while Finn Ricketts and Adam Roe each had six.

Up next for the Rebels is a week away from action, as they now await the final week of the regular season next Monday night with a 7:30 p.m. trip to Houghton Academy.

Oswayo Valley 11 17 15 13 – 56

Cuba-Rushford 14 18 19 18 – 69

OSWAYO VALLEY: Brayden Wiley 3 0-0 7, Landen Flurschutz 3 2-4 10, Ridge Mesler 1 0-0 3, Joey Maurer 1 0-0 2, Nik Bonney 1 0-0 2, Isaiah Goode 3 0-0 6, Connor Resig 4 3-3 14, Gabe Mundt 5 2-3 12. Totals: 21 7-10 56.

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Braeden Wight 7 1-1 19, Kaden Bell 4 2-3 10, Luke Brooks 2 0-0 4, Zach Deck 2 0-0 5, Eli Sleggs 1 3-6 5, Finn Ricketts 3 0-0 6, Tristan Clayson 2 0-0 4, Adam Roe 2 2-2 6, Peyton Joy 5 0-0 10. Totals: 28 9-12 69.
3-point goals: OV 4 (Flurschutz 2, Wiley, Mesler), C-R 5 (Wight 4, Deck).
Total Fouls: OV 8, C-R 9. Fouled out: None.

Andover/Whitesville 61, Hinsdale 31

HINSDALE — Brody Vance has emerged as one of Andover/Whitesville’s leaders on the frontlines over the course of the season. On Monday, it was no different, as the freshman struck all chords on the floor, especially from outside where he drained five of the team’s eight three-pointers to help set up shop in going past the host Bobcats of Hinsdale with a 61-31 victory to jump back above .500 in their campaign.

“It was good to get back on the winning side of things,” Andover/Whitesville coach Jimmy Joyce said. “Brody was back to doing what he does and Colt (Calladine) played well for us again as well. We had several JV guys up for their first meaningful piece of Varsity action, and they all contributed. We knew it was going to be a physical game and it certainly was. I’m happy with the way the guys kept their composure throughout the entire game. We’re going to need an even better effort come Wednesday night.”

Andover/Whitesville (9-8) wasted no time kicking the tires in the opening half of play on both ends of the floor, as they battled their way through the fog in the opening quarter against Hinsdale to deliver a strong finish with a 15-8 lead to carry forward. In the second quarter, that momentum they created was put to full use in turning the tide completely, holding the Bobcats to just four points across a 19-4 run fronted by Vance and Colton Calladine from all angles on the floor.

As a result, a 34-12 lead at the break came into fruition and Andover/Whitesville locked the advantage down permanently to score the victory over the road.

Vance would finish with a game-high 25 points to lead Andover/Whitesville, with four of his five threes coming in the first half of play to help set the tone. Behind him was Calladine, who had 15 points of his own to add in. Ethan Warriner and Gage Putnam each followed with six points each.

For Hinsdale (4-6), Tyler Richards powered the team’s inside game down low with his team-high 15 points. Cody Barton chipped in with 10. The Bobcats will hit the road for a 6:30 p.m. visit to Bolivar-Richburg on Thursday.

Coming up for Andover/Whitesville, they head back home to Whitesville where they will host a 7:30 p.m. visit from Genesee Valley/Belfast on Wednesday.

Andover/Whitesville 15 19 19 8 – 61

Hinsdale 8 4 8 11 – 31

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: James Miller-Young 1 0-0 2, Derek Perkins 1 0-0 2, Jake Mattison 0 1-4 1, Ethan Warriner 2 2-4 6, Vinny Joyce 2 0-0 4, Colton Calladine 5 4-8 15, Gage Putnam 2 0-0 6, Brody Vance 7 6-6 25. Totals: 20 13-22 61.
HINSDALE: Brad Bergstrom 0 0-4 0, Henry Schwartz 2 0-0 4, Cody Barton 3 4-6 10, Tyler Richards 7 1-1 15, Robert Childs 1 0-0 2. Totals: 13 5-11 31.

3-point goals: A/W 8 (Vance 5, Putnam 2, Calladine).
Total Fouls: A/W 10, Hinsdale 18. Fouled out: None.

Friendship/Scio 47, Alfred-Almond 35

SCIO — The Senior Night spotlight illuminated ever so brightly in the sky for Friendship/Scio, where they honored their lone senior Tyler Nickerson in his home gym in Scio, Monday night.

To ensure a brilliant send-off to his high school career, Nickerson scored the very last bucket of the game for Friendship/Scio — a long three pointer that found nothing but twine on the way down, sending the home crowd into a frenzy as they went past Alfred-Almond with a 47-35 win.

“It was Senior Night for us tonight in Scio with Tyler, and it was nice to see him nail a three-pointer,” said Friendship/Scio coach Dillon McFall. “Everyone was pretty jacked up about that. The story for us was Alfred-Almond doing a good job packing it in early against us, and we did a good job getting the ball inside and around the basket. We took what they gave us defensively and we managed to make a positive out of it.”

In the early stages of the battle, both teams delivered back-and-forth exchanges that allowed the Eagles to pop out in front early, approaching the midway mark of the quarter. In turn, Friendship/Scio (4-14) shifted the momentum in their favor to close out the stanza with, as they propelled their way towards a 14-7 lead by netting nine of the last 10 points.

With Friendship/Scio looking to build off of it, Alfred-Almond responded with a long three-pointer to close the gap to as little as four points near the halfway point of the second quarter. But with 4:41 left to go, the hosts in white then took advantage on yet another strong finish to a quarter, as they closed out the first half on an 8-0 run that would allow them to remain in front for good.

Leading the offense for Friendship/Scio was Jerome Harmon and his game-high 14 points, pairing them with five rebounds and five assists. Behind him was Connor Blouvet, who chipped in with nine points, eight rebounds and four assists of his own, while Deacon Brown had eight points.

Alfred-Almond was paced by a team-high 11 points from Jackson Jusianiec. Brogan Donlon had 10 more points to add for the Eagles.

Friendship/Scio will head over the hill and into Friendship for another battle in store, as they prepare to host scorching hot Fillmore in a 7:30 p.m. contest on Wednesday.

Alfred-Almond 7 7 13 8 – 35

Friendship/Scio 14 12 8 13 – 47

ALFRED-ALMOND: Nick Porter 0 1-2 1, Jackson Jusianiec 3 2-6 11, Ryan Washburn 1 4-10 6, Brogan Donlon 4 0-0 10, Noah Hefley 1 0-2 2, Liam Ruthven 1 2-6 5. Totals: 10 10-26 35.

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Aiden Golden 3 0-0 7, Jerome Harmon 6 2-6 14, Connor Blouvet 2 4-10 9, Charlie Taylor 1 0-0 2, Jerimiah Brown 1 0-0 2, Cooper Greenman 1 0-0 2, Deacon Brown 4 0-1 8, Tyler Nickerson 1 0-0 3. Totals: 19 6-17 47.

3-point goals: A-A 6 (Jusianiec 3, Donlon 2, Ruthven), F/S 3 (Golden, Blouvet, Nickerson).
Total Fouls: A-A 13, F/S 20. Fouled out: J. Brown (F/S).

Jasper-Troupsburg 65, Houghton Academy 50

HOUGHTON — With the number one seed in Class D being shared amongst themselves, back-to-back State Champion Avoca-Prattsburgh and Andover/Whitesville, there was no better time for the Wildcats of Jasper-Troupsburg to begin picking up steam with Sectionals quickly approaching.

In Monday night’s trip to Houghton Academy, they would have to battle their way through a close quarters first half that would see them claim the lead at its end. But when the third quarter came around, the gas pedal hit the floor, as they posted a massive 22-point outing led by James Ainsworth down low and Landon Zver outside, using it to cushion their advantage for good to claim the eventual 65-50 win — their fourth straight, over the Panthers.

Both teams exchanged pleasantries across an opening quarter that allowed the Wildcats to jump out on top after several contributions from all over the floor, including Ainsworth, who posted six of the team’s 13 points inside. Each team would split the second quarter straight down the middle before Jasper-Troupsburg was able to put the pieces to the puzzle together to score their biggest stand of offense in the game.

With Ainsworth shifting his momentum into the second half, along with a hot hand from Zver to further the team’s cause, the Wildcats would advance forth and extend their advantage over Houghton Academy (6-9) just enough out of reach to seal the victory. Ainsworth would lead the team in scoring with his 18 points, while Zver finished with 17.

For the Panthers, James Adenuga was the conductor of the team’s offensive orchestra, as he found his rhythm across the second half to keep them within reach of Jasper-Troupsburg each step of the way, knocking down all five of his three pointers in the back half of the contest to put towards what was a game-high 32 points — 14 of them stemming in the last eight minutes of play.

Adding more assistance along the way was Jack Prentice and his 14 points, while Josh Davidson chipped in with the last four points.

Houghton Academy will stand pat at home with a 7:30 p.m. visit from Bolivar-Richburg in store for Wednesday night.

Jasper-Troupsburg 13 11 22 19 – 65

Houghton Academy 8 11 15 16 – 50

JASPER-TROUPSBURG: Braylon Lawson 1 0-0 3, James Ainsworth 7 4-4 18, Sawyer Troxel 6 0-0 14, Jackson Hayes 3 0-0 7, Zach Baker 1 0-0 2, Landon Zver 6 1-2 17, Jacoby VanGorden 1 0-0 2, Matt Foster 0 2-2 2. Totals: 25 7-8 65.

HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jack Prentice 5 1-2 14, Josh Davidson 2 0-1 4, James Adenuga 11 5-9 32. Totals: 18 6-12 50.

3-point goals: J-T 8 (Zver 4, Troxel 2, Lawson, Hayes), HA 8 (Adenuga 5, Prentice 3).
Total Fouls: J-T 13, HA 11. Fouled out: None.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Genesee Valley/Belfast 40, Warsaw 37

WARSAW — When it comes to making adjustments for a new half of basketball, those changes can either make or break you on the floor. With the Genesee Valley/Belfast ladies coming away with a resilient first half under their belts, the host Lady Tigers of Warsaw had to rewrite a new plan of attack in time for the second half.

Upon their re-entry to the hardwood, it was a complete flip of the script, as they turned up the heat on their visiting opposition all across the last 16 minutes of play remaining in Monday night’s clash. But in the end, despite some late shots down the homestretch, Genesee Valley/Belfast was able to do just enough and hang on to the victory they held since the start by a 40-37 count to sweep their season series with Warsaw.

“This really was a total team effort and several people chipped in offensively. Jenna had some key buckets late to maintain the lead, and defensively, you put yourself in a great position when you hold teams under 40 points,” said GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan. “I thought we came out really strong in the first half, their approach was to limit Abby’s (Sullivan) production and we had several girls step up and make big baskets. Our defensive effort was solid in the first half, and because of it, we had a lead. But credit to Warsaw, they came out after making adjustments and gave us more difficulty scoring. They made some big shots late, but I was proud of our composure when the momentum shifted. I saw a lot of growth for how they took care of business down the stretch.”

A strong defensive presence allowed Genesee Valley/Belfast (13-4) to capitalize on the start they wanted to have against Warsaw, as they held the Lady Tigers to their two lowest frames of offense across the first half, starting with a back-and-forth exchange across a first quarter that saw Jenna Hill rise to the occasion with seven of the team’s 11 points down low.

In the second quarter, more of the same story between both foes, as the visitors in black saw even more contributions come to light while the defense held their end of the bargain to aid in producing a 23-15 halftime lead going into the locker room. But in the second half, a complete shift in gears was performed by the Lady Tigers, as they held Genesee Valley/Belfast to just six points in the frame to close the gap all the way down to a trio of points.

With the final eight minutes, the Lady Tigers cranked up the pressure on their opposition even more, especially down the last stretch with three humongous triples finding the twine. Despite it, Genesee Valley/Belfast was able to keep their lead intact with some big points of their own from both Hill inside and at the stripe, along with a four-point answer from Ava Aaronson to end the game on a high note.

Hill would lead all Genesee Valley/Belfast scorers with her team-high 14 points. Abby Sullivan finished with six points, while Aaronson and Whitney Young both had five points to add in.

Coming up for Genesee Valley/Belfast is a quick turnaround, as they return to Allegany County and head to the east where they meet Andover/Whitesville for battle beginning at 7:30 p.m. in Andover.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 11 12 6 11 – 40

Warsaw 7 8 11 11 – 37

GV/BELFAST: Abby Sullivan 2 1-2 6, Sophie Zillgitt 2 0-0 4, Kendra Bigelow 2 0-0 4, Whitney Young 2 0-2 5, Ava Aaronson 2 1-3 5, Kate Calanni 1 0-0 2, Jenna Hill 5 4-6 14. Totals: 16 6-13 40.
WARSAW: Evelyn LaWall 0 1-2 1, Emily Klump 6 2-2 17, Veronica Streamer 2 0-0 4, Tanzie Keough 2 0-0 6, Sophia Phillips 4 1-2 9. Totals: 14 4-6 37.

3-point goals: GVB 2 (Sullivan, Young), Warsaw 5 (Klump 3, Keough 2).
Total Fouls: GVB 10, Warsaw 13. Fouled out: None.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

County Playoffs: No. 5 Genesee Valley/Belfast 3, No. 4 Fillmore 2

FILLMORE — If you wanted a dose of one of the most compelling and thrilling volleyball matches of the season, The Rock in Fillmore was the place for you on Monday.

With a trip to visit top-seeded Allegany-Limestone hanging in the balance, something had to give between No. 5 Genesee Valley/Belfast the fourth-seeded host Eagles. That something saw a 2-0 lead formulate for the hosts out of the gate after two strong performances pushed Genesee Valley/Belfast to the brink.

But then, the brooms were brought out. In reverse sweeping fashion.

Down by a pair and their season on the line, Genesee Valley/Belfast was able to put together a remarkable three-set comeback against Fillmore, using the third and fourth sets to tie the game while surviving in an extra serves chess match to garner the final two points they needed to finish off the incredible victory in five epic sets — a 16-25, 12-25, 25-20, 25-12, 18-16 victory to punch their ticket to the County Semifinal round.

“We had a turnaround play that saw Brayden (Cooper) score one of the best hits I’ve seen this year. It was a backset to a slide hit that was incredible. It was one of the most technically skilled hits I’ve seen in all my years coaching. All the little things like that really led to us getting going,” said GV/Belfast coach Darren Bradt. “There was a lot of outstanding play and we came out and gave five sets pretty hard. Fillmore pushed right back and gratefully, we were able to come away with the win in the extra session.”

Brayden Cooper would author Genesee Valley/Belfast’s (9-8) success story behind his 14 kills and 10 blocks. Jackson Stout chipped in with nine kills and a block at the front of the net, while Sean Mahon handed out 13 helpers to go with five aces and four additional kills on the attack to aid in powering the offensive front.

On the opposite side, the Eagles were led by Reid Cockle and his 27 service points, chipping in seven kills, seven blocks and a trio of aces along the way. Nathan Tanner added in 13 more service points to couple with seven kills and three blocks, while setter Skylar Freeman handed out a whopping 35 assists. The 2023-24 campaign is over for Fillmore, as they wrap up with a record of 8-7 overall.

As for Genesee Valley/Belfast, the Allegany County Semifinal round now awaits, where they now hit the road and face top-seeded Allegany-Limestone. The contest’s date and time was yet to be determined upon publication.