Saturday Basketball: Class A power Penfield sets tone behind hot start against Lady Lions in 56-30 win; Fri/Scio rebounds with win in home-at-home over Lima Christian, C-R downed by Franklinville

WELLSVILLE — A Saturday afternoon in the Lion’s Den witnessed the Wellsville Lady Lions being met head on with a superpower that has ruled in Class A for quite some time in Section V — the Penfield Lady Patriots.

The challenge was presented, and right from the start, the tone was set immediately in a first quarter that was predominantly controlled by the Lady Patriots, as they nearly held the Lady Lions at a complete standstill to capitalize on a massive run that propelled them towards a 56-30 road victory.

Penfield wasted no time striking while the iron was hot against the Lady Lions (11-7), assembling a game-defining jaunt right out of the gate that saw them control both ends of the floor with a 23-2 run — 20 of those points coming in consecutive fashion to put a wide open break into the ice. In all, six different Lady Patriots chipped in on the efforts, with a nine-point frame from Angelena Lipani leading the way.

The Lady Lions saw Natalie Adams take the lead on offense with a team-high 10 points. Following up in the midst of a balanced attack was Makenna Dunbar, who was close behind with nine points. Alexa Stuck had four points to add in.

In the JV contest, Penfield defeated Wellsville by a 47-12 count, with Lydia Kaye’s six points leading the Lady Lions.

The regular season for Wellsville will reach its conclusion Tuesday night back on their home floor, hosting the Bath-Haverling Lady Rams in a 7 p.m. tip-off.

Penfield 23 13 7 13 – 56

Wellsville 2 7 12 9 – 30

PENFIELD: Hannah LoBrutto 1 1-1 3, Angelena Lipani 4 0-0 9, Ashley Kalvitis 5 1-2 11, Emma Alexander 5 0-0 10, Lydia Hickey 1 0-0 3, Anna Coyle 3 0-0 6, Cassidy Cone 2 0-0 4, Olivia Lanning 1 1-2 3, Audriana Funk 0 1-2 1, Nadia Green 1 0-0 2, Mary Bernat 2 0-0 4. Totals: 25 4-7 56.

WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 1 0-0 2, Natalie Adams 4 0-0 10, Emily Stuck 0 1-2 1, Averee Palmatier 1 0-2 2, Makenna Dunbar 2 5-5 9, Jaden Dunbar 0 2-2 2, Alexa Stuck 2 0-0 4. Totals: 10 8-11 30.

3-point goals: Penfield 2 (Kalvitis, Hickey), Wellsville 2 (Adams).
Total Fouls: Penfield 13, Wellsville 11. Fouled out: None.

Friendship/Scio 60, Lima Christian 54

SCIO — It was safe to say that after their first battle in the midst of a home-at-home series, Friendship/Scio sought out redemption back home against Lima Christian on Saturday.

With just one game left in their regular season, Friendship/Scio took aim at finishing it up on the strongest of notes. With the Lady Saints, the battle was not an easy one by any means, as the momentum shifted in every direction possible all throughout. But in the end, it came down to providing the strongest finish.

When it was all said and done, Friendship/Scio provided such a conclusion to the story after trailing by a single point entering the final eight minutes of play, posting a heroic 20-point stanza to jump out in front of Lima Christian and claim what was eventually a 60-54 victory on their home floor in Scio.

“We finally put together a complete game,” said Friendship/Scio coach Ashleigh Lewis. “We didn’t have to dig ourselves a hole early on to get out of it. We kept our composure and finished it out strong. It was nice to see, especially with Sectionals coming up. It was Sophie’s (Bolzan) Senior Night and she had her best game of the season to send her off on a positive note. This game was a big one to have, and I hope that this keeps going.”

It was as tightly knit of a first half as possible between the two foes, with Lima Christian and Friendship/Scio (10-7) exchanging pleasantries at a constant pace. The degree of separation was no more than five points on the scoreboard, with the hosts laying claim to a 16-12 lead at the end of the frame. In the second, the advantage was extended upon with an 8-4 doubling-up of the Lady Saints, bolstering it back out near double digit territory to close out the half.

But in the third quarter, the tables were turned by the visitors in blue with their largest stand of offense in the game, posting a humongous 25-point outburst to turn an eight-point deficit into a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

In the last eight minutes, the two foes remained side-by-side with one another through the opening sequences, creating a 43-43 tie along the way. But after a brief recess on the floor, the momentum shifted to Friendship/Scio the remainder of the game, as they scored 13 of the next 15 points to solidify the victory when time reached its expiration.

The Ross siblings aided Friendship/Scio’s strong performance on the attack against the Lady Saints, as both Nevaeh and Morghyn combined to record 34 of the team’s 60 total points, with Morghyn leading the way with her game-high 18 points, and Nevaeh following behind with 16 points to pair with 16 rebounds to complete a double-double, and eight blocks.

Adding more help along the way was Sophie Bolzan and Emily Lamberson, each netting nine points, with Bolzan grabbing eight additional boards.

On Monday, Friendship/Scio will close out their regular season with a 6 p.m. visit to Bolivar-Richburg.

Lima Christian 12 4 25 13 – 54

Friendship/Scio 16 8 16 20 – 60

LIMA CHRISTIAN: Brielle Hammond 1 2-2 5, Alyssa Marsh 5 2-4 13, Sophy Britton 1 0-0 3, Lily Swan 2 0-0 4, Rachel Negbegble 2 2-2 6, Abby Britton 6 0-0 12, Lily Herring 3 4-8 11. Totals: 20 10-16 54.

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Emily Lamberson 3 2-2 9, Nevaeh Ross 6 1-2 16, Hunter Hint 0 0-2 0, Avery Lamberson 3 0-0 6, Sophie Bolzan 3 3-6 9, Morghyn Ross 8 2-3 18, Kaidence Sadler 1 0-0 2. Totals: 24 8-15 60.

3-point goals: LC 4 (Hammond, Marsh, S. Britton, Herring), F/S 4 (N. Ross 3, E. Lamberson).
Total Fouls: LC 13, F/S 12. Fouled out: A. Britton (LC).

Franklinville 49, Cuba-Rushford 10

CUBA — From start to finish, the Lady Panthers of Franklinville took complete advantage of the floor underneath them Saturday afternoon, as they outscored host Cuba-Rushford across all four quarters to build a lead that was never relinquished, as they recorded their season series with the Lady Rebels over the road with a 49-10 victory.

Through the first half, the Lady Panthers set the tone right away with a 17-5 lead that they branched out insurmountably come the start of the third quarter, when a 12-point eruption from Sofia Bentley helped propel the team over the top and towards victory that awaited in the end after accounting for a 19-5 run.

The Lady Rebels (5-12) were led by Brynn Lavery and her team-leading seven points.

Cuba-Rushford is back on their home floor Monday night with a 6 p.m. visit from Genesee Valley/Belfast.

Franklinville 9 8 19 13 – 49

Cuba-Rushford 2 3 5 0 – 10

FRANKLINVILLE: Luciana Marchese 1 0-0 2, Hailey Rzucek 1 0-2 2, Sofia Bentley 9 5-6 20, Alayna Spittler 0 1-2 1, Grace Cornell 3 0-0 9, Olivia Frank 2 2-4 6, Makenzie Chase 4 1-2 9. Totals: 20 9-16 49.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Aubrey Williams 0 0-2 0, Kendall Tompkins 0 0-2 0, Brynn Lavery 3 0-0 7, Lilly Farwell 1 0-0 2, Raegan Poore 0 1-2 1. Totals: 4 1-6 10.

3-point goals: Franklinville 6 (Bentley 3, Cornell 3), C-R 1 (Lavery).
Total Fouls: Franklinville 14, C-R 16. Fouled out: Maples (C-R).