Thursday Roundup: Lady Lions overcome early deficit, but 4th quarter rally falls short in 47-42 defeat to Olean; Fillmore girls capture 3rd straight Division I title

Written By Chris Brooks

WELLSVILLE — The second season is beginning to hone in on most of Allegany County, as the calendar reaches the final week of regular season action across the area. For the Lady Lions of Wellsville, they held their final regular season home game in front a near-capacity crowd for their annual Senior Night celebration, recognizing their four seniors along the way.

Then, it was time to go to battle, as they took on the visiting Lady Huskies of Olean. Through much of the first half, it was a fight from behind for the Lady Lions, having to make up for an early deficit in the opening quarter. They successfully did just that, allowing them to capture a second half lead.

But it was lost in the final eight minute period, after a quick turnover forced by Olean was the spark they created, gathering a game-changing run of Wellsville to account for an enormous 22-12 run to take the lead away for good, despite some late pressure down the stretch, as the Lady Huskies spoiled Senior Night for the Lady Lions with a 47-42 victory on Thursday.

“We panicked a little too much, and we did things a little too quickly,” Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord said. “When I scouted them earlier in the year, they were missing a couple of players. I knew going into this game that they were not a team that was 2-13 in the season. We were definitely going to be in for a fight. We couldn’t find a way to contain their shooters in the first half, and that’s how they got out to their hot start.”

After Regan Marsh and Marley Adams both began the night for the Lady Lions (14-5) with back-to-back baskets, Olean went off on a run by as much as seven points, as they scored the next 11 points in a consecutive fashion to earn their lead. But the gap was closed down after the first eight minutes with Wellsville netted seven of the last 10 points, with their seven points coming in a row to tie the game at 11 in the late stages of the first.

In the second quarter, Emily Costello began the scoring for the hosts in white and orange with five straight points to give them their first lead official lead of the game behind a banked three-point basket, and a runner inside on back-to-back transitions to go up by a 16-14 count past the halfway mark. That would set up shop for a teeter-totter affair in the final 2:30 of the half, as both Olean and Wellsville traded a string of baskets to work their way toward a 22-22 deadlock at the break.

When the third quarter came around, it gave the Lady Lions a chance to make a break for it. The defensive side of the spectrum began to hit all strides throughout the entire quarter, as they held Olean to a single two-point basket, as well as one of a pair of shots at the charity stripe in their near shutout to pull ahead with a five-point, 30-25 lead heading into the last eight minutes.

Then, the water began to boil over.

Right in the beginning stages of the fourth quarter, the Lady Huskies forced a quarter-turning turnover which results in a breakaway basket that cuts the deficit down to three. It was a play that gave the visitors in red and gold a spark, as they went on an 11-5 run through the midsection of the frame, led by a go-ahead basket from Makayla Folts off a feed from just outside the paint.

From that point forward, it was down to connecting with key opportunities at the charity stripe, and it was a situation where the Lady Huskies did not let go to waste, as they went a perfect 6-for-6 in the waning minutes of the period to secure their lead for good, despite some added pressure from Regan Marsh’s three-pointer, and drive inside along the way that allowed them to cut the Olean lead down to one.

But, it was not enough to pull through in the end.

“We battled our way back to keep it close with them,” Alvord said. The first half ended up being tied. We actually went up by six or seven in the third quarter, but we couldn’t find a way to close it out. Give Olean credit, they made the shots when they needed to. They had a couple of their girls really take over for them, and they made their free throws down the stretch along with it. Their 22 points in the fourth quarter compared to our 12 is not going to win any games for us.”

Marley Adams led all Lady Lions scorers on the floor with a game-high 14 points. Marsh followed behind with 13 points of her own to pair with seven rebounds pulled down from the glass. Emily Costello added in five points, while Kaylee Coleman grabbed seven boards to help charge the glass game.

Afterwards, Alvord reflected on the contributions that her four seniors have put forth this season, adding that while the team lost on one of the bittersweet nights of the season, it could also provide a blessing in disguise. Because the last time the team lost on a Senior Night? They won it all in Sectionals back in the 2015-16 season.

“Senior Night is bittersweet, it always is. The last time we lost on a day like this, we won a Sectional title,” she said. “The one thing that we can take away from this game, is we’ll have one more opportunity to play on this floor again as either a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the Class B2 tournament. I welcome that by all means. As for our seniors, I can’t say enough about Regan and what she has brought to this program. She’s quiet, and she goes about her business, but she’s a leader deep down. She’s a hard worker, and she’s really spent a lot of time improving upon her game.”

Alvord added, “Milla Litzburg is a great kid that’s been here all four years. She’s a great teammate to everyone on the team, and a nice young lady who’s great to be around on and off the court. I was glad to see Kayla Day come back out for the team this year. She really has pushed the girls in all the practices this season, bringing the best out of them. And then, Ashley Sexton came over from Scio. I didn’t know much about her when she first got here, but she really wanted to play basketball. It was nice to get her to join us as well. She’s been a big help off the bench.”

As for their regular season finale, that will take place after the weekend on Tuesday before the area sees an extended period off for the Mid-Winter break around the corner. The Lady Lions will hit the road westward bound to Bolivar-Richburg, as they look to close out with some momentum against the Lady Wolverines.

“We have one more game over to Bolivar on Tuesday,” Alvord said. “We have to go there, and take care of business. They’ve got some quick guards, and some size and height inside with the (Aliyah) Cole girl. We’ll get back to the drawing board on Monday to see what we can come up with, and then take it one step at a time from there.”

Olean             14   8  3 22 – 47

Wellsville 11 11 8 12 – 42

OLEAN: JoJo Gibbons 5 2-2 12, Chrissy Martin 0 1-2 1, Norah Sweitzer 5 0-0 13, Anayah Parks-Barker 1 1-2 4, Hayleigh Federowicz 4 5-6 13, Makayla Folts 1 0-0 2, Micheyla Williams 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 9-12 47.
WELLSVILLE: Marley Adams 5 4-5 14, Jaylynn Mess 1 0-0 3, Emily Costello 2 0-2 5, Kayla Day 1 0-0 3, Emily Robbins 0 2-2 2, Kaylee Coleman 1 0-0 2, Regan Marsh 6 0-0 13. Totals: 16 6-9 42.
3-point goals: Olean 4 (Sweitzer 3, Parks-Barker), Wellsville 4 (Mess, Costello, Day, Marsh).
Total Fouls: Olean 14, Wellsville 10. Fouled out: None.

Andover 48, Bolivar-Richburg 34

ANDOVER — Thursday night was Senior Night in the Panthers Den, and the night was also one that featured Andover’s last regular season game, as they took on visiting Bolivar-Richburg.

But it was also a night that belonged to Lady Panthers senior Emily Wahl, as she captained one of her best performances of the season with a headful of steam, marching her way to a game-high 23 points behind a hot three-point game to power Andover’s 48-34 victory over the visiting Lady Wolverines.

“The girls came out with the fire and focus we have had in the last few nights,” said Lady Panthers coach Jake Bannerman. “It was Senior Night, and we had great energy behind that. I credit Bolivar-Richburg though for weathering the storm we made, and they made it a game after the first quarter. They could have easily given up, but they really battled their way back hard.”

Right away, Andover (14-6) made a ton of commotion in the first eight minutes of play, finding each and every way toward the basket through the Bolivar-Richburg defense to establish a big 22-3 run of the Lady Wolverines, entering the second quarter. In the next frame, the Lady Wolverines nearly cut the deficit down below double digits, but would do so later on in the second half.

Despite a narrow outscoring put on the Lady Panthers, the visitors in black and red did not shy away from the challenge that was presented to them, cutting the deficit all the way down to as small as eight at one point, but Andover would regain focus to pull themselves away to the finish line with a strong finish to their season by winning four of their last five games.

Finishing behind Wahl in the home scorebook was Livia Simon, who had 11 more points to add. Kelsie Niedermaier had nine points inside, while Tess Spangenburg dropped five more to round off. On the other side, Aliyah Cole was busy underneath, netting a team-high 17 points for the Lady Wolverines (10-8). Madigan Harris and Jianna Nix each had six points.

After the game, Bannerman added his thoughts on his two seniors in Wahl, and Hayleigh Niedermaier.

“Emily and Hayleigh have worked really hard, and they both know how to set, and lead by examples,” he said. “Emily is a coach’s dream in all aspects of the game, and her basketball IQ is already higher than most players, and people I know, That includes coaches.”

Andover will now await Sectional seeding next weekend, as their temporary hiatus begins at a record of 14-6. As for Bolivar-Richburg, their final road game of the regular season takes place Saturday afternoon inside the Wighthouse, as they battle Cuba-Rushford at 12 p.m. in an afternoon twinbill between both schools.

Bolivar-Richburg      3 14  9   8 – 34

Andover                  22   7  7 12 – 48    

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: McKinlee Harris 1 2-2 4, Madigan Harris 3 0-0 6, Kelsey Pacer 0 1-3 1, Aliyah Cole 6 4-5 17, Jianna Nix 3 0-0 6. Totals: 13 7-10 34.
ANDOVER: Tess Spangenburg 2 0-0 5, Livia Simon 5 1-2 11, Emily Wahl 8 3-4 23, Kelsie Niedermaier 4 1-1 9. Totals: 19 5-7 48.

3-point goals: B-R 1 (Cole), Andover 5 (Wahl 4, Spangenburg).
Total Fouls: B-R 12, Andover 14. Fouled out: None.

Hinsdale 45, Cuba-Rushford 37

HINSDALE — The Lady Bobcats of Hinsdale managed to make their mark in the first half of play in their home meeting on Thursday. Despite a late fourth quarter rally from visiting Cuba-Rushford, they went on toward victory with a 45-37 win over the Lady Rebels to earn their eighth consecutive victory.

The Lady Bobcats (14-4) went right to work behind the guidance of Kaitlynn Roberson, who provided a big first half of play with 16 of the team’s 30 points to account for a 30-15 halftime lead of Cuba-Rushford. On the other hand, the Lady Rebels started to make their way back into the game in the late stages of the third quarter, despite being outscored, and into the fourth, where they held Hinsdale to just two points to cut the double digit deficit down to eight.

“I’m proud of how our girls refused to give up. We showed a lot of heart right up until the end of the game. Credit to Hinsdale, they played extra hard and extra tough tonight.” said Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight.

But it was not enough to overcome when the final buzzer sounded, as Roberson’s first half explosion held up as the leading performance on the floor out of all scorers, netting a game-high 22 points for the Lady Bobcats. Lindsey Veno contributed 12 points of her own, while Ashley Chapman had eight more to add.

Kate Howe led the way for Cuba-Rushford (8-9) with a team-high 20 points. Taylor Searle added in nine, while Cameron Shaw and Lillian Forward rounded off the Lady Rebels scoring with six, and two points respectively.

Hinsdale has hosted their final regular season home game of the season, as they now hit the road for their remaining pair of games beginning on Tuesday when they visit Fillmore for a 7:30 p.m. contest. As for the Lady Rebels, they return home to close out their regular season against the Bolivar-Richburg Lady Wolverines in a 12 p.m. afternoon matinee.

Cuba-Rushford       8   7 10 12 – 37

Hinsdale                15 15 13  2 – 45

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Lillian Forward 0 2-2 2, Taylor Searle 4 0-0 9, Kate Howe 8 4-5 20, Cameron Shaw 3 0-0 6. Totals: 15 6-7 37.
HINSDALE: Kaitlynn Roberson 9 3-6 22, Ashley Chapman 3 0-0 8, Kayla Brooks 1 0-0 3, Liz Pryzbyla 0 0-2 0, Lindsey Veno 5 2-2 12. Totals: 18 5-10 45.

3-point goals: C-R 1 (Searle), Hinsdale 4 (Chapman 2, Roberson, Brooks).
Total Fouls: C-R 11, Hinsdale 6. Fouled out: None.

Fillmore 53, Genesee Valley 21

BELMONT — After putting together a career-high performance against Bolivar-Richburg back on Thursday, Hannah Roeske was back at it again for the Lady Eagles of Fillmore, as she ignited the offense straight out of the gates and into the end of the first half, helping her team roll toward their third consecutive Allegany County Division I championship with a 53-21 win over host Genesee Valley.

“This makes three in a row for us in Division I. What I told the girls after the game was to not take this for granted, especially when I talked to the seniors,” said Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks. “It takes a lot of work to win in your league, especially when we have a lot of great players, and great coaches in it. They should enjoy this accomplishment. It was one of those boxes we were hoping to cross off this year, and we have plenty more left to go.”

Roeske led all scorers on the floor for Fillmore (17-2) with a game-high 20 points, assisting in a big first run to help shut the door permanently. Carlee Miller helped out the cause along the way, tallying 10 points of her own to go with four steals. Emma Cole had eight points to pair with her rebounds. Riley Voss and Erin Mawn both dished out six assists respectively.

The Lady Jaguars (2-17) were led by Adison Grusendorf and Sierra Burrows, as they put together a pair of five team-high point performances. Emera Aquila and Lizzie Bentley each had four points.

The Lady Eagles will make their way back home to The Rock to close out their regular season on Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. Senior Night tip-off against the Lady Bobcats of Hinsdale. As for the Lady Jaguars, their regular season will end on Wednesday over the road in Belfast for a 6 p.m. contest.



Fillmore                 11 15 16 11 – 53

Genesee Valley 2 4 9 6 – 21

FILLMORE: Riley Voss 2 2-2 6, Hannah Roeske 8 1-2 20, Emma Cole 3 2-4 8, Morgan Byer 2 0-0 6, Erin Mawn 1 0-0 3, Carlee Miller 4 2-2 10. Totals: 20 7-10 53.
GENESEE VALLEY: Adison Grusendorf 2 0-0 5, Emera Aquila 2 0-4 4, Lizzie Bentley 2 0-1 4, Hailey Herring 0 0-2 0, Addy Herring 1 0-0 2, Sierra Burrows 2 0-2 5, Katie Bartlett 0 1-2 1. Totals: 9 1-11 21.

3-point goals: Fillmore 6 (Roeske 3, Byer 2, Mawn), GV 2 (Grusendorf, Burrows).
Total Fouls: Fillmore 8, GV 7. Fouled out: None.

Houghton Academy 46, Friendship 24

HOUGHTON — Everything was clicking on all areas on the floor for the Lady Panthers of Houghton Academy on Thursday, as their offense cranked up the heat with a massive run, while the defense held visiting Friendship without a single shot, as they rolled their way toward a 46-24 home win over the Lady Golden Eagles.

Jessica Prentice was the main conductor behind the Lady Panthers (10-7) offense, as she poured in nearly half of the team’s points, settling for a game-high 24. Sarah Retz helped the cause with 12 points, all from within the arc. Emily Tankeh and Jessica Adenuga had four points each to add.

For Friendship (3-13), Kadence Donohue was hot from outside, nailing all four of the three-pointers the Lady Golden Eagles recorded to earn 13 team-high points. Nevaeh Ross chipped in with seven points, while Logan Roberts and Keely Sisson had a pair of points respectively.

The regular season will end for both teams in the upcoming days, as Houghton Academy wraps up their homestand Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. contest against Arkport/Canaseraga, while Friendship awaits the same Lady Panthers squad back home on Tuesday at 6 p.m to wrap up a season-ending home-at-home series.

Friendship                     0   1  6 17 – 24

Houghton Academy   20 14  6  6 – 46

FRIENDSHIP: Nevaeh Ross 3 0-0 7, Logan Roberts 1 0-0 2, Keely Sisson 1 0-0 2, Kadence Donohue 4 1-2 13. Totals: 9 1-2 24.
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jessica Prentice 11 2-4 24, Emma Retz 1 0-3 2, Sarah Retz 6 0-0 12, Emily Tankeh 1 2-2 4, Jessica Adenuga 2 0-0 4. Totals: 21 4-9 46.

3-point goals: Friendship 4 (Donohue).
Total Fouls: Friendship 8, Houghton 5. Fouled out: None.

Chris Brooks
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