Scoring titles, section championships and MVPs — the members of this year’s Big 30 boys and girls basketball All-Star teams have officially been announced.
Headlining the teams are Salamanca’s Lucus Brown and Portville’s Lillian Bentley, the boys’ and girls’ Big 30 basketball Players of the Year, respectively.
This season, Lucus Brown broke the all-time basketball scoring record at Salamanca and helped lead his team to its second New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Final Four in three years. Lillian Bentley finished out her high school basketball career with over 1,000 points and rebounds after having averaged 19.8 points and 12.4 rebounds per game this season alone.
Surrounding Lucus Brown on the Big 30 boys first-team is the Otto-Eldred duo of Landon Francis and Manning Splain, Bolivar-Richburg’s Aydin Sisson and Fillmore’s Zach Sisson.
Francis was the North Tier League (NTL) Most Valuable Player and earned his second straight spot on the Big 30 first-team after having averaged 16.4 points, 6.9 assists and 5.2 rebounds on the season. His teammate, Splain, was an NTL All-Star and averaged over 16 points per game this season. Zach Sisson was the Allegany County Div. I MVP and reached third on the all-time point-scorer list at Fillmore this season after averaging 24.6 points per game. Aydin Sisson earned a spot in his second straight Big 30 All-Star team, was an Allegany County All-Star and a career 1,000-point scorer after averaging 22 points per game this year.
As for the girls first-team All-Stars, Lillian Bentley is joined by Salamanca’s Karina Crouse, Port Allegany’s Ella Moses, Pioneer’s Gretchen Rumfola and Fillmore’s Hope Russell.
Crouse, a CCAA West I All-Star, helped the Warriors reach the Section 6 Class B2 Semifinal and averaged 12.7 points per game. Moses, the NTL MVP has been named to her second straight Big 30 All-Star team after averaging 13.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Rumfola, an ECIC first-team All-Star, helped lead Pioneer to a Section 6 Class A1 Final. She finished second in the league in assists and sixth in scoring. Russell, the Allegany County MVP, averaged 15.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Pictured are the members of both the Big 30 boys and girls second-team All-Stars. Back row (from left): Reilly Streich, Braxton Caldwell and Landon Barkley. Front row: Jackie Scanlon, Dalayla Alexander, Sierra Myers and Makenna Dunbar. Not pictured: Sam Platt, Josh Smith and Kayleigha Dowell.
THE BOYS second-team All-Stars are Bolivar-Richburg’s Landon Barkley, Otto-Eldred’s Braxton Caldwell, Pioneer’s Sam Platt, Cameron County’s Josh Smith and Coudersport’s Reilly Streich.
Barkley was his team’s MVP and ACE Tournament All-Star. Caldwell was a NTL All-Star and shot over 61% from the field this past season. Platt was an ECIC Div. III first-team All-Star and averaged 18.8 points per game. Smith was another NTL All-Star and averaged 19 points per game. Streich, despite missing some time early in the year with an injury, came back and averaged 19.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game and was an NTL All-Star.
The girls second-team All-Stars are Ellicottville’s Dalayla Alexander, Port Allegany’s Kayleigha Dowell, Wellsville’s Makenna Dunbar, Coudersport’s Sierra Myers and Portville’s Jackie Scanlon.
Alexander helped Ellicottville reach its first Section 6 Final in 23 years and was a CCAA East II first-team All-Star. Dowell earned her second career Big 30 All-Star nod and third career NTL All-Star selection. Dunbar was named to the Section 5 Class B All-Tournament team for the second-straight year and averaged 12.1 points per game. Myers is a career two-time NTL All-Star and league tournament champion. Scanlon was a second-team CCAA East I All-Star and helped lead the Panthers to the Section 6 Class B2 title in their first year competing as a Class B school.
Pictured are the members of both the Big 30 boys and girls third-team All-Stars. Back row (from left): Braeden Wight, Avery Brown, Carson Kwiatkowski and Caedyn Tingley. Front row: Lezly McComber, Natalie Adams, Sofia Bentley and Mary Hamer. Not pictured: Ryan Shaffer and Elizabeth Hungiville.
THE BOYS third-team All-Stars are Salamanca’s Avery Brown, Allegany-Limestone’s Carson Kwiatkowski, Cameron County’s Ryan Shaffer, Olean’s Caedyn Tingley and Cuba-Rushford’s Braeden Wight.
Avery Brown, a CCAA West I second-team All-Star, had the second-highest season totals in points and rebounds for Salamanca and played a big role in its trip to the NYSPHSAA Final Four. Kwiatkowski was a CCAA West I first-team All-Star and averaged 17.3 points per game. Shaffer was an NTL All-Star and averaged 16 points per game. Tingley helped lead Olean to a Section 6 Class A2 title and was a CCAA West I first-team All-Star. Wight was an Allegany County first-team All-Star and averaged 15.5 points per game.
The girls third-team All-Stars are Wellsville’s Natalie Adams, Franklinville’s Sofia Bentley, Genesee Valley/Belfast’s Mary Hamer, Smethport’s Elizabeth Hungiville and Salamanca’s Lezly McComber.
Adams averaged 13 points per game and was named MVP of the Jack Bush Tip-Off Tournament. Sofia Bentley was the CCAA East II MVP and averaged 18.8 points per game. Hamer averaged 14.4 points per game and won MVP of the Belmont Rotary Tournament and Rick Hughes Tournament. Hungiville averaged 13 points and 13.9 rebounds per game and earned her third career NTL All-Star honor. McComber averaged 12 points and 9.3 rebounds per game and was a CCAA West I first-team All-Star.
