Adams provides MVP-leading performance for Lady Lions, as they build strong start to win Cowanesque Valley title by 46-21 count over Northern Potter
WESTFIELD — For the longest time, one of the main mantras that the Lady Lions of Wellsville preach on the basketball court is balance. It has keyed them to a fantastic start to the season thus far, and on Saturday, they looked to add more to it with a fourth straight win.
Standing in their way was Northern Potter, the only team separating them from the Jack Bush Tip-Off Tournament championship.
There were a few bumps in the road to begin the night for the team in black and orange, but soon after, it was smooth pavement all the way to the end, as they built a second quarter run that saw their lead grow insurmountably to remain in the driver’s seat to capture the championship with a 46-21 win.
“We played well. It was a nice start that we had, and it was quicker than we started on Friday, as far as quality possessions” Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord said. “We got into some foul trouble early, but it’s our depth playing to our advantage. Everyone found a way to adjust to it, and they helped fill in the spots for much of the first half. It was a really nice balanced, unselfish game from the girls. We had 11 assists on 18 of our baskets, and we had our hands all over the ball on defense, which led to all of that.”
The Lady Lions (4-0) got off to as quick of a start as you could imagine, as they set the pace across all 32 minutes of play, holding Northern Potter to below 10 points in each frame while they made capitalizations of their own in turn on offense.
That would lead to a six-point lead after the opening quarter and then, their biggest run of the night to widen their advantage for good — a 15-3 run of Northern Potter to end the first half on the most solid of notes.
Marley Adams was a big reason behind the success on both fronts for Wellsville, receiving MVP honors in the tournament with a game-high 14 points in the midst of their balanced effort. Emily Costello and Jaelyn Knapp each chipped in with eight points, with Costello earning an All-Tournament nod along the way, while Knapp grabbed five rebounds.
Makenna Dunbar was stout underneath off the glass, providing a team-high 10 rebounds to further the cause.
Prior to the title game, the Lady Lions JV squad took down North Penn-Mansfield by a 25-16 count. Lindsay Stuck led all scorers with a team-high nine points.
The Lady Lions are now off until Thursday night back home in the Lion’s Den, as they prepare for a 7:30 p.m. showdown with Section VI powerhouse Allegany-Limestone.
Wellsville 10 15 13 8 – 46
Northern Potter 4 3 7 7 – 21
WELLSVILLE: Marley Adams 6 0-0 14, Jaylynn Mess 1 0-0 2, Emily Costello 3 0-0 8, Jaelyn Knapp 3 2-2 8, Emily Robbins 3 0-1 6, Sara Reitz 1 0-0 3, Kaylee Coleman 1 1-2 3, Makenna Dunbar 0 2-2 2. Totals: 18 5-7 46.
NORTHERN POTTER: Molly Cady 0 0-1 0, Courtney Martin 1 2-2 4, Abby Cady 0 0-2 0, Megan Hyde 3 1-6 9, Riley Thompson 1 0-0 2, Hayden Brown 1 0-0 2, Rebecca Martin 2 0-0 4. Totals: 8 3-11 21.
3-point goals: Wellsville 5 (Adams 2, Costello 2, Reitz), NP 2 (Hyde).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 12, NP 11. Fouled out: None.
