Wednesday Roundup: Lions keep pace with C-R atop County standings, defeat Scio in four sets; Wellsville hoops falls at Whitman

Written By Chris Brooks

WELLSVILLE — Feelings of frustration and angst surrounded the Lions side of the court toward the middle and end of the night’s opening set against visiting Scio on Wednesday. Having already established a quick and lengthy lead of the Tigers from the start, it began to shrink, and fast. As a result, Scio completed a comeback to take the lead heading into the second set.

But during the brief two minute intermission between sets, Wellsville took time to cool off and go back to what they’ve done best for most of this season — play exceptional volleyball. In the remaining three sets, that’s exactly what they did, as they kept pace with Cuba-Rushford atop the Allegany County League standings by taking wins in each of the remaining sets to pull away with a four-set win over the Tigers (21-25, 25-8, 25-19, 25-20).

“When Scio made a comeback to win the first set, the frustration on our side was very obvious,” Lions coach Jaguar Santas said. “I will admit, I was a bit scared that they would carry that frustration with them into the rest of the match. A negative attitude on the court is enough to sink a team’s chances.”

Santas was glad that his team didn’t carry the emotions for the rest of the night.

Instead, the Lions (6-1) made up for lost time in a second set that saw them dominate the entire floor after Scio initially started off with three of the set’s first five points. The hosts would go on to hold the Tigers to just five more points from that point until the end of the set, rolling behind a 23-5 run to tie the match at a set each, using it to set a tone in the remaining pair of sets to come away victorious in the end.

“After taking it out, the boys stepped back onto the court to start the second set. Every player had a positive and encouraging attitude which led to confident, aggressive play,” said Santas. “Because of it, we ultimately got the win. I am very proud, and very impressed by the mental toughness demonstrated by every player on my team today.”

Walker Waldon led the high octane Wellsville offense with a game-high 13 kills. Isaiah Scott was not far behind with 11 kills of his own, pairing them with five digs and four aces. Jake Schrlau led the service with five aces, while setter Matt Bittel had a whopping 23 assists to dish out.

Scio (2-5) was led by Patryk Pietruszka, who had 11 kills on offense, and six blocks at the net. Jude Marion led the Tigers serving department with 11 service points. Simge Sahbaz had four assists, and three service points, while Elia Travaini handed out eight assists up front to go with a trio of his own aces.

Both teams will have their crack at the Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines in a pair of 6 p.m. contests coming up, with Wellsville welcoming them into town on Friday. Next week, Scio will play host to the Wolverines on Wednesday.

Cuba-Rushford 3, Bolivar-Richburg 0

RICHBURG — In their first match after capturing the Genesee Valley Mid-Season Tournament championship this past weekend, the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford picked up where they left off from it on Wednesday, as they traveled to Bolivar-Richburg and left town with a straight-set sweep of the host Wolverines by a 25-23, 25-13, 25-8 count.

Chandler Wirth led the offense with five team-high kills for the Rebels (6-1). Caden Larabee was busy at the net, dishing out 15 assists to go with seven aces from the service line, and one kill. The Wolverines (4-3) were paced by Chase Murray, who recorded three kills, two aces and a block. Hunter Stuck provided two kills, two digs and a block.

Both teams are back in action on Friday at 6 p.m, as Cuba-Rushford remains at home to welcome in Genesee Valley, while Bolivar-Richburg continues their road swing into Wellsville.

Arkport/Canaseraga 3, Genesee Valley 2

ARKPORT — Genesee Valley and Arkport/Canaseraga fought their way through back-and-forth sets that eventually saw a result coming after the very last set. In the end, it was the host Wolves that won the battle over the Jaguars in the fifth set by a 15-9 count as a part of their five-set win (19-25, 25-23, 25-17, 19-25, 15-9) on Wednesday.

The Jaguars (0-7) saw a heavy dose of offense from Devin Cline, who led the way with a team-high 12 kills to go with one ace. Austin Ford chipped in with six more kills to pair with four digs, while setter Logan Torrey dished out a game-high 23 assists, along with six kills of his own and three aces from the service line.

“It was good to see Austin Ford really step up and contribute,” said Jaguars coach Darren Bradt. “He had a great hitting game while he was playing on the weak side. There’s a lot of things we still have to work. Arkport really covered the floor tremendously well, and we just couldn’t do anything with it.”

The Wolves were led by Mikah Hoyt, who had 18 service points to go with five blocks, two kills and two aces.

Genesee Valley will return to the floor this evening back on the road, as they head out to Cuba-Rushford.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Marcus Whitman 63, Wellsville 41

RUSHVILLE — The Lions have been off of action for a week to prepare for one of their newest and toughest additions to this year’s schedule — Marcus Whitman, a team that is becoming one of Class C’s biggest threats as the season goes on. On Wednesday, Wellsville took the road trip just outside of Canandaigua in hopes of staying above .500 on their return home.

Through the early stages, the Lions hung right with the host Wildcats. But in the next two quarters of play, Marcus Whitman made a large amount of noise, as they provided two big runs to keep Wellsville in check while they pulled away for good toward the finish line with a 63-41 victory.

“We had a few things that didn’t go our way in the early stages of the game between missing some early shots, and getting into foul trouble. We got ourselves into some quicksand, and we just couldn’t get out of it.” said Lions coach Raymie Auman.

Both Wellsville and Marcus Whitman battled toward a 9-9 tie after the opening quarter, but the Wildcats came out refreshed in the second as they powered up a 17-point quarter while holding the Lions (6-6) to their lowest productive frame inside a 17-5 first half-ending jaunt for a 12-point advantage at the break.

Then, an early third quarter dagger was garnered by Marcus Whitman, as they found their groove on all areas of the hardwood in the midst of a 28-14 doubling up of the Lions to branch their double digit lead out insurmountably, sending Wellsville back down to .500 once again.

“Credit to Whitman, when they smelled blood in the water, they increased their intensity level,” Auman said. “Coming out of the half, we didn’t have that winner’s edge when we needed to make a run. We kept focusing on our offense holding us down, rather than having a strong defense lead out way back into the game.”

Max Jusianiec and Eli Schmidt led the Wellsville offense with 22 of the team’s 41 points combined, with Jusianiec pacing the scoring with a team-high 12, while Schmidt followed with 10. Logan Dunbar chipped in with seven points, while Tim Jones had four.

The Lions will return home on Friday, as they play host to the Attica Blue Devils in their first meeting since the Class B2 Semifinal round last season in Dansville. A game which saw the Lions pick up the win on their way to a Class B2 championship. This time around, Auman says that both teams look very differently, but it remains a must win game for his team.

“This is almost certainly a must win game for us,” he said. “Attica is quite different from last year, and we are as well. Regardless, it will still be very important to see where we stand with an opponent from within our class.”

Wellsville                  9   5 14 13 – 41

Marcus Whitman      9 17 28   9 – 63

WELLSVILLE: Tyler Sands 1 0-0 2, Max Jusianiec 4 3-4 12, Eli Schmidt 4 0-0 10, Liam McKinley 1 1-2 3, Logan Dunbar 3 1-1 7, Aidan Hart 1 1-2 3, Tim Jones 2 0-0 4. Totals: 16 4-6 41.

MARCUS WHITMAN: Ryan Herod 2 1-2 6, Aidan Royston 1 0-2 2, Noah Hildreth 5 0-1 13, Liam Prendergast 3 1-2 7, Carson Miller 1 0-0 2, Jordan Lahue 11 0-0 26, Seth Benedict 2 0-0 5, Connor Tomion 0 2-2 2. Totals: 22 4-9 63.

3-point goals: Wellsville 3 (Schmidt 2, Jusianiec), Whitman 9 (Lahue 4, Hildreth 3, Herod, Benedict).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 14, Whitman 13. Fouled out: None.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Andover 41, Bolivar-Richburg 30

BOLIVAR — Bolivar-Richburg made the game interesting in the last eight minutes of play, but with a defensive effort that held them to single digits in the first half, visiting Andover managed to capitalize on all aspects, as they used a 23-8 run to stay in the driver’s seat with a 41-30 edge over the Lady Wolverines on Wednesday.

“It was too little, too late. Andover had the game in hand, but we looked like a solid basketball team toward the end of the third and into the fourth,” said Lady Wolverines coach Justin Thomas. “We dug back in and got some good looks, but the early part of the game hurt us. We threw a lot of possessions away. Andover really battled their way through the entire night, and dominated underneath. That’s been a strong part of our game.”

Three different scorers led the Lady Panthers (7-3) offense all evening behind their big first half run of Bolivar-Richburg. Livia Simon was at the top of the Andover scorebook with a game-high 13 points. Kelsie Niedermaier followed behind with 12 points of her own, while Emily Wahl chipped in with 10 points.

Bolivar-Richburg (6-4) was charged by Aliyah Cole’s inside game, as she tallied a team-leading 11 points to go with 10 rebounds, completing her double-double. Madigan Harris provided nine points, while Kelsey Pacer followed with eight points and eight rebounds.

Both teams are back in action Friday night at 7:30 p.m, as Andover pays a visit to Fillmore, while Bolivar-Richburg remains at home to host unbeaten and State-ranked Canisteo-Greenwood.

Andover                     12 11 14   4 – 41

Bolivar-Richburg        3   5 10 12 – 30

ANDOVER: Rylie Bryan 1 0-0 2, Tess Spangenburg 1 1-2 4, Katie Calladine 0 0-2 0, Livia Simon 6 1-4 13, Emily Wahl 3 2-4 10, Kelsie Niedermaier 5 2-6 12. Totals: 16 6-18 41.

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: McKinlee Harris 0 0-2 0, Madigan Harris 3 3-3 9, Kelsey Pacer 3 2-4 8, Aliyah Cole 4 3-8 11, Jianna Nix 1 0-0 2. Totals: 11 8-17 30.

3-point goals: Andover 3 (Wahl 2, Spangenburg)

Total Fouls: Andover 17, B-R 15. Fouled out: None.

Whitesville 57, Jasper-Troupsburg 38

JASPER — A 21-point quarter was the beginning of big things for the Whitesville offense, as Vanessa Hall put together another explosive night on offense behind a game-high 28 points to help the Lady Jays make some noise right away in the first half with a big run in their 57-38 victory over host Jasper-Troupsburg on Wednesday.

“I thought we did some good things tonight, and I liked our effort,” said Lady Blue Jays coach Aaron Rawady. “We shared the ball well for the most part, and also looked to rebound at a high rate. We need to do a better job finishing around the rim, and also clean some things up with our defensive rotations. Hopefully we can improve those things before another tough matchup for us on Tuesday.”

The big opening quarter for Whitesville (7-2) allowed them to start their offensive production on the right foot. In the second quarter, they focused on their defensive game plan by holding Jasper-Troupsburg to their lowest scoring quarter of the night, coming away with a 13-5 run to extend their lead out permanently.

Serina Button helped the offensive cause for the Lady Blue Jays with nine points. Kate Pensyl provided eight points, while Kennedy Bledsoe had six to add in.

Whitesville returns to action on Tuesday back home at 6 p.m, as they welcome in the Alfred-Almond Lady Eagles for a visit.

Whitesville               21 13 10 13 – 57

Jasper-Troupsburg    10   5 12 11 – 38  

WHITESVILLE: Kennedy Bledsoe 3 0-0 6, Rachel Jackson 1 0-0 2, Vanessa Hall 11 3-4 28, Chelsie Reisman 1 0-0 2, Kate Pensyl 3 0-1 8, Serina Button 4 0-0 9, Gabbi Hall 1 0-0 2. Totals: 24 3-5 57.
JASPER-TROUPSBURG: Allyson Hayes 1 0-0 2, Kayla Atherton 4 3-6 15, Brynn Waters 7 0-1 15, Jade Atherton 3 2-3 8. Totals: 15 5-10 38.

3-point goals: Whitesville 6 (Hall 3, Pensyl 2, Button), J-T 3 (K. Atherton 2, Waters).
Total Fouls: Whitesville 11, J-T 9. Fouled out: None.

Belfast 47, Friendship 14

BELFAST — It may have taken a span of nine games, but the Lady Bulldogs of Belfast collected their first victory of the season on Wednesday at home, as they used a strong first half of play to set the bar on their 47-14 victory over visiting Friendship.

“It was awesome. We got into a little foul trouble early on, and the girls really stepped up despite it,” Lady Bulldogs coach Jimmy Schneider said. “The maturity of the girls is really starting to come along. They all continue to show really good improvement. We’ve been known to hurry our shots, hurry our passes instead of taking our time with them. Finally, we put 32 minutes together and it was really impressive to see all the hard work pay off.”

The Lady Bulldogs (1-8) broke free in the first 16 minutes of play, holding the Lady Golden Eagles to just seven points across their 24-7 run that allowed them to add to it for good. Alicia Borden had a big night for the hosts in white and red, netting a game-high 17 points. Emma Sullivan collected 11 points of her own, while Mary Hamer and Jaiden Enders each had six to add in.

Kadence Donohue led Friendship (1-9) with a team-high seven points.

Belfast will look to keep things going over the road on Tuesday, as they visit the Arkport/Canaseraga Lady Wolves for a 6 p.m. contest. Friendship will pay a visit to Houghton Academy this Friday night at 6 p.m.

Friendship       5   2   5  2 – 14 

Belfast           12 12  9 14 – 47


FRIENDSHIP: Navaeh Ross 1 1-3 3, Logan Roberts 1 0-0 2, Kadence Donohue 3 0-0 7, Kendra Gleason 1 0-0 2. Totals: 6 1-3 14.
BELFAST: Caitlin Sadler 1 0-2 2, Alicia Borden 7 0-2 17, Anna Drozdowski 0 1-6 1, Mary Hamer 3 0-0 6, Junie Shaw 2 0-0 4, Emma Sullivan 5 0-2 11, Jaiden Enders 3 0-0 6. Totals: 21 1-12 47.

3-point goals: Friendship 1 (Donohue), Belfast 4 (Borden 3, Sullivan).
Total Fouls: Friendship 15, Belfast 13. Fouled out: None.

Fillmore 75, Genesee Valley 15

FILLMORE — After the team’s long-awaited win over Wellsville back on Monday, it gave the Lady Eagles of Fillmore a new boost of momentum heading back home to take on Genesee Valley back inside The Rock on Wednesday. They used a good amount of it after a 14-5 early lead of the Lady Jaguars, as they put on a 45-4 run in the next two quarters of play to roll toward a 75-15 victory to remain unbeaten.

The Lady Eagles (8-0) saw four different players record at least 10 points in the scorebook, with their senior captain Hannah Roeske paving the way with a game-high 20 points. Emma Cole did some more damage off the bench, picking up where she left off in Wellsville with a 14-point performance. Carlee Miller, and Tayler Bedow each contributed 13 and 12 points respectively to help the cause.

Genesee Valley (2-10) was led by Isabelle Ordway and her team-high six points. Emera Aquila added four points, while Adison Grusendorf and Lizzie Bentley each tallied two points. Sierra Burrows had the remaining point from the free throw line.

Both teams will have the Andover Lady Panthers next on their schedule, with Fillmore playing host to them this Friday at 7:30 p.m. The Lady Jaguars will head to Andover for a 7:30 p.m. contest of their own on Tuesday.

Genesee Valley       5   4   0   6 – 15

Fillmore                14 25 20 15 – 75 

GENESEE VALLEY: Adison Grusendorf 0 2-2 2, Emera Aquila 2 0-0 4, Lizzie Bentley 1 0-0 2, Sierra Burrows 0 1-2 1, Isabelle Ordway 2 2-2 6. Totals: 5 5-6 15.
FILLMORE: Hannah Roeske 9 1-1 20, Emma Cole 7 0-0 14, Tayler Bedow 5 2-2 12, Jadyn Mucher 2 0-0 5, Morgan Byer 1 0-0 3, Erin Mawn 3 0-0 8, Carlee Miller 5 2-3 13, Harley Miller 0 0-2 0. Totals: 33 7-10 75.

3-point goals: Fillmore 6 (Mawn 2, Roeske, Mucher, Byer, C. Miller)
Total Fouls: GV 9, Fillmore 12. Fouled out: None.

Arkport/Canaseraga 52, Scio 21

SCIO — Three different scorers recorded double digit figures for the Arkport/Canaseraga Lady Wolves, as they tallied a strong 22-point first quarter to set the tone the rest of the evening on Wednesday, as they rolled to a 52-21 victory over the host Lady Tigers of Scio.

Despite being held to nine combined points in the first, the Lady Tigers (1-9) scored their biggest quarter in the third, outscoring Arkport/Canaseraga by a 12-10 count with Ashlynn Scotchmer scoring seven of her 10 team-leading points within the frame. Emily Stilson recorded four points, while Camryn Wiech had a three-pointer to add. Celina Warboys and Melena Davenport rounded off the Scio scoring with two points each.

The Lady Tigers are back on the floor Friday night, as they welcome in the Lima Christian Lady Saints for a 5:30 p.m. contest.

Arkport/Canaseraga     22 10 10 10 – 52

Scio                                 4  5 12   0 – 21  

ARKPORT/CANASERAGA: Guilianna Smith 5 0-0 13, Victoria McDaniel 3 6-13 13, Brooke Shinebarger 2 0-0 4, Caitlin O'Dea 2 0-2 4, Meghan Patrick 5 0-0 11, McKenzie Hedges 4 0-2 8, McKenzie Lohmer 1 0-0 2. Totals: 22 6-17 52.

SCIO: Ashlynn Scotchmer 4 0-1 10, Camryn Wiech 1 0-0 3, Emily Stilson 2 0-0 4, Celina Warboys 1 0-2 2, Melena Davenport 1 0-0 2. Totals: 9 0-3 21.

3-point goals: A/C 5 (Smith 3, McDaniel, Patrick), Scio 3 (Scotchmer 2, Wiech).
Total Fouls: A/C 11, Scio 10. Fouled out: None.

Chris Brooks
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