Tuesday Roundup: Massive 2nd quarter run propels full strength Hornell towards season split with Lady Lions; And/Whi girls catch fire, net 12 3-pointers in 73-23 home win over C-R

Wellsville senior Jaelyn Knapp (13) goes up for the rebound while under pressure from the Hornell defense during Tuesday night’s battle in Hornell. [PHOTO BY STEVE HARRISON/HORNELL SUN]

Wellsville freshman Makenna Dunbar (24) looks to power her way past the Hornell defense on the way toward the basket during Tuesday night’s road trip to Hornell. [PHOTO BY STEVE HARRISON/HORNELL SUN]

Wellsville junior Emily Robbins (21) sends along a pass to her teammate, fellow junior Sara Reitz (22) in the open wing during Tuesday night’s road contest in Hornell. [PHOTO BY STEVE HARRISON/HORNELL SUN]

HORNELL — Wellsville head coach Michelle Alvord knew that their next matchup against the Hornell Lady Red Raiders, was not going to be the same. After taking the first of two on the slate in the Lion’s Den decisively, the Lady Lions had to make the transition away from home — to the Seneca Street Zoo.

A completely different animal of a venue.

That trip 30 minutes off to the East came on Tuesday. As an added bonus, the Lady Red Raiders, nearly a month removed from their 60-35 loss to the hands of Wellsville, were officially back at full strength and ready to go for redemption.

Both teams would fight tooth and nail through a highly active first quarter of play, a frame that would see the Lady Red Raiders jump out in front with a narrow three-point lead. But in the second quarter, the hosts in white and red put their most complete game when at full strength, on full display.

After the Lady Lions cut the deficit down to one to begin, the Lady Red Raiders took complete command from that point forward, as they scored 18 straight points to race away toward a double-digit lead that was never given up, led by exclamation points on both ends of the floor to ignite a 60-45 win to split the overall season series.

“We were leading at first in the first quarter, but we ran into some foul trouble and we tried to hold our own in the process,” Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord said. “They got hot, and our half-court defense was good at times, but we had too many live-ball turnovers. Against a team like Hornell, who can capitalize on those, you can’t do that. They’re back at full strength, so we knew we were going to face a completely different team. We knew what to expect, and hopefully this makes us better coming down to the end of the season.”

Like their previous matchup, both Wellsville and Hornell fought their way through a close quarters opening frame, one where it saw the Lady Lions (13-3) jump out to an early 8-4 lead with Marley Adams and Emily Costello leading the charge with a pair of baskets inside.

Hornell would rebound with nine of the next 13 points going their way to take a 15-12 lead after a battle of back-and-forth exchanges.

That ending to the frame would help build what was a sudden and gigantic burst of momentum that saw the Lady Red Raiders score a run that the Lady Lions could not match as the game went on, netting 18 straight points keyed off a strong defensive presence.

The hosts would go on to force six Wellsville turnovers to capitalize on both ends of the hardwood, as well as their three-point game coming to life led by a pair from the hand of Jane Spitulnik.

It would lead to a double-digit advantage that never minimized for the remainder of the game, despite the Lady Lions ending the half with the last six points coming in the final minute, paced by a drought-snapping steal-and-go from Jaelyn Knapp to the basket.

In the third quarter, the Hornell lead would grow to as large as 20 with their three-point game starting to pay dividends, keying off multiple missed second chance opportunities. Despite it, the Lady Lions would attempt to try and limit the momentum gained by Hornell with a strong start to the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to as little as 14.

But the hosts would provide a response for almost every basket back the other way to keep their cushion against Wellsville maintained until the final buzzer to record the season split in the process.

The Lady Lions were led by both Marley Adams and Emily Costello, as they each recorded a team-high 12 points, with Costello tallying six rebounds and three steals along the way. Knapp finished with eight points, while Kaylee Coleman added seven points, eight rebounds and three assists. Jaylynn Mess chipped in with an additional seven rebounds.

Wellsville will look to turn it back around on Thursday when they prepare for a 7:30 p.m. visit to the Wighthouse to face the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford.

Wellsville 12 6 10 17 – 45

Hornell 15 18 15 12 – 60

WELLSVILLE: Marley Adams 4 4-4 12, Jaylynn Mess 1 0-0 3, Emily Costello 5 2-2 12, Jaelyn Knapp 4 0-2 8, Emily Robbins 1 0-0 2, Kaylee Coleman 1 4-7 6, Makenna Dunbar 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 10-17 45.
HORNELL: Ayla Prior 2 1-2 7, Tayghan Doorley 0 1-4 1, Jordyn Dyring 2 2-2 7, Lillian Hoyt 4 4-4 14, Jane Spitulnik 3 2-2 10, Selena Maldonado 1 0-0 2, Madelyn Moore 5 2-3 12, Juliet Marino 2 0-0 4, Payton Bentley 1 1-1 3. Totals: 20 13-18 60.
3-point goals: Wellsville 1 (Mess), Hornell 7 (Prior 2, Hoyt 2, Spitulnik 2, Dyring).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 18, Hornell 16. Fouled out: Adams (WLSV), Knapp (WLSV).

Andover/Whitesville 73, Cuba-Rushford 23

ANDOVER — Four different scorers eclipsing at least 10 points. A season-high 12 three-pointers from downtown. In the end, 73 total points.

All three of those statistics were strung and sewn together by Andover/Whitesville during an evening of complete command on Tuesday, as they started off the opening eight minutes with a rock solid lead that never gave way, as the offense fired on all cylinders to record a huge 73-23 win over visiting Cuba-Rushford, in Andover.

“This was our best perimeter shooting performance of the season. Being able to knock down shots like that really helps create scoring chances for us in the post,” said Andover/Whitesville co-coach Aaron Rawady. “For us to be successful going forward, we need to be able to stretch the defense. It was a good team performance overall tonight.”

It was as good of a start as any for Andover/Whitesville (13-3) coming out of the gate, with all four scorers gluing together a 23-9 lead of Cuba-Rushford, led by Vanessa Hall, who had another performance of epic proportions to ignite the offense.

Hall would take lead on a game-high 33 points, including four of the team’s 12 season-high triples and a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe. Maria Riloba was also dominant down low for the hosts, netting 18 additional points, while Serena Ainsworth and Rachel Jackson rounded off with 12 and 10 points each, with Ainsworth netting all her points off four three-points, three of them coming in the fourth quarter.

“Everyone contributed in all different ways. Whether they were scoring or not, they were getting after it on defense, which is really important for us.” said Rawady. “We are becoming more disciplined in that area, but at this point, we need to be locked in at all times and defend extremely well each night.”

As for the Lady Rebels (6-10), Taylor Searle tallied a team-high 11 points. Brynn Lavery added in six points of her own to help the cause. Cuba-Rushford will head back home and host the Lady Lions of Wellsville on Thursday in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

Also on Thursday, Andover/Whitesville, winners of six of their last seven, will now get set to head to their other home court in Whitesville, preparing for a second and final massive collision with Genesee Valley/Belfast — winners of 10 straight, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Cuba-Rushford 9 2 5 7 – 23

Andover/Whitesville 23 16 18 16 – 73

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Lillian Forward 1 0-0 2, Cloey Larabee 1 0-0 2, Brynn Lavery 2 2-2 6, Aleah Demick 1 0-0 2, Taylor Searle 4 1-2 11. Totals: 9 3-4 23.

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Vanessa Hall 11 7-7 33, Serena Ainsworth 4 0-0 12, Rachel Jackson 4 0-0 10, Maria Riloba 8 0-0 18. Totals: 27 7-7 73.

3-point goals: C-R 2 (Searle), A/W 12 (Hall 4, Ainsworth 4, Jackson 2, Riloba 2).
Total Fouls: C-R 5, A/W 10. Fouled out: None.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 36, Bolivar-Richburg 21

BOLIVAR — The Lady JagDogs of Genesee Valley/Belfast fought right alongside Bolivar-Richburg through a close battle in the opening quarter, taking a five-point lead at the end. But the offense would soon come to life, as five different scorers all had a basket to record in the team’s 10-2 run that saw them pull away toward a 36-21 victory on Tuesday.

The win gives Genesee Valley/Belfast (13-3) their 10th in a row, and it comes after surviving an early 11-6 duel with the Lady Wolverines in the first quarter, with Mary Hamer recording six of the team’s 11 points to get the offense started.

The visitors would then provide an even balance on offense in the second quarter to build to their lead, growing to as much as 13 after holding Bolivar-Richburg (3-13) to just a single basket from the field on the other side to end the half.

The run would help Genesee Valley/Belfast remain a step ahead of the Lady Wolverines for good, as each team exchanged a second half run to close out the action.

Leading the offense for the Lady JagDogs was Hamer, who tallied a game-high 18 points. Kaitlin Sadler chipped in with seven points, while Alicia Borden had four points.

For the Lady Wolverines, Kayli Giardini led all scorers with a team-high 14 points. Jessica Majot tallied four additional points.

Both teams are back in action Thursday night in a pair of 7:30 p.m. contests, with Genesee Valley/Belfast now hitting the road to take on Andover/Whitesville in a massive Allegany County showdown for the second and final time in Whitesville, while Bolivar-Richburg hits the road themselves to visit the unbeaten Fillmore Lady Eagles.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 11 10 8 7 – 36

Bolivar-Richburg 6 2 5 8 – 21

GV/BELFAST: Alicia Borden 2 0-0 4, Anna Drozdowski 1 0-2 2, Adison Grusendorf 1 0-0 3, Mary Hamer 9 0-0 18, Kaitlin Sadler 2 3-4 7, Addy Herring 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 3-6 36.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Nadia Baldwin 1 0-0 2, Raegan Giardini 0 1-2 1, Kayli Giardini 5 2-3 14, Carmen Crowley 0 0-2 0, Jessica Majot 1 2-4 4. Totals: 11 5-11 21.

3-point goals: GVB 1 (Grusendorf), B-R 2 (K. Giardini).
Total Fouls: GVB 11, B-R 11. Fouled out: None.

Lima Christian 59, Friendship/Scio 49

LIMA — Despite some early obstacles provided by host Lima Christian to hurdle over, Friendship/Scio would overcome it with a strong finish to the first half that would help would some second half energy, especially coming down the homestretch.

Friendship/Scio nearly completed the rally from behind, trailing by as little as four points to the Lady Saints, but in the end, the hosts in white and blue were able to hang on for dear life, posting some big points to ensure their lead remained in tact to pick up the 59-49 edge on Tuesday.

“The (Alyssa) Marsh girl lit it up, she had 24 of her points in the first half to help get them going,” said Friendship/Scio coach Ashleigh Lewis. “We had a dry third quarter coming back out, and I told the girls that we missed lay-ups, we had some turnovers, but we still had a chance to win this game. We did shoot pretty well behind a dominant night from Nevaeh (Ross). We kept our composure and played through some adversity. I was proud of the effort that the girls worked hard for, but sometimes great things don’t work out the way you want it to.”

The Lady Saints took charge right from the get-go with a magnificent first quarter of play that saw them take a big lead behind a 25-point quarter. But Friendship/Scio (6-10) was able to gain ground fairly quickly before the end of the first half, as they cut the deficit down to five with a 20-12 second quarter run, led by a phenomenal performance from Nevaeh Ross, who paced the attack with a game-high 28 points.

After a slow third quarter that saw Lima Christian maintain position in the driver’s seat, Friendship/Scio would push everything towards the center of the table in the final eight minutes with a run that saw them get as close as three points to the Lady Saints with two minutes remaining, but the hosts were able to hang on with a few clutch baskets down the stretch to keep the victory in tact.

In addition to the 28 points, Ross added 10 rebounds to complete her double-double. Kadence Donohue helped pace the effort behind a 13-point game of her own, while Sophie Bolzan had five.

Friendship/Scio will look to rebound back home with a 6 p.m. contest in store against the Lady Bobcats of Hinsdale, Thursday night in Scio.

Friendship/Scio 12 20 6 11 – 49

Lima Christian 25 12 7 15 – 59

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Sophie Bolzan 2 1-2 5, Kadence Donohue 5 2-6 13, Kiara Grover 1 1-2 3, Nevaeh Ross 10 5-6 28. Totals: 18 9-16 49.
LIMA CHRISTIAN: Nicole Teachout 1 2-4 4, Alyssa Marsh 14 1-4 31, Abigail Britton 1 0-2 2, Chloe Gilbert 2 0-1 4, Kate Somers 1 1-2 4, Lillian Herring 3 5-6 14. Totals: 22 - 59.

3-point goals: F/S 4 (Ross 3, Donohue), Lima 6 (Herring 3, Marsh 2, Somers).
Total Fouls: F/S 16, Lima 16. Fouled out: Donohue (F/S), Ross (F/S), Marsh (LC).

Hinsdale 27, Archbishop Walsh 25

HINSDALE — In the opening quarter, it was a start that the Lady Bobcats of Hinsdale had to overcome, with visiting Archbishop Walsh knocking on the door with a massive run to set the tone early.

The hosts in white and blue provided a partial response by cutting the deficit down to get back within reach. In the second half, they would turn the tide with a third quarter that saw them spring ahead of the Lady Eagles. Despite some late pressure down the stretch, Hinsdale was able to hold on for dear life to deliver first-year head coach Courtney Malia her first career victory by a 27-25 count on Tuesday.

Archbishop Walsh went on a tear to start the opening quarter against the Lady Bobcats, as they scored nine of the first 11 points to jumpstart their eventual 15-4 lead to carry into the second. But it was one that did not last long.

To end the half, Hinsdale (1-13) began to engineer a run that saw them run the table across the next two frames of play, holding Archbishop Walsh to just five points in the midst of a 22-5 jaunt, 14 of those points coming in a highly active third quarter to build their lead with the last six points going in their favor after both teams navigated toward a 20-20 tie.

The Lady Eagles would apply the pressure late against the Lady Bobcats, netting five of the last six points in the contest, with a chance to trim the lead down in the waning seconds. For the Lady Bobcats, all they had to do, after Archbishop Walsh recorded one shot at the line out of two possible, was hold onto the ball off an inbound with two seconds left to secure the victory.

Jaylee Jimerson fueled the Lady Bobcats offense behind a game-high 14 point performance. Sarah Tuttle chipped in with eight points of her own, Kyla Jozwiak added in five.

Hinsdale now hits the road Thursday night, as they head for Scio to take on host Friendship/Scio in a 6 p.m. battle.

Archbishop Walsh 15 2 3 5 – 25

Hinsdale 4 8 14 1 – 27

WALSH: Bobbi Kirkwood 3 2-4 8, Payton Howard 2 0-0 6, Noelle Policastro 3 0-0 8, Abby Bailey 1 0-0 2, Hentschel 0 1-2 1. Totals: 9 3-6 25.
HINSDALE: Hannah Sutton 0 0-4 0, Jaylee Jimerson 7 0-2 14, Sarah Tuttle 4 0-1 8, Kyla Jozwiak 2 1-2 5. Totals: 13 1-9 27.

3-point goals: Walsh 4 (Howard 2, Policastro 2).
Total Fouls: Walsh 15, Hinsdale 9. Fouled out: Kirkwood (AW).

Canisteo-Greenwood 95, Alfred-Almond 16

CANISTEO — You could not imagine a more fiery and electric start to the Steuben County Tournament for the top-seeded Lady Redskins of Canisteo-Greenwood, Tuesday night on their home floor.

All eight scorers found the stat-sheet by the end of the night, with three Lady Redskins eclipsing the 20-point plateau on the way, as they scored an incredible 38-point first eight minutes which led to a season-high 95-point evening, as Canisteo-Greenwood rolled their way toward a 95-16 win over Alfred-Almond.

Among the top scorers for the Lady Redskins, was Lillian Mullen, who recorded a game-high 25 points to pair with nine steals and six assists. Bailey Mullen was not far behind, tallying 22 points of her own, while Brooke Byrd collected 21 points to pair alongside 16 rebounds to complete a double-double.

In addition, Hailey Davis grabbed nine more boards for the Lady Redskins (13-4), who started off the night with an earthshaking 38-4 run and never looked back to advance forward into the tournament later this week.

Canisteo-Greenwood will now get set to host Arkport/Canaseraga in a 7:15 p.m. contest, Thursday night.

Alfred-Almond 4 4 6 2 – 16

Canisteo-Greenwood 38 21 26 10 – 95

ALFRED-ALMOND: Kaylianna Clark 1 0-0 2, Angela Smith 1 0-0 3, Kylie McMichael 2 0-0 5, Chloe Bracken 2 0-0 4, Isabel Badeau 1 0-2 2, Sarah Eleshaky 0 0-2 0. Totals: 7 0-4 16.
CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Bailey Mullen 9 3-3 22, Kennedy Richardson 1 0-2 2, Hailey Davis 2 0-0 4, Triniti Tigner 1 1-2 3, Lillian Mullen 10 2-3 25, Peyton Peters 4 1-2 9, Brooke Byrd 9 3-5 21, McKenna Ferris 4 1-3 9. Totals: 40 11-20 95.
3-point goals: A-A 2 (Smith, McMichael), C-G 4 (L. Mullen 3, B. Mullen).
Total Fouls: A-A 19, C-G 8. Fouled out: Bracken (A-A), Badeau (A-A).