A tale of two games (Troy vs. Niskayuna, 2/16/21)

 Troy High's women's basketball team had their home opener tonight vs. Niskayuna, which went 1-1 over the weekend, while Ryan Meikle's Lady Horses obliterated Schenectady.

Unfortunately, Troy was plagued by the same problems that have hurt them in recent years. Poor free throw shooting, untimely fouls, and wild, awkward shots in an effort to get past the defense.

From what we could gather, Nisky's Olivia Olsen led all scorers with 34 points. As before, the sound system at Zotto Memorial Gym is a little difficult, and playing it by ear just isn't the same watching the game on YouTube. Makiya Chapman & Jenalyse Alarcon were the high scorers (14 & 9 points, respectively) for Troy, which didn't carry the momentum over from Friday night. The Silver Warriors go to 2-1 with a 57-39 win.

It's not going to get any easier for Troy going forward, not when they have to travel to Clifton Park to play the Huerter sisters, Meghan & Jillian, and the Plainswomen of Shenendehowa on Thursday, then on to Columbia on Saturday afternoon.

Next week's schedule is a killer, Just added to Monday's game vs. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, the Lady Horses go back on the road to play Colonie on February 24 and Averill Park on February 26 (the guys will be home) before returning to Zotto Gym for a Saturday matinee with Saratoga on February 27.

And speaking of the boys, their trip to Niskayuna meant a meeting with an old friend.

Nisky men's basketball coach Mike Grasso was the offensive coordinator under Bob "The Builder" Burns when Troy won back-to-back state titles in 2016-17. Grasso is a close friend of Troy coach Richard Hurley dating back to their days at Bishop Maginn.

Unfortunately, either Niskayuna's public address announcer had the night off, or they don't have room in the budget for one. We'll just let the video tell the tale:

Troy, now 2-0, returns home to play Shen on Thursday, then Columbia for a Saturday matinee before taking to the road to play Burnt Hills, a traditional patsy. Columbia coach Curtis Sankey will be looking to make it two in a row over his alma mater. Troy will have their annual meeting with CBA on March 1 at Zotto Gym.