High School Fridays: Basketball roundup, 1/11/19

The weather was cold enough tonight, such that ye scribe decided to work from home and hearth, awaiting results of tonight's action. We'll be back out on the road tomorrow.
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Perhaps the biggest mismatch of the night came in a non-conference game between Ballston Spa (Suburban Council) and Mekeel Christian Academy, formerly of the Western Athletic Conference, but now, per the Albany Times-Union, seemingly playing a more independent schedule, following the lead of Albany Academy and Green Tech.

The Lions dominated the Scotties in much the same way a Division 1 college team---say, for example, Duke or Syracuse---would with a tomato can opponent from a mid-major or lower conference. Mekeel led by 40 at halftime, and blew away Ballston Spa, 80-28. Ouch!
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Back at home, Troy High's women's basketball team snapped their Suburban Council losing streak, gaining some momentum toward a three game road trip that begins tomorrow in Kingston. Alaina Holmes led all scorers with 20 points. Jenalyse Alarcon had 16, and Jakaiya Dewer had 10, including the only three pointer for Troy on the night, as the Lady Horses beat Schenectady, 55-45.

Of the next five games on the schedule, two look winnable (Niskayuna next Friday, and the rematch with Burnt Hills on January 29), but as we saw with Columbia on Tuesday, nothing is guaranteed with the Troy women.

Meanwhile, the Troy men continued to roll with a 90-73 win over Schenectady. The Patriots drop to 4-4 in the league, four games behind Troy with a rematch looming at Zotto Gym next month. Latyce Faison led all scorers with 22 points. Nazaire Merritt & Lateef Johnson added 19 each. Troy will be home for Averill Park and Nisky next week before a road trip to Kingston & Saratoga, with mid-term exams in between.

The wheels seem to have suddenly fallen off for Columbia, which has now dropped two in a row after losing to Averill Park tonight. The task ahead for Dave Pugilese's Warriors come Tuesday is figuring out how to slow down the Flying Horse Express. Coach Greg Davis has plenty of weapons, perhaps more firepower than Pugilese knows how to handle. We'll see. Columbia has fallen to third place in the Gray division, two games behind Troy.