Friday Roundup: Wellsville, Fillmore to meet in IAABO Title game after wins; Lady Lions string together 2nd quarter run to defeat North Penn-Mansfield

WELLSVILLE — After a long wait, the IAABO Tournament made its grand return to Allegany County’s center stage on Friday, as Cuba-Rushford, C.G. Finney, Fillmore and Wellsville all came together in the Lion’s Den to do battle for the first time in nearly two years.

To open it up, the Falcons and Eagles put on a battle through the first half, with one team capitalizing from deep range while the other tried to work their way inside the defense. Back and forth both teams went, but the deciding factor came going into the second half.

Despite a slow start from the Eagles, they were able to find their way through the hole and to the basket, as they opened up the C.G. Finney defense to put up a massive 21-point third quarter to overtake the lead, ultimately for good, as they took a lead by as much as seven and never looked back to secure a spot in Saturday’s title game with a 63-58 victory.

“We got off to a slow start, and it felt like at times, Finney just could not miss from three point range,” said Eagles coach Randy Crouch. "Mitch Ward really provided some tough offense when we were struggling. In the end, we made enough plays and got enough stops to win, but Finney really made us work to get it to the inside with Will (Roeske). Hopefully some guys grew up a little tonight, and learned how to play off him.”

The night began when Finney went to their three-point attack right from the start to fuel a 20-point opening quarter to take the edge over Fillmore (3-0). But then the Eagles began to chip away, with Zach Sisson stepping up to the plate to provide six big points from the field to power up a 14-point quarter in return, which would lead to a 32-30 lead being held by the Falcons at the break.

Momentum was built, and then put to good use later on in the second half, when Mitch Ward and his efforts helped Fillmore lead the way toward big success in their strongest offensive outpouring, scoring nine of the 21 points the Eagles would build in their 21-13 run of C.G. Finney to carry into the fourth quarter, where they would build on their lead once more for good, despite some late foul shots down the stretch for the Falcons to try and close the gap.

In the end, the win and a spot in the IAABO Tournament’s title game was secured.

Sisson and Ward would finish as the team’s leading scorers, with Sisson heading the attack behind a game-high 19 point effort, while Ward followed with 16 of his own. Will Roeske chipped in with 12, while Carter Sisson had eight.

The Eagles would now wait until game two officially got underway shortly after, as Cuba-Rushford and Wellsville began their tussle to determine who would fill in the last vacancy for this year’s title game.

Right from the opening tip-off, it was a game controlled by the Lions, who were looking to provide a massive bounce back after a narrow defeat to the hands of Allegany-Limestone back on Wednesday. After a brilliant opening eight minutes against the Rebels, they would go on to do just that, setting the tone almost immediately to clinch their place in the title game with a 65-22 victory to wrap up day one of action in the Lion’s Den.

“I was really impressed with our energy tonight. If there was a game to try and provide a bounce back for, this one was it,” said Lions coach Raymie Auman. “The energy on the defense was outstanding, and we needed to come out strong and did exactly that. Coach (Bryce) Ryan had a few guys out tonight, and we knew it would be important to jump on them early. We’ve really got a good group that shares the ball well and understands that it could be anyone on any given night.”

The Lions (2-2) never looked back on a massive run they put together in the first eight minutes of play, as they used their defense as their best offense to provide an 18-0 lead, translated by Eli Schmidt and Alex Perkins, who combined to record 13 of the team’s 16 points.

The scoreless run would reach 18 in a row before the Rebels would find a way to get on the board themselves with one of Jack Frank’s four three-pointers. In the end, it would be a 18-5 run for the Lions that allowed them to branch their lead out insurmountably to cement their win.

Three different Lions recorded double digits on the attack, with Schmidt leading the charge behind a game-high 16 points. Alex Perkins and Cody Costello followed with 11, and 10 points respectively, while Logan Dunbar had eight to chip in.

Today, the IAABO Tournament will close up with C.G. Finney and Cuba-Rushford battling head-to-head in the Consolation round beginning in a 12 p.m. tip-off. Following will be this year’s championship game between Wellsville and Fillmore — a matchup Auman says will be an incredibly good test for his group.

“Tomorrow is going to be quite the challenge going up against a very experienced and well-coached Fillmore crew,” said Auman. “That team is really a complete package team. We’ll have to really bring out a-game tomorrow to be competitive along with them.”

C.G. Finney 20 12 13 13 – 58

Fillmore 16 14 21 12 – 63

C.G. FINNEY: Nick Pasquantonio 4 5-8 15, Ethan Krog 1 0-0 2, James Sidorishin 5 4-4 16, Connor O'Hare 2 0-0 6, Josh Saurez 8 0-0 19. Totals: 20 9-12 58.

FILLMORE: Carter Sisson 4 0-0 8, Brent Zubikowski 1 0-0 2, Luke Colombo 3 0-0 6, Mitch Ward 7 2-7 16, Zach Sisson 8 2-2 19, Will Roeske 4 3-4 12. Totals: 27 7-13 63.

3-point goals: Finney 9 (Saurez 3, Pasquantonio 2, Sidorishin 2, O'Hare 2), Fillmore 2 (Z. Sisson, Roeske).
Total Fouls: Finney 10, Fillmore 11. Fouled out: None.

Cuba-Rushford 0 5 6 11 – 22

Wellsville 16 18 12 19 – 65

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Braeden Wight 1 2-5 4, Jack Frank 4 0-1 11, Hunter Scott 0 1-2 1, Caden Murray 0 1-4 1, Kaden Bell 1 1-5 3. Totals: 7 5-17 22.
WELLSVILLE: Cody Costello 4 1-2 10, Alex Perkins 5 1-3 11, Cooper Brockway 1 0-0 3, Eli Schmidt 7 0-0 16, Dalton Ketchner 2 0-0 4, Kailob Phelps 3 0-0 6, Aidan Riley 1 0-0 2, Logan Dunbar 3 2-3 8, Connor Ferguson 2 1-2 5. Totals: 28 5-10 65.

3-point goals: C-R 3 (Frank), Wellsville 4 (Schmidt 2, Costello, Brockway).
Total Fouls: C-R 12, Wellsville 17. Fouled out: Frank (C-R).

Cowanesque Valley Tourney: Jasper-Troupsburg 52, Genesee Valley 14

WESTFIELD — The Jasper-Troupsburg Wildcats dominated much of the game to open the first round of tournament action at Cowanesque Valley on Friday, as they put together a big 52-14 victory over Genesee Valley to advance into Saturday’s Championship game.

Stats and a complete box score were not made available upon publication.

The Jaguars (0-3) will now move into Consolation round action right back at Cowanesque Valley today.

Belfast 51, Hammondsport 34

HAMMONDSPORT — The first half of play was used to the utmost advantage by the Belfast Bulldogs on Friday, as they went over the road in search of their third straight win to begin the season, and they left Hammondsport with it strongly in hand after a first half of play set the pace for what became a 51-36 rolling of the host Lakers.

After capturing a four-point lead right in the start, the Bulldogs (3-0) provided a big showing in the second quarter to end the first half on the strongest of notes, going off on a massive 19-7 run of the Lakers behind Anthony Logue, who went 6-for-9 at the line during the frame while Connor Stork added six of his eight points along the way to set up shop for the offense.

From the second quarter on, Belfast was able to protect a 30-14 lead they never lost going down the homestretch in the second half, as they provided one last narrow outscoring in the third to seal it up for good.

Logue would lead the Bulldogs with a game-high 15 points. Kadin Logue added in 11 points of his own, while Stork and Matt Weaver each had eight.

Belfast will return to action on Tuesday over the road, as they go for their fourth straight win down the road in Fillmore when they face the host Eagles.

Belfast 11 19 12 9 – 51

Hammondsport 7 7 9 13 – 36

BELFAST: Kadin Logue 4 2-3 11, Justin Hill 2 0-0 5, Max Miller 1 0-0 2, Anthony Logue 4 7-10 15, Matt Weaver 3 1-3 8, Connor Stork 3 2-4 8. Totals: 17 12-20 51.

HAMMONDSPORT: Preston McConnell 2 0-1 5, Cooper Watson 5 0-5 13, Ty Ritter 3 0-2 6, Isaiyah Ali 2 1-3 5, Stephen Veley 1 1-2 3, Cody Cook 2 0-0 4. Totals: 15 2-13 36.

3-point goals: Belfast 5 (K. Logue 3, Hill, Weaver), Hammondsport 4 (Watson 3, McConnell).
Total Fouls: Belfast 15, Hammondsport 17. Fouled out: Weaver (BEL).

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Lady Lions advance to title game after win over NP-Mansfield

WESTFIELD — In the first possessions of their game on Friday, the Lady Lions found themselves in an early hole to North Penn-Mansfield on Friday, as their opposition did what they could to capitalize on the opportunity. As a result, a one-point lead was gathered up against Wellsville going into the second.

With the balance of power swinging their way, it gave them a chance to build upon it. Instead, the Lady Lions killed the momentum shift, as they countered with their biggest run of the night after going off on an 18-0 spurt that put them ahead in the driver’s seat for good going into the second half, where they were able to keep control of a 50-25 victory to advance into the Championship round of tournament action at Cowanesque Valley.

The Lady Lions (3-0) made up for lost ground quickly after North Penn-Mansfield capitalized on loose rebounds and turnovers in the early stages of the opening quarter, as they brought all of their efforts together for 18 straight points to the basket to overtake their lead for good, taking a double-digit lead of their own at the half, and never losing it the rest of the way.

Jaelyn Knapp and Marley Adams were two big reasons why the offense saw great success for Wellsville, with Knapp leading the charge behind a team-high 14 points to go with six rebounds. Adams would follow with 13 points of her own to go with five rebounds, while Makenna Dunbar grabbed 10 rebounds in addition to seven points. Emily Costello dished out five assists.

The Lady Lions now move into today’s Championship game back at Cowanesque Valley, as they now face Northern Potter in a 5:30 p.m. battle.

Wellsville 10 18 15 7 – 50

North Penn-Mansfield 11 0 8 6 – 25

WELLSVILLE: Marley Adams 5 2-2 13, Jaylynn Mess 2 1-2 5, Emily Costello 1 0-0 3, Jaelyn Knapp 6 2-4 14, Natalie Adams 1 0-0 2, Emily Robbins 0 1-2 1, Sara Reitz 1 0-0 3, Kaylee Coleman 1 0-0 2, Makenna Dunbar 3 1-2 7. Totals: 20 7-12 50.
NORTH PENN-MANSFIELD: Shaniya Sparro 2 0-0 4, Payton Lightner 2 0-1 4, Addison Ferrer 0 0-1 0, Payton Chapel 5 0-0 14, Ella Ferrer 1 0-0 3. Totals: 10 0-2 25.

3-point goals: Wellsville 3 (M. Adams, Costello, Reitz), NP-Mansfield 5 (Chapel 4, E. Ferrer).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 11, NP-Mansfield 14. Fouled out: None.

Bolivar-Richburg 28, Alfred-Almond 27

BOLIVAR — Alfred-Almond and Bolivar-Richburg would put together a back-and-forth duel that would come down to the waning seconds of the game, Friday night.

With the Lady Eagles holding a one-point lead and the Lady Wolverines garnering their final possession, a foul had been committed by the visitors, which would send the hosts to the line for a potential go-ahead pair of shots at the stripe.

Enter Jessica Majot, who with ease buried both shots at the line with nearly 10 seconds left in regulation to pull the Lady Wolverines ahead, while the defense on Alfred-Almond’s final chance to respond stood tall in the end to help secure the team’s first win of the season by a 28-27 count in a thriller.

”I am very proud of the girls tonight. Whether they believe it or not, they have improved tremendously in the past week and a half,” said Lady Wolverines coach Hadley Ferris. “They moved the ball well, played strong defense, and took better care of the basketball. We obviously still have things to work on, but I love the improvement that I am seeing.”

The Lady Wolverines (1-2) were able to garner the close 11-9 lead heading into the half after a back-and-forth fight with Alfred-Almond. The pace would continue heading into the second half, as the hosts were able to build on their lead once more by a 17-14 count going to the final eight minutes.

The biggest run of the game was gathered by the Lady Eagles, who scored six straight points to the basket to take the lead away from the hosts in white and red in the first two minutes of the frame. Then, Bolivar-Richburg would answer back with four in a row themselves to take the one-point lead, setting up one last teeter-totter quarter that resulted in a pair of big Majot free throws with 10 seconds remaining to hand the Lady Wolverines the lead for victory.

Majot would finish with eight team-high points for the hosts, leading the attack. Kayli Giardini and Carmen Crowley added in seven points of their own.

Bolivar-Richburg is back on the floor Monday night for a 6 p.m. tip-off against incoming Oswayo Valley.

Alfred-Almond 4 5 5 13 – 27

Bolivar-Richburg 4 7 6 11 – 28

ALFRED-ALMOND: Jessica McMahon 4 0-2 11, Chloe Bracken 0 0-2 0, Kaylianna Clark 2 0-2 4, Ryann Donlon 1 0-2 2, Isabel Badeau 3 2-5 8, Paige Marlatt 1 0-0 2. Totals: 11 2-13 27.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Raegan Giardini 2 0-0 4, Destiny Cantrell 1 0-0 2, Kayli Giardini 3 0-0 7, Carmen Crowley 3 1-2 7, Jessica Majot 2 4-6 8. Totals: 11 5-8 28.

3-point goals: A-A 3 (McMahon), B-R 1 (K. Giardini).
Total Fouls: A-A 13, B-R 16. Fouled out: Clark (A-A).

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Bolivar-Richburg 3, Fillmore 0

FILLMORE — For a while in the opening set, both Bolivar-Richburg and Fillmore went back and forth exchanging points until extra serves were required to acquire the match’s first lead.

It would go in favor of the Wolverines, as they scored the two points necessary to win the set. In addition, momentum was created to take care of business the rest of the way, as they rolled past the Eagles in the next two sets to perform the straight-set sweep by a 26-24, 25-15, 25-19 on Friday.

Rudy Polk provided the majority of the driving force behind Bolivar-Richburg’s first win of the season (1-4), as he recorded a team-high eight kills to go with four aces and two blocks. Ryan Greeson and Darien Champlin each added in five kills, five blocks and two aces of their own, while setter Hunter Stuck (five aces, three kills, two blocks) handed out nine assists to round off the Wolverines.

Despite the result, the Eagles (0-2) were able to gather some excellent service from Henry Decker, who led the way with a team-high 11 service points, pairing them with his two aces. Aiden Wagner (three aces, block) added in six service points of his own, while Isaac Hatch and Joe Derck each had five service points and three aces.

Both teams will return to the floor next week in 6 p.m. contests, as Bolivar-Richburg looks to build off the momentum with Scio in town for a visit next Monday, while Fillmore hosts Arkport/Canaseraga on Thursday.

Arkport/Canaseraga 3, Scio 1

ARKPORT — The Wolves of Arkport/Canaseraga started the evening strong, pushing visiting Scio to an early brink with two wins under their belt. The Tigers were able to respond to extend the match by a set with a victory of their own a short time later.

But in the fourth set, the hosts in black and teal would prove that the bounce back was real, as they put together their best effort of the night to finish strong, taking the four-set victory on Friday by a 25-16, 25-15, 17-25, 25-13 count.

Leading Scio (1-3) on the offense was Max Morris, who had four team-high kills to go with one ace. Jordan White chipped in with two aces from the service line to go with one kill and one block.

The Tigers will be back on the court next Friday night, as they look to provide a bounce back on the road with a trip to the Fillmore Eagles in store for a 6 p.m. contest inside The Rock.