Thursday Roundup: And/Whi’s Hall becomes very first 2,000 point scorer in Allegany County girls hoops history, netting buzzer-beating 3 in win over B-R; C-R, Fillmore girls also win

ANDOVER — Their most recent battle against Jasper-Troupsburg just a couple of days ago marked the first time in over three weeks that Andover/Whitesville last saw the hardwood.

A long wait, but one that was worthwhile.

Back on Tuesday, they would start off their return red hot with an immaculate first quarter of play that ultimately gave them all the room they needed to fly past Jasper-Troupsburg. Along the way, some history was given chase. Some one-of-a-kind history, if you will.

Throughout her storied Varsity career, Vanessa Hall has quite literally done it all. Among the accolades: Reaching the 1,000 career point plateau in her sophomore season, and then perhaps the two biggest and most prominent feats to date — becoming Whitesville’s All-Time leading scorer by surpassing the legendary Stephany Ellison, and then, adding a Section V Championship to her resume for the very first time, last season as a junior.

All of the boxes in a perennial basketball career checklist, marked off.

The question now, was what else would be left for her final curtain call, this year? — How about being the County’s only 2,000-point scorer in girls basketball?

Needing just 21 points to go above and beyond the local stars in the sky, the Andover/Whitesville superstar would make sure that she inched closer towards completing the game of basketball in every way imaginable. How she did it, was served up poetically, as she received an inbound pass with 1.5 seconds left in the third quarter.

With it, Hall took the pass and landed a three-point shot with no hesitation at the sound of the buzzer, straight between the eyes to end a 27-point stanza for the Andover/Whitesville offense, solidifying their 66-17 home victory over visiting Bolivar-Richburg on Thursday to become Allegany County’s newly minted scoring queen.

“Vanessa’s milestone is an amazing accomplishment. She’s the first girl in County history to score 2,000 points. She is such a talented scorer, and she can do it any place on the floor,” Andover/Whitesville co-coach Aaron Rawady said. “But to be able to do this, especially facing defenses every night that game-plan specifically to stop her, is truly impressive. As talented of a scorer she is, for the past four years, she has also led the team in assists, steals, rebounds, blocks. She is an incredible player in every sense of the word.”

It was not easy by any means out of the gate, but after four minutes of scoreless basketball, both teams were able to reach the board. Andover/Whitesville (5-0) would be the first to do so on back-to-back possessions, as Gabbi Hall and Kennedy Bledsoe took full advantage of the team’s offense — combining to score 13 of the team’s 15 points through the period, starting with a pair of runners to the basket.

The wheels for the Andover/Whitesville offense would continue to churn, especially for Hall, as she started the frame with the team’s first eight points in the midst of their early 8-2 run. With it, the momentum would remain in their favor to close out the first half with a 30-10 lead.

The hosts in white would wind up pulling away upon their return to the court with their biggest frame of the night — a 27-point third quarter headlined by Hall’s most remarkable achievement in her career: A buzzer-beating three-pointer that sent her up and over the top of the 2,000 point plateau.

The first time ever in Allegany County Girls Basketball.

“Two things stand out to me that really highlight how special of a player, and what kind of person she is,” said Rawady. “The first is, that when she achieves any honor, record or milestone, she will immediately let you know that she realizes she cannot do it without her teammates. The second, is that winning means more to her than any of the person accolades she’s been able to build up to this point. I’m not quite sure what else there is to summarize about someone of her caliber. It truly is remarkable.”

Hall would finish with a game-high 23 points, while Gabbi Hall and Kennedy Bledsoe helped get it all started originally, with Hall contributing 15 points and Bledsoe chipping in with 14 of her own.

Bolivar-Richburg (4-4) was paced by an eight-point evening from Nadia Baldwin. Malayna Ayers added in six points. The Lady Wolverines are now off until Tuesday night back on the road, visiting Genesee Valley/Belfast for a 7:30 p.m. battle in the Jungle, in Belmont.

As for Andover/Whitesville, they will look to keep the ball rolling from where it was left off about three weeks ago, as they take aim at six straight wins waiting in the wings on Saturday with a 5 p.m. visit from Fillmore, in Whitesville.

Bolivar-Richburg 3 7 2 5 – 17

Andover/Whitesville 15 15 27 9 – 66

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Emma Sisson 0 0-2 0, Raegan Giardini 1 0-0 2, Nadia Baldwin 3 2-3 8, Carmen Crowley 0 1-2 1, Malayna Ayers 3 0-0 6. Totals: 7 3-7 17.
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Lexy Palmatier 1 0-0 3, Vanessa Hall 11 0-0 23, Gabby Terhune 1 0-0 3, Makaila Brewster 0 0-2 0, Zoe Baert 4 0-0 8, Gabbi Hall 5 2-2 15, Kennedy Bledsoe 6 2-3 14. Totals: 24 4-7 66.

3-point goals: A/W 6 (G. Hall 3, Palmatier, V. Hall, Terhune).
Total Fouls: B-R 6, A/W 9. Fouled out: None.

Cuba-Rushford 63, Friendship/Scio 41

FRIENDSHIP — The Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford acted quickly on Thursday against host Friendship/Scio, as the offense helped spread the wealth all around the court to produce a strong start that was threatened late by the hosts in white, but never allowed in the end to hang on and capture the 63-41 rebounding victory over the road in Friendship.

“It was closer than the score let on,” Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight said. “They kept hanging around and they cut it down to 10 or so a couple of times late. It was great to see us spread the ball around, and get some other girls involved. Brynn (Lavery) was able to give us a career night because of that, and she’s been a bit unlucky early on in the season. Hopefully this tonight will give her and everyone else a nice confidence boost going forward.”

Three different scorers eclipsed the double-digit plateau on offense to pace the Lady Rebels (5-4), as they managed to follow in the footsteps of their senior leader, Taylor Searle through the first eight minutes, using a strong spout of offense and defense to set the table for a 16-7 lead to carry onward.

From that point, the offense then shifted into the hands of Lavery who began her rise with 12 points coming in Cuba-Rushford’s two largest quarters of the night, allowing them to finish the first half strong and the second half even more so.

But Friendship/Scio (4-3) was not far behind, as they kept the pressure on in the late stages, chipping the lead down to as little as 10 on a couple of different occasions, with Nevaeh Ross paving the way and a pair of late Kadence Donohue three-pointers in the fourth quarter keeping the fire ablaze.

Ultimately, the deficit would prove to be too much to overcome in the end, as the Lady Rebels hung on for the successful rebounding victory after their Tuesday defeat to the hands of Wellsville.

Searle and Lavery would finish as the leading scorers for the Lady Rebels, accounting for 20 game-high points each, while Emma Retz added in 13 points of her own to help the cause. For the hosts in white, Nevaeh Ross bucketed a team-high 17 points to go with eight rebounds. Donohue would conclude with 15 points. Friendship/Scio will look to bounce it back themselves tonight on the road, visiting Lima Christian in a 6 p.m. tip-off.

The Lady Rebels will begin preparations over the weekend for a visit from the Lady Eagles of Fillmore coming up on Tuesday, as the two foes square off in the Wighthouse in a 7:30 p.m. contest.

Cuba-Rushford 16 17 17 13 – 63

Friendship/Scio 7 12 14 8 – 41

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Cloey Larabee 2 0-0 4, Emma Retz 5 2-3 13, Brynn Lavery 9 1-2 20, Aleah Demick 1 0-0 2, Taylor Searle 9 1-2 20, Tara Duvall 1 0-0 2, Raegan Poore 1 0-2 2. Totals: 28 4-9 63.
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Nevaeh Ross 5 6-10 17, Kadence Donohue 6 0-0 15, Morghyn Ross 2 1-1 5, Jenn Dickens 2 0-0 4. Totals: 15 7-11 41.

3-point goals: C-R 3 (Retz, Lavery, Searle), F/S 4 (Donohue 3, N. Ross).
Total Fouls: C-R 9, F/S 13. Fouled out: None.

Fillmore 60, Hinsdale 12

FILLMORE — Wasting no time right out of the gate, the Lady Eagles of Fillmore set up shop strongly with a massive first eight minute period that gave them all the room they needed to work with going forward, as they strolled past visiting Hinsdale in their return to action with a 60-12 home win in The Rock.

A balanced Lady Eagles (3-2) offense up and down the floor dominated the opening quarter with a strong statement — a 22-2 run that ultimately set the tone for the remainder of the night.

Along the way, Fillmore saw Hope Russell and Madi Geertman take charge of the attack, with Russell paving the lane towards a game-high 12 points to pair with six steals, while Geertman was just shy of a double-double performance, recording 10 points and seven rebounds. Preslee Miller chipped in with nine points, while Rachel Hatch and Mattie McCumiskey each had eight to add.

On special teams, Grace Russell swiped seven balls and handed out four assists to further the team’s cause.

Hinsdale (0-9) was led by Kaleigh Buckles and Felisha Veno, each netting a three-point basket. The Lady Bobcats are off until Wednesday night back home, hosting Friendship/Scio at 6 p.m.

The Lady Eagles will look to keep the ball rolling into Whitesville over the weekend, as they visit undefeated Andover/Whitesville for a 5 p.m. contest.

Hinsdale 2 3 5 2 – 12

Fillmore 22 12 10 16 – 60

HINSDALE: Marissa Adams 1 0-0 2, Hannah Sutton 1 0-0 2, Kaylie Foskit 1 0-0 2, Jaylee Jimerson 0 0-2 0, Kaleigh Buckles 1 0-0 3, Felisha Veno 1 0-0 3. Totals: 5 0-2 12.
FILLMORE: Hope Russell 5 2-2 12, Grace Russell 3 1-2 7, Rachel Hatch 4 0-0 8, Amelia Rose 2 0-0 4, Mattie McCumiskey 4 0-0 8, Oakley Frazier 1 0-0 2, Preslee Miller 4 1-1 9, Madi Geertman 4 1-2 10. Totals: 27 5-7 60.
3-point goals: Hinsdale 2 (Buckles, Veno), Fillmore 1 (Geertman).
Total Fouls: Hinsdale 5, Fillmore 6. Fouled out: None.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Wellsville 3, Friendship/Scio 1

SCIO — After host Friendship/Scio put a damper on what was a strong start to the night, the Lions of Wellsville would not be fazed in the end on Thursday, as they recorded a dominant finish to climb back to .500 on the season with a four-set win over the road, taking the 25-19, 25-18, 13-25, 25-13 decision back home across town.

The Lions (4-4) were fronted by the efforts of Xavier Scott once again on the frontlines, as he posted a game-high 10 kills to pair with five aces and a pair of blocks at the net. Following behind was Brody Heaney, who contributed a pair of kills and two aces from the back line, while setter Gavan Dickerson helped set everything up with 10 assists, coupling them with two kills and two more aces of his own.

Max Morris recorded a brilliant night on offense, despite the defeat for Friendship/Scio (2-6), as he posted eight team-high kills to go with two blocks. Jordan White chipped in with three kills, two aces and one helper, while setter Eli Wade handed out nine assists.

Both teams are now off until Saturday morning, when they make their way to Genesee Valley for the annual Mid-Season Tournament, which begins at 9 a.m.

Cuba-Rushford 3, Bolivar-Richburg 0

CUBA — A tight battle formed throughout the night between two of the County’s top teams in an early showdown in the Wighthouse on Thursday. But through it saw a common denominator — the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford, as the defending League champions fought through some early adversity against visiting Bolivar-Richburg to come away victorious in straight sets, taking the 25-22, 25-20, 25-15 decision.

The Rebels (7-1) were propelled towards victory by Anderson Siegel and Max Hinckley on offense, with Siegel fronting the offense with his eight team-high kills. Hinckley followed closely behind with six kills of his own to go with six aces. Up front at the net, Allen Fuller was stellar as the team’s setter, handing out a whopping 19 assists to help continue turning the gears in motion.

Statistics for Bolivar-Richburg (5-3) were not made available to report upon publication.

Both teams will now get set for action at the annual Mid-Season Tournament, which will begin Saturday morning at 9 a.m. in the Jungle, at Genesee Valley.

Allegany-Limestone 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 0

BELMONT — The Gators of Allegany-Limestone came out swinging in full force on Thursday, as they made sure their visit to Genesee Valley/Belfast was a successful one, building a strong start to coast towards a straight-set, 25-18, 25-7, 25-15 win over the hosts in the Jungle.

Genesee Valley/Belfast (3-5) was led by Jackson Sloat, as he recorded five blocks and went up for three kills to pace the offense. Setter Dominic Marra handed out nine helpers to pair with his two digs on defense.

The team will now get set to host the annual Mid-Season Tournament, which begins bright and early Saturday morning at 9 a.m.

Arkport/Canaseraga 3, Fillmore 0

ARKPORT — Although the Eagles of Fillmore gave it their all in a tough, closely-contested third set, host Arkport/Canaseraga was able to find the extra two points they needed to keep what was a straight-set victory alive at the end of the night, as the Wolves rolled towards victory by a 25-13, 25-14, 26-24 count on Thursday.

Leading the way for Fillmore (1-8) was Nathan Tanner on defense, as he provided five digs. On the attack, Henry Decker contributed three kills and handed out three assists up front.

Arkport/Canaseraga was led by a stellar night of service from Curtis Hartman, garnering 11 aces to pair with two kills.

Both teams will now begin preparations for the Mid-Season Tournament at Genesee Valley, beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

BOYS SWIMMING

Alfred-Almond 114, Wellsville 66

WELLSVILLE — Through the first three events, it became a dead heat in the water between Alfred-Almond and Wellsville to begin the night on Thursday. With the score all tied up at 23 in the early-going the race towards a strong first half finish was on.

Fortunately enough for the Eagles, they would grab a big win in the 50 freestyle to take some momentum into the break, re-emerging on fire with four straight victories that allowed them to pull away and out of reach from the Lions, as they exited town with a massive 114-66 win.

Wellsville scored just four first place finishes — three of them individually to lead the way. Three finishes would stem right in the first half of the meet., as the Lions led off with a strong performance from their 200 medley relay team of JT Mariotti, Ben Jordan, Eli Brophy and Ethan Everett, as the four combined to record a winning 1:54.93 time to claim the first strike on Alfred-Almond.

Both teams went back and forth with the top finishes across the opening portion of action, with the Lions grabbing their next win from Jordan in the 200 individual medley relay, garnering a winning time of 2:17.21 to claim the gold. Tyler Rahr would end the half with a winning score off the Diving board (135.53).

In the second half however, it would belong to the visitors, as they laid claim to five of the last six events in the water, four of them coming consecutively to come out of the gate on fire. Wellsville’s lone win during that time span was sandwiched in between, in the 100 backstroke, as Everett swam his way towards triumph with a winning 1:07.56 time.

Wellsville is now off until next Thursday night back home, as they host Genesee Valley/Belfast at 5:30 p.m.