News & notes

With their home schedule complete, RPI hit the road last night, and shut out Harvard in hockey, 2-0. Conversely, Dartmouth took down Union, 5-3. The teams will change opponents tonight.
================================
Joseph Girard III has graduated, and is playing at Syracuse. As a result, Glens Falls was at Shenendehowa for a Class B men's quarterfinal last night. Zach Barrett led all scorers with 28 points, as the Indians blew away Bishop Maginn, 89-63.

Voorheesville's 3rd visit to Troy this season ended in shock and surprise, as Rensselaer upset the top team in men's Class C, 79-74, in the first game of a triple-header at Hudson Valley Community College.

Other scores:

Mechanicville 46, Broadalbin-Perth 45.
Hudson Falls 65, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 43.
Lake George 66, Maple Hill 59.
Hoosick Falls 60, Catskill 58.

The two remaining Class C quarters lead off a six game marathon at HVCC this morning at 11, followed by the Class AA quarters. Pack lunch and/or dinner if you don't want to spend the money on overpriced concessions.
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The times are now set for tonight's Section II hockey semi-finals at Union College. Curiously, defending champion Bethlehem will be the opening act, as they'll take the ice at 5:30 vs. Adirondack, while CBA & Saratoga will meet in the nightcap at 8.
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Alumni watch:

The up & down season continues for Virginia Commonwealth, as the Rams beat West Virginia in a non-conference game Friday, 4-1. Danny Watson (Columbia) went 2 1/3 innings in relief, striking out 1 while giving up the only run of the day for the Hokies. Brett Young (Albany Academy) didn't start, and was used as a late inning replacement.

In ACC softball action, Pittsburgh defeated North Carolina, 7-3, in the first game of a weekend series. Hunter Levesque (Troy High) went 1-3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Sectional results, 2/27

Women's Class A:

Averill Park 78, Mohonasen 32. The Warriors treated their former Suburban Council rival like a stepping stone, jumping out to a 45-12 halftime lead. The Wood sisters, Amelia & Kelsey, combined for 32 points, equaling Mohon's total for the evening. Anna Jankovic added 15 for the Warriors.

Troy 55, Amsterdam 44. Jenalyse Alarcon, who missed last year's playoffs, was a big factor, leading all scorers with 25 points. Jakaiya Dewer added 13. Troy was down, 15-5, after the first period, but turned things around with a 21-4 run in the second, and never looked back.

Troy gets another shot at Averill Park on Wednesday at Hudson Valley Community College, site of their 2016 final round thriller.

Academy of Holy Names 40, Burnt Hills 29.
Queensbury 67, Hudson Falls 35. 

Women's Class AA:

Saratoga 79, Guilderland 54. Catherine "Dolly" Cairns returned from injury, and finished with 20 points. Lauren Patnode also had 20 as the Lady Streaks placed four players in double figures. Valencia Fontenelle-Posson led all scorers with 25 points in a losing effort for the Lady Dutch, who, oh by the way, are now under the direction of former Catholic Central player, and later, coach, Chuck Mack.

Shenendehowa 68, Bethlehem 40. Bella Stuart led the Plainswomen with a game high 20 points. The Suburban Council's other sister act, the Huerters, Meghan & Jillian, combined for 19 points.

Albany 63, Niskayuna 52.
Shaker 53, Colonie 50.

Semi-finals are at HVCC next Thursday.

Sectional results, 2/26

Basketball scores obtained from the Albany Times-Union:

Men's Class AA:

CBA 52, LaSalle 50 (OT). It's safe to say the off-court drama over the last month at LaSalle cost the Cadets dearly. 24 hours after their hockey team was eliminated, LaSalle loses to CBA again. Gabe Lucarelli led the Cadets with 19 points in a losing effort.

Bethlehem 72, Albany 57.
Niskayuna 61, Ballston Spa 33. 
Columbia 64, Schenectady 55.
Colonie 64, Guilderland 37.
===============================
Men's Class A:

Amsterdam 59, Mohonasen 57.
Gloversville 62, Catholic Central 38.
Queensbury 61, South Glens Falls 37.

Troy 65, Scotia-Glenville 43. Marquis Hamby led all scorers with 31 points (7 3-pointers), and Makai Cruel added 12 for Troy. Antonio Cianfrani led Scotia with 29, and was the only Tartan in double figutres.

Hudson Falls 65, Burnt Hills 43.
==================================
Men's Class D:

OESJ 65, Whitehall 61.
===================================
Women's Class B quarter-finals:

Schalmont 57, Cobleskill-Richmondville 46.
Mechanicville 62, Ichabod Crane 48.
Johnstown 66, Fonda-Fultonville 63.
Mekeel Christian Academy 57, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk 31.

Semi-final pairings @ Averill Park, Tuesday, March 3:

Mechanicville vs. Schalmont.
Johnstown vs. Mekeel.
===================================
Women's Class C quarter-finals:

Cambridge 63, Salem 30.
Berne-Knox-Westerlo 67, Warrensburg 59.
Maple Hill 68, Mayfield 21.
Hoosic Valley 64, Duanesburg 47.

Semi-final pairings @ Colonie, Tuesday:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo vs. Cambridge.
Hoosic Valley vs. Maple Hill.
===================================
Hockey quarter-finals:

Saratoga 3, Shenendehowa 0.
Bethlehem 5, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake-Ballston Spa 2.
Adirondack 3, "Guilderville" 1.

Semi-final pairings @ Union College, Saturday, times TBA:

CBA vs. Saratoga:
Adirondack vs. Bethlehem.

Sectional results, 2/25

Basketball results courtesy of the Albany Times-Union:

Men's Class B:

Catskill 77, Schuylerville 50.
Schalmont 78, Coxsackie-Athens 56.
Glens Falls 59, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk 47.
Mechanicville 66, Greenville 63 (OT).
Broadalbin-Perth 60, Cohoes 52 (OT).
Bishop Maginn 56, Watervliet 42.
Bishop Gibbons 82, Hudson 65.
Hoosick Falls 74, Fonda-Fultonville 43.
==================================
Men's Class C:

Voorheesville 62, Hoosic Valley 45.
Berne-Knox-Westerlo 58, Saratoga Central Catholic 45.
Granville 65, Cambridge 61.
Lake George 62, Canajoharie 58.
Maple Hill 71, Galway 50.
Waterford 57, Schoharie 32.
Fort Plain 65, Stillwater 59.
Rensselaer 67, Hadley-Luzerne 62.
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Men's Class D: 

Loudonville Christian 53, Fort Edward 46.
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The takeaway: Zaveon Little, who played for Troy last year, returns to Hudson Valley Community College, this time with Voorheesville, on Friday as the Blackbirds play Rensselaer......With no gate attraction, Glens Falls will be at Shenendehowa on Friday instead of HVCC.
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Women's Class D:

Fort Edward 53, Saratoga Central Catholic 20.
Whitehall 52, Argyle 38.
Northville 56, Bishop Gibbons 43.
Hartford 64, Germantown 48.
=====================================

LaSalle's hockey season is over. CBA shut out the Cadets, 4-0, on Tuesday night. The season of misery concludes at 4-18 for Tim Flanigan's club. CBA now awaits the winner of tonight's Saratoga-Shenendehowa match.

Sectional update, 2/25

Here's tonight's lineup for men's & women's Section II basketball playoffs:

Women's Class D:

At Fort Edward:

Hartford vs. Germantown
Saratoga Central Catholic @ Fort Edward.

At Argyle:

Northville vs. Bishop Gibbons
Whitehall @ Argyle.

Men's Class B:

Schuylerville @ Catskill.
Hoosick Falls @ Fonda.
Cohoes @ Broadalbin-Perth.
Greenville @ Mechanicville.
Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk @ defending champion Glens Falls.
Bishop Maginn @ Watervliet.
Hudson @ Bishop Gibbons.
Coxsackie-Athens @ Schalmont.

As previously noted the semi-finals will be at Hudson Valley Community College and Shenendehowa on Friday. 

Men's Class C:

Hoosic Valley @ Voorheesville.
Rensselaer @ Hadley-Luzerne.
Galway @ Maple Hill.
Canajoharie @ Lake George.
Cambridge @ Granville.
Waterford @ Schoharie.
Stillwater @ Fort Plain.
Saratoga Central Catholic @ Berne-Knox-Westerlo.

The winners of the top two games will play Friday at HVCC at 5. Shen will host one quarter-final on Friday, while the remaining quarters will be at HVCC Saturday to kick off a six game marathon, coupled with the Class AA quarters.

Men's Class D:

Fort Edward vs. Loudonville Christian @ Maple Hill. Winner plays Northville Saturday at Stillwater.

News & notes

The Albany Patroons have fallen from the ranks of the unbeaten in The Basketball League, having suffered back-to-back losses over the weekend to fall to 4-2, and out of first place, down to third. Like, did you really think they'd go undefeated this year?
=========================================
Alumni watch: Siena won just its 2nd road game of the season in knocking off Fairfield on Sunday afternoon. Jordan King (CBA) hit a key three pointer late in the second half, finishing with 9 points,  and Elijah Burns (LaSalle) led the Saints with 15 points.

Joseph Girard III (Glens Falls) had 15 points, hitting a key trey in the second half to carry Syracuse past Georgia Tech in ACC play.

Pittsburgh's softball team closed out the Pirate Invite on a downer, losing to host East Carolina, 9-1, in 5 innings. Hunter Levesque (Troy) went 1-2. The Panthers are now 5-7 on the season, and will visit North Carolina this weekend.

Virgnia Commonwealth downed Sacred Heart on Sunday to take their first home series, 2 games to 1. Danny Watson (Columbia) went 2 1/3 in relief to pick up his second win of the season. Brett Young (Albany Academy) went 0-2 with a walk for the second straight game.
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The quarterfinals in the Capital District High School Hockey League (CDHSHL) are now set:

Tuesday:

LaSalle @ CBA. The Brothers swept the regular season series, but the Cadets may have found their missing mojo in beating Albany Academy on Saturday.

Wednesday:

Shenendehowa @ Saratoga.
Adirondack @ "Guilderville".
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake-Ballston Spa @ Bethlehem.

Winners will advance to the semi-finals at Union College on Saturday. Ye scribe is not making any predictions.

News & notes

The Skating Cadets of LaSalle will live to fight another day.

LaSalle snapped a 14 game losing streak Saturday night in upsetting Albany Academy, 5-2. Brendan Witte & Hunter Caola had two goals each for LaSalle, which moves to the quarterfinals, date & site to be announced later today.

Meanwhile, Shenendehowa drilled the Capital District Jets, 8-2, and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake-Ballston Spa blew away the "Niskerdam" Mohawks, 9-1.
=====================================
Alumni watch: Sacred Heart evened their weekend series with Virginia Commonwealth, beating the Rams, 5-1, on Saturday. Brett Young went 0-2 with a walk and a run scored, playing left field. Carter Knapek went 3 1/3 innings in relief without giving up a run as the Rams tried to come back. Series concludes today.

Pittsburgh split their two games at the Pirate Invite softball tournament on Saturday, losing, 2-1, to Massachusetts before beating Towson State in the nightcap, 5-2. Hunter Levesque, batting second vs. UMass, and leadoff vs. Towson, went a cumulative 2-5 with an RBI and three runs scored.
=======================================
RPI wrapped the home portion of its ECAC men's hockey schedule by beating Princeton Saturday night on Senior Night, 5-1. Right now, prospects look good for hosting a first round series at the Houston Field House, as the Engineers move back above .500 for the season.
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Courtesy of the Albany Times-Union & Glens Falls' Post-Star, here are the results of Saturday's women's Class B & C  basketball sectionals:

Class B:

Schalmont 67, Catskill 41
Cobleskill 83, Greenwich 75
Mechanicville 68, Broadalbin-Perth 26
Ichabod Crane 37, Hudson 29
Fonda 46, Glens Falls 31
Johnstown 69, Tamarac 49
Mekeel Christian Academy 57, Hoosick Falls 31
Ravena 58, Cairo-Durham 41

Class C:

Warrensburg 77, Canajoharie 53

Duanesburg 77, Rensselaer 33

Mayfield 50, Stillwater 41

Maple Hill 78, Voorheesville 40

Berne-Knox 67, Lake George 17

Hoosic Valley 44, Chatham 25

Salem 52, Schoharie 35

Sectional update, 2/21

Friday night saw a decent slate of sectional action. In addition to Troy blowing out Emma Willard, here's the rest of the scoreboard:

Women's Class AA:

Guilderland 54, Columbia 46
Bethlehem 61, Catholic Central 29. The Crusaders, the only non-Suburban Council team in Class AA, goes out in the first round.

Women's Class A:

Hudson Falls 35, Scotia-Glenville 30
Mohonasen 62, South Glens Falls 51

Women's Class D:

Northville 41, North Warren 37
Whitehall 44, Loudonville Christian 20
Saratoga Catholic 48, Heatly 28

Men's Class B:

Schuylerville 76, Greenwich 42
Coxsackie Athens 56, Tamarac 48

Men's Class C:

Hoosic Valley 54, Mayfield 46
Saratoga Catholic 65, Duanesburg 49
Cambridge 49, Salem 38

High School Fridays: The cream of the Jesters (Emma WIllard @ Troy, 2/21/20

A year ago, Emma Willard made their first visit to Troy High in women's basketball. The shorthanded Jesters coughed up a halftime lead, and were eliminated by the Flying Horses, who were without their top star, Jenalyse Alarcon.

53 weeks after that game, the Jesters returned to Zotto Memorial Gym tonight, bent not only on revenge, but advancing in the Class A sectionals. Both teams were at full strength, as Alarcon has been healthy all season. Second year Troy coach Ryan Meikle's defensive philosophy in this game might as well have come from a nearly 60 year old Archie Bell & The Drells record, as the Lady Horses tightened up the pressure on the Jesters after sophomore Emma Shields gave Emma Willard an early lead. Shields scored all 5 Jesters points in the first quarter, but by the time the buzzer sounded to end the frame, Troy had run past to take a 10 point lead at 15-5. Uh-oh. Worse, Troy went into the break up by 20, 29-9. Ouch!

Still, the sparse crowd remained invested in the game as the second half began with Molly Zahnleuter hitting a three pointer for Emma Willard. Zahnleuter, the Jesters' leading scorer, finished with 8 points, far below last year.

With the game pretty much in hand, Meikle all but emptied his bench in the second half. Junior Genevive Bertrand entered to polite applause from the partisans, and rewarded their support with a pair of treys, finishing with 6 points. A bench player throughout the season, I'd think Bertrand has been auditioning for a more significant role next season.

Zahnleuter was the high scorer for Emma Willard, followed by the Shields sisters, Ashley & Emma, who finished with 7 points each. Emma played the entire second half with three fouls, and, aside from a token basket in the third quarter, played a little more cautiously, trying to avoid any more fouls. Alarcon led all scorers with 16 points, followed by senior Alaina Holmes, in her final home game, with 13, and Troy romped over the Jesters again, 58-24.

Troy (11-10) advances to a 2nd round rematch with Amsterdam Thursday night at Averill Park. Emma Willard finishes at 9-9.

The Jesters, in their 2nd season in Class A, have been playing an independent schedule, but could stand to settle into either the Suburban or Colonial Council. The Suburban has had an opening on the women's side ever since Mohonasen left for the Colonial in 2018, and I don't think it'd take much to schedule a home & home series between the two city teams every year.
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Alumni watch: After plastering Norfolk State, 10-1, on Tuesday, Virginia Commonwealth ran their record to 4-1 on the young baseball season with a 5-3 win over Sacred Heart earlier today. Danny Watson (Columbia High) picked up the win in relief. Brett Young (Albany Academy), playing outfield for the 3rd straight game, went 1-4 with an RBI. The teams will resume their series tomorrow.

Pittsburgh's softball team was to play two games in the Pirate Invite this afternoon, but the games were cancelled due to snow in Clemson. The Panthers will play Massachusetts and Towson State tomorrow, weather permitting, likely with Hunter Levesque (Troy) batting leadoff in one or both games.

Sectional update, 2/20

Section II basketball sectional play began Thursday night with play-in games in Class B. Following is the updated bracket, courtesy of the Glens Falls Post-Star:

Apparently, Bishop Maginn forfeited due to a lack of players. A disappointing end to the season for the Lady Griffins.

We will be at Troy High later tonight for the Class A 1st round game vs. Emma Willard, a rematch from last year.

Hockey notes

The Season of Misery at LaSalle is almost over.

The Skating Cadets lost their home finale, 5-1, to Adirondack Wednesday night at Conway Arena. Individual stats are not available at press time, and the team's Twitter page has not been updated since last weekend, which says something about the state of morale on the Williams Road campus.

Even though the seeding meeting for the playoffs isn't until tomorrow, it's now just a mere formality, as three play-in games have already been announced for Saturday. LaSalle will get a 3rd game vs. Albany Academy, after the two teams of Cadets split the regular season series. Battle of The Cadets III will be at Academy, with a 7 pm face-off.

Meanwhile, the other play-in games will see Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake-Ballston Spa, a 2-1 loser to Saratoga on Wednesday, take on the "Niskerdam" Mohawks, while the Capital District Jets pay a visit to Shenendehowa.

Bethlehem won its 3rd straight Delvecchio Cup as regular season champs on Wednesday, blowing away Albany Academy, 8-0. Cadets coach Dave Rider used all three of his goaltenders, but it didn't matter who was in goal, as far as the Eagles were concerned. Justin Chenaille had a hat trick to lead Bethlehem.

If you go to the CDHSHL's site (www.section2hockey.com), you will see that "Guilderville"'s game vs. Beekmantown on Tuesday was not reported. Turns out the Storm closed the regular season with an overtime loss, 5-4, and will finish with an overall record of 11-8-1 (9-4-1 league), which makes them the #4 seed in the tournament. Queensbury, which actually finished fourth, plays in Division 2, and does not take part in the Section 2 tournament.

Predictions for Saturday:

Academy over LaSalle. The Season of Misery ends for Tim Flanigan's club, while Academy moves on to play #3 CBA.

Shen over Capital District. The Jets have improved this season, but not enough to get out of the second division in the league. Shen will have a 3rd go vs. county rival Saratoga.

Burnt Hills over "Niskerdam". The good news for the Spartan Scotties is that they've had a lot of improvement this year as well. Unfortunately, this game decides who gets fed to Bethlehem in the quarter-finals.

Queensbury, meanwhile, is idle until March 7, save for a scrimmage along the way, as they'll play the Section VII champ (Beekmantown, maybe?).

Section II quarter-finals will be Tuesday & Wednesday, with the semi-finals at Union College on February 29, and the finals on March 3, also at Union.

Sectional pairings for Section 2 basketball 2020

Compliments of Section II and the Post-Star out of Glens Falls, here's this year's sectional pairings for men's & women's basketball:

Women's sectionals:
=================
Class AA:

Friday:

Columbia @ Guilderland---winner will advance to play #1 Saratoga on February 27.
Catholic Central @ Bethlehem--winner will advance to play #2 Shenendehowa on 2/27.

February 27:

Shaker vs. Colonie at Saratoga.
Albany vs. Niskayuna at Shen.

Semi-finals & finals at Hudson Valley Community College March 5 & 7.
=======================
A:

Friday:

Scotia-Glenville @ Hudson Falls---winner advances to play Queensbury on 2/27.
Emma Willard @ Troy. The two city rivals meet for the 2nd straight year. Winner gets Amsterdam on 2/27 at Averill Park.

Mohonasen @ South Glens Falls---winner advances to play Averill Park on 2/27.

February 27:

Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake vs. Academy of Holy Names @ Queensbury.

Semi-finals & finals at Hudson Valley Community College March 4 & 7.
==========================
B:

Thursday:

Watervliet @ Catskill: Winner advances to play Schalmont on Saturday.
Cohoes @ Broadalbin-Perth: Winner will play Mechanicville.
Corinth @ Ichabod Crane: Winner will play Hudson
Albany Academy @ Glens Falls: Winner will play Fonda Fultonville.
Schuylerville @ Hoosick Falls: Winner will play Mekeel Christian Academy.
Bishop Maginn @ Cairo-Durham: Winner to play Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk.

Semi-finals are at Averill Park March 3, with the finals at Hudson Valley Community College on March 7.
============================
C:

Saturday:

Schoharie @ Salem: Winner advances to play defending champion Cambridge.
Lake George @ Berne Knox-Westerlo.
Rensselaer @ Duanesburg.
Chatham @ Hoosic Valley.
Stillwater @ Mayfield.
Voorheesville @ Maple Hill.

Quarterfinals will be next Wednesday, with the semi-finals at Colonie on March 3, and the finals at Hudson Valley Community College on March 7.
==============================
D:

Friday:

Saratoga Catholic Central @ Heatly---winner advances to play Fort Edward February 25.
North Warren @ Northville---winner advances to play Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons at Argyle.
Loudonville Christian @ Whitehall---winner to play Argyle.

Tuesday:

Hartford vs. Germantown at Argyle.

Semi-finals at Ballston Spa on March 2, finals at HVCC on March 7.
=================================
Men's sectionals:
============
Class AA:

Next Wednesday:

CBA @ LaSalle--winner advances to play Shen at HVCC on February 29.
Schenectady @ Columbia: Top two teams in the Suburban Council Gray division will meet for the right to play Green Tech. Apparently, the Blue Devils won the division after all.

Guilderland @ Colonie--winner advances to meet Saratoga.

Albany @ Bethlehem.
Ballston Spa @ Niskayuna.

Semi-finals & finals at Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls March 3 & 7.
==================================
A:

Next Wednesday:

Mohonasen @ Amsterdam--winner meets Mekeel Christian Academy, whose boys team jumped from Class B to Class A this season.

Catholic Central @ Gloversville.
South Glens Falls @ Queensbury.
Scotia-Glenville @ Troy: A Troy win gets them a rematch vs. Averill Park.
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake @ Hudson Falls.

Quarterfinals at HVCC on March 1, Semi-finals & finals at Cool Insuring on March 5 & 7.
=====================================
B:

Friday:

Schuylerville @ Greenwich. Winner will meet Catskill on February 25.
Tamarac @ Coxsackie-Athens. Winner will meet Schalmont.

Tuesday:

Hoosick Falls @ Fonda-Fultonville.
Greenville @ Mechanicville.
Cohoes @ Broadalbin-Perth.
Hudson @ Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons.
Ravena @ defending champion Glens Falls.
Bishop Maginn @ Watervliet.

Quarterfinals will be split between HVCC & Shen on February 28. This time, Glens Falls, should they win, will be heading to Shen for the quarters.

Semi-finals & finals @ Cool Insuring March 2 & 6.
==========================================
C:

Friday:

Mayfield @ Hoosic Valley--winner will play Voorheesville February 25.
Duanesburg @ Saratoga Catholic---winner will play Berne Knox-Westerlo.
Salem @ Cambridge---winner to play Granville.

Tuesday:

Rensselaer @ Hadley-Luzerne.
Canajoharie @ Lake George.
Galway @ Maple Hill.
Stillwater @ Fort Plain.

Quarterfinals will be split between HVCC & Shen on February 28 & 29. Semi-finals and finals are at Cool Insuring, with the semi-finals split across two nights, March 2-3, and the finals March 6.
==========================================
D:

Tuesday:

Fort Edward vs. Loudonville Christian @ Maple Hill. Winner plays Northville.

Next Wednesday:

Whitehall @ Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville. Winner plays North Warren.

February 29: Quarterfinals @ Stillwater:

Germantown vs. Hartford.
Fort Ann vs. Argyle.

Semi-finals & finals at Cool Insuring on March 4 & 7.

News & notes

Troy High will limp into the postseason on a two game losing streak. Greg Davis' club fell to Averill Park, 58-51, spoiling Senior Night on Tuesday. We obtained the information from Averill Park's Twitter feed, as the game wasn't reported to media outlets otherwise.

Troy finishes the regular season 9-11 overall (7-7 Suburban Council), and will learn the sectional opponent later today, with the possibility that they could play the Warriors again. Averill Park coach Dave Pugilese, just like Columbia's Curt Sankey a couple of weeks ago, finally broke the drought vs. Troy, after going 0-4 in previous meetings since Troy entered the Suburban Council.
========================================
On the women's side, Saratoga completed a perfect regular season in the Suburban Council with a 45-42 win over Colonie. Senior star Catherine "Dolly" Cairns was held out for a second straight game, and Lauren Patnode led the way with 13 points. Since it's likely the Lady Streaks will get a first round bye in Class AA, coach Robin Chudy can give Cairns as much time to rest as possible.
=========================================
Moving to the ice, CBA moved into second place in the CDHSHL by beating Queensbury, 2-1, on Tuesday night. The win leaves the Brothers a half-point behind first place Bethlehem. However, CBA's regular season is over, while Bethlehem will close and potentially could clinch its 3rd straight Delvecchio Cup with a win over Albany Academy tonight. Saratoga, now in third, could muddy the waters a bit if they can beat Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake-Ballston Spa AND Academy upsets Bethlehem. If two points are on the line, a Saratoga win, coupled with a Bethlehem loss, would leave the Eagles & Spartan Scotties in a dead heat for first, with CBA falling to third.

News & notes

The Capital District High School Hockey League will wrap its regular season tonight & tomorrow.

The basic skinny: Bethlehem can clinch its 3rd straight Delvecchio Cup by beating Albany Academy tomorrow night. The Eagles, who have a 2 point lead on second place Saratoga, would also be rooting for Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake-Ballston Spa to upset Saratoga if, in fact, they lose to Academy. In the event of a tie, a head-to-head tiebreaker would decide the regular season championship.
==========================================
Troy High will have its senior night for the boys' basketball team tonight when they face Averill Park. Game time has been moved up to 6 pm, the normal starting time for the women's home games, due to winter vacation. Troy has just one senior on the varsity roster, Makai (Don't Be) Cruel, so this will be another short ceremony, just like Senior Night for LaSalle hockey at Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday.

Warriors coach Dave Pugilese, who won his 200th career game earlier this season, will look to snap a four game losing streak to Troy. Win, and the Warriors, due to a tiebreaker, would bump the Flying Horses into fourth place. If Troy wins, they will finish 3rd outright, with Schenectady and Columbia having hopped past them for the top two spots in the Gray division, and it'll be the Patriots' 2nd division title in four years.

Tonight's game will loom large when seedings are announced for Class A tomorrow, along with the rest of the basketball sectionals.
===========================================
Shenendehowa's women's basketball team closed the regular season with a come-from-behind 73-62 win over Averill Park on Senior Day for the Warriors on Monday. Averill Park limps into the sectionals having lost four of their last five, while Shen has shrugged off the loss to Saratoga to win their last three. Anna Jankovic had a game high 22 points for the Warriors in a losing effort.

News & notes

El Cheapo Media, late to the party yet again, did a feature piece on the LaSalle basketball team in today's editions, skipping over the controversial coaching change that took place two weeks ago. The dismissal of Jon Desso in favor of assistant coach/admissions director Josh House was mentioned in passing. House is 2-2 as Cadets coach, though last Sunday's game at Bishop Ludden was not mentioned.

In typical El Cheapo fashion, it took them two days after a Friday practice to publish the article, following Thursday's 71-41 demolition of Ichabod Crane.

Speaking of which, WROW morning co-host Ben Patten mistakenly read the score of Tuesday's Crane-Schalmont game, won by the Sabres, in his Friday report. Human error, folks. You gotta love it.
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The Albany Patroons are now 4-0 in the young Basketball League after a Saturday win over Columbus. Now, all they need is a radio or TV deal, just like the old days. Unfortunately, since Charter Communications, Spectrum Cable's parent, is unwilling to test the waters of a high school game of the week for basketball, baseball, or softball to complement football....!
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Alumni watch: Pittsburgh finishes the ACC-Big 10 Challenge 2-2 (overall record, 4-5) after losing, 10-9, in a return match vs. Maryland this morning. Hunter Levesque went 0-2 with 3 walks and a run scored.

The softball version of the long running tournament, which works best for basketball, failed because Pitt only played two Big 10 clubs, Maryland & Michigan State, twice apiece. It might be because those may have been the only Big 10 teams who accepted bids. The Panthers will return to Clemson next month for a series vs. the Tigers.

Virginia Commonwealth ends the weekend 2-1 after an 8-4 win over Charlotte earlier this afternoon. Brett Young got his first start, and went 1-2 with an RBI & a run scored.

Caught in a Storm of misfortune ("Guilderville" @ LaSalle, 2/15/20)

It was Senior Night at Conway Arena, and LaSalle was hoping to use the occasion to reverse what has been the worst stretch of bad luck in Tim Flanigan's two decades-plus as head coach.

The "Guilderville" Storm had other ideas.

After LaSalle seniors Spencer Carpenter, D. J. Pauley, & Mike Baker were honored in a short pre-game ceremony, defense was the order of the night, at least through the first period. Sophmore Caleb Ellis got the start in goal for the Cadets, hoping to lead them back to the promised land.

After a scoreless first period, the Storm broke out on top in the second, as Alex Bzdell popped a power play goal past Ellis, and the visitors took a 1-0 lead into the second intermission.

In the third, with Pauley serving a game misconduct penalty, Cameron Gagnon whistled one past Ellis to put the game away. Liam Spollen added an empty net goal on the final play of the game, and LaSalle's misery was extended for another night, the losing streak now up to 13, with the Storm winning, 3-0.

However, there is no rest for the Storm, as they will go across town to the RPI Field House Sunday for a season-ending matinee vs. the Capital District Jets. LaSalle will have a couple of days of practice before they close the regular season at home on Wednesday vs. Adirondack.
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Other stuff: Perhaps the only team in the 518 worse than LaSalle would be RPI's women's hockey team, which has now lost 31 in a row, falling to Dartmouth, 4-1, on Senior Day. RPI's men's basketball team moved a step closer to the Liberty League regular season title in beating RIT.

Alumni watch: Virginia Commonwealth dropped an 11 inning heartbreaker to Charlotte, 5-4. Brett Young, Danny Watson, & Carter Knapek made their season debuts. Knapek took the loss, giving up the winning run in the 11th, but not before Watson had held the 49ers at bay over a couple of innings of work. Young had a pinch hit double and scored in the top of the 11th.

Pittsburgh played two games in the ACC-Big 10 challenge. In the first game, Troy High grad Hunter Levesque went 3-4 with an RBI and 2 runs scored, as the Panthers downed Maryland, 8-5. However, in a twilight game, Michigan State collected a receipt from yesterday, routing Pittsburgh, 11-5, in 5 innings. Levesque went 0-2 with a walk in the game.

High School Fridays: Hoops roundup

The cold weather kept ye scribe at home, monitoring the action. Hey, it happens.

As expected, Saratoga defeated Troy in women's action, 64-37. The big story was senior star Dolly Cairns was held out after sustaining an injury last night. Lauren Patnode picked up the scoring slack, and led the Lady Streaks with 20 points, which was the game high. Nadia Brown led Troy with 11 points, as leading scorer Jenalyse Alarcon was held to 7.

Troy falls to 4th place in the Suburban Counci's Gray division with Burnt Hills winning tonight. Troy finishes 5-8 in league play, 10-10 overall.

However, Gray division champion Averill Park, playing their third game in four nights, lost to Niskayuna, 68-38. Kelsey (8) & Amelia (1) Wood were held to a combined 9 points. Kelsey Wood shared team high honors with Anna Jankovic. The Lady Warriors will close with another Blue division foe, Shenendehowa, on Monday.
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In boys' action, Saratoga knocked off Troy, 73-58. Michael Rogan led all scorers with 25 points. Jadon Cummings led Troy with 10, the lone double figure scorer for the Flying Horses, who drop to 9-10 overall as their up and down season continues.

Over in the Colonial Council, LaSalle snapped a 2 game losing streak on Senior Night, dispatching Ichabod Crane, 71-41. Owen Kane led the Cadets with 13 points. Gabe Lucarelli & Kaylon Dickson added 12 each. Meanwhile, Vinny Tario led Lansingburgh with 16 points, as the Knights beat Mohonasen, 62-50.
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Other stuff: RPI's women's hockey team dropped another one, this one to Harvard, 3-1. It's one thing if they can't draw more than 200 fans to a game, but things have gotten so bad, that RPI TV carried the game without commentary. If you remember NBC's experimental "silent game" broadcast of NFL football in the 80's, you might have some idea of what I'm talking about. The home finale is tomorrow.

Saturday is also Senior Day for the men's basketball team, which got back on the winning track by beating Hobart, 57-53, overcoming another halftime deficit to move a step closer to clinching the Liberty League regular season title. RPI will play RIT tomorrow, then go on the road to close with Clarkson & St. Lawrence.

RPI graduate and Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia returned to RPI tonight as the keynote speaker prior to the ROTC Military Ball. Bank on this getting some play on the late news.

College baseball/softball: Pittsburgh squared their record at 3-3 by beating Michigan State, 3-2, earlier tonight. Troy grad Hunter Levesque, leading off and playing center field, went 2-3 with 2 doubles.

Virginia Commonwealth opened their season by blowing away UNC-Charlotte, 17-5. Section II products Danny Watson (Columbia), Carter & Brooks Knapek, & Brett Young (Albany Academy) didn't play. The two teams will continue the series Saturday afternoon.

Games will be seen for Pittsburgh on ESPN's ACC Network or, with the Big 10-ACC Challenge, Fox's Big 10 Network. Subsequent Pittsburgh games will air on ACC Network or the other ESPN channels. VCU games will air on one of the Fox regional networks.

News & notes

Averill Park clinched the Suburban Council women's Gray division Thursday night with a 60-46 win over Troy. The Wood sisters, Amelia & Kelsey, combined for 37 points (13 & 24, respectively) to lead the Warriors. Jenalyse Alarcon had 16 for Troy, but no other Troy player reached double figures.

As of now, Troy is locked into 3rd place, and will visit Saratoga in the season finale for both teams tonight. Averill Park will play Niskayuna tonight, then travel to Shenendehowa on Monday in the season finale for both squads. Sectional seedings will be announced on Wednesday, with Averill Park figuring to be among the top seeds in Class A.

Speaking of Shen, their game with Schenectady was played last night, with the Lady Plainsmen winning, so they'll have a weekend respite before hosting Averill Park in a twilight game on Monday.
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You might have noticed that Spectrum News has moved Marisa Jacques out of the sports department. Marisa is doing more field reporting and has done some work as a weekend anchor, as well as filling in for primetime anchor Solomon Syed on occasion. The station hasn't come right out and anointed Jesse MacWilliam as their new sports director, but Katie Leigh has traded places with Marisa, and is backing up MacWilliam.

The funny part is, there's been no mention in other press about the personnel shuffle.
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The calendar may only be reading mid-February, but college baseball & softball has begun out west and in the south.

We'll be keeping an eye on Troy High graduate Hunter Levesque, now a junior at Pittsburgh. The Panthers don't seem to need her on the mound, so she's playing in the infield & outfield.

Meanwhile, Virginia Commonwealth, playing in the Atlantic 10, boasts a quartet of local players. including a trio from Albany Academy.

Infielder Brett Young and pitchers Brooks & Carter Knapek had all been redshirted as freshmen, so while Brett is, academically, a sophomore, he's listed as a redshirt-freshman. The Knapeks are listed as redshirt-juniors. Columbia graduate Danny Watson is a true sophomore pitcher. The Rams open their season today with the first of a three game series at UNC-Charlotte.

Pittsburgh's softball team is taking part in the Big 10-ACC challenge at Clemson University, and will play Michigan State today, with first pitch scheduled for 5 pm. The Lady Panthers are 2-3 on the young season. Check your cable listings for channels to watch the games.
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Troy's bowling team finished the season placing 18th (!!!!) in the Class A sectionals at Boulevard Bowl. South Glens Falls captured the championship and will advance to state competition.
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For those of you either venturing out to Times-Union Center or staying home to watch tonight's Rider-Siena men's basketball game, the tip time has been moved to 9 pm to accomodate ESPNU, which will air the game nationally. Next game on WNYA is Sunday.

Tuesday hoops roundup, 2/11

Schenectady High has quietly leap-frogged back into first place in the Suburban Council Gray division after battering hapless Ballston Spa, 82-63, despite a game high 28 points from B-Spa's Keegan Zoller. Kareem Sanders had 17 points to lead four Patriots in double figures. It was Senior Night at the Riley Center, but Schenectady will spend Valentine's Day visiting Blue division champion Shenendehowa, which beat Saratoga, 63-50.

The Blue Streaks are now in a 2nd place tie in the Blue division with Bethlehem, which beat Albany, 58-55.

Meanwhile, Troy remains in 2nd place in the Gray division after tripping up CBA, 52-50. The Flying Horses were down, 38-34, after three periods, and used an 18-12 final frame to pick up the win. Marquis Hamby led all scorers with 20 points. Jordan Hubbard & Hagen Foley led CBA with 15 points each. Troy plays their final two games at home, Friday vs. Saratoga, and next Tuesday vs. Averill Park. The Warriors defeated Shaker, 48-43, and will host Niskayuna on their Senior Night on Friday.

On the women's side, any hope of a perfect season for Shen was erased in a 57-54 loss to Saratoga. Dolly Cairns led all scorers with 17 points. Simone Walker led Shen with 13, and the Huerter sisters, Meghan & Jillian, were held to a combined 15 points (11 & 4, respectively).

Over in the Gray division, idle Troy picked up a half-game in the standings on Averill Park, as the Lady Warriors dropped a 51-30 decision to Shaker. Maddisyn Mahoney was the leading scorer with 14 points. Averill Park's Wood sisters, Amelia & Kelsey, were held in check as well, combining for 17 points. Kelsey led the Warriors with 10. Shaker outscored Averill Park, 23-9, in the second half, and never trailed. The Warriors will have to regroup, and quickly, as they are scheduled to host Troy tomorrow.

Lansingburgh took over first place in the Colonial Council's Liberty Division after beating LaSalle, 64-61 in overtime, sending the Cadets to their third loss in four games, and second straight under interim coach Josh House. Drasean Wallace led LaSalle with 13 points in a losing effort. Isaiah Knight led all scorers with 20 points, as the Knights placed four players in double figures in overcoming a 24-21 halftime deficit. LaSalle closes their schedule on Friday vs. Ichabod Crane.

With the loss, the Cadets fall into a 2nd place tie with Schalmont, and the Sabres own the tiebreaker by virtue of beating LaSalle in Jon Desso's last game as coach on January 31.

News & notes

As Geoffrey Chaucer once wrote, all good things must come to an end.

And so it was that RPI's men's basketball team saw their school record-tying 18 game winning streak end Sunday in a 62-60 loss to Ithaca. The Bombers gained a season split vs. RPI, having lost on their own court last month. Sunday's game was a make-up date, as the teams were supposed to play on Friday, another game wiped out by a mid-day storm. RPI (18-3) has four games remaining, and will close their home schedule this weekend.
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LaSalle won its first basketball game under interim coach Josh House, beating Mohonasen, 58-45, on Saturday afternoon. Kaylon Dickson & Gabe Lucarelli each had 16 points to lead the Cadets (11-1 Colonial Council, 13-5 overall), who play at Lansingburgh tomorrow before Senior Night vs. Ichabod Crane on Friday. However, that momentum disappeared 24 hours later in a 73-57 loss to Bishop Ludden. While no player stats are available for LaSalle, the final talley comes from a local website in Bishop Ludden's home base of Syracuse.
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Former RPI kicker Andrew Franks had the only points for Tampa Bay, as the Vipers dropped their XFL opener, despite being favored by a field goal, to the homestanding NY Guardians, 23-3, on Sunday. Guardians coach Kevin Gilbride made a successful return to the Meadowlands, where he was the offensive coordinator for the Giants through the 2013 season.

Have to believe Gilbride was brought in to try to lure in Giants fans......
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Troy High, in their morning announcements today, added some info on Saturday's 55-51 women's basketball victory over Whitesboro. Jenalyse Alarcon led Troy with 13 points. Jakaiya Dewer added 12. Unfortunately, the game still has not been reported to local outlets like the Albany Times-Union, so the team's record (10-8 overall) has not been updated.
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The LaSalle-Adirondack hockey game that was postponed two weeks ago has been rescheduled for Wednesday, February 19, at Conway Arena. Sectional seedings will be announced the next day, so, depending on what happens Saturday vs. "Guilderville", it may be LaSalle's last chance to make a run for the post-season, assuming they decline a play-in bid......

News & notes

The scores haven't been reported to the Albany Times-Union and other newspapers for whatever reason, but there was plenty of action on Saturday in high school basketball & hockey.

Troy High's women's basketball team went back on the road, and won their 2nd straight overall, beating Whitesboro, 55-51. Unfortunately, no individual scorers are available as of press time. Scorestream has a link on WNYT's web page, and that's where we found the score.

On the boys' side, Zaveon Little had 30 points to lead all scorers, as Voorheesville took down Catholic Central, 88-61. Jackson Brown led the Crusaders with 23 points.

The LaSalle-Mohonasen game has not been reported as of press time. The start of college lacrosse season in the 518 may have had something to do with that.
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Speaking of lacrosse, Siena opened its season with a 14-12 verdict over Long Island University. Siena's women's basketball team notched its first ever win over Quinnipiac in a game that was streamed live on ESPN3.
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Quinnipiac's women's hockey team beat RPI, 3-1. The Lady Engineers remain winless, and have just two home games left, both taking place next weekend. The lack of attendance is not exclusive to RPI, as Quinnipiac had less than 500 fans at their game.

For what it's worth, RPI enjoyed its largest crowd of the season at the Mayor's Cup two weeks ago at the Times-Union Center, with over 1200 fans in attendance, but bank on this. Most of them came for the men's game.
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RPI's men's basketball team has quietly become the hottest team on campus, extending their winning streak to 18, tying a school record, with a win over Vassar on Saturday. They're right back at it today vs. Ithaca.
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Unfortunately, the LaSalle hockey team's struggles continue, as their losing streak is now at 12 games after falling, 2-1, to CBA, on Saturday night. Still no makeup date set for their home match vs. Adirondack, but the regular season is supposed to end next Saturday with Senior Night vs. "Guilderville", which lost, 5-3, to Burnt Hills, on Saturday.

News & notes

With more winter weather on the way, a number of games have already been postponed that were scheduled for tonight.

Hockey:

"Guilderville" @ Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake-Ballston Spa.
CBA @ "Niskerdam" (Niskayuna-Schenectady-Albany-Amsterdam) Mohawks.

Basketball:

Troy vs. Averill Park.
Berne Knox-Westerlo vs. Northville.
Canajoharie vs. Mekeel Christian.
Duanesburg vs. OESJ (Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville).
Bethlehem vs. Niskayuna.
Lansingburgh vs. Schalmont.
Cohoes vs. Watervliet.

Troy & Averill Park have already rescheduled the women's game for February 13, meaning the girls will play back-to-back nights on the road. The guys will play on February 18 on what may end up being Senior Night if they choose to move it off Valentine's Day (vs. Saratoga). The others will be played between February 10-13.

Please check with your schools' websites and/or league websites for the Colonial Council, Western Athletic Conference, etc., or Schedule Galaxy for Suburban Council teams.

Also, the Class A bowling sectionals at Boulevard Bowl have been postponed, and they'll try again on Tuesday.
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In a surprising, shocking decision with three regular season games remaining, LaSalle has cut loose 2nd year varsity basketball coach Jon Desso, despite the fact that the Cadets sit atop the Liberty Division in the Colonial Council. Assistant coach Josh House takes over for the rest of the regular season.

Desso had only been hired in 2018 to succeed former College of St. Rose star Steve Sgambelluri, and led the Cadets to a 12-4 ledger going into the final two weeks of the regular season. First year athletic director Craig Ward would not divulge any reason for why the change was made, nor was Desso willing to talk to reporters as of Wednesday.

I'd be willing to guess there was a difference of opinion between Ward & Desso over something not related to the team, at the very least. As we know, high school personnel changes are often kept in house, and away from the press, unlike in college. After a loss to Schalmont last Friday, Desso did his best to be philosophical and diplomatic about the loss.

As for Ward? All he did was promote the abrupt promotion of House thus:

"Mr. House is a positive influence on our student-athletes and impart the Lasallian values that are a cornerstone of our educational philosophy."

(culled from the Albany Times-Union)

Oh? And Desso didn't? As of right now, tonight's home game vs. Mohonasen is still on, so it'll be interesting to see how the fans react to House in his debut as head coach.

This bears watching.

Update, 1:29 pm: The LaSalle-Mohonasen game has been postponed due to weather.

News & notes

Inclement weather overnight has forced postponement of the Colonial Council women's bowling sectionals, set for Boulevard Bowl for today, until Wednesday, February 12.

Also, a junior varsity women's basketball game between Schalmont & Albany Academy For Girls was cancelled. Everything else, as of now, is on, but check with your schools before venturing out this evening.
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LaSalle's hockey losing streak reached 11 Wednesday night as Albany Academy collected a receipt with a 4-1 win. Each team won on their own ice in the Battle of The Cadets, winter edition. LaSalle next plays at CBA on Saturday.

I've said this before, knowing what kind of competitor LaSalle coach Tim Flanigan is, but at this rate, it might be prudent to cut losses and skip the play-in game on February 22.
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Back to bowling. The Suburban Council boys' bowling sectionals were held Wednesday at Boulevard Bowl. Columbia won the championship. Troy High finished fourth, their highest finish in sectional play on the lanes since entering the Suburban Council.

Well, at least Troy can say they did make it to Boulevard after all, as their road match vs. Niskayuna was outright cancelled after two postponements.
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Former RPI placekicker Andrew Franks, who spent some time with the Miami Dolphins of the NFL, has made the team for the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL, and will make his debut this weekend. However, it doesn't appear as though Albany Empire star Malachi Jones will play for Seattle, which drafted him. We'll see  as play starts Saturday.
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Troy High & CBA's combined swimming & diving team completed a 7-1 season, completing a season sweep of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, 89-80, on Tuesday. Sectionals are next week.

A good idea might be to have coach Jeff Maxwell coach the Troy women next season. The Lady Horses failed to win this season, and haven't won a meet in years.
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The Basketball League began its season last week, and the defending champion Albany Patroons got out to a fast start, sweeping a home & home series against the Tri-State Admirals. Now, we'll see if they can draw up to 2, 000 fans for home games instead of settling for over 1,000.........

Tuesday hoops roundup, 2/4

The margin of error for Greg Davis' Troy High basketball team has disappeared.

With three games remaining, the Flying Horses are back in second place in the Suburban Council Gray Division after Bethlehem collected a receipt Tuesday night at Zotto Gym, 57-48. Marquis Hamby led Troy with 14 points in a losing effort. Kendrick McCann was the only player in double figures for the Eagles with 10 points.

Columbia moved back into first place in the division by beating Guilderland, 64-57. The Blue Devils have just two games left, at Colonie on Friday (weather permitting) and Senior Night on Valentine's Day vs. luckless Shaker.

The standings posted on the Albany Times-Union's website are incomplete, as per usual. What we found was that Columbia had lost to Shenendehowa on January 17. The schedule, as posted onsite, is a mess.

Averill Park finds itself in a tie for third after losing to Saratoga, 61-45. Dave Pugilese's Warriors will be in Troy on Friday (weather permitting), looking to pick up their first win over Troy since the Flying Horses entered the Suburban Council.

Troy's final week might as well be Hell Week.

They travel to CBA for their final regular season road game next Tuesday. CBA beat Schenectady, 66-57, on Tuesday, knocking the Patriots into a third place tie with Averill Park. Hagen Foley led all scorers with 27 points for the Brothers, who will go into the Troy game looking to play spoiler against their ancient nemesis. Troy closes with Senior Night on Valentine's Day vs. Saratoga, but if they're not careful, Troy could wind up limping into the postseason.
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On the women's side, Averill Park can clinch the Suburban Council Gray Division title for the second time in three years with a win over Troy on Friday (weather permitting). Troy (6-6 league, 9-8 overall) has played two more games than Averill Park (8-2, 13-3), and finally knocked a collective monkey off their backs by beating Bethlehem, 63-46. Jenalyse Alarcon had 17 points to lead Troy, which had three players in double figures. They'll need that same kind of superlative performance this weekend, as they'll play twice in less than 24 hours, at Averill Park, and then, a non-league matinee vs. Whitesboro, if they want a chance to win their first division title.

First place in the Blue Division will be on the line next Tuesday when Saratoga & Shen meet, and that's both in men's & women's play.
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A wintry mix is in the forecast for tomorrow and Friday, which is why we're cautioning about the possibility of games being postponed on Friday night. Check with your schools before venturing out.
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Meanwhile, in the Colonial Council, the race for the Liberty Division title has suddenly become a three team race.

Second place Lansingburgh defeated Ichabod Crane, 73-51, and will play 3rd place Schalmont on Friday (maybe) before a rematch with division leader LaSalle, which was idle last night. Kobi Wallace and Isaiah Knight led 'Burgh with 20 points each in the win. The Sabres, off a win over Mohonasen last night, have just two league games left, or so it'd appear, as they're scheduled for a non-league game vs. Norwich at SUNY-Cobleskill on February 22, which would be in the midst of sectional play, so I don't know the accuracy of that notation. Schalmont closes their league schedule by playing Ichabod Crane next Tuesday.

Watervliet moved into sole possesion of first place in the Patriot Division after beating Voorheesville, 59-54. JJ Chestnut led all scorers with 25 points for the Cannoneers. Zaveon Little had 18 points to lead the Blackbirds. Watervliet is idle until next Tuesday, when they close at Ravena. Voorheesville will have Senior Night Friday (maybe) vs. Catholic Central.

A change in plans

Troy High has announced that tomorrow's women's basketball game vs. Bethlehem will be their actual Senior Night as the front end of a boys-girls doubleheader. The women's varsity will take the court at 5:30, followed by the men's varsity at approximately 7. You'll recall that they had the boys-girls doubleheader back on December 3 in Delmar, which the schools split.

According to Troy's Twitter page, the event is a Coaches vs. Cancer event, hence the change. As noted before, the Troy women are still looking for their first win over Bethlehem, while the boys will be seeking a season sweep.

Winter sports in the stretch run

Two weeks remain in the regular season for Troy High basketball. Both the men's & women's teams sit at 8-8 overall with four games to play before sectionals begin the week of February 17.

Women:

Section II has been exceptionally cruel to the Lady Horses, with Senior Night having come & gone, sending second year coach Ryan Meikle and Troy off on a five game road trip, which started badly with a 48-45 loss to Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake on Friday.

Upcoming: Troy will attempt again to earn their first win vs. Bethlehem on Tuesday. A lot has changed since the December 3 non-league season opening doubleheader (the boys won, the girls lost). Bethlehem's women sit near the bottom of the Blue Division after getting wrecked by Shenendehowa on Tuesday. Troy knows what that's like, having lost to the Lady Plainsmen earlier this season.

In fact, there's only one seemingly winnable game left, and that's another non-league tilt, February 8, at Whitesboro. Troy beat Whitesboro at home last year, and if they somehow can even the score with the Eagles this Tuesday, that momentum could be drained, because in between is the annual meeting with Averill Park. Sean Organ's Warriors have won five straight from Troy, including the 2016 Class A final at Hudson Valley Community College.

The season closes on Valentine's Night with a visit to Catherine "Dolly" Cairns and Saratoga. See what I mean about the schedule makers being cruel?

Projected finish: 10-10. Troy can't seem to win on Fridays anymore, but they can catch the slumping Eagles to even the season series.
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Boys:

Thanks to Columbia's inconsistency, Greg Davis' squad is back in first place in the Gray division after beating Burnt Hills. However, it won't be easy getting to the sectionals.

The guys remain home to play Bethlehem & Averill Park this week. As noted earlier, Troy snapped a five game losing streak to A. G. Irons' Eagles in December, but the Eagles have flipped the switch, and sit in third place in the Blue division behind Shen & Saratoga. If Troy can complete the sweep on Tuesday, first place in the Gray division will be on the line when Dave Pugilese will try for his first win vs. the Flying Horses on Friday. If Troy beats both Bethlehem & AP, they could put themselves in position for their 3rd division title in five years, and second straight.

But, the following week could be a buzzkiller. The Horses go to CBA for their only meeting with the Brothers this season, then return home for Senior Night vs. Saratoga. Troy only has one senior (Makai "Don't Be" Cruel), leading a core of juniors that includes football teammates Alex Wolfe & Nasir Dawud-Soto, who missed the Burnt Hills game with an injury. CBA, though, hasn't been the hazard of past years, as Troy has had the better of the Brothers since entering the Suburban Council, even though they now play just once a year.

Projected finish: 10-10, same as the women. Figuring Bethlehem will collect a receipt, and Saratoga could spoil Senior Night.

I should be used to a .500 record. Troy played .500 ball under Joe Geiger & Jack Moser during my student days.
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LaSalle hockey:

Someone should consider sending coach Tim Flanigan some rosary beads.

The Troy grad, now in his 20th season as LaSalle coach, is experiencing his worst season in recent memory. The Cadets have dropped 10 in a row, heading into a rematch at Albany Academy on Wednesday. LaSalle won the first round of the Battle of The Cadets in December at Conway Arena, and Dave Rider's club has improved since then. LaSalle still has to make up a home game vs. Adirondack, postponed from January 29, but not scheduled as of press time. They'll be at CBA before returning home for Senior Night February 15 vs. "Guilderville", another improved club.

I spoke with a person employed by HVCC the other day, and she shared the feelings of a lot of fans when she suggested that Flanigan might need to consider giving some of his underclassmen, the ones who haven't seen a lot of ice time, a chance to show what they can do, as he'll be looking to fill three roster spots next season after graduation. Injuries and inconsistent defensive play have doomed these Cadets.

Projected finish: I don't even want to think about it. Coach Flanigan and his staff should be in the chapel learning their Novenas, Hail Mary's & Our Father's.