Monday Roundup: And/Whi, C-R boys use all-balanced attacks, strong 2nd half efforts to record home victories over Hinsdale, GV

ANDOVER — The Bobcats of Hinsdale and host Andover/Whitesville each traded a first half run, which saw a narrow one-point lead come into shape for the hosts in white.

With the Bobcats right on their tail going into the second half, a balanced attack would come into full circle for Andover/Whitesville, with multiple different scorers getting involved to accumulate a big return to the hardwood in the third quarter, as they pulled away from Hinsdale’s reach to secure a 55-39 home win on Monday in Andover.

The win was the first for Andover/Whitesville assistant coach Jimmy Joyce in his Varsity career, who filled in for head coach John Dougherty. Joyce says that his first win happened on a night where his Seniors provided an excellent showing on Senior Night.

“It was Senior night, and I thought all of them contributed very nicely,” he said. “Cormac (Brown) stood out on defense particularly, he did a great job of keeping Hinsdale in front of him. Hinsdale did a nice job of hitting a lot of open shots from deep. They got to within one at the half, and we eventually clamped down in the second half, pushed the tempo and built a decent lead to hang on to."

Andover/Whitesville (6-10) came out strong in the opening quarter, recording a 12-6 advantage over Hinsdale led by a pair of threes from both Tyler Hackett and Luke Erdmann to set the bar from downtown.

But later on, the Bobcats (0-12) and their three-point game came alive, hitting four of their six in all in the second quarter to mount a second quarter comeback to cut their deficit to a single point heading into the locker room, finishing the first half with an 18-13 run of the hosts.

In the second half however, Andover/Whitesville had other plans. Despite the Bobcats getting into a prime position to keep pace off their momentum, the hosts brought forth a tidal wave of points, outscoring their visiting opposition by a 19-7 count which was led by an all-balanced attack, with Gavin Cutler leading the way with all six of his points being scored in the frame.

The run helped cement Andover/Whitesville’s spot in the driver’s seat for good, using the final eight minutes to create more cushioning away from Hinsdale to secure the win.

Leading the charge for the hosts on offense was CJ Estep, who recorded a team-high 13 points. In the midst of the balanced attack, Cormac Brown chipped in with seven points, while Cutler followed with his six.

For Hinsdale, Henry Schwartz posted a season-high 15 points, led by a pair of second half threes. Sam Cashimere was not far behind, adding in 14 points of his own, including two more threes in the second quarter to build their first half-ending run, while Ethan Cashimere and Cody Barton each had five points to contribute.

Andover/Whitesville will look to keep their winning ways rolling over the road on Friday, as they prepare to take on host Friendship/Scio in a 6 p.m. tip-off in Scio. As for Hinsdale, they return home to face Cuba-Rushford in a 6 p.m. contest of their own on Wednesday.

Hinsdale 6 18 7 8 – 39

Andover/Whitesville 12 13 19 11 – 55

HINSDALE: Ethan Cashimere 2 0-0 5, Sam Cashimere 6 0-0 14, Henry Schwartz 6 0-0 15, Cody Barton 2 1-2 5. Totals: 16 1-2 39.
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Jayden Nix 2 0-2 5, Cormac Brown 2 3-6 7, CJ Estep 4 3-6 13, Gavin Cutler 3 0-0 6, Justin Waters 2 1-2 5, Tyler Hackett 1 0-2 3, Luke Erdmann 1 2-2 5, Dylan Acor 1 0-0 2, Spencer Mattison 2 0-0 4, Kohler Niedermaier 2 0-0 5. Totals: 20 9-20 55.

3-point goals: Hinsdale 6 (S. Cashimere 3, Schwartz 2, E. Cashimere), A/W 6 (Estep 2, Dix, Hackett, Erdmann, Niedermaier).
Total Fouls: Hinsdale 17, A/W 9. Fouled out: Keenan (HIN).

Cuba-Rushford 55, Genesee Valley 38

CUBA — The Rebels of Cuba-Rushford overcame a very competitive start to the evening in the Wighthouse on Monday, as they found their groove to end a first half that saw them outlast visiting Genesee Valley through the opening eight minutes.

With a lead of seven heading back into the locker room, the hosts came out with a full head of steam for the second half, branching on their advantage which turned into an insurmountable amount to keep the Jaguars behind them, as they came away with a 55-38 Senior Night win.

“I am happy for the Seniors. They got a ton of time tonight, and they played well,” said Rebels coach Bryce Ryan. “We started slow and we didn’t generate as many turnovers as we hoped on defense, but we started to settle in and we made some shots in the second quarter. Brayden Lavery played well, and made some tough shots along with Jacob Smith. We still have a ton to get better at, specifically limiting teams to one shot a possession, but we will get there.”

The Jaguars (3-12) and Rebels went back and forth to begin the night with balanced attacks paving the way. It would result in a one-point lead for the hosts, one that was never lost across the game, as they went on to build upon it with more balance to strike up a 31-24 lead at the break.

In the second half, the Rebels (8-6) defense locked down, and allowed just 14 more points across the last 16 minutes of play, capitalizing on opportunities themselves on offense back the other way, with a pair of Jacob Smith threes leading the 10-6 third quarter run, and then one final stanza of balance coming in the last eight minutes.

Smith would finish as Cuba-Rushford’s leading scorer with a team-high 11 points. Brayden Lavery recorded 10 points to chip in, while Will Sharp and Luke Brooks added in nine and seven points, respectively.

For the Jaguars, Morgan Torrey recorded a game-high 20 points, including a 7-for-10 outing at the charity stripe to pace the offense. Ryan Daciw tallied six additional points, while Max Wedge had four to add.

Both teams are back in action Wednesday night, with the Rebels paying a visit to Hinsdale for a 6 p.m. contest, while the Jaguars continue their road swing with a 7:30 p.m. battle against the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg.

Genesee Valley 12 12 6 8 – 38

Cuba-Rushford 13 18 10 14 – 55

GENESEE VALLEY: Morgan Torrey 6 7-10 20, Brayden Cooper 1 0-0 2, Elden Aquila 0 2-2 2, Max Wedge 2 0-4 4, Ryan Daciw 2 1-2 6, Thai Norasethaporn 0 2-3 2, Fisher Herdman 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12 12-21 38.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Braeden Wight 1 0-0 3, Jacob Smith 4 0-0 11, Brayden Lavery 5 0-0 10, Jack Frank 2 0-0 5, Hunter Scott 1 0-0 2, Will Sharp 4 0-0 9, Dom Bello 0 2-2 2, Logan Ungerman 1 0-0 2, Austin Clement 0 1-2 1, Caden Murray 0 0-1 0, Kaden Bell 1 0-0 3, Luke Brooks 2 2-2 7. Totals: 21 5-7 55.
3-point goals: GV 2 (Torrey, Daciw), C-R 8 (Smith 3, Wight, Frank, Sharp, Bell, Brooks).
Total Fouls: GV 13, C-R 17. Fouled out: Frank (C-R).