Houghton’s Adenuga catches fire from all angles, posts game-high 28 to propel Panthers in 57-50 win over host Friendship/Scio as icy conditions wreak havoc in County

SCIO — The icy conditions put a damper on another busy night of action Tuesday around the County. But the lights would remain on down the road in Scio where Friendship/Scio and visiting Houghton Academy settled the score in a wire-to-wire battle across all four quarters, with each team garnering a big run to propel their cause.

But with James Adenuga leading the way on the aerial assault from the field, the Panthers of Houghton Academy were able to get the job done behind his best night of the season, posting a game-high 28 points to aid the team in a close 57-50 victory over Friendship/Scio.

“I got to give Houghton credit, especially Adenuga, he had 28 points and we needed to pay more attention to detail and guard him better. But you’ll have that with a young team like ours,” said Friendship/Scio coach Dillon McFall. “But aside from that, this was our best game on offense this season. It was nice to see five guys with at least seven points tonight. Hopefully everything will continue to come for us down the stretch. This was great for us. It’s a step in the right direction, despite the outcome.”

After navigating through a tough eight minute period to open the night, the offenses on both ends of the floor would begin to kick the tires in a back-and-forth exchange that shrouded the first five minutes of play. With a 14-13 Friendship/Scio lead in hand, the Panthers (5-4) started to synchronize in harmony, as they swiped away the advantage and turned it into a 28-18 halftime lead of their own, courtesy of a half-ending 15-4 run.

With a double-digit lead over Friendship/Scio (3-11) intact to start the second half, the hosts in white would bounce back with a strong response for Houghton Academy, posting nine of the first 11 points to trim their deficit down to just six entering the late stages of the third quarter. Friendship/Scio would ultimately end the frame on a 16-9 jaunt of the Panthers.

The hosts would remain right alongside their opposition down the stretch in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers were able to hold on and capture the victory that awaited in the endgame to leave town on a high note. Following Adenuga on the offensive was Josh Davidson, who recorded 13 points for Houghton Academy. Jack Prentice had 10 points.

For Friendship/Scio, Deacon Brown was one of three scorers to eclipse the 10-point mark to pilot the offense, finishing with a team-high 12 points. Right behind him was Aiden Golden and his 11 points, while Jerimiah Brown had 10 points.

Both teams mark their return to the hardwood Friday night in a pair of 7:30 p.m. contests, as Houghton Academy heads back home to welcome in Genesee Valley/Belfast, while Friendship/Scio travels over the hill to Friendship to play host to the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford.

Houghton Academy 5 23 9 20 – 57

Friendship/Scio 4 14 16 16 – 50

HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jack Prentice 3 3-10 10, Josh Davidson 4 3-4 13, James Adenuga 9 6-10 28, Jack Qi 1 0-2 3, Xiangming Chen 0 1-2 1, Marco Zanini 0 2-6 2. Totals: 17 15-34 57.

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Aiden Golden 5 0-4 11, Jerome Harmon 3 1-5 7, Connor Blouvet 2 3-10 8, Charlie Taylor 0 2-2 2, Jerimiah Brown 4 2-2 10, Deacon Brown 6 0-1 12. Totals: 20 8-24 50.

3-point goals: Houghton 8 (Adenuga 4, Davidson 2, Prentice, Qi), F/S 1 (Golden).
Total Fouls: HA 19, F/S 20. Fouled out: Davidson (HA), J. Brown (F/S), Greenman (F/S).