Friday Roundup: Lady Lions propel to victory after big second quarter sets pace in road triumph at Fillmore; B-R girls, Whitesville boys each collect Senior Night wins
FILLMORE — Ever since their season opening loss to Bolivar-Richburg at the beginning of the month, the Lady Lions of Wellsville have begun to find their rhythm back at full strength.
Friday night was the recent addition for the Lady Lions, as they went over the road to deliver another huge victory, this time over the Fillmore Lady Eagles, as they used a second quarter to spring ahead in the lead for good to hold the lead at the half and eventually, until the final buzzer to collect their third straight win with a 42-24 doubling up of the Lady Eagles.
“I was really proud of the effort the girls put forth,” Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks said. “Wellsville has an outstanding team, and they have really strong guard play. We came out and matched their effort for the most part, but in the end, Wellsville has a great balanced team. Once they got rolling, they were tough to stop. We played a great first quarter, and then they got some momentum that left us shellshocked. We got back to within six at one point, but we went dry again in the fourth and they stayed consistent. Michelle’s (Alvord) a great coach, and I told the girls there’s no shame in going down against a team like that.”
The Lady Lions (3-1) swiped the lead away from the Lady Eagles in the second quarter after falling behind by a two-point deficit, as they exploded on a 16-4 second quarter run to take a double-digit lead at the half. The driving force behind the offense’s success was Marley Adams, who recorded a season-high 19 points, including two of the team’s four three-pointers.
After Fillmore cut the deficit down after the third quarter, the Lady Lions took the liberty of holding the hosts in check one last time by holding them to a single point in their 11-1 run to end the game.
Finishing behind Adams on offense was Jaylynn Mess, who recorded nine points. Jaelyn Knapp had five points. For the Lady Eagles, Emma Cole sank a team-high eight points, while Jadyn Mucher, Morgan Byer and Harley Miller had five each.
The Lady Lions will go for four straight wins in a quick turnaround this evening back home, as they welcome in the Hornell Lady Red Raiders in a 5:30 p.m. tip-off. Fillmore will hit the road to take on the Andover Lady Panthers on Tuesday with a 6 p.m. contest.
Wellsville 9 16 6 11 – 42
Fillmore 11 4 8 1 – 24
WELLSVILLE: Marley Adams 7 3-4 19, Jaylynn Mess 4 0-0 9, Emily Costello 1 0-0 3, Jaelyn Knapp 1 3-4 5, Emily Robbins 1 0-0 2, Kaylee Coleman 2 0-0 4. Totals: 16 6-8 42.
FILLMORE: Shelby Beardsley 0 1-2 1, Emma Cole 4 0-0 8, Jadyn Mucher 2 1-4 5, Morgan Byer 2 0-0 5, Harley Miller 1 2-2 5. Totals: 9 3-8 24.
3-point goals: Wellsville 4 (Adams 2, Mess, Costello), Fillmore 2 (Byer, Miller).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 11, Fillmore 13. Fouled out: None.
Bolivar-Richburg 70, Cuba-Rushford 37
BOLIVAR — Saying the Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg had Senior Night success Friday night on their home floor for the last game of their homestand, was an understatement.
The hosts in white and red went right to work in the first eight minutes of play, hanging a 20-spot on visiting Cuba-Rushford to set the tone almost immediately, as they leaned on Aliyah Cole’s career evening to get the job done in their eventual 70-37 victory.
“I was nervous at first, because Cuba played Wellsville tough earlier on. This is not a game I expected us to come out dominating,” Lady Wolverines coach Justin Thomas said. “Aaron (Wight) had those girls playing well, but they couldn’t find a response for Aliyah. Once we got the ball to her, it opened up the scoring for everyone else. This was a team-oriented win. There was so much they created to get those looks themselves, or to Aliyah inside. We definitely needed this boost after the other day with Belfast. We made sure we weren’t too comfortable with our play. They just remained focused, and went from there.”
Cole dominated the offensive play down low for the Lady Wolverines (4-1) all night long, coming away with a career-high 36 points to go with her 15 rebounds off the glass, completing yet another double-double. Kelsey Pacer and Jianna Nix each collected 12 points to help the cause, with Pacer adding in seven rebounds and five assists. Trinidy Miller had four more steals on special teams.
Thomas reflected on his seniors contributions over the years, since taking over the girls basketball program four seasons ago.
“Aliyah and Kelsey have been the backbone since I started coaching,” he said. “We grew together through the past four years. Seeing Trinidy grow at the JV level, and up to the Varsity level, it’s amazing to see her shine. It puts a little stamp on the evening for all of us. They are the three girls I am certainly going to miss, and this team will miss.”
As for the Lady Rebels (0-5), leading the way on offense was Brynn Lavery, who recorded a team-high 10 points. Anna Belcer recorded two of the team’s five three-pointers, for six points. Macie Demick and Taylor Searle each had five points.
Both teams are on the road Tuesday night in a pair of 7:30 p.m. contests, with the Lady Wolverines looking to complete the season sweep of the Lady Lions in Wellsville, while the Lady Rebels head out to visit Franklinville.
“We're excited for it. We're going to be facing them back at full strength, we're at full strength. We were missing players the first time around. So we're looking forward to seeing their best, and I'm looking forward to seeing us at our best.” said Thomas.
Cuba-Rushford 7 10 5 15 – 37
Bolivar-Richburg 20 15 22 13 – 70
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Lillian Forward 2 0-0 4, Brynn Lavery 4 1-3 10, Anna Belcer 2 0-0 6, Ella Jaffe 1 0-1 2, Macie Demick 2 0-0 5, Taylor Searle 1 2-2 5, Elysa Tylor 1 0-2 2, Tara Duvall 0 3-6 3. Totals: 13 6-14 37.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: McKinlee Harris 1 0-0 2, Kelsey Pacer 6 0-2 12, Trinidy Miller 1 0-0 2, Aliyah Cole 17 2-4 36, Braelin Bentley 3 0-0 6, Jianna Nix 6 0-0 12. Totals: 34 2-6 70.
3-point goals: C-R 5 (Belcer 2, Lavery, Demick, Searle).
Total Fouls: C-R 7, B-R 9. Fouled out: None.
Friendship 38, Genesee Valley 36
FRIENDSHIP — The Lady Golden Eagles were able to get the start they wanted in the first half. With a double digit lead in hand, they had to navigate their way through some late pressure applied by visiting Genesee Valley. The Lady Jaguars were able to get to within a single possession of Friendship, but they could not finish off the comeback as they fell by a 38-36 narrow defeat on Friday.
The Lady Golden Eagles got off to a solid 11-4 start in the first eight minutes of play - a margin that proved to be paramount as the game went on. Later, the lead grew to 10 after Friendship ended the first half strong. After a slow third quarter on the offensive front by both teams, it allowed the Lady Jaguars to provide their biggest stand in their rally with a 14-7 fourth quarter run.
But it would ultimately fall short, with the Lady Golden Eagles (2-2), behind double-digit games from Kadence Donohue and Nevaeh Ross, sealing the victory.
Donohue led all scorers on the hardwood with a game-high 16 points, while Ross followed with 13 points of her own. Logan Roberts sank a three-pointer. On the other side, the Lady Jaguars saw Sierra Burrows rise to the occasion with a team-high 15 of the team’s 36 points. Lizzy Bentley and Adison Grusendorf each had seven points.
Both teams will hit the road to visit the Whitesville Lady Blue Jays up next on their schedule, with Friendship heading their first on Tuesday with a 6 p.m. meeting. Genesee Valley will take an extended period off and return to action Thursday when they visit the Lady Jays at 7:30 p.m.
Genesee Valley 4 11 7 14 – 36
Friendship 11 14 6 7 – 38
GENESEE VALLEY: Adison Grusendorf 3 1-2 7, Addy Herring 1 0-0 2, Emera Aquila 2 0-0 5, Lizzy Bentley 3 1-2 7, Sierra Burrows 7 1-2 15. Totals: 16 3-6 36.
FRIENDSHIP: Nevaeh Ross 6 0-0 13, Logan Roberts 1 0-0 3, Bethany Gardner 1 0-0 2, Claire Calhoun 1 0-0 2, Kadence Donohue 7 1-1 16, Aaliyah Harmon 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 1-3 38.
3-point goals: GV 1 (Aquila), Friendship 3 (Ross, Roberts, Donohue).
Total Fouls: GV 15, Friendship 5. Fouled out: None.
Andover 36, Scio 6
SCIO — After a 1-3 start began their season, the Lady Panthers of Andover have climbed their way up to .500 with a win on back-to-back nights on Friday, as they traveled to Scio and started off strong behind a first quarter run in their eventual 36-6 win over the host Scio Lady Tigers.
Livia Simon and Kelsie Niedermaier were both busy underneath the basket for Andover (3-3), as they each tallied a game-high 14 points, with Niedermaier posting a near-perfect 4-for-5 outing at the charity stripe. Addison Morgan helped the cause with three points of her own before being fouled out.
Scio (0-5) saw Camryn Wiech, Emily Stilson and Celina Warboys each record a two-point basket.
The Lady Panthers are back home Tuesday night, where they will search for their third straight win in a 6 p.m. matchup against the Fillmore Lady Eagles. As for the Lady Tigers, they pay a visit to Archbishop Walsh for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on Monday.
Andover 12 13 5 6 – 36
Scio 0 2 2 2 – 6
ANDOVER: Gabby Terhune 0 1-4 1, Mikaela Brewster 1 0-2 2, Katie Calladine 1 0-0 2, Addison Morgan 1 1-2 3, Livia Simon 7 0-0 14, Kelsie Niedermaier 5 4-5 14. Totals: 15 6-13 36.
SCIO: Alexis Crossley 0 0-2 0, Camryn Wiech 1 0-0 2, Emily Stilson 1 0-10 2, Celina Warboys 1 0-0 2, Kiara Grover 0 0-2 0. Totals: 3 0-14 6.
Total Fouls: Andover 14, Scio 11. Fouled out: Morgan (AND).
BOYS BASKETBALL
Whitesville 40, Friendship 29
WHITESVILLE — Despite falling behind early on in the first eight minutes, Whitesville climbed their way back into the game to tie things up. After taking the lead heading into the half, the Jays built on it in the third quarter and never looked back, as they went on to capture the Senior Night victory over visiting Friendship by a 40-29 count on Friday.
“I was a little surprised with how flat we came out, with it being Senior Night. We spotted Friendship an 8-0 start to the game,” said Blue Jays coach Scott Bledsoe. “We took a timeout, regrouped and started playing with much more intensity on the defensive end. We were able to maintain that intensity for the rest of the game. That intensity and effort was definitely the difference tonight. This win feels good, but we have a quick turnaround heading to Scio tomorrow afternoon.”
Two of Whitesville’s (2-2) seniors stepped up in a big way to help the team through their victory, with Estep recording a double-double consisting of a team-high 12 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Gullett was not far behind with 10 points along with eight boards. Colby Gaines recorded seven points to go with his seven rebounds, while Ian Middaugh had eight rebounds.
“All four of my seniors played extremely hard tonight, and I'm so happy for them to get the win on Senior Night,” said Bledsoe. “Chris Gullett in particular was absolutely fantastic on the defensive end, holding Romero to 14 points. CJ Estep played very well tonight. His shot wasn't falling, so he did everything else to help his team win. We expect a lot out of him as a Sophomore. Tonight, he answered the call on both ends of the floor.
Friendship (0-2) was led by Ian Romero, who recorded a game-high 14 points. Dekota Stewart knocked down a pair of threes for six points, while Jacob Golden had five.
Both teams will conduct quick turnarounds this afternoon in a pair of 1 p.m. matchups, with Whitesville heading over the road to take on Scio while Friendship returns home to take on Hinsdale.
Friendship 14 4 5 6 – 29
Whitesville 14 9 13 4 – 40
FRIENDSHIP: Taylor Moore 0 0-2 0, Jacob Golden 2 1-2 5, Ian Romero 5 1-6 14, Garrett Miller 1 0-0 2, Dekota Stewart 2 0-0 6, Pehyton Moore 1 0-0 2. Totals: 9 4-8 29.
WHITESVILLE: Chris Gullett 4 1-5 10, CJ Estep 4 3-4 12, Lucas Erdmann 1 1-4 3, Ian Middaugh 1 0-0 2, Colby Gaines 1 5-9 7, Justin Waters 3 0-0 6. Totals: 14 10-22 40.
3-point goals: Friendship 3 (Stewart 2, Romero), Whitesville 2 (Gullett, Estep).
Total Fouls: Friendship 13, Whitesville 12. Fouled out: None.
