Saturday Roundup: 2nd half comeback by boys, Hamer’s MVP game for girls allows GV/Belfast to record complete sweep of Rotary Club Tourney; B-R boys record 3-peat at Portville’s ACE Tourney

BELMONT — The very last day of the 2nd Annual Rotary Club Tip-Off Tournament arrived in full force, Saturday afternoon. With the girls squad starting the day off right with a championship-winning performance of their own, it was now the Genesee Valley/Belfast boys turn to take the floor with an opportunity to showcase a complete sweep of the titles.

It was not an easy task by any means against Andover/Whitesville, especially in the first half, as they took advantage of everything they were able to garner against the Genesee Valley/Belfast defense to come away with a double-digit lead at the half. Down 27-16, a conversation between the team and coach Lintz Bliven.

The message that was sent: Never give up.

When the first half came and went, Genesee Valley/Belfast received that transmission. And in turn, constructed an incredible second half comeback to remain undefeated with a 3-0 start, as Ian McKenzie and Jacob Borden helped lead a balanced offensive outburst for the hosts in white, while the defense only allowed just 11 more points across the entire final 16 minutes to come away as Rotary Club Tip-Off champions with a 55-38 victory in The Jungle.

“We told them at halftime. They have to come out and play with their hearts and their heads. We always tell them to never give up, no matter what they do in life,” Bliven said. “It was all left on them. They stepped up in the second half, and Kyle (McCumiskey) was the leader out there, using his voice. That, and some adjustments on defense, they really knew how to help each other out. The way the first half went, and the second half, I was really proud of them and proud to be their coach.”

Turnovers would be forced in the early stages of the battle by the Andover/Whitesville defense, permitting the offense to start their engine behind the guidance of both Colton Calladine and Brody Vance, as the two sharpshooters converted on runs to the basket inside before going back-to-back downtown towards the end of the opening quarter to finish off a 16-4 run of Genesee Valley/Belfast.

Although the hosts chipped away at the early deficit in the second quarter, Andover/Whitesville (2-1) continued to respond in every way possible in the midst of a defensive frame, keeping their double digit lead intact. To finish the half, the visitors in black saw Vance knock down a long triple from near midcourt to pair with a duo of free shots at the buzzer from Calladine to record a 27-16 lead at the break.

But after a conversation in the locker room, Genesee Valley/Belfast (3-0) ripped away the pen and rewrote the script themselves in the second half.

After another triple started the new session for Andover/Whitesville, it would be their last shot from the field all the way until the waning stages of the fourth quarter. It was Genesee Valley/Belfast’s turn to take over, as the offense came to life and cultivated a massive 16-6 third quarter run to trim their deficit down to a single point.

The fourth quarter was where it really witnessed the pressure start to boil over, as the hosts in white put the finishing touches on a massive comeback victory behind a scoreless run of Andover/Whitesville, hitting every single facet on the floor possible to orchestrate a 23-5 jaunt to close out the title-clinching victory.

Jacob Borden and Ian McKenzie both led the offense for Genesee Valley/Belfast with 15 points each. Matt Cater recorded nine points of his own, while Kadin Logue had seven, earning an All-Tournament nod along the way. Kyle McCumiskey was awarded MVP honors for the team at game’s end.

For Andover/Whitesville, Brody Vance finished with a monstrous 22-point game to lead the attack, en route to an All-Tournament nod. Colton Calladine followed with 11 points.

Through the double doors and into the Elementary gym, a strong start for Friendship/Scio in the Consolation round against Alfred-Almond was exchanged for a back-and-forth battle to the end. But at the conclusion of it all, Friendship/Scio would do just enough to squeeze out a strong finish to their term at the Rotary Club Tip-Off Tourney with a narrow 37-35 edge over the Eagles.

The Friendship/Scio (1-1) offense was propelled by a balanced attack, one that saw them roar right from the start with a 9-0 run of the Eagles in the first quarter. As time progressed, the Eagles would shake it off after being down 20-9 at the break, as they recorded a massive third quarter to remain well within reach.

In the last eight minutes, each team would trade near-even quarters of offense again, as Friendship/Scio came away with the winning edge at the end of it all to claim their first win of the season. The offense was paced by Deacon Brown in the middle, who recorded 12 team-high points to earn his All-Tournament selection at the end of the day.

“Deacon had a really nice game today, having six buckets on nine attempts. I will say that this was a big wake-up call for us after the Andover/Whitesville game yesterday,” said Friendship/Scio coach Dillon McFall. “It was something we didn't respond to. Our main goal today was to hit the glass harder than we did the first time, and we did. There's still room for improvement, but it was nice to see them play harder. We don't return very many guys from last year stat-wise, but those that have, are playing much bigger roles. Today was a good game to really figure out relearning to win.”

Following Brown was Aiden Golden, who had 10 points to pitch in. Matt Donohue had eight points. For Alfred-Almond, Jackson Jusianiec led all scorers with four of the team’s five triples from downtown, en route to a game-high 24 points.

Down below are the next games on the docket for all three County teams after the weekend:

GV/Belfast: at Bolivar-Richburg, Tuesday 7:30 p.m.

Andover/Whitesville: vs Cuba-Rushford (at Whitesville), Wednesday 7:30 p.m.

Friendship/Scio: vs Bolivar-Richburg (at Scio), Friday 6 p.m.

Consolation

Friendship/Scio 9 11 17 10 – 37

Alfred-Almond 2 7 17 9 – 35

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Aiden Golden 3 2-7 10, Jerome Harmon 0 2-6 2, Connor Blouvet 0 2-2 2, Matt Donohue 2 2-4 8, Cooper Greenman 1 0-2 3, Deacon Brown 6 0-4 12. Totals: 12 8-25 37.
ALFRED-ALMOND: Jackson Jusianiec 10 0-1 24, Noah Heffley 1 2-3 4, Liam Ruthven 2 0-0 5, Easton Welch 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 2-4 35.

3-point goals: F/S 5 (Golden 2, Donohue 2, Greenman), A-A 5 (Jusianiec 4, Ruthven).
Total Fouls: F/S 12, A-A 17. Fouled out: Washburn (A-A).

Championship

Andover/Whitesville 16 11 6 5 – 38

Genesee Valley/Belfast 4 12 16 23 – 55

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: James Miller-Young 0 1-2 1, Derek Perkins 0 0-2 0, Jake Mattison 0 1-2 1, Ethan Warriner 1 0-2 2, Vincent Joyce 0 1-2 1, Brody Vance 8 1-7 22, Colton Calladine 4 2-2 11. Totals: 13 6-17 38.
GV/BELFAST: Kyle McCumiskey 1 2-5 4, Kadin Logue 1 5-6 7, Matt Cater 3 3-6 9, Ian McKenzie 6 2-2 15, Owen Heaney 1 1-2 3, Jacob Borden 4 7-12 15, Kenton Shultz 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 20-33 55.
3-point goals: A/W 6 (Vance 5, Calladine), GVB 1 (McKenzie).
Total Fouls: A/W 24, GVB 21. Fouled out: Mattison (A/W), Warriner (A/W), Calladine (A/W).

ACE Tournament Championship

Bolivar-Richburg 60, Portville 53

PORTVILLE — The Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg were given everything they could possibly handle on Saturday. With the host Portville Panthers, behind an outstanding performance from Aidan DeFazio, remaining hot on their trail, there was little room for error when the teams duked it out for the ACE Tournament’s grand prize.

But in a quarter like the last eight minutes of play, it’s a timeframe where stars can be born. Fortunately enough for the Wolverines, some baskets of utmost importance from both Landon Barkley and Waide Karnuth down low helped keep the flame ablaze long enough to come away victorious when it was all said and done, as Bolivar-Richburg recorded the three-peat of the ACE Tournament with a 60-53 victory over Portville.

“The DeFazio kid was tough, he hit some big shots, especially late. He is going to be a headache for many coaches out there that play Portville,” said Wolverines coach Justin Thomas. “But Landon really pushed the envelope late in the game with two big threes and a big basket, and Waide (Karnuth) stepped up when we needed it the most. Portville brought it with some tenacious defense. They're fast, energetic, athletic, and they made things difficult. We learned a lot of important lessons and we were still able to win, even though we fell short in a lot of areas tonight.”

At the end of every single quarter, the difference between Bolivar-Richburg and Portville was no more than two possessions. The Wolverines (2-0) was captained by Aydin Sisson and Landon Barkley — the team’s dynamic duo that came together to record 40 of the team’s 60 points. On the other side, Aidan DeFazio, who was red hot all night long from downtown by recording eight of the team’s nine three-pointers.

Bolivar-Richburg (2-0) was the first to grab a big 10-point halftime lead to work with, using an 18-point second quarter to propel the offense. But down the stretch, Portville was able to remain within scoring distance of the Wolverines, especially in the fourth quarter, when they used their best offensive outing to keep the pressure on.

But clutch baskets by Barkley and six fourth-quarter points off the hand of Karnuth down low allowed Bolivar-Richburg to remain on top each step of the way, as they lay claim to a third straight ACE Tournament championship. Barkley was awarded the tournament’s MVP behind his team-leading 21-point effort. Aydin Sisson was not far behind, garnering 19 points in his All-Tournament performance. Reiss Gaines had six points.

On special teams, Karnuth was big off the boards to go with his six points in the last eight minutes, grabbing 12 in all. James Margeson chipped in seven rebounds to go with four assists.

Up next on the docket, the Wolverines are back home to square off with Genesee Valley/Belfast in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off on Tuesday.

Bolivar-Richburg 13 18 12 17 – 60

Portville 11 12 14 16 – 53

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 7 4-6 19, Landon Barkley 8 2-4 21, Brayden Zilker 1 0-0 3, Waide Karnuth 3 0-2 6, Reiss Gaines 2 2-3 6, James Margeson 1 0-0 2, Kingston Loucks 1 1-1 3. Totals: 23 9-16 60.

PORTVILLE: Chase Armstrong 1 2-2 4, Lucious Young 1 0-0 2, Aidan DeFazio 12 1-2 33, Troy VanSickle 2 0-2 4, Tyler Stives 0 3-4 3, Ethan Obergfell 3 0-0 6. Totals: 19 6-10 53.
3-point goals: B-R 5 (Barkley 3, Sisson, Zilker), Portville 9 (DeFazio 8, Obergfell).
Total Fouls: B-R 13, Portville 20. Fouled out: Gaines (B-R).

Warsaw Tournament Championship

Byron-Bergen 80, Fillmore 66

WARSAW — After edging out host Warsaw to earn their spot in their home tournament, the Eagles of Fillmore were in for a bigger challenge against powerhouse Byron-Bergen for the championship. The kind of challenge that can make you even better, especially when the second season approaches in February.

The Eagles were able to answer that call against a Bees offense that saw a massive eruption caused by an incredible performance from Braedyn Chambry down low. In turn, Fillmore provided a blistering response of their own — Jonah Bialek.

In the first quarter of play, Bialek was scorching hot from every angle, as he posted 19 of his team-leading 30 points within the frame — 15 of them from downtown off five triples to keep pace with a Bees offense that saw Chambry take command. The two teams continued to wheel and deal until the team in maroon claimed a one-point advantage at the break.

With the upper hand, a chance for Byron-Bergen to break away presented itself. Enter Brody Baubie.

Inside the team’s 25-point third quarter, the wildfire had spread to the outside with Baubie now serving as the team’s three-point arsonist, hitting four big triples while Chambry continued to take care of business inside. Because of it, the Bees were able to garner enough room to wiggle free and towards the Warsaw crown with an 80-66 win over the Eagles to close out the weekend.

“We had a heck of a first half, and Jonah put on an incredible shooting exhibition in the first,” Eagles coach Randy Crouch said. “We made the mistake of falling in love with the three, and stopped working to create quality shots. We need to be a team that has eight to 10 guys scoring and we got away from that tonight. We also didn’t have an answer for Chambry, and when we did adjust, Baubie hit some big shots. It’s not the outcome we wanted, but we will learn and get better. We have some big games next week, and we will need improvement to be successful.”

It was a fine first half for the Eagles (1-1), keeping pace with Byron-Bergen behind Bialek’s massive first quarter to garner the early 23-20 lead. The tide was slightly turned in the favor of the Bees in the second quarter, as they captured a halftime lead behind 11 more points from the hand of Chambry — eight of them from the field, as he finished with 20 first half points.

Down by one, Fillmore was able to find a way to limit the Byron-Bergen senior inside, but the Bees opened the floor up for Brody Baubie to take control of the spotlight outside, as his three-point came blossomed to life in the third quarter to propel the team’s 25-point stanza behind an array of three-pointers. In all, a 25-16 outscoring of the Eagles was collected at the end of it, as the lead stood at 10 heading into the fourth.

In the last eight minute session, the Bees were able to finish the job behind Chambry’s curtain call, as he put the finishing touches on a 41-point performance with a humongous 12-point frame, keeping that one giant footprint in front of Fillmore until the very end to lock up the tournament’s crown.

Finishing behind Bialek and his 30 points for the Eagles was Zach Sisson, who pitched in 19 points. Campbell Mucher had seven points to add in.

Coming up on Wednesday, Fillmore will look to regroup back on the road with a 7:30 p.m. visit in store at Houghton Academy.

Byron-Bergen 20 17 25 18 – 80

Fillmore 23 13 16 14 – 66

BYRON-BERGEN: Cody Carlson 1 0-2 2, Noah Clare 1 0-0 2, Joel Lamb 1 2-2 4, Colin Martin 3 0-0 6, Braedyn Chambry 17 7-10 41, Brody Baubie 7 3-4 22, Brendan Pimm 1 0-0 3. Totals: 31 12-18 80.

FILLMORE: Campbell Mucher 1 5-5 7, Isaiah Sisson 2 1-4 6, Zach Sisson 6 5-6 19, Jonah Bialek 12 0-0 30, JD Bialek 2 0-0 4. Totals: 23 11-15 66.

3-point goals: B-B 6 (Baubie 5, Pimm), Fillmore 9 (Jo. Bialek 6, Z. Sisson 2, I. Sisson).
Total Fouls: B-B 14, Fillmore 21. Fouled out: JD Bialek (FIL).

GIRLS BASKETBALL

GV/Belfast powers up rapid 1st half to claim Rotary Club title, Fri/Scio rolls to Consolation win

BELMONT — After a phenomenal lead-off performance last night over the Lady Eagles of Alfred-Almond, Genesee Valley/Belfast had now found themselves one victory away from starting the Raegan Ryan era with a season-opening championship from within their home Rotary Club Tournament.

The lone obstacle impeding their path there was Andover/Whitesville, a team also coming off a strong finish in game one of the season against Friendship/Scio to open the tournament.

The same exact scenario would unravel once again when the two teams came together in a clash for the tournament’s grand prize in the High School gym inside The Jungle, Saturday afternoon. But it would only apply for one of them.

In the first eight minutes of play, the hammer was slammed down by Genesee Valley/Belfast, who capitalized on both ends of the front with dominant emphasis, as they used a strong first half of play to set up shop for Mary Hamer in the third quarter. The Genesee Valley/Belfast senior went on to author a MVP-performance for the hosts with 11 of the team’s 18 points in the frame to record the title-clinching 58-24 victory over Andover/Whitesville.

“Mary loves this game. She really knows how to make those around her even better,” GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan said. “I thought the girls played well together tonight on both ends of the floor. Offensively, they really found the open person. It was really cool to see them play really unselfishly. Defensively, they were aggressive and played solid overall.”

A well-balanced first quarter for Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-0) across the board, as five different scorers all posted at least a basket from the field to power up the offense. The defense in turn, kept the fort held down by holding Andover/Whitesville to just one shot from the field and a connection from the free throw line to formulate a 13-3 lead.

The advantage remained fully intact across the remainder of the game, as the hosts in white saw an even bigger response come from Mary Hamer’s explosive outburst in the third quarter, providing 11 of the team’s 18 points in the midst of their 18-7 run of Andover/Whitesville (1-1) that ensured their victory for good to claim tournament glory at the end of the day.

Hamer would go on to earn MVP honors behind her game-high 18 point performance for Genesee Valley/Belfast. Following behind was Sophie Zillgitt, who chipped in with 10 points. Abby Sullivan picked up eight points on her way to an All-Tournament nod.

Leading the way for Andover/Whitesville was a 12-point game from Graci Lewis-Ellison, who also recorded an All-Tournament nod. Adding more help on offense was Makaila Brewster and Olivia Waters, each recording four points.

As for the Consolation game next door in the Elementary gym, it was also a game that saw a fast start come into full fruition for Friendship/Scio in what was a rebound game, as they used a pair of 11-2 quarters in the first half to power up a split of their tenure at the Rotary Club Tournament with a 34-11 victory over Alfred-Almond.

“It was a nice bounce back game, and it was great to have Nevaeh back on the floor. We're close to getting back to full strength, and tonight was a great game all around. We moved the ball around better and we stayed composed to work on things to be better as the season goes on.” said Friendship/Scio coach Ashleigh Lewis.

The first 11-2 assembly that Friendship/Scio (1-1) captained was electrified by the Ross sisters — Nevaeh and Morghyn, as the two shooting stars combined for all 11 of the team’s points within the frame. Eight of those points came from Morghyn, who knocked down a pair of early triples to pave the way. The momentum shifted into the second quarter, where the team in black and gold once again mirrored another 11-2 frame of command against the Lady Eagles to finish the opening half strong, en route to their Consolation round triumph.

Both Nevaeh and Morghyn Ross combined to record 14 points to pave the way for Friendship/Scio, with Nevaeh grabbing 14 rebounds to complete her double-double, and Morghyn collecting six rebounds and five steals in addition. Grace Drumm (10 rebounds), Huntar Hint and Serenity Godley all rounded off the scoring with two points each.

Listed below are the next games for all three County teams after the weekend:

GV/Belfast: vs Jasper-Troupsburg (at Belfast), Wednesday 6 p.m.

Andover/Whitesville: vs Cuba-Rushford (at Andover), Tuesday 7:30 p.m.

Friendship/Scio: vs Bolivar-Richburg (at Friendship), Tuesday 7:30 p.m.

Consolation

Friendship/Scio 11 11 6 6 – 34

Alfred-Almond 2 2 2 5 – 11

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Grace Drumm 1 0-0 2, Kady Sadler 0 0-2 0, Nevaeh Ross 5 4-7 14, Avery Lamberson 1 0-2 2, Morghyn Ross 5 0-2 14, Serenity Gadley 0 2-2 2. Totals: 12 4-9 34.
ALFRED-ALMOND: Kayli Clark 2 0-0 4, Kylie McMichael 1 0-0 3, Maeve Turner 1 0-0 2, Paige Marlatt 1 0-0 2. Totals: 5 0-0 11.

3-point goals: F/S 2 (M. Ross), A-A 1 (McMichael).
Total Fouls: F/S 2, A-A 16. Fouled out: None.

Championship

Andover/Whitesville 3 8 7 6 – 24

Genesee Valley/Belfast 13 11 18 16 – 58

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Graci Lewis-Ellison 5 2-6 12, Makaila Brewster 0 4-8 4, Lilly Harrington 1 0-0 2, Olivia Waters 2 0-5 4, Reece Winters 1 0-0 2. Totals: 9 6-19 24.
GV/BELFAST: Abby Sullivan 4 0-0 8, Sophie Zillgitt 4 1-2 10, Whitney Young 1 0-0 2, Mary Hamer 8 1-1 17, Morgan Yackeren 2 0-0 4, Ava Aaronson 4 1-6 9, Jenna Hill 4 0-0 8. Totals: 27 3-9 58.
3-point goals: GVB 1 (Zillgitt).
Total Fouls: A/W 10, GVB 16. Fouled out: None.

Fillmore 64, Pavilion 22

FILLMORE — While the rest of the County got their season underway just a few days prior to the weekend, the Lady Eagles of Fillmore saw their time finally come Saturday afternoon from inside The Rock. The challenge that lay ahead was Section V powerhouse Pavilion — a team that has become winners of three Sectional titles in the last four years.

It was an opportunity to take that first giant leap to open the new season on the hardwood against an opponent of immense stature. For Fillmore, they would make the most out of every opportunity that was presented right before them, beginning right away in the first quarter to claim a hefty lead that they would never lose in what shaped into a 64-23 season-opening win against the Lady Golden Gophers.

“There’s always a lot of unknowns going into the first game. Pavilion has won three Sectional championships in the last four seasons, but they lost quite a bit to Graduation this past year,” Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks said. “They are still very much a great program with a great coach, and we didn’t know what to expect. Today, we just tried to let our athletes be athletes, and not overthink the first game from a game plan perspective. The girls definitely didn’t disappoint.”

All the Lady Eagles (1-0) needed to do, was to make their mark in the opening quarter on both ends of the floor. They would go on to do just that right from the very beginning with style, with the defense holding Pavilion to just a single point in the midst of an 18-1 run.

A run that allowed them to set the tone in fast and furious fashion.

Leading the scoring for the Lady Eagles was Hope Russell, who scored a team-high 22 points to pair alongside five rebounds and a trio of steals. Preslee Miller was next in line with her 14 point performance. Amelia Rose and Grace Russell both pitched in to help further the cause with 12 points, respectively.

The Lady Eagles will now await their next challenge coming up on Monday over the road for the first time, as they prepare for a visit to the Arkport/Canaseraga Lady Wolves beginning at 6 p.m.

Pavilion 1 2 9 11 – 23

Fillmore 18 12 16 18 – 64

PAVILION: Ella Tillotson 4 0-0 9, Kylie Conway 0 2-4 2, Breanna Palmer 1 0-0 2, Makayla Washburn 2 0-0 4, Lia Lombardo 1 0-1 2, Bryleigh Burns 2 0-0 4. Totals: 10 2-4 23.

FILLMORE: Hope Russell 8 4-5 22, Grace Russell 4 3-6 12, Rachel Hatch 0 1-2 1, Amelia Rose 5 2-3 12, Kylee Ellsworth 1 1-2 3, Preslee Miller 6 2-3 14. Totals: 24 13-21 64.

3-point goals: Pavilion 1 (Tillotson), Fillmore 3 (H. Russell 2, G. Russell).
Total Fouls: Pavilion 16, Fillmore 6. Fouled out: Palmer (PAV).

ACE Tournament Consolation

Ellicottville 52, Cuba-Rushford 20

PORTVILLE — A well-balanced and well-oiled offensive machine conducted by the Ellicottville Lady Eagles engineered as strong of a start they could have hoped for.

To close out their time at the ACE Tournament in Portville, as they scored a game-high 19-point frame in the first to gather all the room they required to take care of business with a 52-20 win over Cuba-Rushford to split the tournament down the middle.

The first quarter was the bright light that shone upon the hardwood, as Ellicottville gained possession of what was a massive 19-point frame behind a slew of contributions from multiple Lady Eagles from inside, and out, to take a 19-4 lead going forward.

The frame would also serve as the game’s early difference thus far, as Ellicottville continued to add to their lead with more from their all-balanced attack while keeping Cuba-Rushford (0-2) at a standstill.

Despite the defeat, Lilly Farwell was able to crack the double-digit plateau to pair alongside her All-Tournament nod she received at the end of the battle, as she posted 10 team-high points for the Lady Rebels. Raegan Poore had six points, while Aubrey Williams and Lily Tompkins each had a two-point basket.

Cuba-Rushford will look to turn it around on the road Tuesday night with a trip to Whitesville in store to visit host Andover/Whitesville beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Ellicottville 19 13 11 9 – 52

Cuba-Rushford 4 6 5 5 – 20

ELLICOTTVILLE: Dalayla Alexander 5 3-4 13, Addison John 4 2-2 10, Daliana Velasquez-Garcia 1 0-0 2, Keelin Finn 3 0-0 6, Kalyn Crowley 1 0-1 2, Ande Northrup 1 0-0 3, Natalee Leiper 2 1-2 5, Courtney Marsh 5 1-4 11. Totals: 22 7-13 52.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Aubrey Williams 1 0-0 2, Lily Tompkins 1 0-2 2, Lilly Farwell 3 4-8 10, Raegan Poore 3 0-2 6. Totals: 8 4-12 20.

3-point goals: Ellicottville 1 (Northrup).
Total Fouls: Ellicottville 15, C-R 9. Fouled out: None.