Friday Roundup: Hall nets 36 to kick off And/Whi’s home slate with big win over GV/Belfast; Fillmore rolls past C-R, Wellsville fights through Finney to set up IAABO Title game for 2nd straight year

ANDOVER — In their two regularly sanctioned games in Allegany County League play, Andover/Whitesville and Genesee Valley/Belfast put a show on complete display, with each team splitting a victory on each side by no more than five points.

The two meetings would also serve as a major stepping stone towards the end of the season and into Sectionals. For Genesee Valley/Belfast, a trip to the Class D1 Semifinal round. On the other side, the first Class D2 Championship for Andover/Whitesville after an incredible trek through the postseason saw many signature highlights come to ultimate fruition, to lead them there.

With the majority of the players between each team that experienced those sequences now back to do it all over again, the time to rewrite their paths would incept towards the very start of the new season. On Friday, in Andover.

In their first battle of the season, it was one that Andover/Whitesville wasted no time getting their engines running.

Through the opening eight minutes, the defending Class D2 Champions delivered the first punch, scoring a big run of Genesee Valley/Belfast to garner a lead that they ultimately never lost, extending upon it from that point forward behind a massive night from Vanessa Hall, capturing what was a 61-19 home victory in their first game in 10 days.

Andover/Whitesville’s (2-0) presence was felt immediately following the game’s opening tip at mid-court, when Kennedy Bledsoe gained control of the ball, and broke away with the first points on a runner to the basket. The bucket would set up a string of scoreless transactions that the hosts in white would make — 10 of them in a row to be exact, with Hall garnering the bulk of the points to help set up shop inside.

Just past midway, Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-2) would find a way to end the scoreless run with their first basket of the game: a long Madison McKenzie three-pointer, one of two she would record in the contest. But shortly after the basket, Andover/Whitesville regained control once more to close out the first eight minute period strong with 12 of the last 14 points, including a Hall runner to the hoop at the buzzer to finish with a 22-5 lead in hand.

Andover/Whitesville would build on that lead going into the second half, holding Genesee Valley/Belfast scoreless for almost the entire second quarter in the midst of their 19-3 run, which was halted by another McKenzie three-pointer. From the third quarter until the end, the hosts would go on to put a wrap on the victory — their first on their home floor, to open up the home slate of action.

Hall would finish with a game-high 36 points to lead Andover/Whitesville. Following behind was Kennedy Bledsoe, who had eight points. Zoe Baert had seven to add in.

Finishing behind McKenzie for Genesee Valley/Belfast was Adison Grusendorf, who had five points. Kendra Bigelow concluded with four points. The team will now head out west to Franklinville to partake in tournament action, beginning on Thursday.

Up next for Andover/Whitesville is a trip back over the road after the weekend, as they visit the Jasper-Troupsburg Lady Wildcats in Greenwood for a 6 p.m. contest on Tuesday.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 5 3 5 6 – 19

Andover/Whitesville 22 19 15 5 – 61

GV/BELFAST: Harley Proctor 0 2-2 2, Kendra Bigelow 2 0-0 4, Adison Grusendorf 2 1-2 5, Madison McKenzie 2 0-0 6, Kate Calanni 1 0-0 2. Totals: 7 3-4 19.
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Vanessa Hall 16 2-3 36, Graci Lewis-Ellison 2 0-0 5, Gabby Terhune 1 0-0 2, Zoe Baert 3 1-5 7, Gabbi Hall 1 0-2 3, Kennedy Bledsoe 4 0-0 8. Totals: 27 3-10 61.

3-point goals: GVB 2 (McKenzie), A/W 4 (V. Hall 2, Lewis-Ellison, G. Hall).
Total Fouls: GVB 13, A/W 13. Fouled out: Calanni (GVB).

Wellsville rolls past North Penn-Man to clinch Jack Bush title game spot

WESTFELD, Pa. — The Wellsville Lady Lions were a well-oiled machine come their first day down at the Jack Bush Tournament, at Cowanesque Valley on Friday. In their opening round battle that saw them pitted against North Penn-Mansfield, the team would have to work their way through a tight first quarter.

But the pieces to the puzzle began to fall into the place in the second quarter, as Wellsville ultimately found their groove to develop a hefty amount of momentum going forward, as their offense hit all strides while the defense held their opposition below 10 points in the remaining three quarters to formulate and scurry away towards victory by a 57-28 count to claim their spot in Saturday’s title game.

“We get better every game,” Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord said. “They’re starting to really gel, and they have been very unselfish with moving the ball around. It’s a balanced effort across the board. Everyone scored tonight, so it really helped towards getting that first win under our belts. It’s a good feeling.”

The Lady Lions (1-2) were step for step alongside North Penn-Mansfield to begin the evening, as a near-even exchanging of pleasantries between the two clubs saw the team in black and orange gain the one-point lead to control.

Although it was a narrow advantage, Wellsville’s all-balanced attack would make its presence in the second quarter to stage a series of runs that would allow them to branch out their distance from North Penn-Mansfield, starting it with the first of three stands that saw them limit the Lady Tigers to below 10 points the rest of the way.

Leading the offense was Lindsay Stuck, who recorded a game-high 12 points. Averee Palmatier was one step right behind her sophomore teammate, as she added in 11 points of her own. On special teams, Makenna Dunbar was busy underneath the basket, collecting 11 rebounds while Natalie Adams had five steals.

The Lady Lions will contend for the Jack Bush Tournament title this evening right back at Cowanesque Valley, as they take on the host Lady Indians beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Wellsville 13 15 11 18 – 57

North Penn-Mansfield 12 3 4 9 – 28

WELLSVILLE: Lindsay Stuck 6 0-2 12, Natalie Adams 2 1-2 5, Edahlia Sebastian 1 0-0 2, Maddy Parks 2 0-0 4, Emily Robbins 4 0-2 9, Sara Reitz 2 0-0 6, Averee Palmatier 4 3-3 11, Makenna Dunbar 4 0-0 8. Totals: 25 4-9 57.

NP-MANSFIELD: Ella Swingle 1 2-2 4, Addison Farrer 3 1-2 7, Kameron Lightner 2 3-5 7, McKenna Lightner 5 0-0 10. Totals: 11 6-9 28.

3-point goals: Wellsville 3 (Reitz 2, Robbins).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 10, NP-M 13. Fouled out: None.

Canisteo-Greenwood 45, Hammondsport 31

CANISTEO — After what was a first quarter showing of defense, the tempo was kicked into high gear by the Canisteo-Greenwood Lady Redskins back on their home turf Friday night, as they recorded their strongest showing right before the conclusion of the first half, stretching out their lead over visiting Hammondsport to insurmountable levels to hold a 45-31 win — their fifth straight to open the season, within their grasp.

With each team combining to record five total shots from the field in the opening eight minute period, Canisteo-Greenwood (5-0) turned up the heat in the second quarter with the tag team of Lillian Mullen and Brooke Burd found their rhythm with the majority of the team’s offense in the midst of their 17-6 run of the Lady Lakers, breaking away towards a 23-14 lead at the break.

A lead they would not lose, as the key attack provided by Bailey Mullen and her eight third quarter points helped the Lady Redskins secure their advantage over Hammondsport once and for all to pick up a 5-0 start to their season back home.

Lillian Mullen and Brooke Burd would lead Canisteo-Greenwood in scoring with 13 team-high points each, with Mullen recording seven boards, seven steals and five assists to fuel her special teams effort, while Burd recorded a double-double behind her 12 boards. Bailey Mullen also chipped in with a double-double of her own, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Elaine Roach added in six rebounds to help round off.

The Lady Redskins will now take the next week to prepare for another road trip, as they head down the road to Greenwood to meet the Jasper-Troupsburg Lady Wildcats in a 6 p.m. tip-off, next Friday night.

Hammondsport 8 6 8 9 – 31

Canisteo-Greenwood 6 17 13 9 – 45

HAMMONDSPORT: Lacey Lazell 2 1-2 5, Danica Dresser 0 5-8 5, Nicole Pratt 1 0-2 2, Rachel Wood 1 2-4 4, Samantha Pratt 6 0-0 15. Totals: 10 8-16 31.
CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Bailey Mullen 5 1-2 11, Elaine Roach 2 0-0 4, Hailey Davis 1 0-0 2, Lillian Mullen 5 2-2 13, Peyton Peters 1 0-0 2, Brooke Burd 4 5-6 13. Totals: 18 8-10 45.

3-point goals: Hammondsport 3 (S. Pratt), C-G 1 (L. Mullen).
Total Fouls: Hammondsport 11, C-G 12. Fouled out: None.

BOYS BASKETBALL

IAABO Tournament: Fillmore catches fire vs C-R, Wellsville fights past Finney to set up title game

WELLSVILLE — The IAABO Tournament in Wellsville is back in full swing on Friday with the same four teams from a season ago — Cuba-Rushford, Fillmore, C.G. Finney and the defending champion Lions, all battling out for the chance to hold this year’s bragging rights in the annual twinbill.

Leading off were the Rebels and the Eagles in a feature that saw a high-octane start right from the get-go come full circle. That hot beginning would belong to Fillmore, as they used the incandescent hand of Zach Sisson to give them all the room they needed to control the game from start to finish, handing Cuba-Rushford their first loss of the season with a 61-37 first round win.

“We played with a lot of energy early, and we were able to jump onto an early lead,” Eagles coach Randy Crouch said. “Our defense really got us going and it fed our transition game. Cuba-Rushford played really hard, and made a number of runs. We still have to figure out how to blend all the pieces in the half-court, but that’s on me and we will keep working on it. Brent (Zubikowski) and Luke (Colombo) were awesome on both ends, and they provided big buckets when we needed them.”

A stifling 20-6 lead through the first quarter got Fillmore (2-0) started on the biggest of footsteps against the Rebels, as Zach Sisson caught fire all throughout the period with 14 of his game-high 19 points, including a pair of three-pointers.

Ground was made up right before the first half reached its conclusion by Cuba-Rushford (4-1), as Jacob Smith helped lead a charge with half of the stanza’s points from inside to try and sway the momentum in their favor going into the break. But to close out the game, the Eagles would resume control with one final outscoring in the third quarter led by big baskets by Brent Zubikowski and Luke Colombo to put their victory on lock, securing a second straight birth to the title game.

Finishing behind Sisson was Mitch Ward, who recorded 15 points. Zubikowski finished with eight, while Colombo had six.

For the Rebels, Smith was at the top of the stat sheet with a team-high 13 points. Hunter Scott and Luke Brooks each contributed six points, while Peyton Joy had four.

In the nightcap, C.G. Finney and Wellsville locked horns across a tight battle from start to finish. At the same time, it was also a game that the Lions saw some big second half contributions come to light, as Logan Dunbar, Ty Vogel and the three-point game of Cody Costello all shined through the Falcons defense to create enough separation, securing the final spot in the title game with a 58-44 edge to set up their rematch with Fillmore for all of the IAABO marbles.

“All wins feel good, but I love seeing the kids overcome a tough battle here tonight with Finney,” said Lions coach Tom Muska. “Finney is a great program with a lot of young, up and coming talent. I look forward to what they will look like in a year or two from now. We did a better job of executing our game plan in the second half, thanks to some outstanding senior leadership that we have.”

Both teams navigated their way towards a highly-competitive first 16 minutes of play, with Finney winning the battle to begin the night in the opening quarter, when they took a two-point edge on the Lions (3-0) going into the next frame of play. But the tables would turn slightly in Wellsville’s direction, as they took a narrow lead of their own going into the break with the assistance of Logan Dunbar at the line, and a solid stroke from inside by Ty Vogel and his two big baskets.

With a 26-24 edge to carry into the second half, the Lions would build, as a balanced attack from top to bottom helped them produce a big 18-point frame — their largest in the game to extend their lead out to double digits, where it would remain for the rest of the game, as they continued to use all the second half momentum they had in their wheelhouse to secure the win.

Dunbar was Wellsville’s leading scorer, as he concluded with a game-high 18 points. Costello knocked down a pair of big three-pointers in the second half to put toward his eight point effort. Cooper Brockway finished with seven points, while Vogel and JJ Howard finished with six.

The IAABO Tournament will mark its conclusion this afternoon right back inside the Lion’s Den, as Cuba-Rushford and C.G. Finney battle it out in the Consolation round to begin the festivities in a 12 p.m. tip-off, while Fillmore and Wellsville go at it again for this year’s crown later on in the day, at 2 p.m.

Cuba-Rushford 6 12 7 12 – 37

Fillmore 20 12 12 17 – 61

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Braeden Wight 1 0-1 2, Jacob Smith 6 0-0 13, Kaden Bell 1 0-0 2, Luke Brooks 3 0-0 6, Jack Frank 0 0-2 0, Hunter Scott 2 1-1 6, Dom Bello 1 0-0 2, Tristan Clayson 1 0-0 2, Peyton Joy 2 0-0 4. Totals: 17 1-4 37.

FILLMORE: Jack Cool 0 1-2 1, Brent Zubikowski 4 0-0 8, Jair Bialek 2 0-0 4, Marcus Wolfer 1 0-0 3, Luke Colombo 2 2-2 6, Mitch Ward 7 1-4 15, Zach Sisson 8 1-1 19, Brayden Hennard 1 0-0 3, Layton Sanasith 1 0-0 2. Totals: 26 5-8 61.
3-point goals: C-R 2 (Smith, Scott), Fillmore 4 (Sisson 2, Wolfer, Hennard).
Total Fouls: C-R 9, Fillmore 9. Fouled out: None.

C.G. Finney 14 10 10 10 – 44

Wellsville 12 14 18 14 – 58

FINNEY: Tyus Rhodes 2 0-0 5, Braelen Broome 4 0-0 8, Nick Pasquantonio 2 0-0 4, Ethan Krog 4 0-0 9, Xavier Owens 0 1-2 1, Diego Bessette 4 0-0 12, Josh Saurez 2 0-0 5. Totals: 18 1-2 44.
WELLSVILLE: Cody Costello 3 0-0 8, Aidan Riley 2 0-0 4, Cooper Brockway 2 2-2 7, Asher Billings 3 0-0 9, Ty Vogel 3 0-0 6, Logan Dunbar 5 8-13 18, JJ Howard 3 0-0 6. Totals: 21 10-15 58.

3-point goals: Finney 7 (Bessette 4, Rhodes, Krog, Saurez), Wellsville 6 (Billings 3, Costello 2, Brockway).
Total Fouls: Finney 16, Wellsville 6. Fouled out: Pasquantonio (FIN).

Jack Bush Tournament at Cowanesque Valley

Genesee Valley/Belfast 57, Northern Potter 38

WESTFIELD, Pa. — A battle ensued through the first eight minutes of play for Genesee Valley/Belfast in their first day of tenure at the Jack Bush Tournament down below the border, Friday evening. Through it, they would remained locked in tightly with Northern Potter until the first half reached its conclusion.

With a nine-point lead to build on going into the second half, the wheels began to churn.

The offense would come to life with two enormous sparks, while the defense in turn, held Northern Potter down with even stronger efforts on the opposite end of the floor — two solid contributions that proved to be enough in the end for Genesee Valley/Belfast to capture a spot in the Championship round the next day, as they coasted towards a 57-38 win in opening round action.

Genesee Valley/Belfast (4-1) could not have done it without a collaborative effort between both Kadin Logue and Jacob Borden, as the two shooters combined to make up 34 of the team’s 57 total points, as they were able to garner the lead they wanted to start with in the first half and hold onto it going into the break, leading Northern Potter by a 33-25 count.

That advantage would only grow larger as time went on, starting in the third quarter when both sides of Genesee Valley/Belfast’s game came into ultimate attainment when they held Northern Potter to just five points while accounting for a 14-5 momentum-shifting run to heighten their lead once and for all to capture their fourth win in the first five games.

Logue was the team’s leading scorer, as he found all of his points from within the arc, totaling a game-high 18 points. Borden came up with his biggest night of the season, scoring a season-high 16 points to follow in Logue’s footsteps. Max Wedge would further the cause even more with eight points of his own accord.

A final score, statistics and a complete box score for the Andover/Whitesville-Cowanesque Valley first round battle following this contest were not made available to report upon the article’s publication.

Genesee Valley/Belfast now moves into the Championship round of the tournament, as they vie for the top prize right back at Cowanesque Valley beginning at 7 p.m. tonight.

Northern Potter 15 10 5 8 – 38

Genesee Valley/Belfast 19 14 14 10 – 57

NORTHERN POTTER: Ty Daniels 5 0-0 14, Wyatt Kibbe 1 0-0 2, Noah Cady 1 0-3 2, Nolen Smith 3 0-0 8, Ethan Fuhrer 2 0-0 4, Malachi Lewis 4 0-0 8. Totals: 16 0-3 38.

GV/BELFAST: Brayden Cooper 1 0-0 2, Kadin Logue 9 0-1 18, Owen Heaney 1 0-0 2, Elden Aquila 1 0-0 2, Kyle McCumiskey 1 0-0 3, Max Wedge 4 0-0 8, Jacob Borden 7 2-4 16, Killian McKnight 1 0-0 2, Thai Norasethaporn 1 0-0 2, Ryan Daciw 1 0-0 2. Totals: 27 2-5 57.

3-point goals: NP 6 (Daniels 4, Smith 2), GVB 1 (McCumiskey).
Total Fouls: NP 7, GVB 13. Fouled out: None.

Bolivar-Richburg 77, Friendship/Scio 27

BOLIVAR — Aydin Sisson, Landon Barkley and Evan Pinney all had a hand in Bolivar-Richburg’s epic night on the attack, as they attained a season-high 77-point performance against visiting Friendship/Scio to remain undefeated through their first four games of the season, coasting towards a 77-22 win on Friday.

The upper hand was garnered right away in the first quarter of play, as the Wolverines (4-0) struck gold out of the gate with a massive 24-point stanza on offense to set the tone automatically with a lead they would never look back on going forward. In turn, the defense would keep Friendship/Scio held in check across all 32 minutes, holding their opposition to below 10 points each time.

Leading the offense was Sisson and his game-high 21 points. Not far behind was Barkley, who had a season-high 20 point evening to go with his three assists and three steals. Pinney contributed 10 points of his own to pair with four rebounds and four assists, while David Baldwin rounded off with nine points and nine boards.

Friendship/Scio (1-2) saw just three scorers reach the scoresheet, with Brenden Loucks and his team-high 14 points leading the efforts. Taylor Moore chipped in six, while Cooper Greenman rounded off the team’s final basket from inside. The team in blue and gold will look to rebound after the weekend in another road trip, visiting Jasper-Troupsburg in a 7:15 p.m. tip-off.

Bolivar-Richburg will go for five straight wins to open their season next week, as they host the Cuba-Rushford Rebels — winners of four of the first five, in a 7:30 p.m. battle.

Friendship/Scio 6 2 8 6 – 22

Bolivar-Richburg 24 19 22 12 – 77

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Brenden Loucks 5 4-7 14, Taylor Moore 3 0-0 6, Cooper Greenman 1 0-0 2. Totals: 9 4-7 22.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 9 1-3 21, Cayden Gaines 1 0-1 2, Landon Barkley 8 0-0 20, Reiss Gaines 2 0-0 5, David Abdo 1 0-0 2, Trevor Pforter 2 0-0 4, Zach Mitchell 0 0-2 0, Waide Karnuth 2 0-0 4, David Baldwin 4 1-1 9, Evan Pinney 4 0-0 10. Totals: 33 2-7 77.

3-point goals: B-R 9 (Barkley 4, Sisson 2, Pinney 2, R. Gaines).
Total Fouls: F/S 9, B-R 10. Fouled out: None.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Bolivar-Richburg 3, Wellsville 1

RICHBURG — Wellsville was pushed to their limits over the road against Bolivar-Richburg on Friday, but the host Wolverines provided a resilient finish in the match’s final two sets, including a strong third-set win in extra serves to gain the momentum they needed to secure a four-set, 25-18, 22-25, 26-24, 25-22 win over the Lions.

Leading the efforts for the Wolverines (2-1) was Hunter Walp, who recorded a game-high nine kills to go with four aces and two blocks. Pitching in on the offensive front was a strong night of service from Ian Unfus, as he tallied six aces to go with game-high 10 helpers at the front of the net, two kills and two blocks. Dustin Murray followed with four more kills, four aces and a pair of blocks of his own.

On the other side of the net, Wellsville (1-2) was led by Xavier Scott and his team-high eight kills on the attack, adding two digs and two aces along the way. Riley Graves provided five more kills on offense to couple with four digs and three aces, while Joel Janssen finished off the scoring with seven team-high digs on defense, along with four aces.

Both teams are back on the floor in a pair of 6 p.m. Monday contests, as Bolivar-Richburg remains pat at home to host Fillmore, while Wellsville continues their road swing to Cuba-Rushford, squaring off against the unbeaten, defending County Champion Rebels.

Cuba-Rushford 3, Allegany-Limestone 1

ALLEGANY — The Allegany-Limestone Gators have made a strong debut to their first official season in boys volleyball competition thus far, but the defending Allegany County League champions from a year ago had something to say as well.

Three of the four sets featured in their early season fight to the end were all decided by less than five points, including the night’s last where Cuba-Rushford was able to ward off a late Gators push down the home stretch to collect their third straight win to open the season while handing their opposition their first defeat, settling on a four-set win by a 25-21, 25-23, 16-25, 25-23 count, Friday night.

“Allegany-Limestone doesn't look like a first-year program,” said Rebels coach Nick Perillo. “They have very good athletes, and they play his game really well. All four sets were back and forth, and I was really pleased with the way the guys were able to dig deep and grind out three gritty sets.”

Cuba-Rushford (3-0) saw Max Hinckley and Maddox Keller rise to the occasion on offense, as the two strikers combined to record 18 kills — each had nine kills, to lead the offense. As for the special teams, Allen Fuller helped set it all up in front of the net with a bounty of helpers to his teammates, collecting 24 of them in all to pair with two additional kills of his own.

The Rebels will take aim at a fourth straight win on Monday, hosting Wellsville in a 6 p.m. clash.

Fillmore 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 2

FILLMORE — Genesee Valley/Belfast and Fillmore would go the complete distance inside The Rock on Friday.

Out of all five sets the two foes would battle and navigate their way through, three of them wound up entering extra serve territory. In each of them, the end result had remained the same — a win for the Eagles, as the hosts in green used some resiliency and prowess to come up with three epic wins, including the night’s last, to squeeze their way past Genesee Valley/Belfast for their first win by a 26-24, 26-24, 20-25, 17-25, 17-15 decision.

Fillmore (1-3) was headlined by a superb night of service from both Patrick Gorman and Nathan Tanner, as each recorded 12 service points to pace the efforts from the back line. On offense, Henry Decker took charge with his team-high eight kills, while Aiden Wagner helped further the team’s cause with three of his own.

For Genesee Valley/Belfast (1-2), Sean Mahon fueled the offensive efforts with his team-high seven kills, pairing them with one ace. Not far behind him was Canaan Sullivan, who had five more kills and one ace. Rounding off was Dominic Marra and his 10 assists at the front of the net.

Both teams are back in action Monday night in a pair of 6 p.m. contests, as Fillmore hits the road to visit Bolivar-Richburg, while Genesee Valley/Belfast heads back home to host Arkport/Canaseraga.