Fredonia’s Tyler Putney, pictured above (23) during a game last season, led the Hillbillies with 20 points in a win against Chautauqua Lake, Tuesday, in Mayville. OBSERVER File Photo.

OBSERVER Staff Reports

MAYVILLE — The Fredonia Hillbillies used a strong first quarter to edge the Chautauqua Lake Thunderbirds on Tuesday night.

“They do a nice job at home,” said Fredonia coach Nick Bertrando. “They play extremely hard. We had to battle tonight.”

The ‘Billies held a 17-7 edge after the first frame, led by Tyler Putney’s seven first quarter points. That 10 point lead would prove to be the difference, as the rest of the game was played evenly.

“It was another good road win,” Bertrando said. “Hopefully moving forward, we’ll continue to sharpen the axe here as we continue to move through league into the playoffs.”

Fredonia was led by Putney’s 20 points, four rebounds, and five blocks, while Patrick Reading and Nick Whitfield each had 10.

Chautauqua Lake was led by Luke Waters, who scored 18 points, and four made three pointers, while Nate Adams added 15 in the loss.

Fredonia (9-3, 3-1) will next take the court when Southwestern comes to town on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m., while Chautauqua Lake (1-10, 0-4) will travel to Olean to take on the Huskies on the same day.

Silver Creek 88, Gowanda 33

GOWANDA — The Silver Creek Black Knights continue to hit their stride midway through the season, this time blowing by the Gowanda Panthers 88-33 in Gowanda on Tuesday night.

The Black Knights got off to a scorching start, absolutely dominating the first quarter 30-9, and the second quarter 27-13, giving them a 57-22 lead heading into the break. The team closed out the game strong as well, ending with a 31-11 advantage in the second half to secure the victory.

The Black Knights were led by Dominic Jamison, who scored 19 points with seven assists and four steals, while Xyon Wolverton had 16 points and six rebounds off the bench. Nate Parker added 11 points for the Black Knights, and Spencer Harford ended with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Gowanda was led by Tyee Nagel’s 10 points, while John Ondus added seven.

The Black Knights (6-4, 3-0) are next in action at Salamanca, on Friday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m., while the Panthers (3-7, 1-2) will travel to Portville on the same day.

Ellicottville 44, Forestville 41

ELLICOTTVILLE — The Forestville Hornets dropped a close one to the Ellicottville Eagles on Tuesday night, getting edged 44-41 on the road.

The Hornets got off to a hot start, outscoring the Eagles 14-9 through one quarter of play. With the deficit being five, both teams defenses showed up to keep the game tight in the second frame. The Eagles were snakebitten in the second quarter, being unable to score a point, as a poor shooting percentage looked to be their downfall. Despite this, the Eagles defense held strong, only allowing the Hornets seven points in the quarter, leading to a 21-9 halftime lead for the Hornets. Despite the poor shooting, Ellicottville coach Dave McCann knew his team was nowhere near out of it.

The Eagles defense held the Hornets to 10 points in each of the third and fourth quarter, while the Eagles scored 35 the rest of the way to salvage a victory when things looked grim.

Leif Jimerson led the way for the Eagles with 19 points, while Wyatt Chudy had nine points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, and Clayton Rowland added eight points in the win.

Forestville was led by their duo of Gavin Christian, who scored 28 ponts, and Javier West, who scored nine points with four steals. Dalton Hastings added 10 rebounds for the Hornets as well.

The Hornets (4-6, 2-1) is next in action against Catt./Little-Valley at home on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m., while the Eagles (9-1, 3-0) travel to Tapestry tonight to play Tapestry Charter at 6:30 p.m.

North Collins 53, Pine Valley 37

NORTH COLLINS — The North Collins Eagles continue their recent string of success, as they knocked off the Pine Valley Panthers 53-37 on Tuesday night at North Collins.

“We started out the game fast and didn’t let up,” said North Collins coach Jan Warren. “They played hard for the entire time, and our defense was good. We pressed and caused turnovers. Shutting them down in the first half was critical, and gave us a good cushion. I think my guys are getting it.”

The Eagles only held a two point lead at the end of the first quarter, only leading 11-9. The offense really kicked into gear the rest of the way, outscoring Pine Valley 16-5 in the second quarter, and 18-10 after the intermission. Pine Valley was able to win the fourth quarter 13-8, but it was too late for a Panther comeback.

Dominic Fricano led the way for North Collins with 15 and 13 rebounds, while Matt Sweet had 14 points on four three pointers. The Eagles outstanding senior Tyler Robinson added 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six blocks in the win.

Corey Ellis led the way for the Panthers with 12, while Bryce Sercu had 11, and Wayne Libby had 10 points.

North Collins (4-7, 2-1) is next in action, hosting Franklinville on Friday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m., while the Panthers (4-6, 0-3) will see Ellicottville at home on the same day, at 7:30 p.m.