News & notes

 Don't look now, but the women of UAlbany have won six in a row in basketball.

UMass-Lowell was the latest victim on Wednesday night, as the Lady Danes downed the RiverHawks, 58-52. Lilly Phillips (Cambridge) had 11 points to help the cause.

The men, back at home, completed the sweep, downing Lowell, 57-47, at SEFCU Arena.

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If you were like ye scribe, and watched the YouTube stream of Wednesday's Saratoga-Troy women's basketball game, I wouldn't blame you if you were totally steamed after the stream ended while the teams were warming up for the second half, with Saratoga leading, 33-17.

For whatever reason, the stream was halted, so fans at home couldn't see the second half. Troy actually had a lead in the first quarter before the Lady Streaks went on a 13-0 run, carrying over into the 2nd quarter. Saratoga went to the same kind of pressure defense that has bedeviled Troy all season, and held the Lady Horses to six points in the 2nd quarter, and nine in the 4th, en route to a 60-46 win, snapping Troy's 2 game winning streak.

While the result was expected, the decision making of Saratoga coach Robin Chudy as it regarded her daughter, junior star Natasha, wasn't. From what I could gather, Natasha had 11 of her 19 points in the first half, but also had three fouls. Any coach worth his or her white erase board would've sat down a player with 2 or 3 fouls at that point in the game, and I couldn't tell if Natasha got at least a minute or two's respite in the first half. Now, I get that she's played her 3rd game back after a bout with COVID-19, but you're asking for trouble if you have her play all 32 minutes. I would imagine that in the 4th quarter, she came out of the game with the outcome no longer an issue.

In contrast, when Will Brown coached UAlbany last season, son Jackson didn't play all that much, as he spent the season learning the system before transferring out. What Robin Chudy decided to do Wednesday night amounted to shifting from coach to stage parent in the middle of a game. I can picture the rationale. She's figuring on a couple of things:

1. Natasha gives Saratoga their best chance of winning.

2. Natasha is making up for time lost due to her recent illness. Problem with that is, you can allocate the time as normal through the rest of the season.

3. Saratoga is expected to challenge for the Blue division title, but has to chase down Shenendehowa, Shaker, Bethlehem, & Colonie to get there.

Troy, oh by the way, dressed 11 players, which might be their full complement, for the game, led by Ava Mamone's season & game high 20 points.

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The rest of Wednesday's high school scoreboard:

Hockey:

Bethlehem 2, Saratoga 1.

Shenendehowa 6, Albany Academy 5.

Queensbury 4, Mohawks 1.

Men's basketball:

Colonial Council:

Catholic Central 72, Lansingburgh 53.

Cohoes 74, Schalmont 56. Royal Brown led all scorers with 37 points.

Wasaren League:

Hoosic Valley 72, Saratoga Catholic 47.

Mechanicville 82, Berlin-New Lebanon 18.

Stillwater 56, Greenwich 53.

Tamarac 79, Waterford 14.

Western Athletic Conference:

Fort Plain 57, Canajoharie 56.

Non-league:

Mekeel Christian 90, Bishop Grimes 55.

Women's basketball:

Colonial Council:

Cobleskill-Richmondville 42, Mohonasen 24.

Catholic Central 58, Lansingburgh 16.

Adirondack League:

Granville 30, Fort Ann 27.

Corinth 55, Whitehall 29.

Hartford 55, North Warren 50.

Foothills Council:

Amsterdam 54, Johnstown 53.

Western Athletic Conference:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 79, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 26.

Fonda-Fultonville 73, Middleburgh 16.

Fort Plain 55, Canajoharie 49.

Galway 62, OESJ 39.

Duanesburg 83, Mayfield 48.

Non-league:

Academy of Holy Names 71, Scotia-Glenville 27.

Schalmont 65, Niskayuna 31.

Men's bowling:

Colonial Council:

Schalmont 25 1/2, Cohoes 6 1/2.

Ravena 29, Cobleskill-Richmondville 3.

Foothills Council:

Broadalbin-Perth 3, South Glens Falls 1.

Johnstown 4, Scotia-Glenville 0.

Suburban Council:

Guilderland 18, Niskayuna 14.

Western Athletic Conference:

Fonda-Fultonville 4, Duanesburg 0.

Women's bowling:

Colonial Council:

Schalmont 29 1/2, Cohoes 2 1/2.

Suburban Council:

Columbia 30, Averill Park 2.

Wrestling:

Foothills Council:

Hudson Falls 36, Amsterdam 30.

Suburban Council:

Averill Park 34, Ballston Spa 23.

Bethlehem 46, Columbia 21.

Burnt Hills 64, Schenectady 6.