Contributed Photo – Blaire Prest, left, and Christian Silversmith

Medina High graduate Christian Silversmith scored the game winner for the Medaille College lacrosse team in the Mavericks 11-10 triple overtime win over visiting Keystone College Wednesday.

Silversmith, a freshman, had a total of 3 goals and 3 assists on the evening as Medaille snapped a season opening two game losing streak with the home opening victory.

Medina is also represented on the Medaille defensive unit by freshman Blaire Prest.

Medaille next hosts Thiel College at noon Saturday.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Paige Emborsky

Newfane graduate and Niagara Community College sophomore Paige Emborsky has been named Region III Division II Player of the Year.

Emborsky has scored 481 points to date on the season (15.5 average) in helping lead NCCC to a 31-1 record, a second straight Region III title and a return trip to the national championship tournament.

She scored 26 in the Thurnderwolves 92-54 Region III championship game win over Genesee Community College which earned her Region III Player of the Week honors.

Now NCCC’s second leading career scorer with 1,011 points, she also has 85 assists and 53 steals on the season.

Emborsky has signed to play Division 1 basketball at Abilene Christian University next year.

“Paige is the hardest worker I’ve ever met. She just loves the game. She eats, sleeps and breathes basketball,” said NCCC Coach Nate Beutel. “Everything she has gotten she has really earned. It’s been a real blessing to have her here for two years.”

NCCC will compete in the national tournament March 17-21 at Port Huron, Michigan.

The Niagara-Orleans League will be represented in Saturday’s Section VI Class B2 boys basketball championship game as No. 4 seeded Newfane upended top seeded Olmsted 72-48 this evening in the semifinals at Buffalo State College.

Garrett Srock scored 19, Jeremy Foltz 11 and Connor MacEvoy 10 for Newfane which led 35-18 at the half.

The Panthers will face No. 2 Allegany-Limestone in the title contest at noon Saturday at Buffalo State. Allegany-Limestone nipped No. 3 Fredonia 42-40 in the other semi.

Elba wins Class D2 semi

Top seeded Elba defeated No. 4 Bradford 79-72 this evening in the semifinals of the Section V Class D2 playoffs at Mt. Morris.

Elba will next face No. 3 Prattsburg in the D2 title game at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. Prattsburg defeated Romulus 88-47 in the other semifinal.

Contributed Photo – Jacob Bruning

Roy-Hart graduate and Niagara University sophomore Jacob Bruning has been named Mid Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Pitcher of the Week.

Bruning earned his first win of the season this past week hurling six scoreless innings with just 1 walk and 4 hits in an 8-6 victory over Cornell.

In lowering his season earned run average to 0.68, Bruning has registered 21 strikeouts in 13.1 innings of work on the mound to date.

His earlier season efforts included three innings of middle relief work in Niagara’s 3-1 win over Florida State striking out 5 and allowing only 2 hits.

His Niagara teammate Dawson Bailey earned MAAC Player of the Week honor after hitting .615 with 8 hits, 3 RBIs and 7 runs scored.

Contributed Photo – Members of the Medina Unified Bowling team proudly display their medals and plaque after capturing the sectional title Monday. In front are Alexzandra Schlegel, Brooklyn Seaman, Karina Bellan, Gracelin Mahnke, and Juliana Allis. In back are Ryleigh Culver, Steven Secore, Jackson Tuohey, Shianne Sullinger, Arian Cayea, Robert Vidovich, and Coach Jessica West.

Completing a third straight undefeated season, the Medina Unified Bowling team captured a sectional championship on Monday in competition at Airport Lanes.

Scoring a total pin count of 2,868 Medina won the Section VI Group A championship going 5-0 on the day.

Highlighting the competition for Medina, Ryleigh Culver had a high match score 241 against Alden, Steven Secore a high of 122 against Akron, Jackson Tuohey a high of 148 against Akron, Alexzandra Schlegel a high of 106 against Akron, Brooklyn Seaman a high of 102 against Alden, Juliana Allis a high of 238 against Akron, Gracie Mahnke a high of 235 against Grand Island, Robert Vidovich a high of 118 against Starpoint,  Karina Bellan a high of 116 against Akron,  Shianne Sullinger a high of 108 against Grand Island and  Arian Cayea a high of 151 against Grand Island.

Medina, which went 5-0 during the regular season,  has now captured a sectional title in each of the program’s first three years of existence.

Third place JR Wilson tied front-running Legion 35-35 in Medina Euchre League competition Monday.

Runner-up Sacred Heart downed Vets Club 39-31 in the other game.

Legion is now 837-703, Sacred Heart 804-736, JR Wilson 782-758 and Vets Club 657-883.

League competition continues on March 9 with Legion at JR Wilson and Sacred Heart at Vets Club.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s Nathan Hydock puts up a shot against Cal-Mum defender Joe Laursen during the Tigers semifinal sectional loss to the Raiders this evening at GCC.

Setting the tone at the outset with four layup baskets for a quick 8-0 lead, top seeded defending champion Caledonia-Mumford rolled to a 67-43 win over No. 4 Lyndonville in the semifinal round of the Section V Class C3 boys basketball playoffs this evening before an overflow crowd of over 2,000 at Genesee Community College.

Lyndonville did stay within five, 14-9, at the end of the first period after a rebound basket and two free throws by Nathan Hydock, a three by Nate Dillenbeck and a layup by Noah Poler but the Tigers would get no closer.

Driving to the basket for layups at every opportunity, Cal-Mum opened the second period with a 13-2 run for a 16 point, 27-11, lead and the Raiders maintained a 13 point, 29-16, half-time advantage.

Lyndonville’s Nate Dillenbeck dries to the basket around Cal-Mum defender Vin Molisani as Nathan Hydock sets a pick.

In all 12 of the Raiders 14 first half baskets were layups including all seven in the opening quarter.

Vin Molisani scored 12 and Joe Laursen 11 to spearhead the Raiders fast break oriented attack in the opening half.

However, Lyndonville struggled through a dismal shooting stretch in the half as the Tigers clicked on only 3 of 13 shots in the first period and just 2 of 14 in the second quarter.

Continuing to drive to the basket with excellent results, Cal-Mum then broke the contest wide open in the third period outscoring Lyndonville 22-10 to extend the advantage to 25, 51-26, at the three-quarter mark.

Molisani erupted for 16 to spearhead that surge which saw the Raiders score 8 of their 10 baskets on layups.

Molisani finished with a game high 32 as Laursen added 15 and Kyle Wade 14.

Dillenbeck scored 13 to lead Lyndonville as Poler had 9, Anthony Moule 7, Hydock 6, Russ Stephens 5 and Rolland Balcerzak 3.

Cal-Mum will take a 19-3 record into Friday’s Class C3 title game against the winner of the York vs. Oakfield-Alabama semifinal.

Lyndonville finishes the season at 13-9.

Click here to view a video of highlights from the game.

Russ Stephens puts up a shot for Lyndonville against Cal-Mum defender Kyle Wade as part of the overflow crowd looks on.

Contributed Photo – NCCC players and coaches celebrate after capturing a second straight Region III title Sunday to earn a return trip to the national championship tournament.

The Niagara County Community College women’s basketball team earned a second straight trip to the NJCAA Division II national championship tournament by defeating visiting Genesee Community College 92-54 Sunday for the Region III title.

Newfane graduate Paige Emborsky led the Thunderwolves with 26 points and 5 rebounds as she topped the 1000 point career scoring mark. She now has a total of 1011 points.

Improving to 30-1, the Thundewolves also got 21 points from tourney MVP Cierra Harrison, 13 from Aubrey Halloran and 11 from Alaina Forbes.

Emborsky and Halloran were both named to the All-Tournament team.

The NCCC lineup also includes a trio of Albion High graduates Caitlynn Snook, Sierra Newton and Janae Doty.

NCCC will compete in the national championships from March 17-21 at Port Huron, Michigan.