basketball

The Lady Irish staged a dramatic second-half come back Saturday at Rush-Henrietta, overcoming a 13-point third-quarter deficit, to beat Letchworth 42-35 and claim the Section V Class C1 crown.

It came down to defense, said Head Coach Tom McCulley, whose team held Letchworth to nine points in the second half and prevented them from scoring for more than eight minutes at one point.

"That’s who we are," McCulley said. "Hard work and gritty and score enough on offense and turn it up on defense and make teams uncomfortable."

Callie McCulley's aggression, driving for layups, with Margaret Sullivan and Stevie Wilcox attacking the boards, combined with good shooting from the free-throw line helped turn the tide.

"We’ve preached all season long, rebounds and free throws," McCulley said. "The fundamentals of the game, when you’ve got evenly matched teams, that’s what it comes down to. A lot of these games come down to free throw percentages and who wins that battles on the boards."

He praised the hard work and fight put up by Letchworth. They came out of the gate aggressive and McCulley said that put his team back in its heels. When they were down by 13, he called a timeout and told them they needed to grind it out.

"I just told them you've got to contest every shot," McCulley said. "You’ve got to go after every loose ball. This is sectional finals. There’s no tomorrow if you don’t win today."

Callie McCulley finished with 15 points and was named tournament MVP. Stevie Wilcox and Margaret Sutherland scored eight points each. They were both named to the all-tournament team.

Perhaps overlooked in the accolades but not overlooked by her coaches and teammates, McCulley I said, is Morgan Rhodes, who scored nine points.

"Morgan is a spark plug," McCulley said. "I ask her to defend. I ask her to help with ball handling. She can knock down shots. She’s not afraid of the big stage and the big moment. She played huge the other night against Red Creek. She played huge for us tonight. She’s one of those unsung heroes of this tournament but coaches realize what she brings to the table."

Pavilion lost a Section V D1 championship game Saturday to Wheatland-Chili, 45-20. Pavilion was seeded #6 in the tournament and Wheatland was the #1 seed.

Kim Davis had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Golden Gophers. Lindsay Lowe was named to the all-tournament team. The game was played at Cal-Mum.

Oakfield-Alabama's fine season, which included 19 wins, came to a disappointing end Wednesday night in the Class D1 Section V semifinal playoff game against South Seneca.

The #4 seeded South Seneca knocked off the #1 seeded Lady Hornets 68-44.

Brianna Smith scored 16 points for O-A and Kylie Schlagenhauf scored 15.

In the girls' Class C1 semifinal, also played Wednesday night, Notre Dame beat Red Creek 52-48. 

Margaret Sutherland and Callie McCulley each scored 12 points, Natalie Thornton scored 11, Morgan Rhodes scored nine and Stevie Wilcox scored eight. Wilcox had 13 rebounds and Thornton had 10.

In girls' basketball tomorrow, Elba plays for the Class D2 championship in Gainsville against Andover at 6 p.m. 

Pavilion plays Saturday against Wheatland-Chili for the Class D1 championship in Letchworth at 8 p.m.

Notre Dame vies for the Class C1 championship in Rush-Henrietta at 3 p.m., Saturday, against Letchworth.

In boys' basketball, the lone Genesee County team still in the hunt for a sectional championship is Pembroke, who take on Northstar Christian for the Class C1 championship at 5 p.m. tomorrow at Blue Cross Arena.

A tightly matched game #6 seed Batavia Lady Devils came out playing with heart and soul to the end versus #3 seed Honeoye Falls Lima last evening at Penfield High School. 

Batavia came out flat down by five points but Freshman Kenzie Reigle helped drive them to a 9-9 after the first quarter.

Second quarter Batavia went up on top leading by as much as four points 17-13 but HFL came to tie it before junior Jenae Colkey sunk a two-pointer to give Batavia a lead at the half 19-17.

Batavia came out of the locker increasing the lead by five points 23-18 but Freshman Hannah Selke hit four three-pointers in the quarter to help HFL carry a big lead 30-25 going into the fourth.

Batavia and HFL both exchanged fouls, lead changes and tied the game 36-36 until under two minutes left where Batavia came up short losing 45-40. 

HFL will play #1 seed Aquinas Friday at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester.

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A big part of Elba's game plan going into Tuesday night's Section V semifinal playoff game against Romulus in Dansville was to stop point guard Mary Ellen Querrie.

That proved a tough task. Her leadership and her 19 points kept Romulus in the game up until the closing minutes.

"We had a tough time with her," said Head Coach Tom Redband.

Even so, Elba was able to regain the lead in the fourth quarter after giving it up in the third and held on to win, 58-55.

Redband said a lot of credit for the win goes to Leah Bezon. The freshman scored 18 points, which included hitting a trio of threes.

Romulus ran a press all night, which produced some turnovers, but Redband said Brynn Walczak, Isabella Riner, and Maddie Muehlig did an effective job of breaking it.

"Those three girls, specifically, did a good job," Redband said.

Walczak finished with 12 points, as did Muelig. Riner scored five.

Redband said after Romulus made its third-quarter run, "It was looking a little bleak for us," but the Lady Lancers held it together.

"Another key (to the game) for us was not getting down on ourselves," Redband said. "We had some an adversity. Romulus went on a good run and the girls stuck with it, made some big shots and didn’t give up."

Elba faces Andover on Friday at Letchworth for the Section V Class D2 championship. Game time is 6 p.m. 

Pavilion also has a Section V Class D1 championship game that night at Letchworth at 8 p.m. against Wheatland.

Semifinals tonight, Notre Dame plays Red Creek in Class C1 and Oakfield-Alabama plays South Seneca in Class C2.

For only the third time in program history, the Pembroke Dragons will play for a Section V boys basketball championship on Friday after beating Avon 65-50 in a semifinal game played last night in Warsaw.

"It’s a big deal for the program," said Head Coach Matt Shay. "Basketball hasn’t always something that the school has had a lot of success in, so it’s really exciting to see this group buy in and work and get that success."

On Friday, the Dragons fell behind in the second quarter but then went on a 14-0 run to close out the half and go into the locker room with a 10-point lead.

While Avon pulled close a couple of times in the second-half, Pembroke remained in control of the game.

"The lapses that I really didn't like were in the middle of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter whey they (Avon) started to make a run," Shay said. "They were making good cuts and we were caught sleeping, staring at the ball."

Shay said he was proud of Reid Miano's performance, who struggled to score in the first half but kept his head in the game and finished with 16 points on the night.

"We have so much depth and talent that we can survive if he doesn't have a great night," Shay said. "Some teams, their star guy starts off slow, they’re in trouble, but I really talked with him about just keep playing. You can be our best player and still not score. I’m so proud of him because at the end of this game, he didn’t do much in the first half, but in the second half, he really came alive."

Lucas Kohorst scored 20 points, Zach VonKramer and Ethan Stone each scored 10.

The Dragons, with a record of 23-0 is the #2 seed in the Class C1 bracket. On Friday, they play the #1 seed, Northstar Christian (22-1) for the championship at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester.

Notre Dame lost its home game Class D1 semifinal playoff game to Naples on Saturday, 72-59.

Nico Zambito scored 15 points for the Fighting Irish. Gabe Macdonald scored 14, and Ryan Moffat scored 11.  

For Naples, Evan Bay scored 20 and Cole Rathbon scored 18. Bay hit five three-pointers.

The #3 seed in Class A2, the Batavia Blue Devils, was up Saturday in a Section V playoff game played in Batavia, by the #6 seed, Honeoye Falls-Lima, 48-41.

While Batavia jumped out to a 17-7 first quarter lead, behind the hot hand of Tee Sean Ayala, who scored 13 of his 20 points in the first eight minutes, HFL seemed to have figured out how to slow Ayala down. HFL held Ayala to seven points the rest of the way.

Worse, the Blue Devils didn't score at all in the second quarter and were held to 10 points in the fourth quarter -- a quarter in which HFL seemed to find it impossible to miss a shot, scoring 17 points.

Naz Pratt scored nine points for the Blue Devils and Antwan Odom scored six.

Top scorer for HFL was Garret Ruff with 13.

Notre Dame beat Addison in a Saturday afternoon Section V girls basketball playoff game at Notre Dame.

The final, 45-31. 

Margaret Sutherland scored 20 points for the Lady Irish. Callie McCulley scored 13 and Morgan Rhodes scored seven.

Also, in girls basketball Saturday:

• Byron-Bergen lost to Red Creek, 69-65. Emily Kaczmarek scored 17 points for the Lady Bees. Dana VanValkenburg scored 14, Kelsey Fuller, 12, and Julianna Amesbury, 8. For Red Creek, Katie Smith scored 19;
• Elba beat Whitesville, 56-21;
• Letchworth beat Pembroke, 56-40;
• Oakfield-Alabama beat Cal-Mum, 56-31.

Pembroke remained one of three undefeated Class C basketball teams in the state Friday with a 67-58 win over Gananda in a Section V playoff game.

Jamil Marable scored 20 points, Reid Miano, 18, and Lucas Kohorst, 17. 

Pembroke is now 21-0 on the season.

Also on Friday night, in Class D, #4 ranked, lost to #5 ranked Avoca, 73-59.

In girls basketball, Batavia beat Geneva, 57-48. Pavilion beat Naples, 56-29.

Notre Dame advanced in the Class D1 Section V boys basketball playoffs Wednesday with a 68-50 home victory over Wheatland-Chili.

Andrew Moore scored 13 points, Ryan Moffat, 12, Gabe Macdonald, 11, Nico Zambito, 9, and Brendin Klotzbach, 8.

Zambito had nine rebounds. Spencer Misiti had five assists.

For Wheatland-Chili, Adam Lund scored 23 points.

In girls basketball:

• Canisteo beat Le Roy, 59-56
• Geneseo over Alexander, 53-34
• Bergen over North Rose, 57-40
• Notre Dame beat East Rochester, 54-36

In boys basketball, Le Roy beat Rochester Early College 54-34 on Tuesday to advance in the first round of Section V's Class C1 playoffs.

Canyon Roster scored 21 points, nabbed four rebounds, had three assists, and two steals. Cole Biggins scored 11 points and had six rebounds. Reece Tresco scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds.  For Early College, Jahkier Moore scored 12 points and had 15 rebounds.

Also on Tuesday:

• Pembroke, Class C1, moved to 21-0 on the season, beating Holley 59-37;
• Also in C1, Avon beat Byron-Bergen, 66-43;
• Geneseo beat Oakfield-Alabama, Class 2, 55-47;
• Elba beat Friendship in Class D1, 59-23.

In girls basketball, Pavilion beat HAC 48-37.

Steven Gilebarto (pictured above) led the Blue Devils in the second half with 16 points to help his team win 51-48 over Greece Odyssey in their final regular season game last night at Batavia High School.

Senior point guard Naziyhar Pratt had five rebounds and three assists. Junior Antwan Odom had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Odyssey's DJ Billings and Jaden Hartsford both tallied 13 points on the night.

Batavia gets a first-round bye in the Section V Tournament and will play Saturday, Feb. 24th, time T.B.A. at home versus the winner of Honeoye Falls Lima and Vertus game.

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Mason McFollins and Antwan Odom scored 19 points each to lead Batavia High School to a 73-55 victory at home Wednesday night over Charter School for Applied Technologies, a Section VI team.

Steve Gilebarto scored 16 points and Jonathan Liciaga scored 11.

McFollins hit five three-point shots.

For C-SAT, Jayden Galleage scored 24 points.

Perry came out on top Tuesday night in a match of two of the best Class C teams in the region, beating Le Roy 47-32.

Perry, ranked #10 in the state, is now 12-2, and Le Roy is 10-3.

For Le Roy, Reece Tresco scored 11 points and had five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Canyon Roster had 11 rebounds.

For Perry, Tyler Cowie scored 19 points, pulled in 15 rebounds, had two assists, three steals, and four blocked shots. Austin Croll scored 13 points and had five rebounds.

Nicholas Conley, Earl Roth, and Charlie O’Geen, Elba's 2018 Hall of Fame inductees, were introduced during halftime at the Elba vs. Byron-Bergen basketball game Friday night.

The trio will be inducted tonight during a dinner at Batavia Downs.

Following the introduction, some of Elba's basketball alumni played a four-minute basketball game.

In the boys game, the Lancers beat the Bees 50-42.

For Elba, Colton Dillon scored 22 points, hitting four three-pointers, and Jonathan Boyce scored 14.

For Byron-Bergen, Cameron Shank scored 13. Joshua Hohn and Lucas Stucchio scored seven apiece.

Press release:

During the last six seasons, the Pembroke High School Girls’ Basketball Team has focused on winning — not just league games, but the battle against breast cancer. It’s a cause that is personal to the team and their school district because of the number of faculty and community members who have been affected by the disease. Yet according to Senior Captain, Olivia Kohorst, this year’s fundraiser (7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 25th vs. Oakfield-Alabama) is particularly important as it marks the final season she will be able to play in the event.

“I was only in sixth grade when the first varsity team came up with the idea to host the first Shooting For A Cure! game in support of Toni Funke’s battle with breast cancer,” said senior Olivia Kohorst.

The team spent that inaugural season seeking support from the community and local businesses in hopes of funding research efforts at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) in honor of Mrs. Funke.

“I remember being on the PYA team at the time with my friends. A lot of us went to that first game and I remember wearing pink and that the gym was really crowded! As a young kid, to see our community come together the way they did in support of Mrs. Funke made a lasting impression on me. I knew then that I wanted to be a part of that, part of something bigger than just me playing basketball with my friends,” Kohorst said.

“This fundraiser means more to our team every season. It gives us an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others and it gives us greater purpose not only as student-athletes but as people. Cancer affects us all, my family included, and to be a part of a team that supports those fighting means more to me than I can express in words.

“Being a part of Shooting For A Cure! has affected me in such a positive way. Playing in this game was the highlight of each season I played basketball at Pembroke and I look forward to still being involved after I graduate.”

While the Pembroke Girls Basketball team started the Shooting For A Cure! tradition, there is one standout supporter of the event that truly makes the game special and successful year after year. Wesley Cliff, a senior at Pembroke Jr./Sr. High School, has gone above and beyond in seeking donations to support the team’s fundraising efforts this season.

Moreover, Wesley has been crucial in the implementation of this fundraiser throughout his high school career, helping in any way he can.

“His passion to help the community and all those impacted by cancer is inspiring to our entire team,” Kohorst said. “Wesley’s involvement with the Shooting For A Cure! mission started off as a behind-the-scenes role when he entered high school; however this being his senior year, he wanted to become more involved.

"He saw this as a great opportunity to give back to our school and our community. We truly value all he has done over the years to share our mission.

Wesley has recently secured donation amounts of $1,762.80 from Summit Lubricants of Batavia as well as $500 from DuPont of Buffalo, in addition to several other monetary and product donations from local area businesses.

In addition to these generous donations, the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) will again be donating an astounding $2,500 to RPCI in support of Shooting For A Cure! this season.

“Roswell Park has done incredible things for our membership," said Western Region NYSCOPBA Vice President Joe Miano. "It has helped so many of our members and their families battling cancer. We wanted to give back to Roswell Park as well as support the incredible efforts of the Pembroke Girls Basketball team.”

As a former Pembroke graduate and current resident, Miano is a firm believer in this cause.

“This group of young women, with the support of the Pembroke School District, continues to do great things for the community beyond the basketball court. It’s truly inspiring and we wanted to take this opportunity to reinforce their efforts,” Miano said.

Miano, accompanied by a few additional members, will take part in a check presentation with the team to be held prior to the varsity game.

At this time direct online donations are now being accepted in support of Shooting For A Cure! through this site: http://give.roswellpark.org/goto/ShootingForACurePGBB.

The team hopes Shooting For A Cure! will continue its tradition of topping the previous years’ fundraising total.

“All of the money raised that evening goes directly to support cancer research at Roswell Park,” sophomore Mackenna Johnson said. “Playing basketball for Pembroke is not just about trying to win games, it’s about giving back to the community and showing our support for those in need.

“My oldest sister Breanna and her teammates started Shooting For A Cure! back in 2011 in support of Mrs. Funke, and what they started has become one of the largest Team Roswell fundraising events. Last season, we raised over $20,000 in one night, it was amazing! Our community is so supportive and we truly can’t thank all of the volunteers and donors enough for all that they do to support this game."

Roswell Park has officially sanctioned Shooting For A Cure! as a Team Cure fundraiser and as a valuable example of the way that young people can make a difference.

“We continue to be impressed by the Pembroke Girls’ Basketball Team each and every season," said Alex Hoaglund, Team Roswell special events coordinator. "They push themselves, not only on the court, but off the court as well, going above and beyond for the benefit of others.

"It’s inspirational to have a group of teens who are so passionate about raising funds for cancer research at Roswell Park. These girls continue to demonstrate an incredible amount of compassion. This team is special and their community is remarkable.

"Although the players may change each season, Shooting For A Cure! has remained constant, with the girls leading the charge for six consecutive seasons. To think that they’ve has raised over $60,000 in six seasons with this game is a testament to the benevolence of the entire Pembroke community as well as this special team.”