By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com, photos by Kim Crane
The Section V girls’ basketball tournament continued with Round 2 on Tuesday night.
No. 2 Avoca-Prattsburgh 62, No. 15 Andover/Whitesville 37
AVOCA — The opening eight minutes of battle was all the No. 2 Avoca-Prattsburgh Lady Titans needed to set up shop on Tuesday, as they opened their Sectional journey with a big bang against defending back-to-back Class D2 champion Andover/Whitesville, ending their 2023-24 campaign in the same swing by maintaining all the momentum they built early on and using it to secure a 62-37 victory.
Avoca-Prattsburgh will now face #10 Arkport-Canaseraga, 56-44 winners over Jasper-Troupsburg in the next round. Arkport-Canaseraga improved to 11-10 with the upset win over #7 J-T, who finish 14-7.
The stage was set for the Lady Titans straight out of the gate, with D’Mariannah Hinson-Pike and Meyah Putnam coming together to produce the majority of the team’s offense off nine combined points of the team’s 10 in total, while in turn, the defense nearly held Andover/Whitesville idle in the first quarter to capitalize on a 10-2 lead going forward.
The momentum shift navigated its way into the second quarter to help produce an outstanding finish to the first half for the hosts in white and gold, as the hot hand of Hinson-Pike flared up from outside with two more of her three first half triples finding nothing but the twine on the way down, while four more contributions from inside furthered the team’s cause in the midst of their 20-8 jaunt to branch out their advantage, never looking back along the way.
Leading the scoring for Andover/Whitesville was Grace Fry, who posted a team-high 13 points. Olivia Waters recorded seven points of her own to add in, while Graci Lewis-Ellison finished with six.
Avoca-Prattsburgh was paced by Edwards, who was one of four scorers to eclipse double figures on attack, earning 15 game-high points. Hinson-Pike and Putnam each finished with 12 points, while Marissa Reid had 10.
The season is over for the defending back-to-back champions, as they wrap up their 2023-24 campaign with a record of 3-17 overall. The team will part with just two seniors at year’s end, bidding farewell to both Fry and Makaila Brewster.
“Coach Bannerman and I are really proud of this group and how they handled themselves,” Andover/Whitesville co-coach Aaron Rawady said. “We are a young team and we had a lot to replace from last year, so they had to undertake some unfamiliar roles. Every day, they competed and did what was asked of them. There is a lot of potential with this team. Makaila and Grace will be missed, and we can’t thank them enough for everything they have done for this program.”
Andover/Whitesville 2 8 12 15 – 37
Avoca-Prattsburgh 10 20 20 12 – 62
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Stella Bledsoe 2 0-1 5, Graci Lewis-Ellison 2 2-2 6, Grace Fry 5 2-4 13, Makaila Brewster 0 1-2 1, Olivia Waters 2 3-6 7, Katrina Lewis 1 0-0 2, Reece Waters 1 0-0 3. Totals: 13 8-15 37.
AVOCA-PRATTSBURGH: D’Mariannah Hinson-Pike 4 1-2 12, Gwen Moon 2 0-0 4, Meyah Putnam 4 4-6 12, Breanna Jorritsma 1 0-0 2, Kamryn Edwards 5 4-8 15, Marissa Reid 5 0-0 10, Avery Reagan 1 0-0 2, Kendra Gay 0 2-2 2, Lily Hausauer 1 1-1 3. Totals: 23 12-19 62.
3-point goals: A/W 3 (Bledsoe, Fry, R. Waters), A-P
4 (Hinson-Pike 3, Edwards).
Total Fouls: A/W 15, A-P 15. Fouled out: None.
No. 8 Hammondsport 46, No. 9 Friendship/Scio 33
HAMMONDSPORT — From the very beginning to the end, the Friendship/Scio ladies gave it everything they had in another tough duel against No. 8 Hammondsport on Tuesday.
After an early back-and-forth battle, it was whittled down to a second quarter difference maker that favored the Lady Lakers, as they closed out the first half on a strong note to solidify their advantage to end the No. 9 seeds season with a 46-33 home win.
“The girls left it all out there tonight. We played much better as opposed to the first game against Hammondsport,” Friendship/Scio coach Ashleigh Lewis said. “Although it wasn’t what we wanted, we came out and made it a competitive game for the most part. We had it down to six late, but the turnovers came and it snowballed from there. I was really proud of the defensive effort, especially from Avery (Lamberson) against the (Sam) Pratt girl. She wasn’t feeling the best and she still played the whole game and locked her down. She scored almost 30 points the first game, and Avery held her scoreless until halfway in the fourth. It was unbelievable.”
An early first quarter battle saw the Lady Lakers springboard out in front after an exchange of pleasantries unraveled into a four-point advantage to carry into the second quarter. In the first half-ending frame, the momentum they had established would carry over on both ends of the floor, as they set the tone against Friendship/Scio with a monstrous 12-4 run that ultimately sealed their position at the top for good.
Despite trailing, Friendship/Scio would provide a bounce back second half and chip away at the deficit as much as they could, getting to within six at one point during the final eight minutes of the game. But it would prove to be too much to overcome, as the 23-11 halftime lead Hammondsport established would remain intact to secure the win.
Leading the scoring for Friendship/Scio was Nevaeh Ross, as she posted 12 points to go with seven rebounds. Emily Lamberson chipped in with nine points. Morghyn Ross followed with eight points to pair with six rebounds, while Grace Drumm had the team’s last four points from the inside.
Friendship/Scio’s campaign has officially reached its conclusion, as they wrap up with a record of 10-9 overall. The team will part with three seniors at the end of the school year in June, in Nevaeh Ross, Drumm and Sophie Bolzan.
After scoring 12 points in what was her final game on the hardwood for the program, Ross will finish her basketball career with 1,201 career points.
For Lewis, she said it was an honor to witness her growth since she first started coaching her.
”It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster season, and we only had our entire team all together at once five times this year,” she said. “They put a lot of heart and effort into this game. I will miss Nevaeh, she had a tremendous career and I am so proud of the player she has become. She is a special player and to watch what she turned into over the years, it’s been an amazing ride. Grace and Sophie, I will miss them tremendously. They have some big shoes that will need to be filled next year. This year was a lot of fun, but unfortunately it just wasn’t our night to continue.”
Friendship/Scio 7 4 11 11 – 33
Hammondsport 11 12 9 14 – 46
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Grace Drumm 2 0-0 4, Emily Lamberson 3 2-2 9, Nevaeh Ross 3 5-5 12, Morghyn Ross 4 0-0 8. Totals: 12 7-7 33.
HAMMONDSPORT: Gabby Doyle 2 0-0 5, LaZell Locey 3 5-8 14, Arielle Szathmary 0 1-2 1, Sam Pratt 3 2-3 8, Nichole Pratt 6 0-0 14, Alexis Hurd 2 0-0 4. Totals: 16 8-13 46.
3-point goals: F/S 2 (Lamberson, N. Ross), Hammondsport 4 (N. Pratt 2, Doyle, Locey).
Total Fouls: F/S 12, Hammondsport 12. Fouled out: N. Ross (F/S).
Class D First Round
No. 4 Genesee Valley/Belfast 51, No. 13 Harley Allendale-Columbia 30
BELFAST — Whenever a fast start needs to be established, Genesee Valley/Belfast wastes absolutely no time striking while the iron is hot.
When they’re on, they remain on all game long. And on Tuesday, Mary Hamer allowed them to do exactly that in their Sectional opener against No. 13 Harley Allendale-Columbia, as she posted the majority of her game-high 16 points all within the first eight minutes to get the No. 4 seeds off and running strongly to punch their tickets to the Class D Quarterfinal round this weekend behind a 51-30 win in Belfast.
“We knew coming in that HAC would play really hard and physical. They play tough from start to finish. I thought we did a great job moving the ball offensively against their zone. When you have eight different girls score, that’s tough to defend against,” said GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan. “Our girls came out very strong. They were focused and set the tone early. They played intense defense and caused a lot of turnovers. While the box score doesn’t reflect it, we battled inside defensively against their best player, (Cadence) Brecker. Because of our focus, discipline and effort, it was a solid team effort all around.”
There was simply no stopping Mary Hamer across the first eight minute session on the hardwood for Genesee Valley/Belfast (17-4), as she found her way inside every chance she could, posting 10 of her game-high 16 points all within the frame to set an immediate tone for the hosts while on defense, they held Harley Allendale-Columbia to a near complete standstill in the midst of their 12-2 game-opening sequence.
Although the Lady Wolves were able to gain some ground after a defensive second quarter, the offense sprung to life for Genesee Valley/Belfast once again to close out the game in the second half, bolstering their lead in insurmountable fashion behind eight different contributors along the way.
That included a 17-9 fourth quarter run that allowed them to cement the advantage permanently.
Finishing behind Hamer for the hosts in white was Abby Sullivan, who chipped in with 13 points of her own. Jenna Hill had seven points, while Sophie ZIllgitt had five.
Genesee Valley/Belfast is now on to the Quarterfinal round of the Class D Playoffs, which begin Friday night right back on their home floor, this time down the road in Belmont where they will welcome in No. 12 Northstar for a visit at a time yet to be determined.
The Lady Knights upset No. 5 Lima Christian, 71-68 to earn their spot in the next round.
Harley Allendale-Columbia 2 6 13 9 – 30
Genesee Valley/Belfast 12 7 15 17 – 51
HAC: Gabby Giambra 1 0-0 2, Mary Muller 1 0-0 2, Sawyer Hartman 2 1-4 5, Cadence Brecker 8 5-10 21. Totals: 12 6-14 30.
GV/BELFAST: Abby Sullivan 5 2-4 13, Sophie Zillgitt 2 1-2 5, Kendra Bigelow 1 0-0 2, Morgan Bentley 1 0-0 2, Whitney Young 2 0-0 4, Mary Hamer 8 0-0 16, Ava Aaronson 1 0-4 2, Jenna Hill 3 1-2 7. Totals: 23 4-12 51.
3-point goals: GVB 1 (Sullivan).
Total Fouls: HAC 14, GVB 14. Fouled out: None.
Class C2 First Round
No. 9 Naples 35, No. 8 Cuba-Rushford 34
CUBA — The Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford were in control of their own destiny, Tuesday night.
In their Class C2 opening round clash against No. 9 Naples, the eight seeds were approaching the homestretch. As for the Lady Big Green, their aim was to provide a last minute change to the storyboard. Closing in on four minutes left to play, the visitors in green syphoned what energy the Lady Rebels built and used it to run the table, scoring eight unanswered points while keeping their opposition off the board to complete a massive game-ending run to steal away a 35-34 win in the Wighthouse.
“We had a seven-point lead in the fourth and they went on a little run,” Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight said. “We missed a couple of great looks and we committed some bad turnovers that gave them some easy points to put away. We had some chances at the line to connect with, but we couldn’t find a rhythm to try and close it out. We’re young and it was a great experience. We played a tougher schedule this year than usual, but I was really impressed with how we improved as the season went on.”
The first half saw Naples and Cuba-Rushford remain stride for stride with one another, with the Lady Rebels jumping on top with an early one-point lead heading into the next eight minute session. WIth some inside work propelling the Lady Big Green, and a pair of big threes from Aubrey Williams aiding the host’s cause, the pace of play remained untouched, with the visitors jumping out on top with an 18-16 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, the script was flipped again by Cuba-Rushford, as they reclaimed the lead with the help of three different Lady Rebels. Of the 10 points they posted, five came from the hand of Brynn Lavery, including a big three from outside that would energize their outscoring of Naples to claim a 26-23 lead going into the fourth.
The Cuba-Rushford lead would reach as much as seven points at one point in the last eight minutes of play, but with half of the time erased off the scoreboard, Naples kicked the tires into high gear and changed the complexion of the game completely with a four-minute shutout of the Lady Rebels, producing the final points the game would see to swipe away victory from the their grasp to force an upset in the opening round of action.
On the attack, Raegan Poore led all scorers for the Lady Rebels with her team-high 10 points. Behind her was Lavery, who finished with nine points, while Williams’ pair of three-pointers totaled six points.
The 2023-24 campaign is now officially over for Cuba-Rushford, as the team finishes with a record of 5-15 overall. The team will return all but one of their playmakers, as they say goodbye to their lone senior Shae Maples when the end of the school year arrives in June.
“I definitely think there are a lot of good signs and a lot that we can build on going forward,” Wight said. “This is a hard working group and I appreciate that. I can’t say enough about Shae. You always know exactly what you’re going to get from her. She plays her heart out every minute she’s on the floor. We’re going to miss her physicality next year for sure.”
Naples 5 11 7 12 – 35
Cuba-Rushford 6 12 10 8 – 34
NAPLES: Polly Bay 2 1-2 5, Kendra Hurlburt 1 0-2 2, Grayce Hedburg 2 1-2 6, Emily Lester 4 1-2 9, Erica Reigelsperger 5 3-7 13. Totals: 14 6-15 35.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Aubrey Williams 2 0-2 6, Lily Tompkins 2 1-6 5, Brynn Lavery 4 0-0 9, Mireya Rutkowski 1 2-2 4, Raegan Poore 5 0-1 10. Totals: 14 3-11 34.
3-point goals: Naples 1 (Hedburg), C-R 3 (Williams 2, Lavery).
Total Fouls: Naples 11, C-R 10. Fouled out: None.
