N-O basketball season tips off Friday

Albion and Akron will tip off the Niagara-Orleans League boys and basketball season on Friday.

Albion will host the boys’ game and Akron the girls’ contest, both at 6:30 p.m.

While the bulk of the N-O season schedule will be played in January and early February, a number of games are also scheduled for next week including the Roy-Hart girls entertaining defending champion Wilson on Dec. 19 and the Albion boys hosting defending champion Newfane and Roy-Hart visiting Wilson, both on Dec. 22.

The Medina girls will open the N-O season at home on Dec. 21 against Roy-Hart while the Mustangs boys squad will open on January 3 at Roy-Hart.

Newfane, which captured the N-O title last year with a 12-0 record, returns a strong nucleus led by the senior trio of Ben Dickinson, who earned first team N-O All-League honors, along with Nate Snow and Landon Braman, who were both second team selections.

The Wilson girls likewise went 12-0 to claim the N-O title for the fifth straight year and the 13th time in the last 14 years.

The Lakewomen are led by the senior duo of Peyton McInnis and Rian Faery, who were both first team All-League honorees. McGinnis, who was named N-O Player of the Year scored 308 points and grabbed off 185 rebounds while Faery had 271 points and 111 rebounds.