Wednesday Roundup: In battle of defensive powers, Fillmore builds 3rd quarter jaunt to power 46-31 win over GV/Belfast to finish unbeaten; Lady Lions fall to Welty, Portville in finale on road

Fillmore junior Madi Geertman (23) drives her way to the hoop, being fouled by the Genesee Valley/Belfast defense of senior Kaitlin Sadler (10) and junior Anna Drozdowski (3) during Wednesday night’s battle in Belmont. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Genesee Valley/Belfast junior Adison Grusendorf (4) waits for a play to develop out front while being watched by the defense of Fillmore senior Jadyn Mucher (5) during Wednesday night’s battle in Belmont. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Genesee Valley/Belfast senior Kaitlin Sadler (10) looks to work her way around the Fillmore defense of sophomores Preslee Miller, back, and Hope Russell (1) during Wednesday night’s battle in Belmont. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Genesee Valley/Belfast senior Anna Drozdowski (3) drives her way inside while under watch by the defense of Fillmore sophomore Hope Russell (1) during Wednesday night’s battle in Belmont. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

Fillmore sophomore Grace Russell, off-center, fires a pass to the open wing while being watched by the defense of Genesee Valley/Belfast senior Alicia Borden, right, during Wednesday night’s battle in Belmont. [Chris Brooks/WellsvilleSports.com]

BELMONT — There was no appropriate way to end the regular season on Wednesday than with two of Allegany County’s most defensive stalwarts going mono-y-mono one last time.

In the same swing, both Fillmore and Genesee Valley/Belfast have become teams to watch not only in Class D in Section V, but in New York State, both finding spots in the Top 20, with the Lady Eagles currently occupying the throne at the top of the mountain.

Something had to give way.

Through the majority of the first half, the defensive showdown settled in with multiple lead changes being traded along the way. With the game going towards the Lady Eagles favor after a big block on a potential buzzer-beater at the half, as well as the lead, their chance to build came in the second half.

As a response, they came out swinging for the fences.

The Lady Eagles of Fillmore, despite all of the adversity that stared them down directly with foul trouble and the pressure put on by Genesee Valley/Belfast throughout the opening half, were able to lock themselves in and put together a tide-turning run in the third quarter, holding the hosts to just six points while going off on a 19-6 jaunt that pulled them ahead by as much as 20 in the later stages, as they coasted forward towards an unbeaten regular season with a 46-31 win in the Jungle.

“I think we played at a high level in that third quarter, and it spanned into the fourth,” said Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks. “We were out of sorts and so were they, because of the foul trouble, but we finally played like ourselves. It was a bit ragged because of that, but when we got our normal unit back out there again, things started to flow. I told the girls in the locker room that our bench came in, and not only did they hold the fort down, but they gave us the lead going into the half with our two best players sitting.”

The foul trouble hit both teams fairly early on in the opening half, which would result in a mainly defensive battle throughout, as Genesee Valley/Belfast (15-5) came away with the game’s first lead by an 8-6 count after a slow first quarter. Since their 6-4 lead, the Lady JagDogs scored eight in a row to lead by as much as six, but the Lady Eagles have been able to keep pace right behind them for the most part.

Both teams would go back and forth through the middle stages of the frame. During that span, the Lady Eagles (20-0) would begin to hit some foul trouble, finding both their Senior leaders — Emma Cole and Jadyn Mucher making early exits. But Fillmore would not let it faze them, as their depth played a massive role in holding the fort down on the court, as they fought right with the Lady JagDogs until the finish in the first half, taking the lead away by a 17-16 count with the help of a big Zoe Beardsley block on Anna Drozdowski at the buzzer.

Among those that filled in the big pair of shoes was Preslee Miller, who wound up being Fillmore’s leading scorer in the contest, seeing the charity stripe 11 times and hitting nine of those shots to put with a pair of field goals, concluding with a game-high 15 points to go along with seven rebounds and three steals.

Parks commended Miller and his bench for holding down the lead, which would allow them to earn some big momentum to carry into the second half.

“Preslee was our leading scorer tonight, she had 15 points and was huge in every way for us,” he said. “Our bench was the key part of the game, and it felt like our first Sectional game. When you talk about that at this stage, you need your whole team. You have to be balanced, and teams are good when they try to take away your star players, so you have to go elsewhere with the ball. We needed that tonight, and fortunately for kids like Preslee, Madi (Geertman), Rachel (Hatch), Zoe (Beardsley), they all stepped up big time.”

After the bench stepped up for the Lady Eagles, the momentum shifted, and they began to find almost everything they could gather. Including a half-opening bucket from Miller, Fillmore went on to score 11 of the first 12 points in the third quarter — a run that would ultimately keep them in the lead for good, with Emma Cole getting involved down low on back-to-back possessions to add her fuel to the fire.

The Lady Eagles have also connected with their chances at the free throw line to kill any momentum that would weave back towards Genesee Valley/Belfast’s direction during the second half, as they went 14-for-24 at the stripe. In all, it would be a 19-6 run for the visitors in black and green that would set them apart from the Lady JagDogs.

The lead would grow to as much as 20 in the late stages of the frame, which would allow Fillmore to wrap up the game in perhaps one of their hardest fought games this year to end their regular season.

“GV/Belfast is the real deal. They’re tough, balanced, they work hard, and they have girls that can score,” Parks said of the Lady JagDogs. “They have everything, and they have a great coach in Jim (Schneider) guiding them through it. We knew what they were capable of coming in, and this was the fight that we expected. It’s the most balanced team we’ve faced this year, and we had to play very fundamentally sound basketball to get this. We had to do all the little things right to win, and we did.”

Finishing behind Miller for the Lady Eagles was Cole, who posted 14 points of her own to pair with nine rebounds. Hope Russell added in eight points of her own to go with five steals, while Jadyn Mucher tallied five points and grabbed nine additional rebounds. In addition on special teams, Rachel Hatch handed out five assists.

The Lady JagDogs saw both Alicia Borden and Mary Hamer take control of their attack, as they both recorded a team-high 10 points each. Kaitlin Sadler added in four points.

The regular season is now over for both teams, as they now officially await Sectional seeding in Class D1 beginning this weekend.

For the Lady Eagles, they already know where they stand — Class D1’s top seed for the third time in the last four seasons. Having the biggest target on their backs heading in, as well as the State’s top spot in Class D itself, Parks says that those are just numbers. The real goal is to go for it all.

“It’s been that way since mid-season, so we know that teams are going to give us their best shot,” he said. “Regardless of it still being the regular season or at this point now, where it’s time for Sectionals. The number next to our name going in is just to organize a tournament. We have to go out, play our best, work hard, because anything can happen. We like where we are. We’re thrilled with the season, and there’s not a lot to complain about, but Sectionals is a whole different animal, and now everyone is undefeated again.”

Fillmore 6 11 19 10 – 46

Genesee Valley/Belfast 8 8 6 9 – 31

FILLMORE: Hope Russell 3 0-0 8, Jadyn Mucher 1 3-7 5, Emma Cole 7 0-4 14, Preslee Miller 3 9-11 15, Madi Geertman 1 2-2 4. Totals: 15 14-24 46.
GV/BELFAST: Alicia Borden 2 6-8 10, Anna Drozdowski 1 1-2 3, Adison Grusendorf 1 0-0 2, Mary Hamer 5 0-0 10, Kaitlin Sadler 2 0-0 4, Harley Proctor 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12 7-10 31.

3-point goals: Fillmore 1 (Russell).
Total Fouls: Fillmore 19, GVB 18. Fouled out: None.

Portville 53, Wellsville 32

PORTVILLE — It was a game that Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord would provide a measurement on how far the team has come from what has been an incredible 2021-22 regular season. Their final test before the hunt for hardware begins? — Section VI power, the Portville Lady Panthers.

Wellsville gave it everything they had put toward ensuring a strong finish to their highly successful campaign entering a brand new season. But there was one problem that the team could not solve — Lady Panthers sharpshooter Mallory Welty.

Portville’s junior captain was all over the floor, all night long against the Lady Lions defense, helping give the team a halftime lead that grew instantaneously in the second half, holding Wellsville to just 16 more points while they pulled away towards victory behind her game-high 30 points in a 53-32 final count on Wednesday in Portville.

“We had only one offensive rebound the entire game, and we average around 30 per game. That was the difference,” said Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord. “We didn’t rebound, we didn’t give ourselves a lot of second chances, we just weren’t as aggressive as we should be. But credit to Portville, the Welty girl got hot and it was hard to stop her. Hopefully this will help us learn from this, and give us the idea that we can’t do this in the first round of Sectionals. It’s one-and-done now. The second season begins.”

The Lady Panthers were able to take advantage of Wellsville (15-4) through the first half of play, holding an eight-point edge going into the break after initially doubling up the Lady Lions through the first eight, with a 12-6 lead.

That 24-16 lead for the hosts grew larger in the second half, as they saved their two best scoring spouts of offense for last, including a 15-9 run through the third quarter that ultimately pushed their lead insurmountably. Welty was a main reason behind the success of the Lady Panthers, as she hit five of the team’s six three-pointers along with an immaculate 9-for-9 outing at the charity stripe.

As for the Lady Lions, they were led by 10 team-high points off the hand of Emily Costello, including both of the squad’s three-pointers. Marley Adams was not far behind, adding in nine points herself to go along with four rebounds, while Jaelyn Knapp also grabbed four additional boards to pair with five points.

In the JV contest, the Lady Lions were able to take care of business with a 47-19 triumph over Portville, led by a 13-point performance from Lindsey Stuck.

Wellsville will look to shake it off with the hunt for the Finals now officially underway, as they now await Sectional seeding for their place in the Class B2 bracket, which begins this weekend.

Wellsville 6 10 9 7 – 32

Portville 12 12 15 13 – 53

WELLSVILLE: Marley Adams 4 1-1 9, Emily Costello 4 0-0 10, Jaelyn Knapp 2 1-2 5, Emily Robbins 1 0-0 2, Kaylee Coleman 1 0-0 2, Makenna Dunbar 1 2-4 4. Totals: 13 4-7 32.
PORTVILLE: Teagan Kosinski 1 0-0 2, Mallory Welty 8 9-9 30, Mia Welty 0 0-2 0, Ava Haynes 1 0-0 3, Lillian Bentley 9 0-1 18. Totals: 19 9-12 53.

3-point goals: Wellsville 2 (Costello), Portville 6 (Welty 5, Haynes).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 7, Portville 13. Fouled out: None.

Andover/Whitesville 69, Hinsdale 12

WHITESVILLE — Like the majority of her contributions this season for Andover/Whitesville, Allegany County’s leading scorer in Vanessa Hall put together another titanic effort to close out the team’s regular season, as she posted a game-high 36 points to help set a 69-12 tone against visiting Hinsdale, Wednesday night in Whitesville.

Hall assisted Andover/Whitesville (16-3) in starting a tone in the first eight minutes of play that saw them take the lead immediately, as she and Rachel Jackson came together to provide the majority of the attack, combining for 19 of the team’s 23 points in what was a 23-3 run of the Lady Bobcats.

Jackson would finish with 15 additional points for the hosts, while Maria Riloba provided a presence down low with 10 points of her own. On the other side for Hinsdale (1-15), Hannah Sutton led all scorers with five of the team’s 12 total points.

Both teams have concluded their regular seasons, as they now await Sectional seeding which begins this weekend.

Hinsdale 3 2 7 0 – 12

Andover/Whitesville 23 15 25 6 – 69

HINSDALE: Hannah Sutton 2 0-0 5, Fran Childs 1 0-0 3, Sarah Tuttle 2 0-0 4. Totals: 5 0-0 12.

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Gabbi Hall 1 0-0 2, Vanessa Hall 15 2-3 36, Rachel Jackson 6 0-0 15, Addison Morgan 1 0-0 2, Maria Riloba 5 0-0 10, Brynn Scholl 2 0-0 4. Totals: 30 2-3 69.

3-point goals: Hinsdale 2 (Sutton, Childs), A/W 7 (V. Hall 4, Jackson 3).
Total Fouls: Hinsdale 7, A/W 5. Fouled out: None.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Fillmore 74, Cuba-Rushford 40

CUBA — Balance was the name of the game across all 32 minutes of action in Cuba.

It was a perk that the visiting Eagles of Fillmore put on display from the start and to the end, as they accounted for at least 20 points in the first three quarters to establish their overwhelming presence on Wednesday, coasting past host Cuba-Rushford with a 76-40 win.

Five different Eagles (14-4) all scored at least 10 points to pace a Fillmore attack that struck while the iron was hot in the opening eight minutes, flying off towards a 21-9 lead of the Rebels and never looking back, branching it out even more so at the end of the half with a 30-point eruption in the second quarter.

The first half dominance was led by the likes of Mitch Ward, Zach Sisson and Will Roeske, who all combined to record 23 of the team’s 30 points to close out the first half. Sisson was Fillmore’s leading scorer, netting a game-high 17 points, while Ward followed with 14 points. Carter Sisson chipped in with 13 points, while Roeske pitched in 12.

Luke Colombo was the fifth Eagle to eclipse double figures on offense, recording one of his best nights of the season with 11 points. On the other side for the Rebels (10-9), Jack Frank tallied a team-high 11 points. Jacob Smith chipped in with nine, while Brayden Lavery had seven for the hosts, who were held to just nine points across all three of the Eagles runs.

Cuba-Rushford’s regular season is now over, as they now await Sectional seeding this weekend. As for Fillmore, their regular season will come to an end back on the road tonight with a 7:30 p.m. visit to Genesee Valley in store.

Fillmore 21 30 20 5 – 76

Cuba-Rushford 9 9 9 13 – 40

FILLMORE: Carter Sisson 5 2-2 13, Eben Schilke 1 0-0 2, Brent Zubikowski 1 0-0 3, Jack Cool 0 0-2 0, Luke Colombo 4 3-5 11, Mitch Ward 6 2-4 14, Zach Sisson 7 1-3 17, Johnny Mills 2 0-0 4, Will Roeske 6 0-0 12. Totals: 32 7-16 76.

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Jacob Smith 3 2-2 9, Brayden Lavery 3 1-1 7, Jack Frank 5 0-2 11, Dom Bello 1 0-0 2, Logan Ungerman 1 0-0 2, Austin Clement 1 0-0 3, Luke Brooks 3 0-0 6. Totals: 17 3-5 40.
3-point goals: Fillmore 4 (Z. Sisson 2, C. Sisson, Zubikowski), C-R 3 (Smith, Frank, Clement).
Total Fouls: Fillmore 6, C-R 12. Fouled out: None.