By SPENCER BATES
batesoleanstar@gmail.com
ALLEGANY — The goal for coach Inga Welty’s Portville girls basketball team going into its one and only game in the 7th Annual Joe DeCerbo Holiday Showcase was to finish out 2024 on a positive note.
A goal they delivered on as the Panthers topped the Huskies 48-34.
“Sometimes before games we like to make some goals,” Welty said. “Obviously, winning was one and ending 2024 on a positive note (was another). … So that was the goal, win and end on a positive note, with a positive attitude, and to work as hard as we can.”
Emma Rhinehart, Portville’s only returning starter from last year, powered her team to a bounce-back win behind her career-high 24 point performance. Her ability to drive through the paint and get layups amongst the Olean bigs, along with her ability to hit the deep shot was huge and led to her garnering a heap of praise from her coach.
“I feel like she really took control,” Welty said. “I’ve been hounding her a little bit, because I feel like as a point guard, there’s times she gives up the ball when she shouldn’t, because she picks up her dribble before she’s ready to make that decision. So, we talk about it a lot, and I felt like that’s probably why she was able to get to the rack, because she kept her dribble and looked for those lanes. I was really proud of the fact that she went with both hands. … I think then as soon as she started finishing early, she was effective. I think that helped her to get more confidence, which is what you need from your point guard.”
What made Rhinehart such a viable option for the Panthers was the team’s ball movement and attention that Ali Haynes and other interior presences drew. This opened up lanes for Rhinehart and on the possessions in which she wasn’t available, the crisp passing made for better opportunities for others.
“We are successful when that happens,” Welty said. “If people are doubling on an Ali, we kick it out, we make the extra pass. That is our success. … I felt like that worked really well today, that is one of the prime things to teach.”
“I think (we) seemed a little more comfortable today, I know they were disappointed in our game against (Allegany-Limestone), and that was a big focus yesterday at practice, the idea that if you just take that extra second to think before you act. And I felt like, overall, all eight players did that.”
Portville had seven of its eight players that took the floor against Olean find their way into the scoring column.
Olean’s Alaina Hirliman (4) takes a contested floater during the Huskies’ loss to Portville in the Joe DeCerbo Memorial Showcase. (Hunter O. Lyle)
As for Olean, the performance was a big improvement, according to coach Chelsea Bowker. After going into halftime staring down a 25-12 deficit, they did not allow for the score to run away from them and kept pace with the Panthers in the second half, only losing 27-22 over the later frames.
“I’m super proud of them tonight,” Bowker said. “They played well, they played together, they did things I asked on the move. They’re definitely making improvements. So, it’s really nice to see.”
Still, Bowker knows there is much room for improvement. At times throughout the game, she called for her players to commit more, whether it be on offense, defense, or both. So long as Bowker sees her players operating with confidence, she knows they can improve.
“I think it’s a lack of confidence,” Bowker said. “I want them to know, if you’re doing something 110%, I’m not going to be mad. That’s all I want. So, either go 110% at the ball, or get back on defense. And I think that’s going to help us. When we learn to go 110%, we’re going to improve, and we’re going to play better, and our games are gonna be closer.”
Up next for Portville is an away date with Randolph on Jan. 7 with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m.
For Olean, they suit up next away at Salamanca on Jan. 6. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
AT ALLEGANY
Olean (34)
Hirliman 5 2-2 13, Finch 4 0-0 8, Easton 1 2-2 4, Mannings 1 0-0 3, Marshall 1 0-0 2, Bates 1 0-4 2, Battle 1 0-1 2. Totals: 14 4-9 34
Portville (48)
Rhinehart 9 4-5 24, A. Isaman 2 1-1 6, Haynes 2 2-4 6, Edwards 2 0-0 4 Carls 1 1-2 3, N. Isaman 1 0-0 2, Reynolds 1 0-0 2. Totals: 20 8-13 48
OL 6 12 24 34
Port. 13 25 38 48Three-point goals: OL 0, Port. 2 (Rhinehart 2); Total fouls: OL 18, Port. 15; fouled out: A. Finch (OL)
