Wednesday Basketball: Stalwart defense becomes best offense for Lady Eagles in big home win over Friendship/Scio; Wellsville, GV/Belfast, B-R girls all score victories

FILLMORE — In basketball, defense is absolutely crucial.

Forcing teams to make mistakes on one side of the floor can become your best offense on the other side of it. It’s one of the main ingredients to any championship-winning formula. For the Lady Eagles of Fillmore on Wednesday, that was exactly the case against visiting Friendship/Scio.

After a brief back-and-forth exchange across the opening sequences inside The Rock, the Lady Eagles began to dig in behind their defensive pressure that kept Friendship/Scio on their feet all game long, netting a massive scoreless run to close out the first quarter to automatically set the tone in what was a 59-27 victory.

To start the night, Friendship/Scio and Fillmore (9-1) delivered baskets at a constant, providing one response after another until they reached a 7-7 tie approaching midway. It would result in a timeout on the floor, and upon the return to the court, the Lady Eagles went straight to work on defense, using it as their best offense to create multiple turnovers that were cashed in for big points all in the same swing.

As a result, the hosts in white and green went on to finish the frame on a 17-0 run — a jaunt they never looked back from.

Every single Lady Eagle in the lineup all managed to find the basket at least once to propel the balanced offensive attack, with Hope Russell paving the way towards a game-high 15 points along with seven steals. Mattie McCumiskey and Preslee Miller each assembled a nine-point performance, with Miller grabbing 11 boards off the glass in addition. On special teams, Rachel Hatch provided 10 more boards, while Grace Russell had seven steals.

Friendship/Scio (7-2) was led by Morghyn Ross and her team-leading 14 points. Nevaeh Ross had 11 points.

Both teams will have the Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg up next on their schedules ahead, with Friendship/Scio going first with a 7:30 p.m. road trip on Friday. After the weekend, Fillmore will hit the road themselves to visit the Lady Wolverines for a 7:30 p.m. contest of their own, Tuesday evening.

Friendship/Scio 7 4 13 3 – 27

Fillmore 24 20 7 8 – 59

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Nevaeh Ross 4 1-2 11, Morghyn Ross 5 0-0 14, Amanda Thompson 0 0-2 0, Sophie Bolzan 1 0-0 2. Totals: 10 1-4 27.

FILLMORE: Hope Russell 7 0-0 15, Grace Russell 2 0-2 5, Rachel Hatch 3 0-0 7, Amelia Rose 3 0-0 6, Kylee Ellsworth 1 0-0 2, Mattie McCumiskey 4 1-3 9, Preslee Miller 3 3-6 9, Emalyn Mucher 2 1-2 6. Totals: 25 5-13 59.
3-point goals: F/S 6 (M. Ross 4, N. Ross 2), Fillmore 4 (H. Russell, G. Russell, Hatch, Mucher).
Total Fouls: F/S 7, Fillmore 9. Fouled out: None.

Wellsville 48, Cuba-Rushford 23

WELLSVILLE — The bar was set by the Lady Lions of Wellsville on Wednesday. After a defeat to the hands of the Hornell Lady Red Raiders at the Sheriff’s Classic, they provided a bounce back to get back on track against visiting Cuba-Rushford, with a strong first quarter effort from Caelyn Stevens helping lead the charge in a 48-23 home win.

The first eight minutes were controlled by the Lady Lions (8-4) from start to finish, with Stevens helping set the tone for the offense with all eight of her points coming within a big 18-point beginning. The 18-6 run against the Lady Rebels would help serve as the foundation for more pieces of brickwork to go down, as they closed out the half with another strong run of their opposition to claim a 32-12 halftime lead.

Wellsville served up an all-balanced attack against the Lady Rebels (3-9), with Makenna Dunbar leading the charge with her game-high 12 points. Natalie Adams chipped in with yet another magnificent effort, scoring 11 points to pair with five assists, three rebounds and three steals. Averee Palmatier totaled eight points to go with six rebounds.

On special teams, Stevens led the rebounding off the glass with seven total. Emily Stuck had six rebounds, while Alexa Hennessy had five rebounds and four assists. On the other side, Brynn Lavery bucketed a team-leading nine points to pace Cuba-Rushford. Lilly Farwell had six points to add.

In the prelude to the Varsity contest, a monster night from the field by Reegan Perkins allowed the Wellsville JV squad to take care of business, as she posted a 25-point performance to aid their 39-20 win over the Lady Rebels.

Coming up on Saturday, the Lady Lions will welcome in the Rush-Henrietta Lady Royal Comets for Hall of Fame Weekend in the Lion’s Den, as they kick off the two-game matinee with a 2:30 p.m. tip-off. Following, the boys will follow with a 5:30 p.m. contest slated against the Greece Odyssey Leopards.

Cuba-Rushford 6 6 6 5 – 23

Wellsville 18 14 6 10 – 48

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Cloey Larabee 1 0-0 2, Shae Maples 0 2-2 2, Lily Tompkins 1 0-0 2, Brynn Lavery 4 0-0 9, Mireya Rutkowski 1 0-0 2, Lilly Farwell 3 0-0 6, Raegan Poore 0 0-2 0. Totals: 10 2-4 23.

WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 4 0-0 8, Natalie Adams 5 0-0 11, Alexa Hennessy 1 0-0 2, Emily Stuck 1 0-0 2, Averee Palmatier 4 0-0 8, Makenna Dunbar 4 4-6 12, Jaden Dunbar 0 1-2 1, Alexa Stuck 2 0-0 4. Totals: 21 5-8 48.

3-point goals: C-R 1 (Lavery), Wellsville 1 (Adams).
Total Fouls: C-R 11, Wellsville 3. Fouled out: None.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 50, Andover/Whitesville 26

BELMONT — Like the NBA Jam announcer has said time and time again, Abby Sullivan was on fire for Genesee Valley/Belfast.

Alongside her senior teammate Mary Hamer in recent games, Sullivan has begun to rise to the occasion for the Genesee Valley/Belfast ladies and Wednesday night’s home bout with Andover/Whitesville served as the hallmark in what was her best performance of the season, using a powerful first half presence to electrify the hardwood and set the tone in their 50-26 win in the Jungle.

“Abby had a great night and I’m really happy for her. She stepped up and played aggressive early, and it helped set the tone for us,” said GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan. “She was a consistent threat from the perimeter and did a great job finishing inside. She’s been working really hard, and tonight was evidence of that. Overall, I’m really proud of this team. They play unselfishly and they want to see each other succeed. They’re willing to make the extra pass for a better scoring opportunity, slide over and help their teammates defensively and get on the floor for loose balls.”

Sullivan made her presence known for Genesee Valley/Belfast (9-3) across the first half, especially in the second quarter when her inside game sprung to life with eight of the team’s 10 points to further solidify what was a 23-12 halftime lead over Andover/Whitesville. Later on, the senior took a stroll downtown with a pair of third quarter triples to provide another angle of attack for the offense to help wrap up her season-best effort.

When it was all said and done, she would finish with a game-high 21 points.

Finishing behind Sullivan were Mary Hamer and Ava Aaronson, each recording 10 points. Sophie Zillgitt had seven points, while Whitney Young scored a two-point bucket to finish off the scoring for the hosts in white.

Andover/Whitesville (3-8) was led by Grace Fry and her team-high seven points. Stella Bledsoe and Olivia Waters each recorded six points. The team will return to action Friday night with a 7:30 p.m. visit to Cuba-Rushford.

Genesee Valley/Belfast will look to become the first team in Allegany County to reach 10 wins on Monday, as they head for Friendship to pay a visit to Friendship/Scio at 7:30 p.m.

Andover/Whitesville 4 8 9 5 – 26

Genesee Valley/Belfast 13 10 15 12 – 50

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Stella Bledsoe 2 2-2 6, Graci Lewis-Ellison 2 0-2 5, Grace Fry 3 1-6 7, Lilly Harrington 0 2-2 2, Olivia Waters 2 2-2 6. Totals: 9 7-14 26.
GV/BELFAST: Abby Sullivan 9 0-0 21, Sophie Zillgitt 3 0-0 7, Whitney Young 1 0-0 2, Mary Hamer 5 0-0 10, Ava Aaronson 5 0-2 10. Totals: 23 0-2 50.
3-point goals: A/W 1 (Lewis-Ellison), GVB 4 (Sullivan 3, Zillgitt).
Total Fouls: A/W 1, GVB 10. Fouled out: None.

Bolivar-Richburg 39, Campbell-Savona 30

CAMPBELL — The Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg were faced with pressure from host Campbell-Savona, especially late in the second half when the action began to heat up leading into the fourth quarter in Wednesday night’s latest road trip.

With just two points separating the two foes in the last eight minute session, special teams loomed large. With just two connections from the field, the Lady Wolverines looked to the charity stripe to deliver the goods. Specifically, Raegan Giardini, who came in through the clutch to aid Bolivar-Richburg in maintaining their lead with her massive fourth quarter finish in the team’s 39-30 edging of the Lady Panthers.

Giardini was Bolivar-Richburg’s (3-8) leading playmaker on the floor from start to finish, scoring eight big points, including a pair of triples, out of the team’s 13 for the opening eight minute frame to capture a 13-7 lead of Campbell-Savona to start. After the Lady Panthers were able to chip away at the early deficit leading into halftime, the pressure began to mount after every passing second across the second half.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Panthers were well within reach, trailing the Lady Wolverines by just a single possession. With just two shots from the field to aid their advantage and time winding down, the visitors in black and red would then set their sights on the free throw line. Giardini captained that effort with a 9-for-14 outing in the game — a 7-for-10 tenure in the last eight minutes that allowed them to maintain all the room they required to collect the win at the end of the night.

Giardini finished with a game-high 19 points for the Lady Wolverines. Following behind was Nadia Baldwin, who chipped in with eight points of her own. Carmen Crowley provided six points.

The Lady Wolverines are back home Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off against Friendship/Scio.

Bolivar-Richburg 13 6 8 12 – 39

Campbell-Savona 7 10 8 5 – 30

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Nadia Baldwin 3 0-0 8, Jaelyn Kinnicutt 0 1-2 1, Raegan Giardini 4 9-14 19, Sydney Faulkner 2 1-2 5, Carmen Crowley 2 2-6 6. Totals: 11 13-24 39.

CAMPBELL-SAVONA: Ashlynn Stratton 1 0-0 2, Emma Roy 4 1-2 9, Elizabeth Crosson 0 0-2 0, Jenna Machuga 4 1-2 9, Olivia Zimmar 1 0-0 2, Jalynn Machuga 4 0-0 8. Totals: 19 2-6 30.

3-point goals: B-R 4 (Baldwin 2, Giardini 2).
Total Fouls: B-R 10, C-S 18. Fouled out: Ja. Machuga (C-S).

BOYS BASKETBALL

Fillmore 76, Bolivar-Richburg 56 (Tuesday)

FILLMORE — It was a remarkable sight to behold in what was a battle for Allegany County’s top spot between Bolivar-Richburg and Fillmore on Tuesday.

The battle saw the Eagles ignite their flame first while the Wolverines kept pace right behind them each step of the way across the first half, taking a deficit that had reached at most seven points during the time span, and trimming it down to four at the break.

But then the flame that was lit by the hosts grew larger, and ultimately, it morphed into a third quarter wildfire as the Eagles went on an offensive rampage with an 18-3 run through the first four and a half minutes to break away and out of Bolivar-Richburg’s reach to officially score their eighth consecutive victory — becoming the first team in Allegany County to reach 10 wins on the season after a 76-56 win in The Rock over the Wolverines.

“We knew tonight was going to be a slugfest. Justin (Thomas) has a great group at B-R that is really playing well. Aydin (Sisson) and Landon (Barkley) are really tough to guard, and we knew they would be a handful,” Eagles coach Randy Crouch said. “We were able to get an early lead in the first, but credit to them, they fought back and even took the lead late in the second quarter to put the pressure up against us.”

It was as big of a slugfest as advertised right out of the gate between both Bolivar-Richburg and Fillmore (10-2), as the two squads delivered haymakers across the majority of time. In the midst of it all however, an early 11-4 run developed for the Eagles to spring out in front with the lead when the opening quarter reached its end.

But despite falling behind early, the Wolverines (8-3) made up for lost time quickly in the third quarter behind the guidance of Aydin Sisson, who constructed an 11-point quarter of his own out of the team’s 19 in all, including four perfect shots from the charity stripe and a long three from the top of the key to close the gap behind the Eagles to a single possession with nearly 10 seconds left in the half.

With Bolivar-Richburg right on their coattails going into the second half, Fillmore devised a plan to further distance themselves. The conversation in the locker room between Crouch and his team was centered around their battle with Cuba-Rushford this past Friday.

The pep talk would transform into a monumental momentum shift in the third quarter. With the aid of Jonah Bialek and Zach Sisson, the Eagles would not be denied, as they came out firing on all cylinders to ensure their three-point advantage would become insurmountable, beginning the half on an 18-3 run of the Wolverines.

Combined between the two sharpshooters, Bialek and Sisson recorded 15 of the team’s 24 third quarter points to perform a complete flip of the script.

With the Wolverines continuing to find ways to chip at Fillmore’s lead, it was cemented for good in the fourth quarter behind three of Sisson’s seven three-pointers from the parking lot outside of The Rock. The Eagles senior would complete another masterful performance with a game-high 31 points, pairing them with 10 boards to complete a double-double, along with seven assists and four steals.

“At the half, I really challenged the guys to not repeat our dismal third quarter from last Friday against Cuba-Rushford. The guys did a great job of being patient, executing and finding one another. We were really able to take control of the game and because of it, we maintained our lead to the end.” Crouch said. “I can’t say enough about Zach tonight. He played as complete of a game as he has all season. He was really locked in tonight when we needed him most.”

Finishing behind Sisson was Cam Mucher and his 11 points. Jonah Bialek had nine points, while Layton Sanasith had eight points. For Bolivar-Richburg, Aydin Sisson paved the way for the offense with his team-high 22 points. Landon Barkley chipped in with 15 points of his own — 10 of them in the second half, while Kingston Loucks recorded eight points.

Both teams are back home on their hardwoods tonight in a pair of 7:30 p.m. tip-offs, with Fillmore looking to remain on fire with a visit from their crosstown neighbor Houghton Academy, while Bolivar-Richburg looks to turn it back around by welcoming in Friendship/Scio.

Bolivar-Richburg 12 19 12 13 – 56

Fillmore 16 19 24 17 – 76

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 8 5-8 22, Landon Barkley 6 2-3 15, David Abdo 1 0-0 2, Waide Karnuth 2 1-6 5, Reiss Gaines 1 2-4 4, Kingston Loucks 3 2-2 8. Totals: 21 12-23 56.

FILLMORE: Eben Schilke 2 0-0 5, Cam Mucher 5 1-1 11, Isaiah Sisson 2 0-0 5, Layton Sanasith 4 0-0 8, Zach Sisson 11 2-2 31, Jonah Bialek 4 1-2 9, JD Bialek 3 1-1 7. Totals: 31 5-6 76.

3-point goals: B-R 2 (Sisson, Barkley), Fillmore 9 (Z. Sisson 7, Schilke, I. Sisson).

Total Fouls: B-R 11, Fillmore 15. Fouled out: Gaines (B-R).

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Portville 3, Cuba-Rushford 2

CUBA — The pendulum shifted in each and every direction on the volleyball court with the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford claiming the first tilt to push visiting Portville to the brink. Then, the Panthers responded with a comeback in the next two sets in strong fashion.

With two sets on each side Wednesday night, the game was up for grabs. The Panthers and Rebels exchanged one point after another across the fifth and final set until the game reached a 13-all tie. After the visitors in maroon found an opening to create the deadlock, they used the rest of their momentum to power forward and deliver the victory, as they scored the ultimate 17-25, 12-25, 25-17, 25-20, 15-13 win in the Wighthouse.

The Rebels (3-9) were paced from a stellar night on all fronts from Brock Stadler, as he recorded nine digs to go with eight aces and five kills. Anderson Siegel provided a strong showing on defense, keeping the ball off the floor with his 12 digs, two kills and an ace. Rounding off was Ethan Cole and his eight additional digs, four assists, one kill and one ace.

Cuba-Rushford hits the floor again Friday night with a 6 p.m. visit to Wellsville.