Friday Basketball: Wellsville, C-R boys drop opening round contests at A-L’s DeCerbo Holiday Showcase, Fri/Scio boys fall to Dundee/Bradford; Lady Lions propel to Coaches v. Cancer title game
ALLEGANY — Following a brief recess for all of Section V to enjoy one of the calendar year’s final major holidays with family and loved ones, it was time to fire up the engine once again on the hardwood.
Friday afternoon brought about the return to action for two of Allegany County’s boys basketball products — Wellsville and Cuba-Rushford, as both hit the road and travelled off to the west for a stop to Allegany-Limestone to participate in the annual Joe DeCerbo Holiday Showcase.
Flush in the middle of the afternoon, the Lions were first up with an opening round matchup against the Warren Dragons from below the border in Pennsylvania. Both teams earned their fair share of looks across the first half, with Wellsville hanging right with the Dragons after the opening frame. But later on, Warren assembled two strong finishes to each half, including a massive run in the last eight minutes to pull away and out of reach of the Lions to secure a 64-44 win.
Wellsville (3-4) helped spread the wealth across the first quarter to keep pace with Warren out of the gate, as four different contributors all had a helping hand — including Aiden Cowburn, who had six of the team’s 12 points within the stanza from down low and at the charity stripe. The Dragons went on to claim a 14-12 lead and built upon it later on in the second, scrounging a 20-point outburst — 12 of those points off four threes, two each from Lucas Thrift and Logan Crissey, to close up the first half strong with a 34-26 lead.
After both teams drew close to even across a quiet third quarter, the Dragons then turned up the temperature in the last eight minutes of battle and finished the game strong, issuing a 23-10 run of Wellsville to branch their lead in insurmountable fashion to record the victory.
The Lions were paced by JJ Howard and his team-high 13 points. Aiden Cowburn followed behind with 12 points, while Ty Vogel had 11.
Five hours later in the day, it was the Rebels turn to close out day one festivities at the DeCerbo Showcase, facing the host Allegany-Limestone Gators in an all-out blitz to the end. Despite the Gators building a strong first half lead going into the break, Cuba-Rushford did not display one ounce of quit. Instead, they ran the table and put their biggest stand of offense together to erase a game-long deficit and tie the game going into the final minute of action.
It would all come down to the most minute of details when it was all said and done. But in the end, two clutch free throws from the Gators broke the deadlock and put them back on top with the lead going forward, as Allegany-Limestone survived a massive, late rally from Cuba-Rushford to secure the day’s final victory with a 53-51 edge.
“We struggled in the second quarter to get any type of offense going,” Rebels coach Pat Wight said. “We struggled with contesting threes as well, and we talked pregame about taking those elements away. We came out and had five straight stops defensively, despite missing a bunch of fairly open shots in turn that could have potentially tied the game. But credit to the kids, they absolutely battled their butts off in the fourth quarter to tie the game with under a minute left. Allegany-Limestone ran a nice set and got to the foul line to ice it. I’m glad our guys never quit and continued to battle. We’ve got a lot of stuff to improve on.”
Allegany-Limestone remained in firm control of the action on the floor in the first half, pulling ahead of a strong start from Cuba-Rushford (5-2) in the first quarter to record a 19-point frame led by contributions from five different Gators, as they scored a 34-22 lead going into the locker room.
Things began to look up for the Rebels in the second half however, as they continued to fight and chip away at the Gators behind some outstanding defensive play out of the gate to keep their opposition at a standstill with five straight stops in the preliminary stages of battle. The momentum then shifted gears into the fourth quarter, where Cuba-Rushford went all in.
Down by a 44-31 count, five different Rebels all came together to assemble a remarkable fourth quarter comeback to erase their game-long deficit completely, as they captained a masterful 20-9 jaunt of the Gators to mount up the pressure and tie the game at 51 right in the game’s final minute.
But the Gators managed to find their way to the foul line after drawing a humongous Rebels foul during crunch time, connecting with both shots at the stripe to regain a two-point lead going forward, as the Rebels were kept at bay by the defense when time officially ran out.
Carter Brown stepped up off the bench and delivered a team-high performance for the Rebels, scoring 20 points to pair with six rebounds. Adam Roe handed in an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Zach Deck had eight points to go with six rebounds.
Both teams will head back to Allegany-Limestone today, with the Rebels now gracing the afternoon stage with one of Pennsylvania’s best — the Otto-Eldred Terrors, beginning in a 12:45 p.m. tip-off.
Later on in the evening, the Lions will help close out festivities with a battle against defending State Final Four representative Salamanca starting at 7:45 p.m.
Wellsville 12 14 8 10 – 44
Warren 14 20 7 23 – 64
WELLSVILLE: Aiden Cowburn 4 4-6 12, Karson Grover 0 0-2 0, JJ Howard 3 7-10 13, Ty Vogel 3 4-5 11, Jack Davis 0 2-2 2, Trent Green 1 0-0 2, Derek Coleman 2 0-0 4. Totals: 13 17-25 44.
WARREN: Lucas Thrift 6 2-2 16, Chase Sitler 4 4-6 13, Logan Crissey 6 2-4 17, Jacob McMeans 3 2-2 11, Landin Wood 2 0-0 5, Grady Corey 1 0-0 2. Totals: 22 10-14 64.
3-point goals: Wellsville 1 (Vogel), Warren 10 (Crissey 3, McMeans 3, Thrift 2, Sitler, Wood).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 13, Warren 20. Fouled out: None.
Cuba-Rushford 11 11 9 20 – 51
Allegany-Limestone 15 19 10 9 – 53
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Adam Roe 5 1-1 11, Donovan Breckenridge 3 0-0 6, Eli Sleggs 1 0-0 2, Zach Deck 3 0-0 8, Carter Brown 8 2-2 20, Finn Ricketts 2 0-0 4. Totals: 22 3-3 51.
ALLEGANY-LIMESTONE: Cooper Wilczewski 2 0-0 5, Ryan Callen 1 0-0 3, Collin Forrest 2 2-2 6, Brady Straub 1 0-0 2, Carson Kwiatkowski 6 3-6 17, Gavin Straub 6 3-4 15, Caleb Strade 2 0-0 5. Totals: 20 8-12 53.
3-point goals: C-R 4 (Deck 2, Brown 2), A-L 5 (Kwiatkowski 2, Wilczewski, Callen, Strade).
Total Fouls: C-R 12, A-L 12. Fouled out: None.
Hammondsport Tournament
Dundee/Bradford 61, Friendship/Scio 34
HAMMONDSPORT — It was a superb first half display showcased by Friendship/Scio on Friday in their return to action up north in Hammondsport, as they battled tooth and nail right alongside Dundee/Bradford for much of the first 16 minutes of their first-round tournament battle.
Within striking distance going into the break and upon their return to the court in the second half, Friendship/Scio aimed to continue laying more brickwork down onto their foundation. But Dundee/Bradford had other plans in store, as they came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter to flip the game on its head completely, rolling away from the potential threat to keep their lead firmly intact and ultimately secure what was a 61-34 victory.
“We had a really good bounce back in the first half as opposed to the last game before break. We were right with Dundee/Bradford, even though we went down early,” Friendship/Scio coach Dillon McFall said. “The second half, the turnovers started to pile up and against a physical, scrappy team like Dundee/Bradford, they took care of our mistakes. Our guys had great effort and intensity throughout the night, and if we can find a way to maintain that the rest of the season, we’ll find our way back into the win column.”
Despite falling behind the eight-ball early in a 10-0 deficit to the BraveScots, Friendship/Scio (1-4) turned the boat around and finished the first quarter strong with nine of the last 14 points to trail by a 14-9 count going into the second. The team in white would continue to chip away at their opposition across the stanza, with Dundee/Bradford going on to claim a lead as large as nine along the way, remaining within reach heading into the break, down by two possessions.
But in the second half, Dundee/Bradford had other plans in store for the remainder of battle, as they used a ferocious third quarter run to set the tone immediately, going on to freeze Friendship/Scio in their tracks with a 23-9 run that ultimately served as the difference maker going forward, allowing the BraveScots to hold their lead and claim victory for a spot in the Championship round the following day.
Friendship/Scio was led by Deacon Brown and his team-high eight points. Aiden Golden had seven points, while Jerome Harmon (seven rebounds, four assists, four steals) and Jerimiah Brown each collected six points of their own.
Up next is the Consolation round for Friendship/Scio, as they get set to face Campbell-Savona right back in Hammondsport tonight, beginning at 4 p.m.
Dundee/Bradford 14 12 23 12 – 61
Friendship/Scio 9 11 9 5 – 34
DUNDEE/BRADFORD: Noah Sorce 3 0-0 6, Brody Ryan 1 0-0 2, Jeremy Stiles 4 0-0 11, Chris Clancey 12 1-1 25, Alex Goltry 1 0-2 2, Aidan Webster 3 3-4 9, Grady Cole 1 0-0 2, Jake Black 2 0-0 4. Totals: 27 4-8 61.
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Jerome Harmon 3 0-4 6, Connor Blouvet 1 1-2 4, Aiden Golden 2 2-4 7, Jerimiah Brown 3 0-2 6, Carson Wonderling 0 1-2 1, Cooper Greenman 0 1-2 1, Zacoby Holder 0 1-2 1, Deacon Brown 4 0-1 8. Totals: 13 6-19 34.
3-point goals: D/B 3 (Stiles), F/S 2 (Blouvet, Golden).
Total Fouls: D/B 16, F/S 9. Fouled out: None.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Coaches v. Cancer Tournament at Bath-Haverling
Wellsville 42, Penn Yan 35
BATH — The Lady Lions of Wellsville hit the ground running right from the start after the holiday break, Friday night.
Despite a second quarter comeback from Penn Yan to trim the deficit down, the Lady Lions were able to put all the pieces to the puzzle together for a fourth quarter grand finale to pull away from the Lady Mustangs and towards the Coaches v. Cancer Tournament’s title game the following day after a 42-35 win in Bath.
The wheels for the Lady Lions (5-1) began to turn at maximum velocity in the first eight minutes of play, as they controlled both ends of the floor in dominant fashion, capitalizing on the game’s first lead while holding Penn Yan at a near standstill in the midst of an 11-2 run. The Lady Mustangs chipped away at the deficit in the second quarter, inching as close as a pair of points heading into the locker room at the halftime break.
Penn Yan ultimately navigated through a third quarter that saw limited buckets on each side of the court to jump ahead with a 25-24 lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Lady Lions broke through one more time in the last eight minutes to close out the game on the highest of notes, assembling an 18-point frame to pull away for good.
Makenna Dunbar was a massive reason behind those successful efforts, as she recorded a game-high 26 points along with 11 rebounds to pace the offense for Wellsville with a double-double. Caelyn Stevens turned in an eight-point performance, while Reegan Perkins and Jaden Dunbar each had three points. Natalie Adams rounded off the scoring with a two-point bucket to pair with four steals.
Wellsville was also able to secure a vacancy in the JV Tournament’s Championship game earlier in the afternoon, as the Lady Lions defeated Penn Yan by a 35-22 final tally behind a team-high eight-point performance from Raegan Vogel.
The Lady Lions will now get set to face Newark Valley for the Coaches v. Cancer Tournament crown this evening right back in Bath, with tip-off slated for a 7:15 p.m. commencement.
Penn Yan 2 14 9 10 – 35
Wellsville 11 7 6 18 – 42
PENN YAN: Maihue Miranda Wiltberger 1 0-0 3, Corinne Barden 3 0-0 9, Breanne Dunning 1 1-2 3, Bailey Cooper 5 1-2 11, Makenna Mullins 0 3-7 3, Madisen Pierce 3 0-0 6. 13 5-11 35
WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 3 2-6 8, Reegan Perkins 1 1-2 3, Natalie Adams 1 0-0 2, Makenna Dunbar 8 10-14 26, Jaden Dunbar 1 1-1 3. Totals: 14 14-23 42.
3-point goals: Penn Yan 4 (Barden 3, Wiltberger).
Total Fouls: Penn Yan 22, Wellsville 8. Fouled out: Dunning (PY), Pierce (PY).
Keshequa Tournament
Keshequa 58, Canisteo-Greenwood 45
NUNDA — All throughout the first half, the Lady Chargers of Canisteo-Greenwood hung right with one of Section V’s perennial powers on the hardwood. In their first game back after the Christmas holiday, the back-and-forth duel was most certainly on, as Canisteo-Greenwood and host Keshequa gave it everything they had early on.
After the first half time subsided in favor of a one-possession lead for the Lady Wildcats, the second half wrote a much different script on Friday. Ahead by a pair, Keshequa put the gas pedal down to the floor and ignited their best stand of offense to counter the Lady Chargers in return, as they garnered just enough room to hang on down the stretch and secure a 58-45 victory.
Both teams were in the heat of battle in the first 16 minutes of play, with two points being the largest degree of separation between the foes at the end of each frame of play. In the first quarter, the Lady Chargers (6-2) and the Lady Wildcats searched for some early help from beyond the three-point arc, combining to record seven first quarter triples to ignite their offenses.
Both teams ultimately converged to record 14 total three-pointers for the game, with Canisteo-Greenwood holding an 8-6 advantage over Keshequa. But thanks to an early inside presence from both Ava Thayer and Alicia Wood, the Lady Wildcats were able to capture the lead after the first quarter and hold onto it going into the break, up 26-24.
With the lead in their possession, Keshequa wasted no time adding more fuel to the fire to start the second half, as six of their seven scorers all had a hand in piecing together a humongous 21-point offensive barrage to branch their lead wide enough to remain out in front for the remainder of the contest.
Despite the defeat, the Lady Chargers were able to garner an excellent double-double performance from Bailey Mullen, as she produced a team-high 14 points to go with 13 rebounds off the glass. Harlie McCaffery had eight points to pitch in, while MacKenna Mullen had seven.
Canisteo-Greenwood will return to Keshequa on Monday to wrap up their tournament tenure with an 11:30 a.m. Consolation round battle against Midlakes.
Canisteo-Greenwood 14 10 12 9 - 45
Keshequa 16 10 21 11 – 58
CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Kora Button 0 1-4 1, Bailey Mullen 3 6-12 14, MacKenna Mullen 2 1-2 7, McKenna Ferris 1 1-2 4, Paris May 2 0-0 6, Anna Mitchell 2 0-0 5, Harlie McCaffery 1 6-7 8. Totals: 11 15-27 45.
KESHEQUA: Ava Thayer 4 0-0 9, Bree Benner 1 1-2 3, Braelyn Isaman 6 0-0 15, Ryley Benner 4 0-0 11, Riley Nageldinger 1 2-2 5, Alicia Wood 6 2-3 15, Abby Wood 0 1-2 1. Totals: 22 6-9 58.
3-point goals: C-G 8 (B. Mullen 2, M. Mullen 2, May 2, Ferris, Mitchell), Keshequa 6 (Isaman 3, A. Thayer, R. Benner, Al. Wood).
Total Fouls: C-G 11, Keshequa 22. Fouled out: None.
