Tuesday Roundup: Hall surpasses legendary Lady Jay Stephany Ellison to become Whitesville’s All-Time leading scorer in And/Whi win over A-A; Lady Lions hold off Lady Rams in B2 slugfest

Written By Chris Brooks

ANDOVER — It has been a record that has gone untouched since nearly the turn of the decade. The All-Time scoring record in Whitesville that has been held by legendary Lady Jay, and perhaps one of Allegany County’s finest to ever grace the high school sports arena — Stephany Ellison.

The number to beat was 1,530. And for nearly 10 years, that significant number in Whitesville’s history has remained at the top. That was until Tuesday night, when the climb to the top of the school’s basketball mountain for one Lady Jay, finally reached its summit.

All that was needed to complete that nearly career-long climb to the top, was just three more points. And although it took a while in their home contest against Alfred-Almond, Vanessa Hall’s quest to cement her legacy was finally imprinted.

The Andover/Whitesville junior was able to smash the record that had hung visibly in the House that Dan Denner built for so long, as she connected off an outside pass in the middle, and provided the bucket underneath to become Whitesville’s All-Time leading scorer with career point No. 1,531 off the bucket to surpass Ellison officially in the team’s 64-10 win over the visiting Lady Eagles in Andover.

“Stephany is one of the best athletes this area has seen. To be mentioned in the same conversation as her, just speaks to the type of player that Vanessa is,” said Andover/Whitesville co-coach Aaron Rawady. “When she found out she was close to breaking her record, the thing she said mattered most to her was being able to be around her teammates and family when it happened, because she knew they were the reason she was able to achieve this. That tells you what kind of teammate, and person she is, and has become.”

In addition to Hall rewriting Whitesville’s history books, Andover/Whitesville (10-2) celebrated Senior Night in style by honoring all four of their Seniors — Serena Ainsworth, Rachel Jackson, Addison Morgan, and Hall’s host sister: Maria Riloba.

All four Seniors found the scorebook to top off an incredible night for the hosts in white and purple against Alfred-Almond, overcoming a slow 4-1 start through nearly half the quarter, by finishing it with the next 15 points in a row, including all three of Hall’s points she would need to break the record.

Hall would finish with a game-high 22 points for Andover/Whitesville.

“It was a pretty special night for a few reasons. It was Senior Night, so we got a chance to recognize Rachel, Serena, Addison and Maria for all they have done for our programs during their careers,” said Rawady. “I can’t say enough about what they have meant to us over the years. Each of them played really well tonight as well, so it was nice for that to happen on this particular night.”

Finishing behind Hall was Jackson, who chipped in with 12 points of her own, while Riloba and Morgan followed with nine, and eight points respectively for Andover/Whitesville.

Up next on their slate, is a massive Allegany County showdown over the road, as Andover/Whitesville gets set to visit Class D’s No. 1 ranked team — the Lady Eagles of Fillmore, in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off on Friday.

Andover/Whitesville co-coach Jake Bannerman says that the team will have to put together one of their most complete performances to hang right with Fillmore across all 32 minutes, come this weekend.

“Tonight was great to celebrate some achievements, but we have to get down to business from here on out,” he said. “It will be a true test if the girls can go into Fillmore and show that they can handle a tough, Sectional favorite and their hostile environment. We have to show that we are a better team than we were before. We have to make strides to be a force ourselves. The big thing for us is to play as a team, work our tails off and to commit, accept and execute our roles on the team.”

Alfred-Almond 4 2 2 2 – 10

Andover/Whitesville 16 22 19 7 – 64

ALFRED-ALMOND: Chloe Bracken 2 0-0 4, Jessica McMahon 3 0-0 6. Totals: 5 0-0 10.

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Gabbi Hall 3 0-0 6, Vanessa Hall 9 1-2 22, Serena Ainsworth 2 0-0 5, Rachel Jackson 5 1-4 12, Addison Morgan 4 0-0 8, Maria Riloba 4 1-2 9, Brynn Scholl 1 0-0 2. Totals: 28 3-8 64.

3-point goals: A/W 5 (V. Hall 3, Ainsworth, Jackson).
Total Fouls: A-A 7, A/W 6. Fouled out: None.

Wellsville 51, Bath-Haverling 41

WELLSVILLE — There was no doubt from within the minds of the Lady Lions of Wellsville that their last battle against Bath-Haverling back during the Christmas break was one they wanted to have back.

What better way to use that defeat, than to use it as motivation for the next go-around against Lady Rams. With an incredibly challenging three-game stand on the horizon next week, Lady Lions coach Michelle Alvord said her squad will need all the momentum they can get to clear the hurdles in front of them, and their trek towards Sectionals.

“There’s no question that the girls wanted this,” she said. “We knew as a team that we could play right along with Bath. I said the same thing to the girls right before the Hornell game this past weekend, that in order to do what we need to do, we needed to come out and be aggressive. We’re five Seniors deep on the floor, and I wanted them to come out, establish themselves, and set the tone early on this court.”

A chance to try and set the tone early was blocked by the Lady Rams, as both teams hung right with one another through the first half, even after the Lady Lions fell behind by as much as 10 at one point during the first quarter.

But after Wellsville continued digging in to stay within Bath-Haverling’s reach, the second half provided a reward.

After falling behind by a 15-9 count through the opening eight minute period, the Lady Lions mounted a comeback that ultimately saw them go ahead, buckling down on defense and holding the Lady Rams to just 15 more points combined in the last 16 minutes of action along the way to overtake the lead, building on it in turn to deliver another massive victory by a 51-41 count, Tuesday night in the Lion’s Den.

“I think the girls really rose to the occasion,” Alvord said. “We got down early, but we never quit. We were doing some good things, and they hung with it all the way. We took care of business on our home floor, and they talked about it partially last week that we haven’t lost on this floor yet this year. The girls reminded each other of that, and it being their last time playing Bath on this floor during one of the last timeouts in the game. That really helped provide a big boost of confidence down the stretch.”

Bath-Haverling got off to as good of a start as any, holding an electric Wellsville (12-2) offense to just five points through the first portion of the opening quarter while they capitalized on a quick 10-point lead of their own along the way, with multiple Lady Rams getting involved on offense to score eight straight points in the midst of their early 15-5 run.

In the second quarter, both teams went back and forth providing responses to each other’s baskets, which would allow Bath-Haverling to maintain positioning on their lead going into the break. Despite it, the Lady Lions did just enough through an attack that saw Marley Adams and Emily Costello rise to the occasion to cut their deficit down to just a single possession heading to the break.

The Lady Lions would buckle down on defense in the second half though, as they held Bath-Haverling to just 15 more points across the remaining two quarters to connect with some offensive spurts of their own, starting the third quarter quickly with Marley Adams knocking down a big three-point play to tie the game at 26 in the first minute.

From that play until the end of the frame, the action would move slowly, as the trading of baskets resumed. It would become a 15-9 run for the Lady Lions in all, which would allow them to take the lead away from the Lady Rams, ultimately for good, as Bath-Haverling never unbuckled Wellsville from the driver’s seat.

The fourth quarter saw the Lady Lions pull away toward victory with some clutch shots falling from all around the inside, growing their lead instantaneously with five of the quarter’s first seven points heading in their direction with the Costello and Adams connection clicking in their favor once more.

The lead would reach as much as 10, and remain there for the rest of the game, as the Lady Lions held on for a colossal victory over their Class B2 counterparts.

Adams would finish as Wellsville’s leading scorer behind a game-high 17 point effort. Costello was not far behind, adding in 13 points of her own go along with five assists. Off the boards, Kaylee Coleman led the team with eight rebounds, while Jaylynn Mess had six more to contribute.

“Marley didn’t have her best game over at their tournament back during Christmas, and we watched some film on that game to prepare us for this,” said Alvord. “She played remarkably well this time around, and she was really aggressive tonight. She was clutch as well. Emily Costello did a nice job defensively on one of their best players, Kaylee and Jaylynn’s defense has been outstanding, and Emily Robbins provided us some great minutes. We didn’t allow any of their scorers to reach double digits, and we were able to come up with a well-rounded team effort because of it.”

The Lady Lions are now off until Monday night, as they prepare to welcome in the Dansville Lady Mustangs for a 7 p.m. visit into the Den.

“To me, this is a measuring stick but the next four games are going to tell us where we are before we head into Sectionals,” said Alvord. “Dansville, Portville, Hornell and Cuba are going to be some tough games. With the Senior leadership and the young kids behind them, there’s no doubt that they will put in the time to be ready for this challenge coming up. They really know how to come together as a group.”

Bath-Haverling 15 11 9 6 – 41

Wellsville 9 14 15 13 – 51

BATH-HAVERLING: Keegan Smith 4 0-0 8, Gillian Oksinski 2 0-0 5, Sydney Burns 3 0-0 6, Meredith Czajkowski 2 0-0 4, Emma Luckenbach 3 1-2 7, Natalie Krelie 3 0-2 6, Cadence Stermole 1 0-0 2, Raegan Faulkner 1 0-0 3. Totals: 19 1-4 41.
WELLSVILLE: Marley Adams 6 5-6 17, Jaylynn Mess 1 2-4 4, Emily Costello 6 0-1 13, Jaelyn Knapp 4 1-2 9, Emily Robbins 3 0-0 6, Kaylee Coleman 0 0-2 0, Makenna Dunbar 1 0-0 2. Totals: 21 8-16 51.

3-point goals: B-H 2 (Oksinski, Faulkner), Wellsville 1 (Costello).
Total Fouls: B-H 13, Wellsville 9. Fouled out: None.

Fillmore 51, Hinsdale 16

FILLMORE — Class D’s top team in New York State has found the win column for the 14th straight game, as a 22-3 first quarter run against visiting Hinsdale helped set up the Lady Eagles of Fillmore for great success at home in The Rock in what was a 51-16 victory on Tuesday.

“We are proud to be in the position that we are in, and it reflects the hard work this group puts in day in, and day out,” said Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks. “At the same time, we know the rankings can be fun to look at, but they don’t pass out hardware based on where you are in them. We don’t take the recognition for granted, but our focus is just continuing to get better and be as prepared as we can come Sectional time, regardless of where we appear in the rankings.”

The first game being ranked as one of the State’s best saw the Lady Eagles (14-0) and their tag team of Emma Cole and Hope Russell combine to record 33 of the team’s 51 total points on the floor, with Cole leading the way with a game-high 19 points along with eight rebounds.

Russell added in 14 points of her own to pair with six steals, while Grace Russell handed out four assists.

Hinsdale (0-10) was led by both Jaylee Jimerson and Sarah Tuttle, who recorded seven team-high points each. The Lady Bobcats head back home to host Houghton Academy tonight in a 6 p.m. tip-off.

The Lady Eagles are back on the floor this Friday night for a massive Allegany County showdown with red hot Andover/Whitesville in a 7:30 p.m. contest.

Hinsdale 3 0 7 6 – 16

Fillmore 22 18 8 3 – 51

HINSDALE: Hannah Sutton 1 0-0 2, Jaylee Jimerson 3 0-0 7, Sarah Tuttle 3 0-0 7. Totals: 7 0-0 16.
FILLMORE: Hope Russell 6 1-2 14, Grace Russell 3 0-0 6, Rachel Hatch 1 0-0 2, Jadyn Mucher 3 0-1 6, Emma Cole 9 1-2 19, Madi Geertman 2 0-0 4. Totals: 24 2-5 51.
3-point goals: Hinsdale 2 (Jimerson, Tuttle), Fillmore 1 (H. Russell).
Total Fouls: Hinsdale 4, Fillmore 3. Fouled out: None.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Bath-Haverling 59, Wellsville 45

BATH — Wellsville was on the rebound to begin the brand new week of action Tuesday after suffering defeats to the hands of Hornell in a week’s span. After falling to the Red Raiders this past weekend over the road, the Lions looked to perform a season sweep of Bath-Haverling.

Through the first half, both the Lions and Rams provided some competitive exchanges to keep pace with one another heading into the locker room at the break, which saw a one-point lead being garnered by the hosts in white and blue.

When the second half approached, the pace was turned up on Wellsville.

Bath-Haverling created an opening, and despite a massive night from Eli Schmidt, the Rams were able to provide a solid third quarter on both ends of the floor, holding Wellsville to a game-low of five points to ultimately assist in securing their 31-30 narrow halftime lead for good to roll their way towards triumph with a 59-45 home victory.

“Sports are great because anyone can beat anyone on any given night,” said Lions coach Raymie Auman. “You always have to bring your best effort or nights like these can happen. Tonight, we were out-coached, out-worked, and we played very uninspiring basketball. We need to have a great two days of practice, and it starts with us coaches. We cannot let this happen again.”

Logan Dunbar helped start up a first quarter for Wellsville (6-7) with a solid inside presence behind six of the team’s 12 points. But the Rams were able to use a balanced effort across the board in the first half to remain one small step ahead of their opposition going into the break.

In the second half, Bath-Haverling found an opening against the Lions, as they buckled down on defense to deliver a 10-5 run that would help turn the tide in their favor, led by both AJ Brotz and Keefer Calkins, who combined for seven of the team’s 10 points in the frame to set up shop on offense, while holding the visitors in black and orange to just five points on the opposite end of the floor.

That momentum shift would carry into the final eight minute period, when the Rams strung together their most sound showing of offense in the game, using a combination of inside buckets and free throws down the stretch to secure their victory for good with an 18-10 outscoring of Wellsville.

Despite the loss, Schmidt had one of the biggest nights of the season for the Lions, recording a game-high 25 points. Dunbar and Cody Costello each recorded eight points, while Alex Perkins added in the team’s remaining four points.

Wellsville will now look to jump back into the win column over the road once more Friday night, visiting Bolivar-Richburg to close out their season series in a 7:30 p.m. battle.

Wellsville 12 18 5 10 – 45

Bath-Haverling 14 17 10 18 – 59

WELLSVILLE: Cody Costello 3 0-0 8, Alex Perkins 2 0-1 4, Eli Schmidt 9 6-7 25, Logan Dunbar 4 0-0 8. Totals: 18 6-8 45.
BATH-HAVERLING: Austin Durand 3 4-5 10, Keefer Calkins 8 3-7 20, AJ Brotz 5 2-3 15, Justin Yehl 1 2-3 4, Cayden Mattison 3 0-2 6, Kobe Moore 0 4-6 4. Totals: 20 15-26 59.

3-point goals: Wellsville 3 (Costello 2, Schmidt), B-H 4 (Brotz 3, Calkins).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 16, B-H 13. Fouled out: None.

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Wellsville 3, Bolivar-Richburg 2

WELLSVILLE — In what was deemed a back-and-forth battle all across the evening, Bolivar-Richburg and Wellsville dealt blow after blow in their final regular season matchup on Tuesday in the Lion’s Den. From start to finish, the two squads were neck and neck.

In three of the five sets, the decisions were decided by just two points, two of them being sent into extra serves. That includes the fifth and game-deciding set, where the Lions were able to shrug off a third set defeat to the hands of the Wolverines, and come away victorious with a five-set win with two consecutive victories in the 17-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-21, 16-14 decision.

“Both teams played a very tough battle tonight,” said Lions coach Adam Kellogg. “The game could have went either way. Gavan Dickerson played an incredibly phenomenal game on defense, and that’s what really turned this game around in our favor. All the underclassmen that got to play really stepped up for us, and put forth a very impressive effort. They never gave up, and kept on pushing to get us the win.”

Dickerson’s incredible night on the floor for the Lions (7-4) consisted of 10 kills, 10 digs, three aces and two blocks to help charge up the effort. On the attack, Xavier Scott led with 12 kills to pair with three blocks, three digs and three aces of his own.

From the service line, Matt Bittel and Lucius Griggs provided stellar showings, with Griggs recording 10 service points to go with seven digs, six kills and two aces, while Bittel recorded a game-high 23 service points to couple alongside with 20 game-high assists, five digs, three aces and two digs.


Statistics for the Wolverines (3-8) were not provided upon publication.

Both teams will conclude their regular season in the coming days, with the Lions looking to finish strong with a 6 p.m. first serve back on their home floor tonight against Genesee Valley/Belfast, while Bolivar-Richburg hits the road in a 6 p.m. battle of their own in Scio on Thursday.

Cuba-Rushford 3, Scio 0

SCIO — The Rebels of Cuba-Rushford were one last victory away from ending the regular season with perfection. Their chance to complete it came on Tuesday back over the road, and right away, they would waste no time, starting out hot in the first set and never looking back on another straight-set win by a 25-14, 25-7, 25-17 count over host Scio.

Nate Cole led the offensive effort once more for the Rebels (13-0) with a game-high nine aces from the service line to pair with four kills at the front of the net. Andrew Achey chipped in with two kills and an ace, while Andersen Siegel followed with two more aces of his own to go along with one kill and one ace.

For the Tigers (3-8), Will Broach led the service with nine team-high service points. Max Morris added in six service points of his own along with two kills, two blocks and an ace. Jude Marion helped the offense with two kills up front.

The Rebels will head into the County Tournament this weekend with the top seed and a perfect 13-0 record, while Scio concludes their regular season Thursday night back on their home floor by hosting Bolivar-Richburg in a 6 p.m. first serve.

WRESTLING

Bolivar-Richburg 54, Wellsville 24

WELLSVILLE — For the next three matches, the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg close out their regular season on the mat on the move. Their road trip began on Tuesday with a visit to Wellsville before closing out with stops in Portville, Addison and Avoca.

Out of nine total matches on the mat, the Wolverines made sure they started their road stand strong by winning all of them, and by pin-fall, as they rolled their way toward victory by a 54-24 decision against the host Lions.

Bolivar-Richburg started the evening with three straight victories out of the gate beginning with Lloyd Kinnicutt at 285 pounds, as he defeated Wellsville’s Evin Rought with a pin-fall victory right before the end of the first period at 1:59. Gary McDowell (102 pounds) and Teegan Sibble (110 pounds) followed with pin-fall victories of their own at 1:05, and 1:37 respectively.

After Trey Buchholz added a 3:22 pin-fall win over Jack Cicirello at 126 pounds, the Wolverines added five more pin-fall victories, including Tavyn MacDonell, who recorded the team’s quickest pin of the evening in just 47 seconds over Anthony Stamey at 152 pounds. Adding pin-fall wins themselves are Ethan Coleman (138 pounds), Kadin Tompkins (145 pounds), Caden Allen (160 pounds), and Trent Sibble (215 pounds).

The Lions gathered four victories, all via forfeit, with Adam Iantorno (118 pounds), Brayden Riley (132 pounds), Blake Granmer (172 pounds), and John Layfield (189 pounds) all tallying the wins.

The regular season for Wellsville is now over, as they now await Sectional competition. As for Bolivar-Richburg, their road swing will continue in Portville on Thursday beginning at 6 p.m.

Results:

102 – Gary McDowell (B-R) def. Blake Geffers (WLSV) by pin, 1:05.

110 – Teegan Sibble (B-R) def. Hayden Cunningham (WLSV) by pin, 1:37.

118 – Adam Iantorno (WLSV) by for.

126 – Trey Buchholz (B-R) def. Jack Cicirello (WLSV) by pin, 3:22.

132 – Brayden Riley (WLSV) by for.

138 – Ethan Coleman (B-R) def. Brayden Riley (WLSV) by pin, 1:40.

145 – Kadin Tompkins (B-R) def. Cole Hadfield (WLSV) by pin, 2:39.

152 – Tavyn MacDonell (B-R) def. Anthony Stamey (WLSV) by pin, :47.

160 – Caden Allen (B-R) def. Xander Outman (WLSV) by pin, 1:02.

172 – Blake Granmer (WLSV) by for.

189 – John Layfield (WLSV) by for.

215 – Trent Sibble (B-R) def. Noah Black (WLSV) by pin, 2:27.

*285 – Lloyd Kinnicutt (B-R) def. Evin Rought (WLSV) by pin, 1:59.

Chris Brooks
Previous

Wednesday Roundup: Lions lock up No. 3 seed in County Tournament with four-set win over GV/Belfast; Danaher becomes B-R’s All-Time leading scorer in 65-33 win over Fri/Scio
Next

Monday Roundup: B-R’s Danaher makes history, but Wolverines fall in narrow season-sweeping defeat to C-G; Belfast’s 3-point game flares up in road win at GV