Saturday Roundup: Humongous scoreless run fueled by Fillmore sets tone in crosstown meeting with Belfast; B-R girls move to 3-0 behind squeaking of Lady Eagles

Written By Chris Brooks

BELFAST — On Saturday, a yearly crosstown rivalry was renewed. Even though it was under different circumstances with COVID-19 ravaging the world, Fillmore and Belfast found a way to come together for a clash inside an empty gymnasium for the first and only meeting this shortened season.

Right out of the gate, the Bulldogs started out hot by scoring eight of the first 10 points within the first few minutes. But then, a blizzard hit. The Belfast offense was frozen solid for much of the first half thanks to a relentless press put on by the Eagles after shaking their early funk, as they went on to score an enormous scoreless run from the tail end of the first quarter until halfway in the second to rocket ahead toward what wound up being a 64-32 doubling up of the Bulldogs.

Matt Weaver and Nick Ellison opened up the door in the first quarter dropping a three-ball each to kickstart an early 8-2 run of the Eagles, for the Bulldogs (2-1). Not long after, Fillmore (2-0) rallied back after a pair of shots at the line fueled up what became an avalanche of points starting from the 90 second mark of the opening quarter, to precisely the halfway mark of the second quarter - nearly an entire quarter’s time devoted to keeping Belfast at bay behind their ravenous full-court press.

“Belfast came out with a lot of energy early and caught us sleeping,” Eagles coach Randy Crouch said. “They have a good balance of guard and post play in the lineup and we weren’t ready. Mitchell, Carter and Hayden really ramped up the ball pressure at the end of the first and got us going. Will took a step forward tonight and led us with 17 points and 11 rebounds.  We have a lot to work on before a big week next week with B-R, C-R and Wellsville on the horizon.”

The humongous scoreless run Fillmore established off of their press reached a grand total of 21 straight points, with Will Roeske getting involved down low on back-to-back baskets which were bucketed in the midst of a hailstorm of three-pointers by the Eagles from Hayden Rust, Colby Wolfer and Zach Sisson. The drought would finally reach its conclusion after one of two possible was made at the charity stripe by Tony Logue for the Bulldogs.

Despite the early foul trouble, the Eagles were able to coast their way toward the break with a 31-14 lead. Even though the Bulldogs made a late attempt at chipping away Fillmore’s buffer zone with their best frame of scoring, the visitors put the game on lock by holding the hosts in white and red to just four points in the final eight minute period to keep their lead in tact.

Roeske finished with a game-high 17 points for the Eagles to go with his 11 rebounds, completing his double-double. Rust and Wolfer finished with eight points each, while Dylan Valentine pitched in with seven. On the flip side, Belfast was led by Matt Weaver, Jason Drozdowski and Nick Ellison, all of whom scored seven team-high points. Stephen Struckmann had six points, including a 4-for-4 outing at the stripe.

Up next, Fillmore will hit the road in search for their third straight win Tuesday night, as they prepare to face the Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines in a 7:30 p.m. contest. On Thursday, Belfast will look to rebound over the road themselves, as they take on the Hinsdale Bobcats in a 6 p.m. tip-off.

Fillmore 12 19 17 16 – 64

Belfast 8 6 14 4 – 32

FILLMORE: Hayden Rust 3 0-0 8, Carter Sisson 2 1-2 6, Zach Sisson 2 1-2 6, Dylan Valentine 1 4-4 7, Colby Wolfer 3 0-0 8, Matt Majoros 1 1-2 3, Mitch Ward 2 1-3 5, Luke Colombo 2 0-0 4, Will Roeske 8 0-0 17. Totals: 24 8-13 64.
BELFAST: Jason Drozdowski 2 3-6 7, Nick Ellison 2 1-2 7, Devin Harriger 1 0-1 3, Matt Weaver 3 0-1 7, Steve Buchholz 0 1-2 1, Stephen Struckmann 1 4-4 6, Tony Logue 0 1-2 1. Totals: 9 10-18 32.

3-point goals: Fillmore 8 (Rust 2, Wolfer 2, C. Sisson, Z. Sisson, Valentine, Roeske), Belfast 4 (Ellison 2, Harriger, Weaver).
Total Fouls: Fillmore 20, Belfast 11. Fouled out: None.

Cuba-Rushford 53, Portville 41

PORTVILLE — The goal for the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford entering Saturday afternoon’s road trip to Portville, was to right a few wrongs after they dropped their season opener back home against Wellsville back on Thursday.

It was a quick turnaround on short notice, and right away, they had to climb out of an early hole after the Panthers started off hot. Luckily, the three-point game from the Rebels proved to be a response to cut their lead down to a pair when the first quarter ended. But it was only the beginning.

After Jacob Smith hit three big first quarter threes to flare things up, it was the beginning of bigger things, as the Rebels went on to finish with 10 three-pointers in all, including big spurts in the second and third quarters to jump into the driver’s seat for good before sealing the deal in the end with some clutch throws from the charity stripe, securing what was a 53-41 victory over the Panthers to earn their first win.

“Portville came out hot, and we weren't really focused in the first quarter,” Rebels coach Bryce Ryan said. “Jacob Smith got hot himself and we got a little bit of energy off of that, and started to battle back. We started getting multiple stops and gave ourselves chances to take the lead into the half.”

After Smith knocked down his three-pointers in the opening quarter, Jack Frank and Trent Chamberlain followed along with the first of four Landon Wight triples in the game, as the three Rebels (1-1) accounted for all 12 points from downtown in their 12-7 second quarter run of Portville that saw them take the 23-20 lead into the break.

In the third, more damage was dealt from the outside as Wight recorded his last trio of three-pointers to branch their lead out even further to six when the quarter came to an end. From the start of the last eight minute period until the end, it was on Chamberlain to seal the team’s first victory of the season from the charity stripe, as he went 7-for-10 to give Cuba-Rushford the extra cushioning they needed.

“We shot the ball really well today, and that was helped paid in part by Jack and Landon giving us a big lift from three-point range. Overall, I'm proud of how we handled our adversity and took pride defensively to fight back and build a lead in the fourth.” said Ryan.

Frank, Chamberlain and Wight all finished in double digit territory for the game, with Frank leading the scoring with a team-high 14 points. Chamberlain and Wight each finished with 12 points, while Smith settled with his nine first quarter points on his three triples. Brayden Lavery and Hunter Williams rounded off the scoring with four, and two points respectively.

Cuba-Rushford returns to the court Tuesday night back home inside the Wighthouse, as they welcome in Genesee Valley for a 7:30 p.m. visit.

Cuba-Rushford 11 12 15 15 – 53

Portville 13 7 12 9 – 41

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Jack Frank 6 0-0 14, Trent Chamberlain 2 7-10 12, Brayden Lavery 2 0-0 4, Landon Wight 4 0-0 12, Jacob Smith 3 0-0 9, Hunter Williams 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 7-10 53.
PORTVILLE: Hunter Griffin 0 3-4 3, Joe Long 2 0-0 5, Todd Stone 1 0-0 2, Luke Petruzzi 6 2-4 19, Maxx Yehl 6 0-2 12. 15 5-10 41.
3-point goals: C-R 10 (Wight 4, Smith 3, Frank 2, Chamberlain), Portville 6 (Petruzzi 5, Long).
Total Fouls: C-R 7, Portville 16. Fouled out: Griffin (PORT).

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Bolivar-Richburg 25, Fillmore 24

BOLIVAR — It was a game that saw Fillmore lead for the much of the day. There was no lead bigger than four the entire game between both the Lady Eagles and host Bolivar-Richburg, Saturday afternoon.

It all came down to the fourth quarter with the Lady Eagles clinging to a 22-20 lead. It was wiped away after the Lady Wolverines defense buckled down for one last stand, and in turn, the offense found the points they needed to overtake Fillmore in the end when the final buzzer sounded, as they moved on to a 3-0 start with a 25-24 edging on their home floor.

“(Tom) Parks’ girls battled, my girls battled. It was a battle the entire way,” said Lady Wolverines coach Justin Thomas. “This was a very hard fought game by both teams, and if you told me we were going to be 3-0 with out the (McKinlee and Madigan) Harris girls and we would beat Wellsville, Andover and now Fillmore, I would have suggested a straitjacket for you. I couldn’t be more happy right now, and the kids are facing such a big amount of adversity. Every game counts, and we’re in great shape moving forward with the Harris girls coming back. It will open up more things for everyone. We grew a lot from these dogfight games we had.”

Fillmore was leading for much of the day, even with it being by the slimmest of margins across all four quarters. But for Bolivar-Richburg (3-0), the tide began to turn when they narrowly outscored the Lady Eagles in the third quarter to cut their deficit to a pair entering the last eight minute period. It built momentum for the defense to hold the Lady Eagles in check while taking the lead away on the other side of the court.

“Kelsey and Jianna took over for us,” said Thomas. “Emma Cole took Aliyah away from us, and she did a great job with that. Kayli (Giardini) did enough on the point to run things, and everything started with her. On defense, Aliyah, Kelsey and Jianna dominated the glass, especially Jianna. She was phenomenal keeping us glued together. We limited their second chance opportunities. Some of them hurt us, but for the most part, they didn’t.”

Nix led all scorers for the Lady Wolverines with a game-high 11 points. Pacer followed behind with seven points, while Cole had four. On the other side, Fillmore (2-1) was led by Emma Cole, who recorded 10 team-high points. Jadyn Mucher chipped in with five.

Both teams are off until Wednesday night, with Bolivar-Richburg looking for four straight wins back on their home floor with the Lady Bulldogs of Belfast in town for a 6 p.m. contest, while Fillmore continues their road swing into Cuba-Rushford to face the Lady Rebels in a 7:30 p.m. battle.

Fillmore 9 5 8 2 – 24

Bolivar-Richburg 6 4 10 5 – 25

FILLMORE: Grace Russell 1 0-0 2, Emma Cole 5 0-2 10, Rachel Hatch 1 0-0 2, Jadyn Mucher 2 0-0 5, Raelynn Ryan 1 0-0 3, Preslee Miller 1 0-0 2. Totals: 11 0-2 24.

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Kelsey Pacer 3 0-0 7, Kayli Giardini 1 0-0 2, Kelsey Ferris 0 1-3 1, Aliyah Cole 1 2-2 4, Jianna Nix 5 1-3 11, Jessica Majot 0 0-2 0. Totals: 10 4-10 25.
3-point goals: Fillmore 2 (Mucher, Ryan), B-R 1 (Pacer).
Total Fouls: Fillmore 11, B-R 5. Fouled out: None.

Andover 44, Cuba-Rushford 33

CUBA — Andover and Cuba-Rushford traded punches left and right. For much of the game, the Lady Panthers sprung out to a lead, only to find it cut down to as little as two at one point by the host Lady Rebels. But on Saturday, in order to stay one step ahead of Cuba-Rushford, the visitors in purple and while looked to their seniors.

Those being Livia Simon and Kelsie Niedermaier, as Simon delivered with some big points inside the paint, while Niedermaier helped further the cause with some clutch shots at the free throw line to keep the team out in front of the Lady Rebels with a 44-33 victory for their first of the young season.

“It was a back and forth game,” said Lady Panthers coach Jake Bannerman. “We got out to a lead, and then it was cut down to where we were only leading by two at the half. We came out in the third trading baskets, and in the fourth, my seniors stepped up. They were the leaders, and gave everything they had. We are still trying to get into game shape, and get into the mindset of winning. Tonight was a step in the right direction. All eight girls on our team, from ninth graders to our seniors gave some great minutes and worked super hard.”

Niedermaier and Simon combined to make up 38 of the team’s 44 points in the entirety of the contest, with Niedermaier kicking things off with eight of Andover’s (1-2) 12 first quarter points to take a 12-8 lead. The lead grew to six at the break with another narrow outscoring of Cuba-Rushford (0-2) in the second quarter.

In the second half, the Lady Panthers seniors rose to the occasion once more to deliver the goods, keeping the Lady Rebels at bay for good. Niedermaier finished as the team’s leading scorer with a game-high 23 points, while Simon followed behind with 15 points of her own. Ava Grice, Gabby Terhune and Addison Morgan all had a two-point basket to add in.

On the other side, the Lady Rebels were led by Taylor Searle, who sank two three-pointers on her way toward a team-high 14 point effort. Lillian Forward and Brynn Lavery each had six points.

The Lady Panthers will look to carry the momentum into Tuesday night back over the road, as they prepare to visit the Wellsville Lady Lions in a 7:30 p.m. contest. Cuba-Rushford will return to their home floor right after the weekend, as they play host to Portville on Monday at 2:30 p.m. for their first game over the Mid-Winter Break.

Andover 12 8 12 12 – 44

Cuba-Rushford 8 6 9 10 – 33

ANDOVER: Ava Grice 1 0-0 2, Gabby Terhune 1 0-0 2, Addison Morgan 1 0-0 2, Livia Simon 7 1-5 15, Kelsie Niedermaier 9 5-8 23. Totals: 19 6-13 44.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Lillian Forward 1 4-4 6, Brynn Lavery 3 0-0 6, Macie Demick 1 3-4 5, Taylor Searle 6 0-0 14, Tara Duvall 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12 7-8 33.
3-point goals: C-R 2 (Searle).
Total Fouls: Andover 12, C-R 9. Fouled out: None.

Genesee Valley 37, Scio 16

BELMONT — The Lady Jaguars of Genesee Valley were able to pick up their first victory of the young season, Saturday afternoon, as they leaned on a big performance from their senior Emera Aquila to guide them toward a 37-16 home decision over the visiting Scio Lady Tigers inside the Jungle.

Aquila led all Lady Jaguars (1-1) scorers with a game-high 16 points. On the other side, Kiara Grover led Scio (0-3) with eight team-high points.

Further statistics and a complete box score were not made available upon publication.

Both teams are back at it Monday night with a pair of 6 p.m. contests, as Genesee Valley gets set to host the Lady Bulldogs of Belfast, while Scio continues their road swing into Whitesville to meet the Lady Jays.

Belfast 51, Friendship 10

FRIENDSHIP — 15 was the number that appeared to pop up most frequently for the Lady Bulldogs of Belfast over the road in Friendship on Saturday, as they had three different scorers all lead the charge on the offensive attack with 15 points each, combining for 45 of the team’s 51 points to secure the 51-10 win over the host Lady Golden Eagles.

Alicia Borden, Anna Drozdowski and Mary Hamer all had big days for the visitors in black and red, all accounting for seven field goals for 15 points, with Borden and Drozdowski each sinking a three-pointer, while Hamer collected one of two shots at the charity stripe to get toward that 15-point marker.

Belfast (2-1) and Friendship battled their way across a closely-contested first quarter of play that saw the Lady Bulldogs jump ahead by one. In the second, the gas pedal went down, as the visitors came up with a game-changing run consisting of another 15 - a 15-3 run of the Lady Golden Eagles (1-2) across the next eight minutes that ultimately kept them ahead for good.

Just three scorers found the stat-sheet for Friendship, with Nevaeh Ross leading the way with six points. Caitlin Stewart and Aaliyah Harmon each had a two-point basket to chip in.

Belfast returns to action back on the road again Monday night, as they prepare to visit the Lady Jaguars of Genesee Valley in a 6 p.m. contest. As for Friendship, they will take an extended break away and prepare for the same Lady Jaguars team back on their home floor Friday night in a 6 p.m. game of their own.

Belfast 6 15 19 11 – 51

Friendship 5 3 2 0 – 10


BELFAST: Alicia Borden 7 0-0 15, Anna Drozdowski 7 0-0 15, Mary Hamer 7 1-2 15, Emma Sullivan 2 0-0 4, Cierra Wallace 1 0-0 2. Totals: 24 1-2 51.
FRIENDSHIP: Navaeh Ross 2 0-0 6, Caitlin Stewart 1 0-0 2, Aaliyah Harmon 1 0-0 2. Totals: 4 0-0 10.

3-point goals: Belfast 2 (Borden, Drozdowski), Friendship 2 (Ross).
Total Fouls: Belfast 9, Friendship 7. Fouled out: None.

Chris Brooks
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Friday Roundup: Massive 4th quarter implosion led by Danaher helps B-R stymie GV; Wellsville, Belfast boys also victorious