SMETHPORT, PA – Despite finding their footing in the second half, the Smethport boy’s basketball team could not erase their early deficit, falling to Oswayo Valley 55-42.
The Hubbers’ offense failed to fire in the opening minutes. Scoring just six points in the first quarter and four in the second, they watched as the gap on the scoreboard swelled to 15 entering halftime.
Coming out of the intermission, however, the tide began to change. Colin Riekofsky, who had scored just three points in the first half, led the offense with 10 in the third while Colin Okerlund tacked on five points. In the fourth, Cole Burdick took the reins, knocking down three triples as a part of the Hubbers’ best scoring quarter of the game. However, ultimately the effort went in vain as OV’s early buffer held strong.
Riekofsky ended with 17 points, while Okerlund followed in suit with 10. Burdick ended the game with nine points.
AT SMETHPORT
Oswayo Valley (55)
D. Welch 6 8-10 21, Resig 4 0-0 9, Worthington 3 0-0 7, L. Welch 1 2-4 5, Mesler 2 0-0 5, Bryant 2 1-3 5, Karr 1 0-0 2, Goode 0 1-2 1. Totals: 19 12-19 55
Smethport (42)
Riekofsky 7 3-6 17, Okerlund 3 3-4 10, Burdick 3 0-0 9, Swanson 1 0-0 2, Hewitt 1 0-0 2, Smith 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 6-10 42
Oswayo Valley 19 25 41 55
Smethport 6 10 25 42
Three-point goals: OV (5) D. Welch, Resig, Worthington, L. Welch, Mesler, SM (4) Burdick 3, Okerlund; Total fouls: OV 14, SM 19; Fouled out: None.
Erie First Christian Academy 87, Otto-Eldred 49
DUKE CENTER, PA – Unable to contain the Eagles star duo, the Terrors faced their second blowout loss of the season.
ECF’s tandem scoring threat of Simon Gonzalez and Avery Collins got hot early, with Gonzalez scoring 13 in the first quarter and Collins tacking on 11. While the pair continued to dictate the flow of the game, O-E struggled to get going, scoring just seven points in the first quarter as they rapidly fell behind early. The mountainous lead that amassed in the first half proved to be fatal as the Terrors were unable to mount any semblance of a comeback.
Jack Sherry took control of the Terrors attack, scoring a season-high 21 points alongside 13 rebounds. Wyatt Blendinger also reached double-digits with 10 while Michael Sheeler finished with seven.
For EFC, Gonzalez and Collins scored 34 and 30 points, respectively.
AT DUKE CENTER
Erie First Christian (87)
Gonzalez 14 2-3 34, Av. Collins 12 5-5 30, Titus 6 0-0 12, Rupp 2 0-0 5, Ad. Collins 1 0-0 3, Temple 1 0-0 3. Totals: 37 7-8 87
Otto-Eldred (49)
Sherry 7 5-5 21, Blendinger 4 2-4 10, Sheeler 2 2-2 7, Schenfield 2 1-4 6, Collins 1 0-0 3, Splain 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 10-15 49
Erie First Christian 29 44 70 87
Otto-Eldred 7 23 40 49 Three-point goals: ECF (9) Av. Collins 3, Gonzalez 3, Rupp, Ad. Collins, Temple, O-E (5) Sherry 2, Sheeler, Schenfield, Collins; Total fouls: ECF 12, O-E 7; Fouled out: None.
