Wednesday Sectionals: No. 9 Destiny Christian provides game-winning lay-up in waning seconds of game to eliminate No. 8 Belfast, 53-52 in Class D2 1st round battle

Written By Chris Brooks

BELFAST — It was a back and forth duel between Destiny Christian and Belfast all game long. With that pace settling in, it was only appropriate that the Class D2 First Round contest would come down to the final minute of play, Wednesday night.

Belfast had a chance to put the game on ice with the lead in hand, but could not find the help they needed at the charity stripe in the final minute. As a result, the ninth-seeded Eagles took possession of the final play. With under 10 seconds left to go, they capitalized on an enormous go-ahead shot inside the paint to take away the lead from the eighth-seeded Bulldogs, ultimately eliminating them from the Class D2 picture with a 53-52 road win.

The aggressive press was put on early by Destiny Christian, as they forced Belfast into multiple turnovers in the early stages of the first quarter, recording 10 of the first 14 points along the way. But after a quick regroup, the Bulldogs went on to end the frame strong with the last eight points to take a two-point lead, courtesy of a pair of back-to-back threes from both Devin Harriger and Matt Weaver.

In the second quarter, the Bulldogs made it 10 points in a row off a Carter Guilford basket underneath, right before Harriger continued to catch fire on the outside perimeter with two more threes, both coming on back-to-back possessions for Belfast in just 40 seconds to extend their lead to six points with nearly five minutes left in the half.

But Destiny Christian wrapped up the half on a run themselves, cashing in with an 11-4 jaunt of Belfast to quickly evaporate the advantage from six, to a 24-24 tie with less than two minutes to go. But the Bulldogs made sure they hand the lead in hand going into the locker room, as Guilford connected on a pair of shots out of four possible at the stripe.

The lead would continue in Belfast’s favor after a third quarter deadlock, as it shaped into a thrilling final eight minutes with the game coming straight down to the wire. With the lead still continuing to go in the host’s favor in the last minute, they could not find a way to put the game on ice from the charity stripe, as they went 0-for-4. That allowed Destiny Christian to take possession of the last drive in the game, and use it to their fullest potential, garnering the go-ahead basket inside the paint to give the Eagles the victory right before the buzzer.

From inside, Guilford made his mark right away from the get-go, as they delivered a game-high 21 point performance for the Bulldogs. Harriger led the offense from the outside with 17 points, including four of the team’s six three-pointers. Matt Weaver totaled seven points.

The season is over for Belfast, as a new champion will be crowned in Class D2 this season, as the Bulldogs conclude the season with a record of 8-13. The team will graduate four seniors in all, including Guilford, Hunter Enders, Andrew Blocho and Ethan Truesdell.

Destiny Christian    10 14 15 14 – 53

Belfast                     12 13 15 12 – 52  

DESTINY CHRISTIAN: Leda Marrassa 3 2-2 10, Jimmie Clark 8 2-6 19, Traver Chandler 1 0-2 3, Mark Hart 4 4-12 12, Colin Edlin 3 1-2 9. Totals: 19 9-24 53.
BELFAST: Nick Ellison 1 0-0 3, Matt Weaver 2 2-4 7, Devin Harriger 6 1-3 17, Stephen Struckmann 2 0-0 4, Carter Guilford 10 1-4 21. Totals: 21 4-12 52.

3-point goals: Destiny 6 (Marrassa 2, Edlin 2, Clark, Chandler), Belfast 6 (Harriger 4, Ellison, Weaver).
Total Fouls: Destiny 17, Belfast 17. Fouled out: Clark (DC), Struckmann (BEL).

No. 7 Romulus 86, No. 10 Andover 48

DUNDEE — Five different scorers recorded at least 10 points for a red hot seventh-seeded Romulus offense that simply could not be denied a spot in the Class D2 Quarterfinal round this weekend, as they recorded a trio of 20-point quarters to go with their fiery offensive production to eliminate the 10th-seeded Andover Panthers with an 86-48 victory in Dundee on Wednesday.

The Panthers were able to battle side by side with Romulus through the opening eight minute period, but it was a 26-19 lead that the Warriors held onto for the rest of the game entering the locker room, as they strung together another breakaway run right before the end of the half to hold Andover in check to just five points worth of offense in the midst of their 18-5 run.

Andover saw five scorers find the scorebook in all, as Spencer Cook led the way with a team-high 19 points. Chris Walker concluded his season with 15 points of his own, while Preston Ordway sank eight points. To round off, the Panthers saw Grady Terhune and Noah Greene combine for the remaining six points for the offense.

The Panthers finish the 2019-20 season with a record of 5-16 overall, as the team loses six seniors in all including Ordway, Terhune, Greene, Gabe Halsey, Gabe Grossman and Tyler Reynolds.

Andover         19  5 12 12 – 48

Romulus         26 18 21 21 – 86


ANDOVER: Grady Terhune 1 1-2 4, Spencer Cook 8 2-8 19, Chris Walker 5 5-8 15, Preston Ordway 3 0-0 8, Noah Greene 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 9-18 48.
ROMULUS: Mike Kaufman 7 0-0 19, Luke Willower 2 0-0 4, Daryl Morrell 3 4-4 10, Camden Derby 6 1-2 13, Devon Morrell 1 1-2 4, Zach Butler 1 0-0 2, Raul Fuentes 8 1-1 18, Dan Reyes 1 0-1 2, Henry Morse 1 0-0 2, Ben Jessop 6 0-0 12. Totals: 36 7-10 86.

3-point goals: Andover 4 (Ordway 2, Terhune, Cook), Romulus 7 (Kaufman 5, De. Morrell, Fuentes).
Total Fouls: Andover 8, Romulus 11. Fouled out: None.

No. 5 Houghton Academy 72, No. 12 Friendship 30

HOUGHTON — Gennaro Pico had the best night of his career for Houghton Academy on Wednesday, as the guard ignited a fire that could not be extinguished after netting a career-high 32 points for the fifth-seeded Panthers to set the tone on their 72-30 victory over the 12th-seeded Friendship Golden Eagles in a Class D2 First Round contest.

The Panthers (13-5) put up their two largest outputs of offense in the first 16 minutes of the contest, both crossing the 20-point plateau, as they scored a massive 23-5 lead right in the first quarter to set the bar for the remainder of the game. They went on to close out the first half on a very strong note, netting another double digit run in the second by a 22-10 count to pull away for good.

Finishing behind Pico in the Panthers scorebook was Lee Murray, who had 10 points. Loik Makuza added seven points, while Ayo Banwo, Chris Habecker and Samuel Morah each had six points to pitch in.

Friendship was led by Blake Hewitt, who finished with a team-high 12 points. Dekota Stewart and Micah Hosley followed suit with seven, and six points respectively. The Golden Eagles season has come to an end, as they wrap up the season with an overall record of 2-17, graduating four seniors in all at the end of the year in Hewitt, Hosley, Alex Smith and Omar Daghlus.

As for Houghton Academy, they move on to the Class D2 Quarterfinal round beginning on Saturday over the road, visiting No. 4 Bradford for a 7 p.m. tip-off.

Friendship                    5 10   5 10 – 30

Houghton Academy   23 22 16 13 – 72

FRIENDSHIP: Micah Hosley 3 0-6 6, Blake Hewitt 4 2-3 12, Dekota Stewart 3 1-3 7, Alex Smith 0 3-3 3, Atlin Moore 0 1-2 1, Jacob Golden 0 1-2 1. Totals: 10 8-19 30.
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Lee Murray 4 1-2 10, Ayo Banwo 2 1-4 6, Loik Makuza 3 1-1 7, Reggie Tran 1 0-0 2, Gennaro Pico 13 2-2 32, Malachi DeGolyer 1 0-0 2, Chris Habecker 3 0-0 6, Hugo Fang 0 1-1 1, Samuel Morah 3 0-0 6. Totals: 30 6-10 72.

3-point goals: Friendship 2 (Hewitt), Houghton 6 (Pico 4, Murray, Banwo).
Total Fouls: Friendship 13, Houghton 18. Fouled out: Tran (HA).

No. 4 Bradford 90, No. 12 Whitesville 36

BRADFORD — Right away, the hammer was thrown down by No. 4 Bradford after scoring three points that consisted of at least 20 points or more, including a first quarter that saw them cross over the 30-point plateau to establish a big double digit advantage that they held onto for the rest of the night, rolling to a 90-36 victory over the 12th-seeded Blue Jays of Whitesville on Wednesday in Class D2 opening round action.

The Blue Jays saw Jessie Pensyl lead the way one last time this season, as he tallied a team-high 11 points that included a near-perfect 4-for-6 outing at the charity stripe. CJ Estep added in six points, while Chris Gullett followed with four points.

Whitesville will end the season with a record of 2-18 overall, as the team graduates just one senior at the end of the year in Robert Whitesell.

Whitesville       11   7   7 11 – 36

Bradford           31 21 24 14 – 90

WHITESVILLE: Chris Gullett 2 2-6 6, Brendal Jackson 1 0-0 3, Jessie Pensyl 3 4-6 11, CJ Estep 3 0-0 7, Robert Whitesell 1 0-0 2, Lucas Erdmann 1 1-2 3, Colby Gaines 2 0-1 4. Totals: 13 7-15 36.
BRADFORD: Jordan Sutryk 13 5-8 31, Logan Ayers 5 0-0 15, Max Bailey 0 1-2 1, Tyler Spina 3 0-0 6, Blai Crespo 2 0-0 4, Blaze Machuga 8 2-4 18, Joey Miller 2 0-2 4, Mikey English 1 0-0 2, Caleb Wakeman 1 1-2 3, Lane Simpson 1 2-2 4, Tyler Stiles 1 0-0 2. Totals: 37 11-20 90.

3-point goals: Whitesville 3 (Jackson, Pensyl, Estep), Bradford 5 (Ayers).
Total Fouls: Whitesville 14, Bradford 11. Fouled out: Pensyl (WHI).

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Class C1 First Round

No. 8 Warsaw 60, No. 9 Cuba-Rushford 42

WARSAW — Through the first quarter, the ninth-seeded Lady Rebels hung right with No. 8 Warsaw in their Class C1 opening round tussle on Wednesday. But then, the Lady Tigers kicked things up a notch in the second quarter, accounting for their largest outing of offense pull away from Cuba-Rushford at the break to set up shop for what came to be a 60-42 victory to eliminate the Lady Rebels from contention.

After falling behind by four in the first quarter, the hole began to grow bigger for Cuba-Rushford, as Warsaw put together a spectacular showing of offense in the second quarter to end the first half strong, as they broke open the game with a large 33-12 lead at the break behind a game-changing 23-6 run.

The Lady Rebels did not show any signs of quit in the second half, despite falling behind through a double digit deficit. Beginning in the third quarter, they provided two narrow outscorings of Warsaw, with their largest frame of offense being recorded on their way back out onto the floor for the second half. They would narrowly edge out the hosts in white and orange by one behind a three-point barrage from both Taylor Searle and Kate Howe, netting five of the team’s seven overall in the quarter.

But the deficit in the end proved to be insurmountable, as Warsaw’s first half explosion proved to be the difference maker that allowed them to move onward in the Class C1 picture.

“I’m proud of how hard we fought until the very end,” Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight said. “That’s actually something I feel our team has done all year, which I feel is impressive considering how young of a team we really are. They’re a great group of girls to coach.”

Howe, in her final game as a member of the Lady Rebels on the hardwood, finished with a game-high 21 points. Searle concluded with four three-pointers to put toward a season-high 18 points. Lillian Forward added a two-point basket, while Elysa Tylor added a point at the charity stripe to conclude the Cuba-Rushford scoring.

The Lady Rebels season is officially in the books, as they wrap up the 2019-20 campaign with a record of 8-11 overall. They will bid adieu to just two of their seniors in Howe, and Sarah Cole. Upon reflection, Wight says that it was a fascinating sight to see the girls buy into his system in his first year on the sidelines.

“To be honest, I’m happy with how things went this year,” he said. “The reality is, we’re a pretty young team with four sophomores and a freshman being very important players for us this year. I’m really thankful for how the girls handled getting a new coach, and taking the things they learned from me in stride. Having seniors like Kate and Sarah really have helped. It was a great experience for me to be able to coach a couple of players like them, especially Kate. I’ve been around sports my entire life, and she is one of the best leaders I have ever seen, on and off the court. It was a pleasure to coach her.”

Cuba-Rushford      6   6 19 11 – 42

Warsaw                10 23 18  9 – 60    

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Lillian Forward 1 0-0 2, Taylor Searle 6 0-0 18, Kate Howe 5 8-15 21, Elysa Tylor 0 1-2 1. Totals: 13 9-17 42.
WARSAW: Lizzy Standera 5 6-10 18, Emily Howard 3 0-0 8, Emma Tangeman 5 3-3 13, Ceanne Ellsworth 3 0-2 7, Mackenzie Ryan 6 0-1 12, Trinese Perez 1 0-0 2. Totals: 23 9-16 60.

3-point goals: C-R 7 (Searle 4, Howe 3), Warsaw 5 (Standera 2, Howard 2, Ellsworth).
Total Fouls: C-R 12, Warsaw 14. Fouled out: None.

Class C2 First Round

No. 7 Dundee 45, No. 10 Bolivar-Richburg 21

BATH — The seventh-seeded Dundee Lady Scotsmen made their mark in the opening half of play at Bath-Haverling on Wednesday, as they accounted for a pair of 15-point quarters while holding No. 10 Bolivar-Richburg to single digits on offense across the board, as they used the lengthy jaunts to set the tone right away to eliminate the Lady Wolverines with a 45-21 victory in Class C2 opening round action.

“The spirits were broken relatively early for us,” said Lady Wolverines coach Justin Thomas. “It was those early three-pointers, and some easy baskets that had really busted it all up. Our focus really zoned out quite a bit after that. We made some rough and dangerous passes, missed some easy baskets ourselves, and we were heavily out-rebounded. I’ll give the girls credit, we never quit, but in the end, our focus is what really hurt us.”

Dundee struck pay dirt immediately in the first quarter, as they capitalized on all facets to hold Bolivar-Richburg down with some early key three-pointers, as well as an even mix of baskets inside the arc to spring ahead with a 15-3 run that saw them take the double digit lead. It grew larger to 20 at the break when the Lady Scotsmen posted another big 15-point frame to end the first half solidly to keep the balance of power in their favor for the remainder of the game, outscoring the Lady Wolverines 15-7 in the second quarter.

In the end, Aliyah Cole finished with a team-high 11 points to pair with her eight rebounds to lead the Bolivar-Richburg offense one last time this season. Kelsey Pacer followed with five points on offense to go with 11 rebounds, while Madigan and McKinlee Harris concluded the scoring by combining for the last five points.

The Lady Wolverines season is over, but despite the first round loss, the program will finish with their first winning season under Thomas with a record of 11-10 overall. The team will see the majority of their roster return next season, as they graduate just two seniors in Victoria Stuck and Salena Peters.

“I don’t want this tough loss to negate what a nice season we had overall,” Thomas said. “It was super unfortunate that Vic got hurt down the stretch, but it gives us a look at what we will have for next year, which is pretty much everyone. It’s something to be excited about. We’ll take this season as a starting point for something to build on. Hopefully, we can get a lot better in the offseason, and put up some better performances against these teams that have had our number over the years.”

Bolivar-Richburg     3  7  8  3 – 21

Dundee                   15 15  7  8 – 45

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: McKinlee Harris 0 1-2 1, Madigan Harris 2 0-0 4, Kelsey Pacer 2 0-0 5, Aliyah Cole 3 5-12 11. Totals: 7 6-14 21.
DUNDEE: Kendall Parker 0 1-6 1, Trisha Edmister 1 0-0 2, Mackenzie Strait 7 2-3 21, Savannah Eaves 2 0-0 4, Hailey Knapp 0 1-2 1, Anna Bratlie 0 1-2 1, Makenzie Cratsley 7 0-0 15. Totals: 17 5-13 45.

3-point goals: B-R 1 (Pacer), Dundee 6 (Strait 5, Cratsley).
Total Fouls: B-R 9, Dundee 16. Fouled out: None.

Class D1 First Round

No. 5 Notre Dame-Batavia 59, No. 12 Genesee Valley 17

BATAVIA — The fifth-seeded Lady Irish of Notre Dame-Batavia made their presence known right away on their home floor on Wednesday, as they put together two massive runs in the first half to break open the floodgates permanently, as they coasted their way into the Quarterfinal round by sending No. 12 Genesee Valley home packing behind a 59-17 victory in Class D1 action.

Hailey Herring and Sierra Burrows both led the Lady Jaguars offense with a team-leading five points each, with Burrows netting the team’s lone three-pointer outside. Emera Aquila, Addy Herring and Katie Bartlett each had a two point basket to add, while Adison Grusendorf followed with the team’s final point from the charity stripe.

The season is over for Genesee Valley, as they wrap up the 2019-20 campaign with a record of 2-19 overall. The team will graduate just two seniors at the end of the year in Hailey Herring and Isabelle Ordway.

Genesee Valley              2   1   9  5 – 17

Notre Dame-Batavia    12 20 14 14 – 59

GENESEE VALLEY: Adison Grusendorf 0 1-2 1, Emera Aquila 1 0-0 2, Addy Herring 1 0-0 2, Hailey Herring 2 1-3 5, Sierra Burrows 2 0-0 5, Katie Bartlett 1 0-0 2. Totals: 7 2-5 17.
NOTRE DAME-BATAVIA: Jewel Shenck 2 0-0 4, Morgan Rhodes 5 3-4 16, Lindsey Weidman 1 1-2 3, Judah Macdonald 1 0-0 3, Sarah McGinnis 1 0-0 2, Montana Weidman 6 1-1 14, Amelia McCulley 6 0-0 13, Emma Sisson 1 0-0 2, Maggie Monachuno 1 0-0 2. Totals: 24 5-7 59.

3-point goals: GV 1 (Burrows), ND-B 6 (Rhodes 3, Macdonald, M. Weidman, McCulley).
Total Fouls: GV 10, ND-B 9. Fouled out: None.

Chris Brooks
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Tuesday Sectionals: No. 7 C-R overcomes slow start in low-scoring affair, builds 3rd quarter run to hang on and advance with 45-42 win over No. 10 Warsaw