basketball

Oakfield-Alabama came back from a nearly game-long deficit late in the fourth quarter to tie its opening round game against Notre Dame in the Lions Tournament smaller schools bracket to tie the game late in the fourth quarter.

The Hornets went on to win in overtime, 73-68.

Joey Burdick scored 21 points for OA, with Travis Wiedrich scoring 17, Aiden Johnston, 16, and Ty Kornow, 15.

For Notre Dame, Gabe McDonald had a double-double with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Spencer Misiti scored 12 points and Keith Szczepanski scored nine points.

In the smaller school bracket championship tonight at 7 p.m., the Hornets will play Elba.

Photos by Steve Ognibene. To view or purchase photos, click here.

At the half, it looked like anybody's game but over the final two quarters, Elba took over in its Lions Club Tournament opening-round game against Mount Morris in the smaller schools bracket.

The Lancers topped Mount Morris 63-53.

Colton Dillon scored 25 points and Jon Boyce added 20 for Elba.

For Mount Morris, Dylan Cicero and Collin Young scored 15 points each.

Elba will face Oakfield-Alabama in tonight's smaller school bracket championship at 7 o'clock.

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Le Roy kept things close against Attica in the first round of the larger school bracket of the Lions Club Tournament at Genesee Community College on Thursday but fell short, taking a 50-45 loss.

The Knights' Reece Tresco led all scorers with 15 points while Attica's Dawson Nelson scored 14 points. Tresco had seven rebounds and Nelson had nine.

For Le Roy, Ethan Smith scored 12 points and for Attica, Frankie Bisceglie, Devon Henderson, and Ayden Goll had eight each and Tyler Meyer scored seven points.

It will be Blue Devils vs. Blue Devils as Attica and Batavia battle it out for the larger school bracket championship at 8:30 tonight at the GCC Anthony Zambito Gym.

The Lions Club is offering several souvenirs for fans and players at the game for the first time. Below, LeeAnn Mullen and Hal Mitchell share what is being offered at the concession stand.

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Clutch long-range shooting by guards Ryann Stefaniak and Bryn Wormley and an inspired effort on both ends of the floor by forward Emma Krolczyk sparked the Batavia High Lady Devils to a 60-58 victory over visiting Honeoye Falls-Lima tonight in Monroe County Division 4 girls basketball action.

Batavia held a 23-9 led midway through the second quarter and looked like it might run away from the Cougars, now 3-6 overall. But HF-L, taking advantage of three fouls on Stefaniak and forward Jenae Colkey, finished the half on a 15-4 run to close within four.

HF-L's freshman center Teagan Kamm found the range from inside in the third quarter, scoring 12 of her game-high 25 points to offset eight points by Stefaniak, who sank a pair of three-point field goals.

Another three-pointer by Stefaniak gave Batavia a 44-41 lead early in the fourth quarter, and the Lady Devils stayed in front although HF-L closed within 53-52 with 2:30 to play.

At that point, Wormley drained a three-pointer and, following another basket by Kamm, Krolczyk hit a side jumper at the 1:02 mark to give the Lady Devils a 58-54 edge. Brown responded with another layup to make it 58-56 and, after a BHS miss, HF-L had a chance to tie it.

Krolczyk rebounded an errant shot, however, to give the ball back to Batavia and then Wormley sank a pair of free throws with 8 seconds left to make it 60-56. Brown’s layup at the buzzer closed the scoring.

Stefaniak, who played the entire fourth quarter with four fouls, led Batavia with 21 points – 16 in the second half -- while Wormley tallied seven of her 15 points in the fourth quarter.

Krolczyk scored 14 points and was active on the defensive and offensive boards, getting second-chance opportunities.

Senior forward Kara Oatman had 12 points and sophomore guard Hannah Selke eight for HF-L.

Both teams struggled at the foul line, with Batavia going 5-for-15 and HF-L making eight of 21.

Batavia’s next game is Jan. 2 against Caledonia-Mumford in the Rotary Club Tournament at Genesee Community College.

Sophomore guard Bryn Wormley scored 17 points, including two key three-point baskets midway through the third quarter, to spark the Batavia High Lady Devils girls basketball team to a 47-38 victory tonight over host Greece Odyssey in Monroe County Division 4 action.

Batavia, 4-1 overall, led 26-12 on a layup by Wormley to start the third quarter before Odyssey, 3-4, scored six straight to cut the lead to eight.

That’s when Wormley found the range from three-point distance twice to put Batavia up 32-20.

The Lady Devils finished the quarter strong on a short jumper by senior forward Jenae Colkey and three-point shot and driving layup by sophomore guard Mackenzie Reigle to take a 39-22 advantage into the final period.

Odyssey outscored Batavia 16-8 in the fourth quarter, with junior forward Treanna Blenman tallying six of her 17 points.

For Batavia, senior guard Ryann Stefaniak added 12 points (all in the first half) and Reigle also had 12 (nine in the second half). Senior center Meghan Houseknecht rounded out the scoring with four.

Reigle had three steals, Stefaniak blocked three shots and junior forward Emma Krolczyk grabbed six rebounds.

Batavia returns home to face Honeoye Falls-Lima on Dec. 27.

Now that she's reached a personal goal, senior guard Ryann Stefaniak has her sights set on leading the Batavia High Lady Devils to a legitimate run at a sectional title.

Stefaniak eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her varsity career tonight, scoring 22 points in Batavia's 67-28 win over Eastridge. The bucket that put her right at 1,000 came with 5:17 left in the second quarter -- a three-point shot from the left side that gave her 19 points at the time and pushed the Lady Devils' lead to 31-5.

It followed a trio of three-point attempts that missed the mark, and had Stefaniak wondering when it was going to happen.

"I was like c'mon," she said, "but it finally went. It was my time."

The 5-foot-9-inch sharpshooter said reaching the milestone became a goal of hers after watching a couple star teammates score over 1,000 points in their time at BHS.

"After seeing Tiara (Filbert) do it in her junior year (2015) and Maddie McCulley in her senior year (2016), I felt I could do it," she said.

Now, she said she's committed to doing all that she can to help Batavia soar to lofty heights.

"I think we have a great chance to go undefeated the rest of the season and make a long run in the sectionals," she said.

Batavia Coach Marty Hein, who presented a plaque to Stefaniak during a timeout after the defining three-point, said the achievement couldn't happen to a better person.

"Ryann has been on the varsity since eighth grade and to see her grow up to become a nice young lady and the way she has matured as a basketball player makes me very proud," Hein said. "I'm just so glad for her."

Mackenzie Reigle chipped in with 15 points for Batavia, 3-1, while Bryn Wormley and Emma Krolczyk each had eight and Meghan Houseknecht seven.

Batavia High girls basketball standout Ryann Stefaniak, receiving a plaque from Coach Marty Hein and celebrating afterward with teammates, from left, Emma Krolczyk, Mackenzie Reigle, Bryn Wormley and Jenae Colkey, scored the 1,000th point of her varsity career tonight in the Lady Devils' 67-28 victory over visiting Eastridge. In photo at top, the crowd goes wild after Stefaniak's three-point basket at the 5:17 mark of the second quarter.

The Attica Blue Devils beat the Oakfield-Alabama Hornets in a game played at O-A on Monday night, 58-48.

Travis Wiedrich scored 17 points for the Hornets and Joey Bordick scored 13.

For Attica, Devon Henderson scored 18 points. Frankie Bisceglie scored 14.

CORRECTION: In our story on the upcoming Lions' Tournament, we incorrectly referred to Coach Ryan Stehlar as a first-year coach. He is in his sixth year coaching the Hornets. We apologize for the error.

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Cal-Mum's Kyle Wade found his way to the basket as time expired and flipped a layup through the hoop to tie Friday's Oatkan Knights vs. Red Raiders boy's basketball game and send the game to overtime.

In overtime, Le Roy lost 59-54, even though Reece Tresco had a big night, scoring 25 points, including hitting three three-point shots in the fourth quarter and overtime.

Eric Wilson scored 11 points for Cal-Mum.

The boys game was the second half of a doubleheader that included a girls game against Cal-Mum. Click here for coverage.

In other boys basketball on Friday, Prattsburgh beat Notre Dame, 84-74.

To purchase prints (including pictures from the girls game) click here.

The Lady Knights fell to the Cal-Mum Red Raiders in the first game of a rivalry doubleheader in Le Roy on Friday night, 48-42.

The game was tied going into the final minute but Cal-Mum was able to pull ahead to secure the win.

For Cal-Mum, both Elyse Van Auken and Brianna Raniewicz scored 15 points. Baylee Miller scored 10.

For Le Roy, Jillian Curtis scored 12 points and Kiaya Condidorio scored eight.

In other girls basketball games Friday:

• Pembroke beat Byron-Bergen, 45-40;
• Pavilion beat Perry, 45-38. For Pavilion, Lindsay Lowe scored 13 points, Lauren Kingsley, 9, and Aprile Beehler, 8. For Perry, Chelsea Pascoe scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds;
• Elba beat Kendall, 69-22;
• Notre Dame beat Wheatland, 45-30.

There's no report available for Batavia's game.

Le Roy lost the boys' game nightcap. Click here for coverage.

The Blue Devils, missing a couple of key players to start the season, dropped to 0-2 with a loss in their home opener to Athena, 64-51.

Andrew Francis scored 15 points for Batavia and Jake Humes added 11, with nine coming on three-pointers. Cam White scored six points. White also had three rebounds.

Joe Martinucci had seven rebounds and scored three points.

Ethan Biscaro, who suffered a knee injury in the state championship football game, Mason McFollins, and Caden White did not play.

For Greece Athena, Melvin Council Jr. scored 17 points and Kelvin Reaves Jr. scored 14 points.

The Blue Devils travel to Pittsford Sutherland for a game Tuesday.

In other boys basketball action Wednesday, Pavilion beat Letchworth 52-39.

In girls basketball: Attica beat Byron-Bergen 61-44; Oakfield beat Holley, 64-33; Alexander beat Pembroke, 43-36; Elba beat Wheatland, 65-45.

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Boys Basketball:

Attica beat Byron-Bergen 66-58 on Tuesday night. For Attica, Dawson Nelson scored 19 points, snagged 16 rebounds, and had three assists, two blocks and a steal. Frankie Bisceglie added 17 points, six assists, and six rebounds. Marco Magarelli scored 11 points.

Head Coach Rob Crowley said, "I was really happy that we stayed together tonight. Bergen played a good game, Stuccio was on fire from outside and we weathered the storm to come away with a hard fought game on the road. Nelson played great in the second half and showed some good leadership for us. Bisceglie came threw for us from the free throw line as well."

Le Roy improved to 2-1 on the season with a 52-30 win over Perry. Reece Tresco scored 23 points. He had 16 rebounds. Colm Roster scored nine points and had seven rebounds. For Perry, Michael Hockey scored 13 points.

Oakfield beat Holley 55-39.

Lyndonville beat Notre Dame 72-58.

Girls Basketball:

Perry 38, Le Roy 29. Perry led 17-10 at the half and kept the lead through the fourth quarter. It was Perry's first win of the season.

For Perry, Bailey Fisher scored 11 points and had five rebounds. Chelsea Pascoe scored six points and grabbed 14 rebounds and six assists. For Le Roy, Kiaya Condidorio scored 10 points and Bryn Luckey scored five points.

Perry is 1-2 opens division play Friday at home against Pavilion.

See also: Batavia girls win second straight, 66-42 over host Greece Athena

Three players scored in double figures tonight as the Batavia High Lady Devils defeated host Greece Athena, 66-42, in a Monroe County girls basketball interdivisional game.

Senior guard Ryan Stefaniak led the way with 20 points -- nine of them in the first quarter, which ended with Batavia up 16-13. 

Sophomore guard Bryn Wormley had six of her 14 in the second quarter as the Devils expanded the margin to 34-21. They stayed comfortably in front the rest of the way, with junior forward Emma Krolczyk scoring eight of her 15 points after intermission.

Mackenzie Reigle (six), Kennedy Kolb and Jenae Colkey (four each) and Meghan Houseknecht (three) rounded out the scoring for Batavia, 2-0. Stefaniak also grabbed nine rebounds and came up with three steals while Reigle dished out four assists.

For Athena, 1-3, senior guard My'Ana Davis and junior forward Kelechi Dimgba tallied 14 and 13, respectively.

Batavia plays at Class AA powerhouse Bishop Kearney on Friday night and opens the home portion of its season next Tuesday against Eastridge.

The Elba and Notre Dame early-season matchup at Elba was everything you expect an Elba vs. Notre Dame game to be: raucous crowd, and a battle to the end between two talented teams.

This time, the Lancers came out on top 52-48, but it wasn't easy.

The Fighting Irish built up a 10-point lead, thanks to some hot shooting from Lucas Calarco and Spencer Masiti, and led 33 to 27 at the break but Elba kept the pressure on throughout the second half and seemed to wear Notre Dame down by the fourth quarter.

"We shot the ball pretty well," said Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Rapone. "Our biggest thing tonight is we didn’t execute the last four minutes. We took some bad shots. We made some bad turnovers and made a few defensive mistakes. When you’re doing that on the road, you’re not going to come out on top against a good team."

The Lancers were led by Jon Boyce, who scored 28 points and snagged 19 rebounds.

"John's one of the best players in Class D basketball," said his Coach Ciaci Zambito "The way he worked, the way he's gotten himself into shape and just his dedication, he deserves a game like tonight. He went out on his last home game against Notre Dame and I think he made a statement for himself. I'm super proud of him."

With Elba down two key players, Colton Dillon and Gregory Huntington, Boyce said he knew his role on the team but that didn't put any pressure on him.

"It sometimes feels like it's on me but then again it's not on me because I look at our team, I look at who is out there, who's out there playing with me," Boyce said. "Everyone knows their roles. We all have our own strengths."

This game, freshman Zack Marshall stepped up and contributed 11 points, hitting three three-point shots in the second half to help give Elba the boost it needed to mount a comeback.

For Notre Dame, Gabe Macdonald scored 15 points. Misiti and Calarco each scored nine points.

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Head Coach Buddy Brasky has warned us that, at least at the start, this will be a challenging season for the Batavia Blue Devils and the team got off to a rocky start with a 43-39 lose to Honeoye Falls-Lima.

An 18-point fourth-quarter rally might be something for Batavia to build on, but it wasn't enough to overcome HFL's 15-point lead at the end of three quarters.

Batavia was beset by turnovers early in the game and went through one four-minute period in the second quarter without hitting a basket.

The team has lost a key component of the offense with Antwan Odom out for the season after getting arrested late in the summer and Mason McFollins, Ethan Biscaro, Cam White, and Caeden White are all out of action, too.

The team is also off to a slow start because the football team had such a great season, reaching the state championship game, so prior to last night's game, Brasky had been able to lead only four practices with a full squad.

Luke Grammatico led Batavia's scorers with 11 points, including a pair of threes in the fourth quarter. Zach Gilebarte scored eight points and Joe Martinucci added six.

For HFL, Trevor Chamberlain scored 19 points and Josh Vogt scored 16.

Photos by Steve Ognibene. To view or purchase photos click here.

The Lions Club of Batavia is promising area basketball players a more competitive tournament with a revamped tournament format and for fans that should mean closer, more intense games.

The club has expanded the field this year to eight teams -- four teams in the small-team division and four teams in the large-team division. This should make games more competitive and lead to some potentially interesting matchups.

For example, if Batavia beats Roy-Hart in its first game it would face either Le Roy or Attica, teams that are natural rivals but Batavia rarely if ever plays.

Notre Dame and Elba have one of the most storied rivalries in the region and could potentially face each other in the championship game but both will face tough first-round opponents in Oakfield-Alabama and Mt. Morris.

"Our kids look forward to this tournament every single year," said Buddy Brasky, the Batavia head coach who will be taking a team to the tournament for the 29th consecutive year. "They talk about right from the get-go. They want to know when is the Lion’s Club’s Tournament? Who’s playing? Who’s in it? It’s really important to them.

"We play in Monroe County so we don’t get a chance to play the area schools very often. We see them in summer at camp. We play some spring league. They really look forward to playing the area schools, the tough area schools, in the Christmas tournament."

It's not a foregone conclusion, as it has been in recent years, that Batavia will be crowned champion. Brasky's squad has only five seniors and one of his biggest scorers, Antwan Odom, is out for the season because of legal issues. Brasky also said there have been some key injuries.

Roy-Hart comes from a tough Section VI and is coached by Joe Pawlak, Notre Dame grad who played in the tournament in 2008, with a loss to Batavia, so he knows what to expect.

"I’m really blessed to have been able to play in it and now coach it," Pawlak said.

If Batavia survives Roy-Hart, the Blue Devils will either face Le Roy or Attica.

Le Roy is anchored by four-year starter Reece Tresco, who is a 6-foot, 4-inch guard/forward who is a threat to score from anywhere on the court and tough under the boards.

Attica has 10 seniors on its squad and Coach Rob Crowley said with five or six big guys on the team and five or six guards, he will be able to play whatever brand of basketball an opponent puts on the court, adjusting his team's look to meet any challenge.

"We can mix in different brands of basketball and match every team and be competitive against every team," Crowley said.

In the small-team division, Mt. Morris is coming off a 15-win season and returning almost all its top players from that squad. Head Coach Brian Stout said he's expecting a quality year from his players.

They open against the Elba Lancers, always a tough squad and this year featuring one of the top players in Section V in 6-foot, 4-inch forward/guard Jon Boyce, along with returning stars Colton Dillon and Collin O'Halloran.

"I’m excited to see what his (Boyce's) senior season holds," said Elba Head Coach Ciaci Zambito. "We've gone from young and inexperienced last year to now one of the older teams experience-wise in the area."

Mike Rapone, Notre Dame's legendary head coach, said he's got the biggest team he's ever led. There are nine players on the roaster who are at least 6-foot, 1-inch tall, including 6-foot, 7-inch returning starting center Keith Szczepanski.

That is no guarantee of anything, however, Rapone said, especially after losing last year's two leading scorers.

"That (size) doesn’t necessarily always translate into what we want it to be, but hopefully it will this year," Rapone said.

Oakfield-Alabama is a young team (only two seniors) with coach, Ryan Stehlar, so their tournament game will be a test and give fans some idea of what to expect on the season.

The Lions Club Tournament is played at Genesee Community College and that's one reason that the players who get to play in the tournament look forward to it. It's a big stage and prepares them for what they might face in post-season play.

It's also the premier fund-raising event for the Lion's Club, which is another reason you should attend.

The first four varsity games are Thursday, Dec. 27. 

• Attica vs. Le Roy, 4 p.m.
• Mt. Morris vs. Elba, 5:30 p.m.
• Oakfield-Alabama vs. Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
• Roy-Hart vs. Batavia, 8:30 p.m.

The consolation and championship games will be played Dec. 28, with consolation games at 4 and 5:30 p.m. The championship game in the small-teams division is at 7 p.m. Tipoff for the large-team division is 8:30 p.m.

Top photo: Frank Biscelie, Attica, Joe Martinucci, Batavia, Charlie Birgham, Roy-Hart, and Reece Tresco, Le Roy.

Spencer Misiti, Notre Dame, Jon Boyce, Elba, Cameron Regal, Mt. Morris, and Joey Burdick, Oakfield-Alabama.

Ryann Stefaniak driving in for a layup.

The Batavia High Varsity Girls Basketball Team shook off some early jitters on the offensive end of the court by turning to an effective full-court press on the defensive end en route to a season-opening 55-37 victory over host Irondequoit in a Monroe County inter-divisional game Tuesday night.

Senior guard Ryann Stefaniak led the way for Batavia with 20 points and 10 rebounds while sophomore guards Mackenzie Reigle and Bryn Wormley added 10 apiece.

Senior forward Jenae Colkey chipped in with seven while senior center Meghan Houseknecht scored six.

Coach Marty Hein’s squad looked tight at the outset, missing several layups and turning the ball over a half-dozen times in the opening period, which ended in a 14-14 tie.

After Irondequoit took a 15-14 lead early in the second quarter, Batavia went to the press and that sparked an 8-2 run with Reigle, Colkey and Emma Krolczyk scoring on the break and Houseknecht hitting from inside.

Houseknecht scored again in the final minute of the half to give Batavia a 27-22 lead.

Batavia, staying with the press that resulted in many Irondequoit turnovers, put the game away in the third quarter with an 11-2 run. Stefaniak had eight of those points on a three-pointer, two driving layups on assists from Colkey and a free throw, while Colkey had the other three.

The Lady Devils’ advantage was 44-27 after the third quarter and they coasted from there.

Irondequoit was led by junior guard Alahna Paige’s eight points. Paige, a 19-points-per-game scorer last season, was hampered by foul trouble throughout.

Both teams shot poorly from the foul line. Batavia was 7-for-17 while Irondequoit went 11-for-25.

The Lady Devils’ next game is scheduled for Dec. 11 at Greece Athena.

To view or purchase photos click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

Mackenzie Reigle pushes the ball up court as Jenae Colkey advances.

Meghan Houseknecht looks to rebound.

Kennedy Kolb battles for the ball as Emma Krolczyk looks on.

Krolczyk goes in uncontested.

Colkey knocks the ball away from Irondequoit's Rebeca McGwin.

The Batavia Jr. Blue Devil Basketball Camp was held Aug. 13th-17th at the John Kennedy Gymnasium.

Kids in grades 3-8 from various towns participated in drills, games and contests. The basic fundamentals of the game, sportsmanship, safety, and fair play were emphasized.

The second annual Batavia Boys Basketball Program Golf Tournament will be held Saturday, Aug. 18, at Batavia Country Club. Cost is $70 per golfer and all proceeds benefit Batavia basketball.

Price includes 18 holes of golf -- four-man scramble, cart, lunch and dinner.

Registration starts at 2 p.m.; tee off is at 3 p.m.

The country club is located at 7909 Batavia Byron Road, Batavia.

If interested, please contact Varsity Head Coach Buddy Brasky -- 356-4050; Bryan Falitico -- 201-1075; or Dave Hall -- 703-5063.

Prizes will be awarded to: first-place team; second-place team; third-place team; longest drive; closest to the pin.

There will be a Chinese auction and raffle prizes.

Businesses are wanted to help with $50 hole sponsorships and prizes. To do so, please contact Brasky or Falitico at the numbers above.

Checks should be made out to Batavia Boys Basketball Boosters.

Press release:

Girls Varsity Tennis and Softball Coach Jim Fazio will be hosting instructional camps this summer for basketball, tennis, and softball.

The Softball Camp will be open to girls ages 9-16 on July 9-11, from 9 a.m. to noon, with rain dates on the 12th and 13th, at the Batavia High School Varsity softball field. Cost is $50; multiple children from the same family pay $40 each.

The Tennis Camp will run July 16-18, from 1 to 4 p.m. with rain dates on the 19th and 20th at the Batavia High School tennis courts for boys and girls entering grades 3-9. Cost is $50; multiple children from the same family pay $40 each.

The Basketball Camp will run Aug. 13-17 at John Kennedy School from 9 a.m. to noon for boys and girls entering grades 3-8. Cost is $65; multiple children from the same family pay $55 each.

All camps will focus on the fundamentals of each sport, sportsmanship, safety, and fair play. Drills and contests will be held daily.

Each participant will receive a free T-shirt.

For more information, and to get applications and the required waivers, please contact Coach Fazio at 585-356-0901 or at jfazio@gvboces.org