Tuesday Roundup: Lady Lions, behind Costello’s massive 1st half display, stalwart defense, buckle down to deliver 61-39 home opening win over C-G

Wellsville senior Marley Adams, middle, attempts to work her way around the Canisteo-Greenwood defense on the way to the basket during Tuesday night’s home opener in Wellsville. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Wellsville senior Emily Costello (12) pushes the pace down court against the Canisteo-Greenwood defense during Tuesday night’s home opener in Wellsville. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Wellsville freshman Makenna Dunbar, off-center, drives her way toward the basket against the Canisteo-Greenwood defense during Tuesday night’s home opener in Wellsville. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Wellsville senior Kaylee Coleman (23) looks to provide a pass into an open wing while under pressure from the Canisteo-Greenwood defense during Tuesday night’s home opener in Wellsville. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Wellsville senior Jaylynn Mess (11) dribbles under pressure from the Canisteo-Greenwood defense during Tuesday night’s home opener in Wellsville. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Wellsville senior Jaelyn Knapp (13) goes up to the basket against the Canisteo-Greenwood defense down low during Tuesday night’s home opener in Wellsville. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

WELLSVILLE — The last home opener of your high school career. It is one of those times where it’s always inevitable, one that every student-athlete has to experience.

That time came for five of Wellsville’s Seniors when they opened their home slate Tuesday night with Canisteo-Greenwood in town for the first of two meetings both foes will have this year. The occasion presented a chance for the last-year Lady Lions to come out and make the biggest of statements in front of a normal-sized home crowd that has not been on hand for action in nearly two years.

For one of those Seniors, the chance to do just that was taken to heart. For Emily Costello, she ran away with it.

The fourth-year Lady Lion was simply unstoppable, knocking down shot after shot, regardless of where it came from on the floor, to spreading it with her passes, as well as a stellar performance on the back half, Wellsville’s spark plug provided damage everywhere to help set up a magnificent final home opener performance in the team’s 61-39 triumph over the Lady Redskins.

“The funny thing is, it starts with our defense. Emily creates so many opportunities. I’ve been with this group for a while now, and I’m one that never likes to play favorites, but this has been my favorite group to work with,” said Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord. “I told them in the locker room that it’s your last first home game, for many of them, and Emily was the one that really embraced that moment. With fans back with us tonight, this was a great statement game behind some great balance. So many assists, so many contributions, the stat sheet is practically full.”

It didn’t take long for Costello’s impact to be felt on the floor for the Lady Lions (2-0). Right in the first few minutes of play, Costello went straight to work driving the team’s offense in the Canisteo-Greenwood zone, as she accounted for 10 of the team’s first 12 points in the midst of their 12-2 early run of the Lady Redskins to grab the initial step forward they wanted.

As the first quarter progressed, Canisteo-Greenwood found their way into the game themselves with the efforts of Lillian Mullen coming to life, using a joint effort of several other Lady Redskins to ignite a run of their own in response, cutting their deficit from as large as 10 down to a single basket, doing so by scoring the next eight unanswered points down the homestretch.

The lead for Wellsville would remain well within reach of Canisteo-Greenwood after the first eight minutes, as both teams traded baskets until the quarter’s expiration. In the second, the Lady Lions continued to gnaw away and ultimately would find a way to clinch another double digit lead of their opposition once more, using a combination of stellar passing and stalwart defense to keep the visitors in red and black off-balance.

While the Lady Redskins resorted to the free throw line to try and chip away once more at the deficit, Costello went back to work on her third and fourth triples of the night on back-to-back drives in the last 60 seconds of the first half, giving Wellsville a comfortable 34-23 lead to work with going into the second half.

Costello would finish the night with a game-high 21 points to pair with six assists and six steals — a performance that Alvord believes will only get better with time, noting that her Senior’s ceiling for this season is absolutely limitless.

“Emily gives us everything she has every game,” she said of Costello. “Our kids were pretty dejected after we lost her before we played Waterloo in last year’s Semifinals. My number one feeling was that we lost not only our true point guard, but our main spark plug. She brings that energy, and you take her out of that, you don’t have enough to bring it back. Waterloo moved up to the bigger B’s this year, and now we feel like we have a real shot at getting back to that point again. There’s no limit to Emily’s ceiling. She’s unselfish with the ball, she gives everyone around her energy. It’s incredible what she does to make this team better.”

The momentum Costello built going into the second half created another uprising of energy once more when the Lady Lions took their first couple of possessions into the zone, as they went on to score eight of the first 11 points of the third quarter to branch their lead instantaneously, with the balanced attack paying dividends behind baskets from Costello, Jaylynn Mess and Jaelyn Knapp.

Up by 12, the time to pull away began after crossing the midway mark, as their spectacular display of passing marched on. Along the way, Costello’s final exclamation point from three-point range was delivered, her fifth of the night to give Wellsville a 50-29 lead.

“You could tell after they made adjustments, the middle was wide open for us,” Alvord said. “Emily made two great passes that were basically threading the needle. So far, I am loving our balanced presence on offense, trying to make these plays happen. As long as we can continue to remain healthy, and keep the mix of everyone playing together chemically, we can be a tough team to go up against. Our defense has been second to none, and they don’t seem to be missing a beat.”

The lead for the Lady Lions going into the fourth quarter shrunk down with the titanic efforts of Mullen continuing to keep Canisteo-Greenwood within reach, scoring on four straight Lady Redskins offensive drives, including three straight three-pointers from downtown to decrease the host’s lead down to 54-37 entering the final eight minute period. Mullen would finish with 24 of the team’s 39 total points.

But for the rest of the way, it was on the defense to keep the shop locked up tightly, as the Lady Lions accounted for seven of the game’s final nine points to put away the win for good.

Finishing behind Costello in the scorebook was both Makenna Dunbar and Marley Adams, who both recorded 11 points, with Dunbar grabbing 11 rebounds to complete her double-double, while Adams added in nine of her own. Jaelyn Knapp finished with eight points to go with five assists.

Up next for Wellsville is a trip down below the border to Cowanesque Valley, where they will partake in tournament action beginning on Friday with a first round matchup in store against North Penn-Mansfield. Tip-off for that game is slated to begin around 5:15 p.m.

Canisteo-Greenwood 15 8 14 2 – 39

Wellsville 21 13 20 7 – 61

CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Bailey Mullen 1 2-2 4, Kennedy Richardson 1 0-0 2, Lillian Mullen 9 3-5 24, Peyton Peters 2 1-2 5, Brooke Byrd 1 2-4 4. Totals: 14 8-13 39.
WELLSVILLE: Marley Adams 4 3-4 11, Jaylynn Mess 2 1-3 5, Emily Costello 8 0-1 21, Jaelyn Knapp 3 2-2 8, Emily Robbins 0 1-2 1, Kaylee Coleman 1 2-4 4, Makenna Dunbar 4 3-4 11. Totals: 22 12-20 61.

3-point goals: C-G 3 (L. Mullen), Wellsville 5 (Costello).
Total Fouls: C-G 13, Wellsville 12. Fouled out: Peters (C-G).

GV/Belfast 51, Friendship/Scio 24

FRIENDSHIP — A pair of 14-point quarters in the first half garnered by Genesee Valley/Belfast gave the team enough cushion to work with as the game went on, as they held down the fort to begin their 2021-22 season on the brightest of notes with a 51-24 road win in Friendship on Tuesday over host Friendship/Scio.

“We put together a good third quarter to work with, but we were off the tracks a little bit,” said Friendship/Scio coach Ashleigh Brubaker. “We had some first game jitters that we had to shake off, and that’s where most of our turnovers came from. We were a bit out of control at times, but I felt like we have some good things to build on going forward. We’re fairly young, and we can only go up from here.”

Mary Hamer and Anna Drozdowski were two big reasons why the Genesee Valley/Belfast (1-0) offense connected on all fronts throughout the evening, as they combined to provide over half of the team’s points from the field, with Hamer and her inside game presence charting the course toward the basket with a game-high 18 points, while Drozdowski followed with 13 of her own.

Kaitlin Sadler and Adison Grusendorf would add to the offense with seven, and six points for the visitors, who started the night with a 14-2 run of their opposition.

Friendship/Scio (0-1) was led by Nevaeh Ross, who paced the attack with a team-high nine points. Melana Davenport chipped in with six points of her own, while on special teams, Kadence Donohue led the rebounding department with nine boards. The hosts will now prepare for a first round matchup against Houghton Academy in the Scio Christmas Tournament, with tip-off beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Genesee Valley/Belfast will head back home to host the Hinsdale Lady Bobcats in their home opener after this weekend, in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off of their own in Belfast on Monday.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 14 14 7 16 – 51

Friendship/Scio 2 7 11 4 – 24

GV/BELFAST: Lexi Burrows 2 1-2 5, Alicia Borden 1 0-0 2, Anna Drozdowski 5 2-8 13, Adison Grusendorf 3 0-0 6, Mary Hamer 9 0-0 18, Kaitlin Sadler 3 1-4 7. Totals: 23 4-14 51.

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Nevaeh Ross 3 3-6 9, Jenn Dickens 0 2-2 2, Keely Sisson 1 0-0 2, Claire Calhoun 0 1-2 1, Kadence Donohue 2 0-0 4, Melana Davenport 2 2-4 6. Totals: 8 8-14 24.

3-point goals: GV/B 1 (Drozdowski).
Total Fouls: GV/B 19, F/S 16. Fouled out: None.

Houghton Academy 27, Bolivar-Richburg 17

BOLIVAR — Both Houghton Academy and Bolivar-Richburg showcased some big moments through their Tuesday night contest. After the Lady Panthers established an early first quarter lead, the Lady Wolverines fought back by taking the lead away at the half.

Then the biggest of punches came — a massive third quarter run powered up by the visitors in blue and white, as they held Bolivar-Richburg in check along the way to reclaim the lead once and for all until the end, securing the season-opening triumph over the road by a 27-17 count.

The Lady Panthers (1-0) got their game off to the right foot in the first eight minutes of play, battling their way past the Lady Wolverines with a four-point lead to carry into the second. While the momentum was in their favor, Bolivar-Richburg (0-2) had a change of plans to make sure they ended the first half on the strongest of notes, as they accounted for a 6-0 run across all eight minutes to take command of a 10-8 lead.

After a brief time away in the locker room, Houghton Academy provided the biggest answer of them all on offense, outscoring the hosts in white and red by a 17-3 count to the basket with Anna Huizenga and Jessica Adenuga combining to record 12 of the team’s 17 points in the frame. The offensive spurt created enough of a spark to create a game-changing momentum shift to record the win at the game’s buzzer.

Huizenga and Adenuga both led Houghton Academy with a team-high 10 points each. Maddy Paschalis had four points to add in.

For Bolivar-Richburg, Kayli Giardini led the way with a team-high 10 points out of the team’s 17 in all. Jessica Majot had three points to chip in. The Lady Wolverines will look to rebound back on their home floor Friday night with a 6 p.m. battle against the Alfred-Almond Lady Eagles.

The Lady Panthers will carry the momentum into the Scio Christmas Tournament, which begins on Thursday with a first-round matchup slated against host Friendship/Scio in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. Hinsdale and Cuba-Rushford will begin the festivities 90 minutes earlier, at 6 p.m.

Houghton Academy 8 0 17 2 – 27

Bolivar-Richburg 4 6 3 4 – 17

HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Anna Huizenga 5 0-0 10, Maddy Paschalis 2 0-0 4, Emily Tankeh 1 1-2 3, Jessica Prentice 5 0-2 10. Totals: 13 1-4 27.

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Raegan Giardini 1 0-0 2, Kayli Giardini 3 2-3 10, Carmen Crowley 1 0-0 2, Jessica Majot 1 1-2 3. Totals: 6 3-5 17.

3-point goals: B-R 2 (K. Giardini).
Total Fouls: Houghton 9, B-R 3. Fouled out: None.

Hinsdale at Archbishop Walsh — No Report.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Bolivar-Richburg 68, Houghton Academy 32

BOLIVAR — The first eight minutes of each half of basketball was time that was more than well-spent for the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg, as they created a pair of massive runs, with their first in the opening quarter laying down the foundation for great success to be obtained for the rest of the evening, as they rolled past Houghton Academy with a 68-32 home win on Tuesday.

“To be 3-0, it really sounds great,” said Wolverines coach Jeff Margeson. “We’re looking at Wyatt (Karnuth) as our defensive stalwart, getting the ball up the middle to Landon (Danaher) on the transition. When we set up shop on offense, Cam (MacDonell) cleaned up. It wasn’t busy, but we did much better shooting tonight. All three of those Seniors did an excellent job on limited minutes, and we did everything in tune. We’ll really get a looks-see at where we are as a team with these next couple of games. We have a great deal of momentum right now, and hopefully we can dial it in.”

The Wolverines (3-0) started their night off with a bang with a big lead of Houghton Academy out of the gates, as they accounted for a 20-7 lead in the first quarter to set the tone almost immediately.

Even though the Panthers attempted to cut away at their deficit, the hosts took another big step forward with their play, providing one last curtain call of offense and defense in the third quarter to essentially put the game away for good in a 24-6 jaunt to branch their lead permanently.

A big reason behind the performance — the Wolverines three Senior leaders in Landon Danaher, Cam MacDonell and Wyatt Karnuth, all of which recording at least 10 points to power the offense, while providing their fair share of defense along the way. Danaher led all scorers on the floor with a game-high 21 points to go with his five assists.

MacDonell added in 16 points down low himself, while Karnuth finished with 10 points to pair with seven rebounds and seven steals.

On the flip side for the Panthers (0-1), Malachi DeGolyer led the way on offense with 10 points. James Adenuga and Chris Habecker both had nine points to contribute. Houghton Academy will continue their road trip next week, as they visit Andover/Whitesville for a 7:30 p.m. battle on Monday in Whitesville.

As for the Wolverines, they will take aim at their fourth straight win come Thursday back on their home floor, taking on the incoming Canisteo-Greenwood Redskins in an early season test beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Houghton Academy 7 14 6 5 – 32

Bolivar-Richburg 20 13 24 11 – 68

HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Malachi DeGolyer 4 0-0 10, Levi Martino 2 0-0 4, James Adenuga 3 0-0 9, Chris Habecker 4 1-3 9. Totals: 13 1-3 32.

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 2 0-0 4, Landon Danaher 8 4-4 21, Wyatt Karnuth 5 0-1 10, Ian Unfus 2 0-0 6, David Baldwin 2 0-0 4, Reiss Gaines 2 0-3 4, Evan Pinney 2 0-0 6, Cam MacDonell 6 1-2 13. Totals: 29 5-10 68.

3-point goals: Houghton 5 (Adenuga 3, DeGolyer 2), B-R 5 (Unfus 2, Pinney 2, Danaher).
Total Fouls: Houghton 8, B-R 7. Fouled out: None.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Wellsville 3, Scio 2

SCIO — All five competitive and grueling sets were needed to determine a winner between two crosstown rivals that met for the first of two times this season — Wellsville and Scio.

After the Lions were able to take away the lead from the Tigers after the night’s first set, the last two remaining sets were quite the nail-biters. The hosts in blue and gold were able to ward off their visiting opposition in extra serves to force the penultimate set of the evening.

The race to 15 was on, but for both teams, it went further than that. But only slightly.

Even after dropping the match-tying fourth set to Scio, Wellsville was able to come out victorious with their first win of the young campaign on Tuesday, thwarting the Tigers and their late momentum shift to keep the balance of power in their favor in a 25-12, 13-25, 18-25, 26-24, 16-14 decision.

Firing up the offensive efforts for Wellsville (1-2) was Matt Carlton, who led the way with a team-high five kills to go with two aces, one dig and one block at the front of the net. Gavan Dickerson helped the defensive cause with four digs, pairing them with three aces and one kill of his own, while setter Matt Bittel handed out 11 helpers to go with three aces, one kill and one block.

On the flip side for Scio (1-2), Joey Nickerson recorded four aces and two kills to take lead. Jude Marion dished in three blocks at the net to couple with a pair of aces from the service line. The Tigers will look to rebound back on the road Friday night in a 6 p.m. first serve against Arkport/Canaseraga.

Wellsville will look to build off their victory tonight, as their three-day, three-game road trip continues into Fillmore with a 6 p.m. meeting against the Eagles in their season opener.

Cuba-Rushford 3, Bolivar-Richburg 0

CUBA — The Rebels of Cuba-Rushford continue to move along to begin their season, as they find the win column for a third consecutive game back on their home floor Tuesday night, rolling past visiting Bolivar-Richburg in straight-set sweeping fashion by a 25-15, 25-17, 25-21 count.

“Bolivar has a lot of new players, and they really grew into the match, especially in the last set of the night,” said Rebels coach Nick Perillo. “We were able to consistently battle through each set to make sure we were able to get the job done. I’m happy with the performances all around from the boys, and I’m looking forward to keeping it going on Thursday.”

Paving the way for Cuba-Rushford’s (3-0) success was Jarrett Campbell on the attack, recording a team-high seven kills to pair with three aces and a block. Max Hinckley added more fuel with five aces of his own to go with three kills and a denial of his own, while setter Allen Fuller dished out 11 helpers to couple with three aces from the service line.

Statistics for Bolivar-Richburg (0-3) were not made available to report.

Both teams are back on the court Thursday night in a pair of 6 p.m. battles, as the Rebels will take aim at four straight wins when they pay a visit to Genesee Valley/Belfast, while the Wolverines head back home to continue their search for their first win when they host defending County champion Wellsville.