Wednesday Roundup: Lions lock up No. 3 seed in County Tournament with four-set win over GV/Belfast; Danaher becomes B-R’s All-Time leading scorer in 65-33 win over Fri/Scio

WELLSVILLE — The County Tournament will officially get underway in just a matter of days. But before that happens, seedings underneath both Cuba-Rushford and Arkport/Canaseraga needed vacancies to be filled.

Wednesday night, the Lions of Wellsville officially locked in their place as the No. 3 seed after overcoming a marathon defeat in the third set to roll away toward a four-set victory over Genesee Valley/Belfast at home by a 25-16, 25-14, 27-29, 25-8 count.

Wellsville (8-4) saw a collective effort from the service line form with Matt Bittel pacing the efforts behind a game-high 26 service points to pair with 20 assists at the net and seven aces. Xavier Scott added in 10 service points of his own to go along with nine kills and two aces. On offense, Mason Parks soared with a game-high 11 kills for the Lions, who pushed Genesee Valley/Belfast to the brink after two dominant sets to begin the contest.

The JagDogs (1-12) did not go down without a fight however, as they hung right alongside with Wellsville in the third set, pushing the action out into extra serves, ultimately finding their way back into the match with the two-point victory they needed.

But in the fourth and final set, the hosts would put together their most competitive set of the evening to officially lockdown the victory to close out their regular season on a high note.

Along with his kills, Parks collected six additional service points to pair with three aces.

Genesee Valley/Belfast saw Sean Mahon lead the offense with a team-high seven kills, pairing them with three aces and two blocks. Canaan Sullivan had five additional kills as well as three aces, and one block.

Both teams will be in action on Friday when the County Tournament begins, as Wellsville awaits their opponent to be determined, while Genesee Valley/Belfast travels to take on No. 2 Arkport/Canaseraga in a 6 p.m. first serve.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Bolivar-Richburg 65, Friendship/Scio 33

BOLIVAR — It has been a historic 72 hours for Landon Danaher. Back on Monday, the Bolivar-Richburg Senior became just the school’s second 1,000-point scorer since both schools merged together as one back in the 1990s.

In his return home to continue adding to his basketball legacy on Wednesday, it would also come with another added bonus. After his performance against visiting Friendship/Scio, Danaher would surpass the very person he joined in the program’s elite 1,000-point club as the team’s All-Time leading scorer, as he recorded a game-high 17 points to fuel Bolivar-Richburg’s 65-33 victory.

“They came out and it was back and forth to start the game,” Wolverines coach Jeff Margeson said. “Friendship/Scio played great defense, and we couldn’t get a shot off if we tried. I challenged them in the second quarter, and they left it to Landon to take over. They answered the call. It was an awkward beginning, but once they got their feet wet, they all stepped up. David Baldwin had a magnificent game playing for Cam (MacDonell) tonight, and Evan (Pinney) is on the healing side after being out from COVID, he hit some big shots.”

It was a collective effort once more for the Wolverines (9-3) that allowed them to get the job done over Friendship/Scio, as they had to overcome a back-and-forth battle with Friendship/Scio through the first eight minutes of play to take a five-point lead going into a second quarter that changed the game completely.

In that second quarter, Bolivar-Richburg began to fire on all cylinders, recording their most complete effort on both ends of the floor by holding Friendship/Scio (6-8) to just three points while putting the capitalization on their 22-3 game-shifting jaunt to end the first half with the all the room they needed to stay in the lead for good.

Danaher was one of those Wolverines that emerged to lead the way behind his 17-point effort, 13 of them being scored in the second quarter, going along with four steals. Following behind was Evan Pinney, who ignited his three-point game with three of the team’s nine in all to put toward a 13-point performance.

In addition, Aydin Sisson chipped in with nine points and dished out four assists, while David Baldwin provided a marvelous performance in the absence of Cam MacDonell, netting seven additional points to go with 11 rebounds.

Friendship/Scio saw Ethan Davenport pace their attack with a team-high 13 points. Lazar Bulajic compiled 11 points, while Brenden Loucks and Tyler Nickerson rounded off the scoresheet with seven, and two points respectively.

Both teams hit the hardwood once more in a pair of 7:30 p.m. contests on Friday, with Friendship/Scio heading back home to welcome in Houghton Academy.

As for the Wolverines, they will look to completely turn the boat around with a redemption game on their home floor, taking on the Wellsville Lions — a game that Margeson hopes will give them the momentum needed to race down the homestretch.

“I’m hoping that the engines are getting warm for Friday,” he said. “We’re trying to build it up. We’ve got some posters in school to help get a great fan turnout that we’d like. I know what the boys think, they felt embarrassed after the first game in Wellsville. But they’re chomping at the bit for this game. We’re going into it like it’s our first game in Sectionals. We have four games in five days coming up, including trips to Avoca/Prattsburgh and Fillmore, and hopefully this game will help give us that kick that we need to go into those games.”

Friendship/Scio 11 3 6 13 – 33

Bolivar-Richburg 15 22 12 17 – 65

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Brenden Loucks 2 3-4 7, Ethan Davenport 6 0-0 13, Lazar Bulajic 4 2-5 11, Tyler Nickerson 1 0-0 2. Totals: 13 5-9 33.

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 4 1-2 9, Landon Danaher 7 0-0 17, Wyatt Karnuth 2 0-0 4, Ian Unfus 3 0-0 8, Jacopo Canepa 1 0-0 3, Jarod Taft 0 1-2 1, David Baldwin 3 1-2 7, Reiss Gaines 1 1-2 3, Evan Pinney 5 0-0 13. Totals: 26 4-8 65.

3-point goals: F/S 2 (Davenport, Bulajic), B-R 9 (Danaher 3, Pinney 3, Unfus 2, Canepa).
Total Fouls: F/S 8, B-R 7. Fouled out: None.

Fillmore 62, Ellicottville 50

FILLMORE — The Rock was packed to the brim — a sight that the historic venue has not seen in a long time. But for those in attendance on Wednesday, they were in for a treat to see the Eagles battle Ellicottville for the second and final time this season.

As opposed to their last meeting over the road in Ellicottville, which saw them sneak their way toward an overtime victory, the Eagles made sure it was much different the next go-around.

To ensure that, four different Eagles eclipsed double figures to propel a phenomenal showing of offense, as they overcame an early deficit to Ellicottville and used it as motivation to garner a massive first half-ending frame that would give them a lead to build on in the second half, pulling away in the fourth quarter to secure a 62-50 victory.

“It was a really fun game to be a part of tonight. Our gym was packed for the first time in a long time, and it was a great environment,” said Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “Ellicottville always has great athletes, and their coaches do a great job with them. In our first game, (Logan) Grinols took it to us, but Mitch and Carter were really motivated to limit his impact this time. He’s a heck of a player, but those two did a great job of limiting him as much as possible.”

Logan Grinols was a key benefactor in Ellicottville’s success despite the 57-55 overtime loss back at the beginning of the season on December 6, as he recorded 27 points to power the offense. With the team of Mitch Ward and Carter Sisson — both of which were the beneficiaries of big games themselves on offense, they were able to hold Grinols in check to just 13 points.

With an early 10-8 deficit to bounce back from, the host Eagles (9-3) did just that with a big piece to their triumphant puzzle coming in the shape of a 25-point 2nd quarter that saw them jump ahead to a 33-26 lead at the break, with Ward leading the effort with 10 of his game-high 17 points coming in the frame.

“I was also really happy with our offensive patience,” said Crouch. “They were working hard to take Will (Roeske) away underneath, and we were able to execute the offense just like we wanted to find the soft spots in their 2-3 defense. We did a good job trying to get to him when we could, and he had one of his most efficient games because of it. Carter and Mitch both really helped spearhead the offense, especially Carter who had some key finishes off the dribble.”

Ellicottville would chip away at a deficit that they could not fully overcome, but would hang right behind Fillmore going into the fourth quarter trailing by one. But another 20-point quarter from Fillmore would soon come after, as Zach Sisson began to warm up from three-point range with both of his treys, as well as some key inside buckets from a host of Eagles propelling the 21-10 run of their opposition to close out the night.

Following behind Ward was Carter Sisson and Will Roeske, who both recorded 15 points each, with Roeske completing his double-double with 15 rebounds off the glass. Sisson nearly collected a double-double himself, handing out nine assists along the way. Zach Sisson would finish with 11 points led by his three-point game in the final eight minute stanza.

Fillmore will now hit the road Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. contest against the Hinsdale Bobcats.

Ellicottville 10 16 14 10 – 50

Fillmore 8 25 8 21 – 62

ELLICOTTVILLE: Owen Chudy 3 0-0 7, Lucas Marsh 1 0-0 2, Brad John 3 2-3 8, Braylon Wyatt 2 0-1 4, Gavin Dietrich 5 4-4 14, Caedan Wyatt 1 0-0 2, Logan Grinols 5 0-0 13. Totals: 20 6-8 50.
FILLMORE: Carter Sisson 6 3-4 15, Brent Zubikowski 1 0-0 2, Luke Colombo 1 0-0 2, Mitch Ward 8 1-2 17, Zach Sisson 4 1-2 11, Will Roeske 6 3-4 15. Totals: 26 8-12 62.
3-point goals: Ellicottville 4 (Grinols 3, Chudy), Fillmore 2 (Z. Sisson).
Total Fouls: Ellicottville 13, Fillmore 11. Fouled out: C. Wyatt (ELL).

Cuba-Rushford 47, Belfast 29

CUBA — The Bulldogs of Belfast got hot in the opening quarter of Wednesday night’s visit to the Wighthouse, as they were able to garner a quick early lead of host Cuba-Rushford to use going forward. For the Rebels, they would also warm up themselves.

Jacob Smith would make sure they heated up, as he provided a career-high performance for the hosts in white and maroon, firing on all cylinders from inside and out to post a 23-point effort that allowed the Rebels to overtake Belfast in the lead and coast towards an eventual 47-29 home victory.

“Belfast came out and got hot early in the first,” Rebels coach Bryce Ryan said. “We made some adjustments to get our shooters better. I have to give both Jacob and Jack (Frank) some credit, they took the challenge of guarding their primary ball-handlers and stayed locked in the whole game. Jacob shot really well, and he didn’t hesitate. He shot with confidence. Our offensive rebounding effort in the last three quarters really helped limit their possessions.”

Smith made his presence known right away for the Rebels (6-5) in the opening quarter, battling right alongside with Belfast’s Matt Weaver, who fueled their 15-point quarter with eight of his own, as the Rebels junior posted all 11 of the team’s points singlehandedly as a response.

In the second quarter, the Rebels were able to take the lead from Belfast going into the break with multiple different scorers getting involved on both ends of the floor to hold their opposition in black and red to just five points to enter the break with a one-point, 21-20 lead.

That advantage soon grew out of control to start the second half, as Smith’s three-point game came to life with three of his five team-leading treys coming in the last 16 minutes, while Jack Frank furthered the cause with all nine of his points also coming in the next half of play to assist in setting up shop.

Belfast (10-4) was led by Anthony Logue, who tallied a team-high 12 points, 10 of them coming in the first half to get the Bulldogs started on offense. Matt Weaver had eight points in all to add, all being scored in the team’s opening quarter.

Both teams hit the road on Friday night to continue their campaigns in a pair of 7:30 p.m. tip-offs, as Cuba-Rushford pays a visit to Genesee Valley, while Belfast heads to Whitesville to take on host Andover/Whitesville.

Belfast 15 5 4 5 – 29

Cuba-Rushford 11 11 14 11 – 47

BELFAST: Max Miller 1 0-0 2, Matt Cater 1 0-2 2, Kyle McCumiskey 1 0-2 3, Anthony Logue 4 2-4 12, Daemen Cobb 1 0-0 2, Matt Weaver 3 1-5 8. Totals: 11 3-13 29.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Jacob Smith 8 2-2 23, Brayden Lavery 2 0-0 4, Jack Frank 3 2-2 9, Will Sharp 1 0-0 2, Dom Bello 2 0-0 4, Luke Brooks 2 1-2 5. Totals: 18 5-6 47.

3-point goals: Belfast 4 (Logue 2, McCumiskey, Weaver), C-R 6 (Smith 5, Frank).
Total Fouls: Belfast 11, C-R 14. Fouled out: None.

Houghton Academy 35, Hinsdale 19

HINSDALE — After the Lady Panthers provided the first victory of the night in doubleheader action in Hinsdale on Wednesday, the boys would follow up with a victory of their own, as they recorded a first half start that would solidify their lead over the Bobcats, building what was a 35-19 road win to snap their six-game slide.

Houghton Academy’s (3-8) biggest strength was their three-point game, as it accounted for 24 of their 35 points in all on offense, with Hugo Huang catching fire right from the start, sinking five of the team’s eight to finish with a game-high 15 points for the Panthers.

The visitors used it to record a big first quarter start over the Bobcats (0-9) to keep themselves ahead permanently, rolling to an 11-2 lead and never looking back. In addition to Huang’s game-high effort, Malachi DeGolyer fueled the inside game with 10 points, while James Adenuga and Jack Prentice each sank a three, for three points.

Hinsdale was propelled by Cody Barton, who had a team-high six points. Sam Cashimere added in five points of his own.

Both teams will be back on the floor Friday evening in a set of 7:30 p.m. tip-offs, as the Panthers hit the road to Friendship to take on host Friendship/Scio, while Hinsdale remains pat at home to welcome in the Eagles of Fillmore.

Houghton Academy 11 10 7 7 – 35

Hinsdale 2 5 4 5 – 19

HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Hugo Huang 5 0-0 15, Chris Habecker 1 0-0 2, Malachi DeGolyer 4 1-2 10, Levi Martino 1 0-0 2, James Adenuga 1 0-0 3, Jack Prentice 1 0-0 3. Totals: 13 1-2 35.
HINSDALE: Ethan Cashimere 1 1-2 3, Sam Cashimere 2 0-0 5, Parker Keenan 1 0-0 3, Tucker Schwartz 1 0-3 2, Cody Barton 3 0-1 6. Totals: 8 1-6 19.
3-point goals: HA 8 (Huang 5, DeGolyer, Adenuga, Prentice), Hinsdale 2 (S. Cashimere, Keenan).
Total Fouls: HA 12, Hinsdale 10. Fouled out: None.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Genesee Valley/Belfast 44, Cuba-Rushford 32

BELMONT — Like their previous battle just over a week ago in Cuba, the Lady Rebels and host Genesee Valley/Belfast provided an early tooth-and-nail fight through the first eight minutes of play, one that saw the Lady JagDogs spring out to a two-point lead.

The advantage was one that the team was able to build on later on. Right before the half, the Lady JagDogs overcame the battle, and saw three different scorers help string together a balanced effort in a 15-6 run of Cuba-Rushford that would prove to be the spark plug in their triumphant return back home in Belmont, taking down their opposition by a 44-32 count on Wednesday.

“The first quarter was slow for both teams, but in the second, we were able to get in the game that we wanted to play, and we held them to just six more points,” said GV/Belfast coach Jim Schneider. “We came out in the second half stronger to keep that lead, and we worked on parts of our game that we wanted to work on. These Seniors are incredible, they all played well tonight and they are a great group of ladies that work hard in practice every day.”

The win ups Genesee Valley/Belfast’s hot streak to eight in a row, and nine in their last 10 games, as they used a narrow 8-6 lead over Cuba-Rushford through the first eight minutes, and branched it out with the efforts of Anna Drozdowski, Mary Hamer and Kaitlin Sadler, who combined to net all 15 of team’s second quarter points to give them a 23-12 lead at the break.

Along with Alicia Borden, Drozdowski and Hamer were three Lady JagDogs (11-3) that eclipsed double figures on offense, with Hamer leading all scorers with a team-high 13 points, while Borden and Drozdowski followed with 11 and 10 points each.

After being held to just six points in the first half, the Lady Rebels (5-9) would not go down without one last effort from their leading scorer, Taylor Searle, who scored 16 of her game-high 22 points in the last 16 minutes of play to keep the pressure on Genesee Valley/Belfast. In addition, Brynn Lavery and Aleah Demick each had four points to record.

The Lady JagDogs will go for nine straight wins come Monday night back on their home floor in Belfast, taking on visiting Friendship/Scio in a 7:30 p.m. battle. The Lady Rebels are back in action Friday night with a 6 p.m. visit to Hinsdale.

Cuba-Rushford 6 6 9 11 – 32

Genesee Valley/Belfast 8 15 12 9 – 44

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Brynn Lavery 2 0-0 4, Gabby Kranock 1 0-0 2, Aleah Demick 2 0-0 4, Taylor Searle 9 3-4 22. Totals: 14 3-4 32.
GV/BELFAST: Lexi Burrows 1 0-0 2, Alicia Borden 4 3-4 11, Anna Drozdowski 3 3-4 10, Mary Hamer 6 1-4 13, Kaitlin Sadler 2 2-4 6, Aissata Diabate 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 9-16 44.

3-point goals: C-R 1 (Searle), GVB 1 (Drozdowski).
Total Fouls: C-R 14, GVB 9. Fouled out: None.

Houghton Academy 22, Hinsdale 6

HINSDALE — After a first quarter that saw host Hinsdale jump out to a close one-point lead, the visiting Lady Panthers of Houghton Academy buckled down and took the lead away, scoring six points in the last three quarters of play to jump ahead and toward a 22-6 victory on Wednesday.

Four different scorers helped lead a balanced effort for Houghton Academy (7-5), with Jessica Prentice leading the way with a team-high eight points. Jessica Adenuga chipped in with six points of her own, while Anna Huizenga and Maddy Paschalis each contributed four to further the cause for the Lady Panthers, who held Hinsdale scoreless in the second half after a 10-6 halftime lead.

The Lady Bobcats (0-11) were led by Sarah Tuttle, who had three points.

Both teams are back in action in a pair of 6 p.m. contests Friday night, as Houghton Academy hits the road to visit Friendship/Scio in Friendship, while Hinsdale remains home to host Cuba-Rushford.

Houghton Academy 4 6 6 6 – 22

Hinsdale 5 1 0 0 – 6

HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Anna Huizenga 2 0-0 4, Maddy Paschalis 2 0-0 4, Jessica Prentice 4 0-0 8, Jessica Adenuga 2 2-4 6. Totals: 10 2-4 22.
HINSDALE: Hannah Sutton 0 1-3 1, Fran Childs 1 0-0 2, Sarah Tuttle 1 0-2 3. Totals: 2 1-5 6.
3-point goals: Hinsdale 1 (Tuttle).
Total Fouls: HA 6, Hinsdale 7. Fouled out: None.