Friday Roundup: Bulajic’s big night paces Friendship/Scio toward 52-31 season-opening win at GV; Lady Lions tally massive road win at Letchworth behind balanced effort

BELMONT — Lazar Bulajic simply could not have been stopped for Friendship/Scio, Friday night.

The Scio senior caught fire from all angles on the floor, as his efforts helped the team provide a boost of energy on the defensive end, not allowing host Genesee Valley to eclipse 10 points in the first three quarters, establishing their presence behind his seven three-pointers put toward a 52-31 victory over the road in the Jungle to start the year at 1-0.

“It was our first game out, and we have some things to work on, but it was nice to have three guys in double figures to go along with a nice balance on offense,” Friendship/Scio coach Dillon McFall said. “Brenden (Loucks) had a nice presence inside, and Lazar was knocking them down left and right. We got some cleaner looks in the second half, as opposed to the first half, where you could tell it was our first game. We’re still integrating two different teams into one, and it’s going to take some time, but we took some good steps in the right direction.”

Bulajic finished with seven field goals all from three-point range along with a 2-for-4 outing at the stripe to finish with a game-high 23 points for Friendship/Scio (1-0), who set the tone going into the half with a 26-13 lead of the Jaguars behind a 17-6 first half-ending jaunt after taking a two-point lead through the opening quarter.

Along with Bulajic, Ethan Davenport continued Friendship/Scio’s damage from downtown with three more triples hit, putting them toward a 13-point effort in his first career Varsity start. Brenden Loucks followed with 10 points of his own.

The Jaguars (0-1) were led by Morgan Torrey, who recorded a team-high 10 points. Max Wedge added in eight points, while Thai Norasethaporn tallied seven to help the host’s cause, who attempted to chip away at Friendship/Scio’s lead in the fourth quarter with their biggest outing of offense in the game, but the earlier deficit proved to be too much to overcome in the end.

Friendship/Scio hops right back on the court this afternoon back home with a 12:30 p.m. tip-off slated against Andover/Whitesville, in Scio. As for Genesee Valley, they will wrap up the home-at-home series with Friendship/Scio on Wednesday, when the two teams meet one more time in a 7:30 p.m. contest in Friendship.

Friendship/Scio 9 17 13 13 – 52

Genesee Valley 7 6 6 11 – 31

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Jacob Golden 1 0-0 2, Brenden Loucks 4 2-4 10, Ethan Davenport 5 0-0 13, Nate Ford 1 0-0 3, Taylor Moore 0 1-2 1, Lazar Bulajic 7 2-4 23. Totals: 18 3-12 52.

GENESEE VALLEY: Morgan Torrey 4 1-1 10, Elden Aquila 2 0-1 4, Max Wedge 4 0-0 8, Thai Norasethaporn 3 0-0 7, Fisher Herdman 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12 1-2 31.

3-point goals: F/S 11 (Bulajic 7, Davenport 3, Ford), GV 2 (Torrey, Norasethaporn).
Total Fouls: F/S 9, GV 12. Fouled out: None.

Belfast 46, Andover/Whitesville 32

ANDOVER — After a slow go in the first eight minutes, visiting Belfast was able to garner the early advantage over Andover/Whitesville on Friday. But the heat was quickly turned up in the second, when the Bulldogs brought together a big point of emphasis on their lead.

It was one that ultimately determined the game in the end, as both Anthony and Kadin Logue helped pave the way on offense with team-leading efforts to provide Belfast the season-opening victory they wanted, as they went past host Andover/Whitesville behind a 46-32 decision to start their season on the right foot.

With a 6-4 narrow lead in their hands after the opening eight minute period, the Bulldogs (1-0) were able to provide a shift of momentum, swinging in their favor going into halftime, taking a double-digit lead over Andover/Whitesville with thanks stemming from what was a 16-7 run that allowed them to pull away for good.

Anthony and Kadin Logue were two big reasons behind a successful start for the visitors in black and red, as Anthony Logue led the way with 15 game-high points, 10 of them from the charity stripe. Kadin Logue followed behind closely with 14 points of his own, while Senior Matt Weaver chipped in with eight points.

On the other side, CJ Estep led all scorers for Andover/Whitesville (0-1) with 14 team-high points. Tyler Hackett added in seven points, while Cormac Brown had five to chip in.

“My kids have been playing together for two and a half weeks now, and they work super hard,” Andover/Whitesville coach John Dougherty said. “It’s the first game of the season, and the work ethic is great. We had some first game jitters, and we have a 15-man roster to work with. We’re still trying to figure out who goes where with this combined group. We’re young, we have great talent, and we will become better from this.”

Belfast will head back home to open up their home slate on Wednesday, when they welcome in Hinsdale for a 7:30 p.m. visit. Meanwhile, Andover/Whitesville heads out on the road themselves for the first time, visiting Friendship/Scio for a 12:30 p.m. battle this afternoon in Scio.

Belfast 6 16 11 13 – 46

Andover/Whitesville 4 7 12 9 – 32

BELFAST: Kadin Logue 5 1-2 14, Justin Hill 0 1-2 1, Max Miller 2 0-0 4, Matt Cater 1 0-0 2, Anthony Logue 2 10-17 15, Matt Weaver 2 3-6 8, Connor Stork 0 2-2 2. Totals: 12 17-29 46.

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Cormac Brown 1 3-4 5, CJ Estep 5 3-4 14, Gavin Cutler 0 0-4 0, Brody Carlin 1 0-0 2, Tyler Hackett 3 1-2 7, Luke Erdmann 2 0-0 4. Totals: 12 7-14 32.

3-point goals: Belfast 5 (K. Logue 3, A. Logue, Weaver), A/W 1 (Estep).
Total Fouls: Belfast 10, A/W 25. Fouled out: None.

Fillmore 56, Hinsdale 19

FILLMORE — The Eagles of Fillmore put together the strongest of first quarters to begin their new season on the hardwood, using their offense and defense to provide a massive lead they never let up on, as they rolled toward a 56-19 win in front of a packed house inside The Rock on Friday over visiting Hinsdale.

“It was great to get back on the court in front of a big home crowd tonight,” said Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “I am really proud of how our starters established the tempo early, and I thought Carter (Sisson), Mitchell (Ward) and Zach (Sisson) did a great job of pressuring the ball and dictating the majority of play, while Will (Roeske) controlled the middle. We need to clean up our execution and continue to gel together. Ellicottville is coming up on Monday, and we will have to play more efficiently than we did tonight.”

Fillmore (1-0) put their strongest effort of the night right in the first eight minutes of play to set the tone immediately against the Bobcats, as a collective Eagles unit came together to provide a big 26-4 run in the first that gave them a lead they never lost in the end, ultimately securing their season-opening victory on their home floor.

Carter Sisson and Mitch Ward both led the way for the Eagles on the offensive attack, with Sisson charging the efforts with a game-high 11 points, while Ward followed closely behind with 10. Luke Colombo, Will Roeske and Johnny Mills all added in six points of their own.

For Hinsdale (0-1), Henry Schwartz led the way with nine of the team’s 19 points. The Bobcats will continue their road swing into Belfast on Wednesday in a 7:30 p.m. contest.

The Eagles are back on the floor Monday night over the road, as they prepare to battle Ellicottville in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

Hinsdale 4 6 4 5 – 19

Fillmore 26 9 15 6 – 56

HINSDALE: Noah Bowser 1 0-0 2, Ethan Cashimere 0 2-4 2, Parker Keenan 0 2-2 2, Henry Schwartz 4 0-0 9, Brad Bergstrom 1 0-0 2, Cody Barton 1 0-0 2. Totals: 7 4-6 19.
FILLMORE: Carter Sisson 5 1-4 11, Eben Schilke 2 0-0 5, Brent Zubikowski 1 0-0 2, Jack Cool 1 1-2 3, Luke Colombo 2 1-2 6, Mitch Ward 5 0-0 10, Zach Sisson 2 1-2 5, Larry Walinski 1 0-0 2, Johnny Mills 3 0-0 6, Will Roeske 3 0-0 6. Totals: 25 4-10 56.

3-point goals: Hinsdale 1 (Schwartz), Fillmore 2 (Schilke, Colombo).
Total Fouls: Hinsdale 9, Fillmore 9. Fouled out: None.

New Life Christian at Houghton Academy — No Report.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Wellsville 60, Letchworth 15

GAINESVILLE — One of the strongest suits that the Lady Lions of Wellsville possess is a balanced offensive attack. On any given night, one of many Lady Lions can take over the game for their team. But on Friday to open the season, everyone had a hand in getting the right start they wanted, as they used a strong first quarter to power up a big 60-15 season-opening triumph over host Letchworth.

“We provided a balanced effort. Our depth and experience, and chemistry played a huge role tonight. They all played well because of it,” Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord said. “It was a great statement game right out of the gate, and for us to score double digits in all four quarters, it’s been a while since we last had experienced that. There weren’t any lulls, and we didn’t let up, which was great to see.”

Three different Lady Lions (1-0) eclipsed double figures in the scorebook to lead the offense to great success to begin their season, with Marley Adams and Jaelyn Knapp both leading the fuel behind the fire with 11 game-high points each, with Adams chipping in seven steals and five assists along the way on special teams. Sarah Reitz added in 10 points of her own.

Wellsville began the night with an 11-1 run of Letchworth that essentially set the tone for the remainder of the game, as they accounted for massive runs across all 32 minutes to branch out their lead insurmountably to pick up their first win, with Makenna Dunbar, Kaylee Coleman and Jaylynn Mess helping lead the rebounding efforts off the glass with 18 combined rebounds. Additionally, Emily Costello provided four steals and three assists.

Prior to the Varsity contest, the JV Lady Lions fell to Letchworth by a 39-23 count, with Jaden Dunbar leading the team with six points.

Up next, the Lady Lions will open up their home slate Tuesday night with a 7:30 p.m. battle against the Canisteo-Greenwood Lady Redskins — a game that Alvord hopes will provide a measuring stick for the team.

“We play similar styles of basketball, and it’s been a while since we last played Canisteo-Greenwood,” she said. “Our schedule is tough this year, and we hope that this prepares us for what we hope will be our ultimate ending. Playing a well-coached team like Les (York) has, this will be a nice measuring stick for our early stages of the season. It’ll provide a nice home test for us as well.”

Wellsville 11 13 18 18 – 60

Letchworth 1 9 1 4 – 15

WELLSVILLE: Marley Adams 5 0-0 11, Jaylynn Mess 3 0-0 6, Emily Costello 2 0-0 6, Jaelyn Knapp 5 1-1 11, Natalie Adams 1 0-2 2, Sarah Reitz 4 0-0 10, Kaylee Coleman 2 1-3 5, Makenna Dunbar 4 1-2 9. Totals: 26 3-8 60.
LETCHWORTH: Hana Gill 1 1-2 4, Phoebe Conklin 2 0-0 4, Morgan Brace 1 3-6 5, Jonelle Flitcroft 0 2-4 2, Kate Broughton 0 0-2 0. Totals: 4 6-14 15.

3-point goals: Wellsville 5 (Costello 2, Reitz 2, M. Adams), Letchworth 1 (Gill).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 18, Letchworth 12. Fouled out: None.

Andover/Whitesville 77, Bolivar-Richburg 29

BOLIVAR — After finishing last season as Allegany County’s top scorer in girls basketball, Vanessa Hall picked up right where she left off when Andover/Whitesville took the court for their first contest as a combined unit on Friday, as the junior provided a sublime showing of offense behind a game-high 42 points to airlift the team toward a massive 77-29 road win at Bolivar-Richburg.

“The girls played pretty well tonight,” said Andover/Whitesville co-coach Aaron Rawady. “They have been beating on each other in practices for almost three weeks, so they were excited to finally to be playing in a game. We made some early season mistakes as expected, but we responded well to them almost every time. What I think we were most pleased with, was the effort. Each of our girls worked extremely hard the entire time they were on the court.”

Andover/Whitesville (1-0) built off a narrow lead over Bolivar-Richburg through the first eight minutes of play, putting the exclamation point on the offense right before the first half came to a close, as they held the Lady Wolverines to just eight points in the midst of their 21-8 run to close up shop. The visitors would continue to hold the hosts in white and red in check for the remainder of the game, allowing just 12 more points on defense.

Helping further the team’s cause behind Hall’s big night was Maria Riloba, who recorded 13 additional points. Addison Morgan had eight points of her own to add, while Gabbi Hall and Rachel Jackson each had six.

For the Lady Wolverines (0-1), Jessica Majot led the way with a team-high 13 points. Kayli Giardini added in eight points of her own, while Raegan Giardini pitched in with five. Bolivar-Richburg will remain home to welcome in Houghton Academy for a 6 p.m. tip-off on Tuesday.

Andover/Whitesville will look to carry the momentum with them over the road when they return to action Monday night with a 6 p.m. road trip to Alfred-Almond.

Andover/Whitesville 18 21 24 14 – 77

Bolivar-Richburg 11 8 4 8 – 29

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Maria Riloba 6 0-2 13, Rachel Jackson 3 0-0 6, Serena Ainsworth 1 0-0 2, Vanessa Hall 14 14-15 42, Addison Morgan 4 0-0 8, Gabbi Hall 3 0-0 6. Totals: 31 14-17 77.

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Nadia Baldwin 0 1-2 1, Raegan Giardini 1 3-4 5, Kayli Giardini 4 0-0 8, Kaylee Keiser 1 0-0 2, Jessica Majot 6 1-5 13. Totals: 12 5-11 29.

3-point goals: A/W 1 (Riloba).
Total Fouls: A/W 13, B-R 19. Fouled out: K. Giardini (B-R).

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Arkport/Canaseraga 3, Wellsville 1

ARKPORT — The Lions built up some momentum after a close battle with host Arkport/Canaseraga in the night’s opening set, but the Wolves provided a big shift on their own that shifted the rest of the match in their favor, as they rolled toward victory with three straight victories in dominant fashion to pick up the 3-1 match win over Wellsville on Friday by a 22-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-14 count.

Leading the way for the Lions (0-2) in their efforts was Mason Parks, who recorded a team-high 10 kills on the offensive to pair with nine service points and one assist. Furthering the cause on the attack was Brody Heaney, who added in five more service points of his own to pair with a kill and block, while setter Matt Bittel dished out 12 assists to couple alongside with three aces and one kill.

Wellsville will go back on the road for their first meeting of the season against the host Scio Tigers on Tuesday beginning at 6 p.m.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 3, Bolivar-Richburg 2

RICHBURG — Genesee Valley/Belfast and Bolivar-Richburg delivered the County’s closest battle of the evening. The JagDogs and the Wolverines went back and forth all throughout the match, including a marathon opening set to establish shop.

The match would wind up needing all five sets for completion, and in the end, Genesee Valley/Belfast had just enough left in the tank to come out victorious in the end, as they were able to ward off Bolivar-Richburg in a five-set donnybrook to pick up their first win of the season on Friday, picking up the 28-26, 20-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-12 decision over the road.

Fueling the efforts for Genesee Valley/Belfast (1-1) was Sean Mahon, who provided a solid effort on the offense with a team-leading seven kills and seven aces from the service line. Canaan Sullivan added in seven more aces to pair with six kills, while Dominic Mara had four kills and three aces to help further the cause for the visitors.

Darien Champlin recorded seven aces of his own to lead the Wolverines (0-2), pairing them along with five kills and two blocks at the front of the net. Rudy Polk was also active at the front, handing out 10 helpers to go along with five kills, five aces and two blocks.

Both teams are back on the floor Tuesday night in a pair of 6 p.m. contests, with Genesee Valley/Belfast heading back home to take on Arkport/Canaseraga, while Bolivar-Richburg looks to rebound on the road by taking on Cuba-Rushford inside the Wighthouse.

Cuba-Rushford 3, Scio 1

CUBA — After starting the season strong with a win over the defending Allegany County champions over the road back on Wednesday, the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford returned home to open up their home slate inside the Wighthouse and provided a big bounce back after a slow start.

With Scio garnering the upper hand after the opening set, Cuba-Rushford shook it off later on and was able to account for three straight victories decisively to take the lead away from the Tigers permanently, as they rolled toward a 3-1 match triumph by a 17-25, 25-13, 25-11, 25-18 count on Friday.

The Rebels (2-0) saw an absolutely strong night develop from Allen Fuller, as the team’s setter up front delivered a team-leading 12 assists to pair with a stellar 11-ace spark plug to fuel their offense. On the attack, Jarrett Campbell garnered six kills to go with four more aces and three blocks of his own, while Haven Kellogg rounded off with four kills, two aces and two helpers.

On the other side of the net, Scio (1-1) was led by Jude Marion, who recorded four team-high kills. Jordan White added in three kills of his own to go with one ace.

Both teams are back in action with a pair of 6 p.m. home contests on Tuesday, as Cuba-Rushford aims for a third straight win by hosting Bolivar-Richburg, while Scio looks to rebound back on their home floor against Wellsville.