Friday Roundup: Perry pours on big 4th quarter run to roll past host Jaguars; Lady Panthers hand Fillmore 1st loss of season over the road

Written By Chris Brooks

BELMONT — Falling over the road in Perry by just three points was a decision that Genesee Valley really wanted to have go their way. Fast forward nearly a year later, and the Yellowjackets made their way down to the Jungle on Friday for a grudge match of last year’s epic conclusion.

For the most part, the Jaguars of Genesee Valley were buzzing around the court, doing what they could to keep the Yellowjackets on their heels. It required a defensive change when the second half came around, but the visitors in blue and gold had it all figured out the entire night.

Using their equal balance of athleticism, skill, and quality shooting, Perry never lost a beat. Even though they were being outscored in the third quarter, the Yellowjackets shook it off to charge up their electric three-point game in the early stages of the fourth quarter, accumulating what would be a 30-13 run of the Jaguars to increase a one-point lead entering the frame, and turning into a 72-54 road win.

“I wanted this game bad, but Perry shot the ball really well,” Jaguars coach Lintz Bliven said. “With it, everyone on our team was off target. Cody (Schneider) was off, Evan (Windus) was off, Trevor (Clark) didn’t even score. It was just another one of those games, but I was super proud of the guys. They never gave up, and I was even more proud of that aspect alone than anything else. It’s just another game, and when we wake up tomorrow morning, it’s on to the next one. That’s why we schedule games like this. We can learn from them, and it will only make us better. We’re in D1, not in the Bs or Cs.”

The first quarter saw Perry really catch their stride from beginning toward the late stages, as they ran off on a big 18-6 run behind capitalizations of numerous Jaguars (8-3) turnovers, and their three-point game. Genesee Valley however, would trim that deficit back down to single digits when the quarter met its end, as Evan Windus launched a pair of back-to-back threes before Brock Ellsessor ended the stanza with a runner to the basket.

In the second quarter, the Yellowjackets went back to the grind once more, continuing to find all the openings within the Genesee Valley defense they could to come away with a 16-9 outscoring to push their advantage to double digits at the end of the first half.

After a brief discussion in the locker room next door to the gym, it was a bit of a different story.

The Jaguars made a big defensive change in an attempt to eliminate the outside shooting, forcing Perry to go down low where the Jaguars met with ease by slowing them down inside an 18-8 third quarter behind Cody Schneider’s leadership, and inside game. The senior would net nine of the team’s 18 points in the third quarter, finishing with a game-high 23 points in all.

“We switched up our defense in the third quarter, and it was all working out in our favor,” Bliven said. “We stopped them for what they were doing for pretty much the entire night — chucking up those three-pointers. They worked underneath the basket, and we stopped them the best we could. In the fourth quarter, we just got out of sync again.”

After Brock Ellsessor ended the quarter with a buzzer-beating lay-in to close their deficit to a single point behind Perry, the Yellowjackets cracked Genesee Valley’s code in the fourth, heaving every shot from every angle of the floor to begin what was a relentless frame of offense, as Mitch Hockey and Carson DeVinney rolled along an 8-0 jaunt of the Jaguars through the first three minutes.

It was the beginning of massive things for the Yellowjackets as their run grew larger and larger, with their lead approached double digits with under four minutes left in the game. In all, it was a 30-13 run for the visitors was gathered — a hole that was too deep for the Jaguars to climb out of in the end.

“The game was closer than the scoreboard indicated,” Bliven said. “Perry made their foul shots toward the tail end, and their three-point game was relentless. It just wasn’t meant to be. If we had a couple of shots here and there go our way, this game would be entirely different. But, we’re playing for March now and not for mid-January. We just have to take what we can from this, and learn from it.”

Following Schneider in the Genesee Valley scorebook was Windus, who finished with 17 points. Ellsessor concluded the night with 10 points, while Riley Gordon had the last four points for the Jaguars.

When the three-day weekend comes to a close late Monday night, the Jaguars will be back on their home floor, as they look to bounce back on Tuesday with visiting Campbell-Savona in for a visit before heading to Alfred State next weekend for the 6th Annual Dan Barkley Showcase, where they will look to seek revenge on the Prattsburgh Vikings in the event’s headlining act. Tip-off for Tuesday’s game is set for 7:30 p.m.

“Hopefully they come to play,” said Bliven. “It’s just like your ordinary NBA schedule, we have back-to-back games with Campbell-Savona coming here on Tuesday. We’ll be okay, and hopefully we can use this as a big boost of energy to give Prattsburgh a better showing at the Showcase next weekend. Facing Perry tonight and their shooters, and then turning around to face the area’s best in Mason Putnam. Those are two games that will prepare us for the long haul.”

Perry                           18 16   8 30 – 72

Genesee Valley       14   9 18 13 – 54

PERRY: Garrett McClurg 6 0-0 12, Mitchel Hockey 3 5-8 13, Michael Hockey 3 3-4 9, Carson DeVinney 7 0-0 19, Caleb Carr 1 0-0 2, Michael John Grover 5 5-5 17. Totals: 25 13-17 72.
GENESEE VALLEY: Evan Windus 7 0-0 17, Brock Ellsessor 5 0-0 10, Riley Gordon 1 1-2 4, Cody Schneider 10 3-7 23. Totals: 23 4-9 54.

3-point goals: Perry 9 (DeVinney 5, Grover 2, Mic. Hockey 2), GV 4 (Windus 3, Gordon).
Total Fouls: Perry 11, GV 17. Fouled out: Clark (GV).

Wellsville 58, Attica 49

WELLSVILLE — Between Attica and Wellsville, each team made a run through the first half of play to open up the action from within the Lion’s Den, Friday evening. Out of both runs, the Lions had the bigger of them.

Head coach Raymie Auman said that their clash with the Blue Devils was a must-win game with rival Hornell upon the horizon next weekend at the 6th Annual Barkley Showcase. He made sure his team delivered the goods after Attica led after the first quarter, doubling down on his defense while Max Jusianiec and Liam McKinley each ran the show on offense, assisting Wellsville in coming away with a huge 58-49 win on Friday to jump back up above .500 once again.

“We didn’t really start with any defensive urgency. Our energy just wasn’t there, and we were more reactive than we were proactive. But our leaders really got us going into the second quarter, and they managed to turn the tides.” said Auman.

After a quick run by Attica toward the end of the first quarter witnessed Wellsville (7-6) fall behind rather rapidly, the Lions wasted no time on starting a huge run themselves immediately into the second quarter, as the defense held the Blue Devils to just a pair of shots from the field in the midst of their 20-4 game-changing run to pull ahead permanently, despite a little pressure from the visitors in the last eight minutes of play.

Jusianiec was efficient from inside the arc for the Lions, as he led all scorers on the floor with a game-high 22 points — an effort that saw a pair of highlight dunks along the way. McKinley on the other side had his best game of the season, anchoring the three-point game from downtown with three of the team’s six to put toward his 16-point performance. Aidan Hart and Tyler Sands contributed eight, and six points respectively.

Up next for Wellsville is a week away from action, as they now begin preparations for perhaps their biggest game of the season next Friday at Alfred State — a meeting with the red hot Hornell Red Raiders, winners of six straight and 11 of their first 12, at the pre-Showcase event: the Sheriff’s Classic, as they tip-off at 8 p.m. immediately following the Wellsville-Hornell girls hoops battle at 6:15 p.m.

Attica            18   4 10 17 – 49

Wellsville      12 20 15 11 – 58

ATTICA: Drew Cusmano 2 2-2 7, Ian Romesser 1 0-0 3, Tyler Meyer 2 0-0 4, Ayden Goll 5 5-7 15, Alex Barrett 1 0-0 2, Frankie Bisceglie 6 1-3 13, Nick Perl 1 0-0 2, Adam Bukowski 1 1-2 3. Totals: 19 9-14 49.
WELLSVILLE: Tyler Sands 2 0-0 6, Max Jusianiec 10 1-3 22, Eli Schmidt 1 0-0 2, Liam McKinley 4 5-6 16, Logan Dunbar 1 2-2 4, Aidan Hart 3 2-2 8. Totals: 21 10-13 58.

3-point goals: Attica 2 (Cusmano, Romesser), Wellsville 6 (McKinley 3, Sands 2, Jusianiec).
Total Fouls: Attica 15, Wellsville 14. Fouled out: Goll (ATT), Schmidt (WLSV).

Houghton Academy 63, Lima Christian 38

LIMA — The Panthers of Houghton Academy fought their way out to an early lead of host Lima Christian over the road on Friday. But it was only the beginning of bigger things, as they compiled a pair of runs across the next two quarters of play to widen their lead insurmountably on the Saints, going on to take the 63-38 victory.

After an 15-11 lead got the Panthers (6-1) started, the defense buckled down in the second to keep Lima Christian at a standstill, executing a big 15-6 second quarter run to take a double digit lead at the break. When they came back out for the second half, Houghton Academy ensured their victory by putting the cap on their sixth win in their first seven games with a 24-10 third quarter jaunt of the Saints.

Ayo Banwo was one of three Houghton Academy scorers that eclipsed the double digit plateau, leading the way with a game-high 17 points. Gennaro Pico was hot from downtown, netting three of the team’s six three-pointers in all to put toward a 15-point effort. Loik Mazuka paced the inside game for the Panthers, recording 13 points inside the arc.

Houghton Academy will return to action on Thursday, as they hit the road for another contest, this time in Whitesville at 7:30 p.m.

Houghton Academy      15 15 24  9 – 63

Lima Christian                  11   6 10 11 – 38

HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Lee Murray 3 0-0 8, Ayo Banwo 7 2-5 17, Loik Makuza 6 1-1 13, Reggie Tran 1 0-0 2, Gennaro Pico 4 4-6 15, Chris Habecker 3 0-0 6, Samuel Morah 1 0-0 2. Totals: 25 7-12 63.
LIMA CHRISTIAN: Myles Howard 6 1-2 14, John Gretzinger 4 3-5 13, Nate Herring 1 0-0 2, Caleb Welker 1 0-0 2, Evan Herring 3 0-0 7. Totals: 15 3-7 38.

3-point goals: Houghton 6 (Pico 3, Murray 2, Banwo), Lima 4 (Gretzinger 2, Howard, E. Herring).
Total Fouls: Houghton 12, Lima 15. Fouled out: None.

Fillmore 72, Friendship 24

FRIENDSHIP — Every single Fillmore Eagle in the starting lineup and on the bench all had a hand in their road contest in Friendship on Friday, as all 12 players recorded at least a bucket with Luke Cole and Mason Cool leading the offense the entire way, as Fillmore rolled to their sixth straight win with a 72-24 victory over the host Golden Eagles.

“We got off to a great start defensively,” said Fillmore coach Randy Crouch. “Tobias Webb helped start it all up with a few points in the first three minutes with some ball pressure, and Mason Cool continued to provide us with some valuable minutes off the bench. Friendship was missing a few key players, but Coach (Mark) Corso has his team really battling through all four quarters.”

Cole led the Fillmore (8-1) offense with a game-high 12 points. Cool followed closely behind with 11 points of his own, while Webb completed his evening with nine points in all. Fillmore’s cause was assisted by Aaron Buck off the bench, as he tallied eight points. Colby Wolfer chipped in with seven, while Isaiah Voss had six.

Friendship (2-9) was led by Blake Hewitt and Pehyton Moore, who recorded a team-high nine points respectively. The Golden Eagles are back to it in 10 days from now, as they head to Andover next Monday for a 7:30 p.m. battle.

The Eagles are back to the grind on Wednesday, as they hit the road once more to Bolivar-Richburg and a 7:30 p.m. contest with the host Wolverines.

Fillmore            35 13 15   9 – 72

Friendship          0 10   4 10 – 24

FILLMORE: Dylan Valentine 1 0-0 3, Luke Cole 5 2-2 12, Levi Webb 2 0-0 4, Isaiah Voss 2 0-0 6, Hayden Rust 1 0-0 3, Tobias Webb 4 0-0 9, Colby Wolfer 3 0-0 7, Aaron Buck 3 0-0 8, Mason Cool 5 0-0 11, Will Valentine 2 1-2 5, Devin Oliver 1 0-0 2, Phil Hess 1 0-0 2. Totals: 30 3-4 72.
FRIENDSHIP: Micah Hosley 1 0-0 2, Blake Hewitt 4 1-2 9, Atlin Moore 1 0-0 3, Pehyton Moore 4 0-0 9, Donovan Breckinridge 0 1-2 1. Totals: 10 2-4 24.

3-point goals: Fillmore 9 (Voss 2, Buck 2, D. Valentine, Rust, T. Webb, Wolfer, Cool), Friendship 2 (A. Moore, P. Moore)
Total Fouls: Fillmore 4, Friendship 2. Fouled out: None.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Andover 39, Fillmore 37

FILLMORE — Just before Christmas, the Lady Panthers of Andover and the Lady Eagles of Fillmore were originally scheduled to meet in Fillmore for the first of two big clashes in Allegany County Division I League play. But with Old Man Winter making an appearance across the area, that game was pushed into January.

Now, the time had come.. After nearly a month, that long wait was over on Friday.

Both teams mounted a big run in each half over the course of the game. When the end drew near, it came down to the tiniest of details to secure the edge. That belonged to the Lady Panthers, as they broke a crucial 37-all tie late in the fourth quarter by sinking two big free throws out of four possible down the stretch to break the deadlock and pull ahead, allowing them to hand Fillmore their first loss of the season with an epic 39-37 thrilling victory over the road.

“We won the game in the first quarter, and we hung on by our fingernails the entire way,” Lady Panthers head coach Jake Bannerman said. “We came out playing fearless basketball, and that was really awesome to see. Fillmore made some adjustments in the second half, and that really knocked us back on our heels. Every possession was either a big stop, or a big bucket in the second half. It was great to see my girls work their tails off all night. We came up with some big shots down the stretch to give us this win.”

That first quarter run by the Lady Panthers was one Fillmore had been unfamiliar with against their opposition, as Andover (8-3) connected on everything they could while capitalizing on numerous turnovers in the frame, accounting for what became a massive 19-6 run of the Lady Eagles to take the advantage into the second quarter, and ultimately into halftime.

“The moral is, we can’t get down by 13 points in the first team, especially to a fantastic team like Andover,” said Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks. “I told the girls at the end of the game that I was really proud of how we managed to climb out of that early hole. But we can’t put ourselves in that kind of hole again. Andover is a great team, and I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be playing for a Sectional title in the end.”

With a narrow second quarter outscoring of Andover in hand, a rejuvenated Lady Eagles (8-1) squad came back out onto the court to battle their way back into the rhythm of the game, coming away with a big run of their own in the third quarter — a 15-6 jaunt of the Lady Panthers that saw their deficit become trimmed down to a single point entering the last eight minutes of the night.

“I was proud of them for coming out of the locker room the way they did in the third,” Parks said. “They were refocused, and re-energized. We held them to three baskets in the second half, and that allowed us briefly to take a lead by just a pair of points in the fourth. But when it comes down to it, we turned the ball over way too much. That and our slow first quarter start was our undoing. Win or lose, we will learn from our mistakes and get better from them.”

In the last quarter of play, it was a back-and-forth battle as each team fought tooth and nail until the end, until it came down to the charity stripe. Andover was fouled on two straight drives to the basket. With four possible points up for grabs, the Lady Panthers garnered two of them to break the tie to pull ahead for good, stopping Fillmore on the last possession of the game to seal up their biggest win of the season thus far.

Emily Wahl led the way for the Lady Panthers with a game-high 19 points. Kelsie Niedermaier and Tess Spangenburg each had seven points to pitch in, with Niedermaier pulling down six rebounds and Spangenburg swiping six steals along the way.

Carlee Miller paced the Lady Eagles offense with a team-high 12 points, pulling eight rebounds down in the process. Hannah Roeske and Emma Cole each tallied eight points, with Cole leading the glass game with a team-high nine rebounds. Erin Mawn dished out five assists.

Both teams return to the hardwood Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m., with Andover heading back home to host Genesee Valley, and Fillmore looking to bounce back over the road in Hinsdale.

Andover        19   7  6 7 – 39

Fillmore          6 10 15 6 – 37

ANDOVER: Hayleigh Niedermaier 1 0-0 2, Tess Spangenburg 3 1-2 7, Katie Calladine 1 2-4 4, Emily Wahl 4 9-11 19, Kelsie Niedermaier 3 1-4 7. Totals: 12 13-21 39.
FILLMORE: Riley Voss 2 0-1 4, Hannah Roeske 4 0-0 8, Emma Cole 3 2-6 8, Morgan Byer 2 0-0 5, Carlee Miller 5 1-2 12. Totals: 16 3-9 37.
3-point goals: Andover 2 (Wahl), Fillmore 2 (Byer, C. Miller).
Total Fouls: Andover 11, Fillmore 14. Fouled out: Voss (FIL).

Canisteo-Greenwood 46, Bolivar-Richburg 38

BOLIVAR — With the absence of senior leader Elizabeth Roach on the floor for unbeaten and State-ranked Canisteo-Greenwood, it proved to be no problem by the end of the night at Bolivar-Richburg on Friday.

With a second quarter mini-run in hand to end the half strong, the balance of power ultimately shifted in their favor when they returned to the floor for the second half, extending their four-point lead with a 20-12 combined run that crossed into the third quarter, as the Lady Redskins moved to a 12-0 record with a 46-38 win to perform a season sweep of the Lady Wolverines.

“Without Roach in their lineup, Aliyah (Cole) was in a great position to eat up the inside,” said Lady Wolverines coach Justin Thomas. “But we had a poor duration of play in the second quarter, and that really tipped the scales in Canisteo’s favor. The girls really battled with a great team that Les York has over there. The girls never gave up, even when they extended the lead considerably. They had some clutch free throws to go with it, and a big three from the (Lillian) Mullen girl to put the dagger in it.”

Despite trailing after the first half saw its conclusion, the Lady Wolverines (6-5) saw their night begin on the right foot by garnering an early three-point lead in the first quarter over Canisteo-Greenwood. Aliyah Cole helped fuel the offense with a heavy evening underneath the basket, netting a game-high 22 points to go with 18 rebounds and three blocks. McKinlee Harris chipped in with nine points, while Kelsey Pacer pulled 10 rebounds down off the glass.

Bolivar-Richburg will now look to put an end to their four-game slide next week, as they head out to Genesee Valley for a 7:30 p.m. visit with the Lady Jaguars on Thursday.

Canisteo-Greenwood      9  9 11 17 – 46

Bolivar-Richburg               12  4   8 14 – 38

CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Savannah Ambuski 5 1-2 11, Elaine Roach 0 1-2 1, Lillian Mullen 6 6-6 21, Destiny Reese 0 2-4 2, Brooke Byrd 2 3-4 7, Peyton Peters 2 0-0 4. Totals: 15 13-18 46.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: McKinlee Harris 4 0-0 9, Madigan Harris 1 0-0 2, Kelsey Pacer 1 1-2 3, Trinidy Miller 1 0-0 2, Aliyah Cole 8 6-14 22. Totals: 15 7-16 38.

3-point goals: C-G 3 (Mullen), B-R 1 (Mc. Harris).
Total Fouls: C-G 12, B-R 14. Fouled out: Stuck (B-R).

Cuba-Rushford 50, Hinsdale 30

CUBA — Both Hinsdale and Cuba-Rushford tussled in what was a highly contested first half of play. A half that saw no outscoring as little as one, and an outscoring that was no bigger than two. Through it, it was the Lady Rebels that garnered the 21-20 advantage heading back to the locker room for discussions.

In the second half, it was time well spent for the hosts in white and blue, as Cuba-Rushford provided an offensive explosion on one side of the quarter. On the other end, a spectacular outing of defense, as the Lady Rebels stormed off to a 19-5 run of visiting Hinsdale that saw their one-point lead of the Lady Bobcats increase dramatically, going on to win their fourth straight contest by a 50-30 count inside the Wighthouse on Friday.

Taylor Searle and Kate Howe each powered the third quarter run for the Lady Rebels (6-5) by combining for 17 of the team’s 19 points within the frame, with Searle recording nine of her 13 total points to lead the way.

“I thought we played really well defensively in the second half,” Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight said. “It was really great to see Taylor step up in the third quarter as well. Credit to Hinsdale, they really pressured the ball well, and really worked hard against us. It seemed like it was all coming down to free throws.”

When it was all said and done, Howe led all scorers on the court with a game-high 26 points. Lillian Forward helped the cause with five points, while Ella Jaffe, Sarah Cole and Elysa Tylor rounded off the scoring with a basket each.

On the flip side, Lindsey Veno propelled the Hinsdale (6-3) offense with a team-high 11 points. Kayla Brooks netted seven points of her own, while Ashley Chapman provided five.

In the upcoming days, both Hinsdale and Cuba-Rushford will have their crack at the Fillmore Lady Eagles. The Lady Bobcats will have their first go-around coming up on Tuesday back home with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. The Lady Rebels will follow suit just two days later on the road in Fillmore, also at 7:30 p.m.

Hinsdale                  8 12   5  5 – 30

Cuba-Rushford      7 14 19 10 – 50


HINSDALE: Kaitlynn Roberson 1 2-4 4, Ashley Chapman 2 1-6 5, Kayla Brooks 2 1-2 7, Liz Przybyla 0 1-4 1, Andrea Eastman 0 2-4 2, Lindsey Veno 5 1-4 11. Totals: 10 8-24 30.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Lillian Forward 2 1-2 5, Ella Jaffe 1 0-0 2, Sarah Cole 1 0-2 2, Taylor Searle 6 0-0 13, Kate Howe 7 11-12 26, Elysa Tylor 1 0-0 2, Lauren Neu 0 0-2 0. Totals: 18 12-18 50.

3-point goals: Hinsdale 2 (Brooks), C-R 2 (Searle, Howe).
Total Fouls: Hinsdale 17, C-R 17. Fouled out: None.

Lima Christian 39, Scio 27

SCIO — A big 21-6 run through the game’s opening minutes was the difference maker in the end, as visiting Lima Christian bolted out of the gates red hot and never looked back on their 39-27 victory over the host Lady Tigers of Scio, Friday evening.

Camryn Wiech led the Scio (1-10) offense with a solid night from downtown, knocking down two of the team’s three total three-pointers on her way to a game-high 10 points. Ashlynn Scotchmer was not far behind on the score sheet, adding seven points of her own. Celina Warboys helped the cause with four points.

The Lady Tigers head back to work Thursday night on the road, as they pay a visit to the Lady Bobcats of Hinsdale for a 6 p.m. start.

Lima Christian     21  4 10  4 – 39

Scio                        6  4 10  7 – 27

LIMA CHRISTIAN: Georgia Gallatin 3 1-2 7, Ashley Kenney 3 0-0 8, Rebecca Tillapaugh 2 1-4 6, Megan Trezise 3 0-0 7, Mariah McGuire 2 0-0 4, Gwen Tonkery 1 0-0 2, Shirley Hu 1 0-0 2, Gracy Britton 1 0-0 2, Teresa Kearney 0 0-2 0. Totals: 14 2-9 39.
SCIO: Ashlynn Scotchmer 3 0-0 7, Camryn Wiech 4 0-0 10, Emily Stilson 1 0-0 2, Celina Warboys 2 0-0 4, Alexis Crossley 1 0-0 2, Melena Dunham 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12 0-0 27.

3-point goals: Lima 3 (Tillapaugh, Trezise, Britton), Scio 3 (Wiech 2, Scotchmer).
Total Fouls: Lima 8, Scio 13. Fouled out: None.

Chris Brooks
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