Pulling away down the stretch, Roy-Hart posted a 47-38 win over host Medina in a Niagara-Orleans League girls basketball game this evening.

Leading by a narrow 29-27 margin at the three-quarter mark, Roy-Hart outscored Medina 18-11 in the decisive final period to claim the win. Kaitlin Mettler scored 10 and Julianna Buscarino 5 to lead that key surge by the Lady Rams.

Ava Owens scored 15 and Mettler 12 to lead Roy-Hart as Buscarino and Makenna Elsenheimer each had 5.

Rylee VanNostrand scored a game high 20 for Medina as Stella Poler added 7 and Iyla Lilleby 6.

Roy-Hart improves to 4-6 and Medina slips to 1-9.

In the other N-O contest, Newfane (8-3) defeated Barker (1-10) 53-29.

Jensen McGhee had 25 for Newfane and Alyssa Thompson 14 for Barker.

G-R Girls Basketball
In Genesee Region League action, Byron-Bergen defeated Lyndonville 45-35, Oakfield-Alabama downed Kendall 47-32 and Alexander topped Holley 55-22.

Ava Wagoner led B-B with 10 while Karlee Rounds scored 12, Ella Lewis 9 and Lorelei Dillenbeck 8 for Lyndonville

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart’s Jamel Johnson Jr, who scored a game high 34 points, goes in for a layup against Medina’s Anthony Bowman during the Rams key win over the visiting Mustangs this evening.

Ending a 26 year title drought, Roy-Hart downed visiting Medina 70-52 this evening to clinch at least a tie for the Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball championship.

Improving to 9-2, Roy-Hart maintains a one game lead over runner-up Newfane (8-3), a 66-42 victor over Barker, with just one game remaining. Roy-Hart will host Albion and Newfane will visit Akron in the N-O season finales on Thursday.

Roy-Hart last claimed top N-O honors during the 1995-96 season when the Rams shared the title with Wilson as both teams finished the league season with identical 12-2 records.

Jamel Johnson Jr. poured in a game high 34 points to spearhead the Roy-Hart attack. Vinny Buscarino added 13, Brandon DiNeri 10, Aiden Petrie 8, John Conley 3 and Brandin Masters 2 for the Rams.

Jarin Rhim scored 19 and Anthony Bowman 11 to lead Medina. David Berry added 9, Joe Cecchini 5, Justin Pitts 4, Jared Odita 3 and Cayden Lilleby 2 for the Mustangs.

Roy-Hart jumped out to an 11-7 first period lead as Johnson tallied 7.

Medina though put together a 22-14 second period scoring surge, including a 12-0 run at one point, to rally into a 29-25 half-time lead.

Rhim and Berry each scored 7, with both including a three, Bowman 5 and Cecchini a three for the Mustangs during that stretch.

However, Roy-Hart answered right back with a big 22-7 third period scoring surge to regain the lead for good by an 11 point, 47-36, margin at the three-quarter mark.

A layup off a steal and a thee-point play by Johnson along with a three by Buscarino to open the period ignited that decisive Rams surge. Johnson had a total of 12 points in the quarter.

The Rams quickly built the lead to 13, 51-38, at the outset of the final period after layups by Buscarino and Johnson and the Mustangs could get no closer than 10 after that.

Roy-Hart put a firm lock on the victory with a 7-0 run, including two layups by DiNeri along with a bucket and a free throw by Johnson, to take a 17 point, 61-44 lead with just two minutes remaining,

Medina, which slips to 6-5 in N-O action, will close out the league season at Wilson on Thursday.

N-O Standings: Roy-Hart 9-2, Newfane 8-3, Medina 6-5, Albion 5-6, Wilson 4-7, Barker 4-8, Akron 3-8.

Roy-Hart’s Brandin Masters goes up to try and block a shot attempt by Medina’s Joe Cecchini.

Medina’s Anthony Bowman puts up a shot against Roy-Hart defender Aiden Petrie.

The division lineups for next fall’s Section VI football season have been announced and include some big scheduling changes for Albion.

The new alignment has Albion in the B2 Division along with Cheektowaga, Maryvale and a quartet of opponents from the southern portion of the section including Olean, Falconer, Dunkirk and East Aurora.

That is very similar to the 2020 B2 lineup which had Albion along with Maryvale, Olean, Dunkirk, Lake Shore, Maritime and Depew.

Last fall Albion was in the B North Division along with Roy-Hart/Barker/Lyndonville, Burgard, Cheektowaga, Maryvale, Lew-Port and Maritime.

Lew-Port and Burgard are now in the B1 Division while Maritime is in A3.

Roy-Hart/Barker/Lyndonville is now in the C North Division along with Medina, Akron, Newfane, Tonawanda and Cleveland Hill.

Roy-Hart/Barker/Lyndonville replaces Wilson which has dropped to the D Division for the only change to the C North lineup.

The Section VI football schedule is expected to be finalized by the end of the month.

Kendall and Holley both opened the final week of the regular season with boys basketball victories this evening.

Kendall trimmed host Attica 54-51 in a Genesee Region League game and Holley bested visiting Finney 61-47 in a non league contest.

Zach Barrett poured in a career high 31 points, including 12 for 12 from the free throw line, to lead Kendall as Braxton Zarpentine added 12. Barrett scored 7 in both the first and second periods, 8 in the third and 9 in the fourth.

Barrett also grabbed off 7 rebounds as Zarpentine and Jacek Kwiatkowski both had 6.

Barrett had a key three point play and Kwiatkowski and basket and a free throw down the stretch to help the Eagles lock up the win.

Broek Ostrom took game high scoring honors for Holley with 29 as James Tette had 16 and Erik Lang 12.

Ostrom scored 25 in the first half as the Hawks took a 32-21 lead.

In another G-R contest, Notre Dame downed visiting Lyndonville 96-46. Noah Poler scored 21 for the Tigers.

Roaring out to a 31-12 half-time advantage, Albion went on to defeat host Akron 49-28 this evening in a Niagara-Orleans League girls basketball game.

Abby Scanlan scored 13, Aurora Serafin 11, Madison Hughson 8 and Olivia Krenning 7 to lead the way for Albion which improves to 6-4 in N-O action. Scanlan scored 9 in the second period, Krenning 5 in the first and Serafin 5 in the third. Scanlan also had 9 rebounds, 7 steals and 5 assists.

Sloan Jonathan scored 13 to lead Akron which slips to 6-5.

In a Genesee Region League game, Pembroke downed visiting Holley 63-23.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Luqman Cornick puts up a shot surrounded by a trio of Akron defenders including Donny Kreher (3), Brodie Hibbard (22) and Jack Fowler (12) during the Purple Eagles Senior Night win over the visiting Tigers this evening.

Streaking Albion made it five Niagara-Orleans league wins in a row by defeating visiting Akron 66-50 this evening on Senior Night.

Tyler Gibson scored 15 and Jahmeek Riley 14 to lead the attack for Albion which has come on strong after a slow 0-6 start to the N-O campaign. Shakarion Drisdom and Caleb Fox both added 9 for the Purple Eagles as Aquil Gaffney chipped in with 6, Luqman Cornick 5, Javon Jones 4 and Ozzie Matos and Dylan Narburgh 2 each.

Donny Kreher took game high honors with 18 and Andrew Romesser 15 on five threes to pace Akron which slips to 3-8 in N-O action.

Romesser hit three threes and Brodie Hibbard one to spark Akron out to a 16-11 first period lead.

However, Albion answered with a 16-9 second period scoring edge to take the lead for good by a narrow 27-25 margin at the half. Fox hit two threes and Gibson had a pair of baskets to lead the Purple Eagles during that stretch.

The Purple Eagles then put together a key 10-0 scoring burst to open the third quarter and extend the lead to 12, 37-25. Fox and Drisdom both had threes to highlight the uprising.

Akron did close back to within five, 41-36, late in the period as Kreher had a total of 10 in the stanza including four for four from the free throw line.

A late three by Riley though kept Albion up by six, 44-38, at the three-quarter mark.

Back-to-back baskets by Gaffney upped the Purple Eagles lead to 10, 48-38, at the outset of the final period and the Tigers could get no closer than seven after that.

Gaffney scored 6, Riley 5 and Jones 4 in the final period to keep Albion in control.

The Purple Eagles will close out the N-O season at front-running Roy-Hart on Thursday.

Ozzie Matos puts up a long range shot over Akron’s Brodie Hibbard.

Notre Dame bested visiting Lyndonville 50-38 this evening in a Genesee Region League girls basketball make-up game.

Emma Sisson scored 15, Lindsay Weidman 12 and Avelin Tomidy 11 to pace Notre Dame which led 14-10 after one period, 30-20 at the half and 37-32 at the three-quarter mark.

Karlee Rounds led Lyndonville with 10 as Ella Lewis and Lorelei Dillenbeck both netted 9.

Notre Dame is now 13-5 and Lyndonville 12-7.

In another G-R contest, Attica nipped host Kendall 47-45.

In a Niagara-Orleans League game, Wilson, which has already locked up the title, downed host Akron 56-42 to improve to 11-0. Bella Lemke led the Lakewomen with 29.