News & notes

 While Troy High's women's basketball team was humiliated at home during the Holiday Classic, the same cannot be said for the men.

Josh Pelletier's club defeated Middletown, 75-61, on Friday, led, yet again, by the Merritt brothers, Stetson & Legend, who combined for 44 points (28 & 16, respectively).

On Saturday, Stetson, a freshman, was shut down, and Shenendehowa, which lost to Niskayuna on Friday, downed Troy, 62-46. Troy plays Guilderland on Friday.

===================================================

Schenectady won the men's Viking Games at Hudson Valley Community College on Saturday. LaSalle placed 11th. Scotia-Glenville won the women's competition. LaSalle's women fared worse in a larger field, finishing 18th. Troy did not send their teams.

====================================================

Weekend high school hockey scores:

Friday:

Queensbury 5, CD Jets 2.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa & St. Lawrence played to a 5-5 tie.

Guilderville 2, Plattsburgh 1.

Cortland-Homer vs. CBA was not reported.

Saturday:

St. Lawrence 7, Guilderville 1.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa 9, Plattsburgh 1.

Williamsburg South 5, Saratoga 0.

Today:

Saratoga 5, North Rockland 0.

============================================

RPI swept Canisius in men's hockey, downing the Golden Griffins, 6-3, on Friday, and 2-1 on Saturday. Bentley defeated Union, 4-3.

In other college action:

Women's basketball:

UAlbany 87, Navy 56. It was not a happy homecoming for Navy's Maren Louridas (Bethlehem), who had 10 points. Kayla Cooper led Albany with 23 points. Abby Ray (Saratoga) chipped in 2 points, while Meghan Huerter (Shen) had 8, and Lilly Phillips (Cambridge) was held scoreless.

Castleton 76, RPI 59.

Russell Sage 52, Union 42.

College of St. Rose 70, D'Youville 60 (2 OT).

Men's basketball:

UMass 79, Siena 66. Michael Eley led all scorers with 30 points for Siena.

RPI 75, Colby-Sawyer 48.

High School Fridays: Of renovations, building blocks, and hope for the future (Ballston Spa @ Troy, 12/29/23)

 3 1/2 weeks ago, Troy & Ballston Spa opened the Suburban Council season, with the Lady Scotties pulling away in the second half.

Today, in front of an even sparser crowd than there was the first time, as we're in the midst of holiday recess (classes resume Tuesday), B-Spa coach David Morse wasn't taking any chances. As soon as his junior superstar, Sophia Lee, hit the 1st 3 pointer of the game, the Lady Scotties went on a full court pressure defense, which is still anathema to the Lady Horses. Troy could only manage a Kashiya Armstrong free throw in the first quarter, which tells you how bad things went. And Armstrong is an 8th grader.

Coming off an equally damaging loss to Whitman Hansen (Massachusetts), 50-18, on Thursday, Will Harris' club had to find answers, and quickly. Sophomore Mia Magnetto had 4 points in the 2nd quarter, but Troy was still down 23, 28-5, at the break. Ugh. Magnetto finished with 8 points, leading Troy in scoring.

B-Spa, led by Lee's 16 points, made this one a rout from the opening tip, 52-17. 

Entering Zotto Gym for the first time in nearly four years, I was stunned to see some changes in the balcony. The concession stand has moved upstairs from the cafeteria, allowing volunteers to watch the game in between customers. The team store has moved to across the hall from the concession stand. New bleachers were added, including space in all four corners of the balcony, for the school band. No more issues about comfort in the bleachers, as the purple seats will be highly coveted once Troy's teams begin winning.

If only the sound system had gotten an upgrade........!

Troy does have one returning player from last season, that being junior Laila Thomas, who was held scoreless this afternoon. 7th grader Amaya Harris, who had 6 points, is the coach's daughter. She has some of her father's skills, but it's still, like the team, a work in progress. The same issues that I'd seen in watching the first meeting with B-Spa on Hudl, were evident in person today. Bad passes, clear nerves resulting from the full court defensive pressure, unforced turnovers.

Troy does have a week off before their next game, coming off a 9 day layoff before last night's game. They'll play Guilderland next Friday.

Thursday's high school & college scoreboard, 12/28

 LaSalle fell back to .500 in hockey, losing to Whitesboro, 5-2, on day 2 of the Mohawks tournament at Union College. Chase Rose & Danny Wiese scored for LaSalle (3-3 overall, 1-1 CDHSHL) while Jake Wells, the #3 goaltender, had 24 saves.

Unfortunately, Mohawk Valley isn't playing along, as the result of their game vs. the host Mohawks was not reported as of press time.

=============================================

Sebastian Thomas erupted for 32 points as UAlbany rallied in the 2nd half to beat Long Island University, 86-69, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The game was taped for a tape delay broadcast on SNY. Jonathan Beagle (Hudson Falls) added 21 for the Great Danes.

==============================================

Recapping high school hoops tournaments:

Burnt Hills won its own tournament, the Shawn Walsh Memorial, beating Averill Park, 52-32. Saugerties claimed the consolation game, defeating Queensbury, 49-37.

At the Utica Classic, Schalmont defeated Carthage, 48-44. Rome Free Academy downed Albany, 72-60.

Other scores:

Amsterdam 76, Utica Academy of Science 72.

Niskayuna 75, Middletown 52.

Broadalbin-Perth 62, Notre Dame Bishop Gibbons 48.

Shaker 67, Schenectady 50.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 99, Community Health Academy of The Heights 61.

Glens Falls 85, Hoosick Falls 66.

South Glens Falls 69, Fair Haven 66.

Colonie 53, Taconic 30.

Watervliet 45, Cobleskill-Richmondville 37.

Fort Plain 54, Schenevus 38.

Lansingburgh 78, Hudson Falls 57.

Fonda-Fultonville 52, Johnstown 24.

Stillwater 69, Mohonasen 53.

Women's scores:

Guilderland 53, Mohonasen 45.

Shenendehowa 73, Canadaigua 60.

Walkill 64, Shaker 62.

Burnt Hills 46, Saratoga 42.

Columbia 58, Niskayuna 45.

Academy of Holy Names 62, South Glens Falls 60.

Averill Park 58, Cicero-North Syracuse 34.

Our Lady of Lourdes 54, Albany Academy 53.

Ichabod Crane 53, Mekeel Christian 18.

Mechanicville 58, Schuylerville 28.

Northville 51, Galway 21.

Mayfield 40, Gloversville 33.

OESJ 57, Canajoharie 39.

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In other hockey action:

Cazenovia 6, CBA 5.

Massena 2, Shenendehowa 1.

Wednesday's holiday scoreboard, 12/27

 Hockey:

Suffern 5, Shenendehowa 0.

Mohawks tournament at Union College:

Whitesboro 8, Mohawks 5.

Mohawk Valley 4, LaSalle 3 (OT). Alaina Winther had 21 saves for the Cadets. Chase Rose, Michael Nocera, & Braxton Shields scored for LaSalle.

Indoor track & field:

Granville won Wednesday's men's meet at Hudson Valley Community College. LaSalle placed 4th. Troy finished dead last in 8th place. On the women's side, Bethlehem took top honors. Troy finished 4th, and LaSalle ended up last in 9th place.

Men's basketball:

Green Tech 71, Mariner (Florida) 51.

Kirvin Cup at Mohonasen:

Mohonasen 68, Catskill 36.

Stillwater 80, Scotia-Glenville 50.

Shawn Walsh Memorial at Burnt Hills:

Averill Park 57, Queensbury 48.

Burnt Hills 56, Saugerties 46.

Other scores:

Colonie 70, Pittsfield 44.

LaSalle 45, Bethlehem 43.

Glens Falls 96, Fair Haven (Vermont) 42.

South Glens Falls 77, Hoosick Falls 67.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 92, Cairo-Durham 51.

Women's basketball:

Kirvin Cup at Mohonasen:

Guilderland 56, Scotia-Glenville 37.

Mohonasen 66, Schenectady 32.

Impact Center Holiday Tournament:

Columbia 61, Saratoga 48.

Burnt Hills 43, Niskayuna 37.

Amsterdam Holiday Showcase:

Notre Dame Utica 78, Amsterdam 55.

Shenendehowa 58, Walkill 41.

Shaker 55, Hanover (New Hampshire) 22.

Albany 54, Canadaigua 47.

Seminaire (Quebec) 61, Bethlehem 54. Kaitlyn Robbins led the Eagles with 25 points in a losing effort.

Other scores:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 82, Schoharie 33.

Mechanicville 49, LaSalle 37. Kate Gilooly had 10 points for LaSalle.

Broadalbin-Perth 76, Fonda-Fultonville 24.

Albany Academy 62, Cicero-North Syracuse 43.

Averill Park 70, Our Lady of Lourdes 39.

Ravena 59, Middleburgh 28.

Tamarac 47, Ichabod Crane 34.

Hudson Falls 53, Lake George 25.

Maple Hill 77, Mekeel Christian 15.

Simsbury (Connecticut) 57, Duanesburg 51.

News & notes

 Whatever momentum Troy High had built in beating Albany on Tuesday dissipated Friday in a loss to Schenectady.

As previously reported, the game was originally set for the Pat Riley Center on the Schenectady campus. For whatever reason, the game was moved to Clem Zotto Memorial Gym at Troy, with the Patriots remaining the home team. The two teams will return to Zotto Gym for a Troy home game on January 12.

Anyway, the Merritt brothers, Stetson & Legend, combined for 40 points (28 & 12, respectively), but no other Troy player was in double figures, as the Patriots got a nice Christmas present with an 86-70 victory.

==============================================

City rivals LaSalle & Catholic Central met on Friday, and the Crusaders swept the two games.

The women handed the fledgling LaSalle women's team their worst loss of the season, 72-22, holding Kate Gilooly to just 5 points. Catholic Central placed four players in double figures, led by Tarovia Turpin with 23 points. Kris Foglia added 17.

Across town, at Monsignor Burns Gym (CCHS still plays their home games in Troy despite the campus now in Latham), Darien Moore led all scorers with 29 points, handing the Cadets their first loss of the season, 73-52.

==================================================

Chase Rose had a goal and 2 assists, as LaSalle defeated CBA in hockey, 4-1, on Friday. Tim Flanigan's club evens its league record at 1-1 (3-2 overall) heading into the annual Mohawks tournament at Union College on Wednesday. LaSalle will play Mohawk Valley Wednesday night, while the host Mohawks play Whitesboro, and then swap opponents on Thursday.

On Saturday......

Queensbury 6, CBA 1.

Adirondack 3, Mohawks 1.

Bethlehem & Canisius played to a 4-4 tie.

McQuaid 11, Albany Academy 1.

=================================================

It's tournament week in Section II, with plenty of games on tap in the 2nd half of the week.

Amsterdam hosts its annual holiday showcase for the women, starting Wednesday. Unfortunately, we don't have the full lineup, but we do know these games will take place:

Notre Dame-Utica @ Amsterdam, Wednesday at 11 am.

Shenendehowa vs. Walkill, Wednesday at 3:30.

Seminaire (Canada) vs. Bethlehem, Wednesday at 6 pm.

Shenendehowa vs. Warwick, Friday at 2 pm.

Brooklyn Law & Tech @ Amsterdam, Thursday at 5 pm.

Down the road in Rotterdam, Mohonasen hosts its annual Kirvin Cup tournament Wednesday & Thursday:

Women:

Guilderland vs. Scota-Glenville, Wednesday at 10:30 am.

Schenectady @ Mohonasen, Wednesday at noon.

Men:

Scotia vs. Stillwater, Wednesday at 1:30.

Catskill @ Mohonasen Wednesday at 3 pm.

Championship & consolation games are on Thursday.

Troy hosts the Holiday Classic for the 1st time since 2019, and this time, it's both the men & women, starting with the ladies on Thursday. We still don't have the full lineup for the women's tournament, other than Troy hosting Ballston Spa Friday at 12:45 pm. As for the guys:

Friday:

Middletown @ Troy, 7:30 pm.

Niskayuna vs. Shen, 6 pm.

Saturday: 

Niskayuna vs. Middletown, 3:30 pm.

Shen @ Troy, round 2, 5 pm.

Fonda-Fultonville will have their tournament Thursday & Friday with Johnstown, Watervliet, & Cobleskill-Richmondville visiting.

Ballston Spa hosts Schenectady, Shaker, & Columbia Thursday & Friday.

Colonie will host Guilderland and a pair of teams from Massachusetts, Taconic & Pittsfield, Wednesday & Thursday.

CBA welcomes LaSalle, Mekeel Christian Academy, & Bethlehem Wednesday & Thursday.

Burnt Hills has the Shawn Walsh Memorial Wednesday & Thursday with Saugerties, Averill Park, & Queensbury.

For the women....

Mayfield hosts Galway, Northville, & Gloversville Wednesday & Thursday.

Shen hosts Burnt Hills, Saratoga, Niskayuna, & Columbia at the Impact Center in Clifton Park.

The other co-ed tournament is at Broadalbin-Perth, as they'll host Red Hook, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons, & Schuylerville in men's action, while the ladies welcome Simsbury (Connecticut), Fonda-Fultonville, & Duanesburg starting Wednesday.

News & notes

 Siena's women's basketball team played its final game of 2023 Thursday in Cincinnati, and ended up on the short end of a 71-51 loss to the Lady Bearcats. Siena was held to just 8 points in the 3rd quarter, and that was the difference in the game. Theresa Seppala led Siena with 11 points.

========================================================

Ichabod Crane plays most of its sports in the Colonial Council. However, because it appears there is no men's volleyball in that league, the Riders' men's volleyball team plays in the Patroon Conference, perhaps foreshadowing a future shift down the road.

Entering the holiday break, the Riders are undefeated, after shutting out Chatham in a city rivalry match on Wednesday, then doing the same to Taconic Hills on Thursday.

==========================================================

A change to tonight's basketball schedule not reported in the papers:

The men's game between Schenectady and Troy has been moved from the Pat Riley Center to Clem Zotto Memorial Gym, where the two teams are scheduled to play in 3 weeks. No reason given for the late switch. Aktivate (formerly Schedule Galaxy) has adjusted each team's schedules accordingly. As of right now, the January 12 rematch is still set for Zotto Gym.

===========================================================

Thursday's high school scoreboard:

Men's wrestling:

Colonial Council:

Ravena 69, Schalmont 6.

Women's basketball:

Foothills Council:

Scotia-Glenville 55, Amsterdam 50.

Broadalbin-Perth 54, Gloversville 36.

Glens Falls 75, Johnstown 15.

Suburban Council:

Ballston Spa 56, Schenectady 31.

Western Athletic Conference:

Northville 52, Galway 25.

Non-league:

Shaker 67, Kingston 44.

Men's basketball:

Colonial Council:

Lansingburgh 65, Schalmont 62 (OT).

Patroon Conference:

Watervliet 59, Germantown 35.

Suburban Council:

Columbia 43, Guilderland 35.

Wasaren League:

Hoosick Falls 66, Hoosic Valley 53.

Men's bowling:

Colonial Council:

Voorheesville 25, LaSalle 7. Zach Bombard led the Cadets with a 620 triple in a losing effort.

Patroon Conference:

Maple Hill 5, Rensselaer 0.

Suburban Council:

Troy 25, Albany 7. Anthony Mainello led Troy (3-3) with a 662 triple.

Shaker 26, Ballston Spa 6. Good bounce-back for the Bison after getting hammered by Troy on Tuesday.

Colonie 29, Bethlehem 3.

Troy High winter sports review, 12/21

 While Troy High alumni are fretting the poor starts for their basketball teams, at least there is some hope that this won't be a lost winter as we move toward the Christmas break.

Trending up:

Men's swimming & diving (w/Christian Brothers Academy & Columbia): 

Current record: 3-1.

Columbia joining with CBA & Troy has worked out well so far. The Flying Devil Brothers are idle until January 9 when they visit Guilderland-Voorheesville. The lone blemish is a loss two weeks ago to Bethlehem. If they can run the table, a league title could be theirs.

Bowling:

Current record: 2-3.

Don Poutre's club snapped a 3 match losing streak in dispatching Shaker on Tuesday at Uncle Sam Lanes. They're back on the road today at Albany, seeking to get to .500 before league play resumes in 2 weeks at Guilderland.

Trending down:

Indoor track: 

Current meet record: 0-2.

Poor Jordan Canzeri. 1st year as a coach hasn't gone too well, and Troy's men have been near the bottom of the standings in each meet so far. The next two meets are at Hudson Valley Community College Saturday & Wednesday, and while there have not yet been any notable individual performances, there is room to hope someone will emerge over the next few weeks. The women have placed in the middle of the pack in both meets so far. Moving up would be nice.

Women's basketball:

Current record: 1-4 (0-4 Suburban Council).

Whatever good feelings came from a non-league win over Sidney on December 16 disappeared once they stepped onto the floor at Zotto Gym Tuesday, as the Lady Horses were blown out of their own gym by Albany, which has had Troy's number the last several years. 1st year coach Will Harris will have the ladies busy in practice leading up to next week's Holiday Classic. Troy still hasn't revealed who they'll play next Thursday night, but they do have a businessmen's lunch special vs. Ballston Spa set for Friday, December 29 (12:45 tip). The homestand concludes January 5 vs. Guilderland before they step out of the Suburban Council again January 8 to play Salem on the road. The Guilderland game starts a stretch of 5 games in 8 days, including 3 in a row, as they'll host Saratoga (January 9), then head up Pawling Avenue to play Emma Willard in their first regular season meeting (January 10), before visiting the Riley Center to play Schenectady.

Trending lukewarm:

Men's basketball:

Current record: 1-5 (1-4 Suburban Council):

Josh Pelletier, another 1st year coach, finally got his 1st win in beating Albany on Tuesday. Tomorrow, they'll begin a home & home with Schenectady at the Riley Center, with the return match January 12 at Zotto Gym. In between, they'll play Middletown in the Holiday Classic December 29, then a rematch vs. Shenendehowa December 30. They'll start 2024 at Guilderland January 5, and at Saratoga January 9 before returning home for the rematch with the Patriots.

For some reason, Troy isn't live-streaming their games at home, and they're not really joining the growing number of Section II schools streaming on Hudl. I think they would prefer to have a packed house at Zotto Gym, but that's kind of hard to do at the moment. Winning, plus some positive publicity, can cure those ills.

News & notes

 "One step up, and two steps back"---Bruce Springsteen.

Reese Poffenbarger's decision Wednesday to enter the transfer portal may be a major hindrance to UAlbany's chances of repeating their success next year.

Now, as we've seen, entering the transfer portal doesn't mean the player is leaving. Basketball player Jonathan Beagle decided to try the transfer portal after last season, but decided he was better served staying close to his home in Hudson Falls. That said, there's a good chance Poffenbarger stays, but we'll see.

Staying on the UAlbany tip, the women's basketball team took down UMass Wednesday afternoon in a businessman's lunch special at the Mullins Center. Meghan Huerter (Shenendehowa/Providence) came off the bench to lead 4 Lady Danes in double figures with 15 points. Lilly Phillips (Cambridge) added 14.

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The rest of Wednesday's action:

High schools:

Women's basketball:

Western Athletic Conference:

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 60, Canajoharie 44.

Men's bowling:

Colonial Council:

Ravena 26, Cobleskill-Richmondville 6.

Suburban Council:

Niskayuna 23, Burnt Hills 9.

Women's bowling:

Suburban Council:

Ballston Spa 29 1/2, Bethlehem 2 1/2.

Hockey:

Saratoga & Shenendehowa skated to a 6-6 tie through double overtime.

Colleges:

Women's basketball:

Drew 77, Russell Sage 58.

Loras 72, Union 32.

Tuesday's high school & college scoreboard, 12/19

 High schools:

Men's bowling:

Colonial Council:

Voorheesville 5, Ravena 3.

Suburban Council:

Columbia 28, Schenectady 4.

Saratoga 26 1/2, Albany 5 1/2.

Troy 19 1/2, Shaker 12 1/2. Troy snaps a 3 match losing streak, with Anthony Mainello leading the way with a 684 triple.

Guilderland 27, Averill Park 5.

Bethlehem 20 1/2, CBA 11 1/2.

Wasaren League:

Mechanicville 3, Stillwater 2.

Men's swimming:

Troy/CBA/Columbia 87, Niskayuna 58. 

Men's basketball:

Adirondack League:

Lake George 49, Warrensburg 44.

Argyle 69, Hartford 52.

Colonial Council:

LaSalle 68, Cohoes 48.

Catholic Central 82, Mohonasen 46.

Lansingburgh 65, Ravena 54.

Foothills Council:

Glens Falls 87, South Glens Falls 49.

Scotia-Glenville 51, Broadalbin-Perth 48.

Gloversville 55, Johnstown 39.
Hudson Falls 62, Schuylerville 60.

Suburban Council:

Troy 74, Albany 71. Troy (1-5) finally picks up a win. Stetson Merritt led all scorers with 37 points. Daniel Covington, playing against his former team, had 31 to lead the Falcons.

Niskayuna 63, Burnt Hills 52.

Shenendehowa 56, Averill Park 35.

Shaker 77, Ballston Spa 52.

CBA 67, Guilderland 43.

Colonie 64, Bethlehem 45.

Wasaren League:

Saratoga Catholic 71, Waterford 39.
Tamarac 69, Greenwich 39.

Western Athletic Conference:

Fonda-Fultonville 67, Mayfield 38.

Non-league:

Chatham 64, Berlin-New Lebanon 43.

Women's basketball:

Colonial Council:

Cobleskill-Richmondville 49, Voorheesville 44.

Albany Academy 64, Ichabod Crane 36.

Schalmont 57, Academy of Holy Names 50.
LaSalle 37, Cohoes 35.

Catholic Central 57, Mohonasen 41.

Foothills Council:

Broadalbin-Perth 65, Scotia-Glenville 43.

Suburban Council:

Niskayuna 36, Burnt Hills 26.

Bethlehem 70, Colonie 43. Caroline Davis led the Eagles with 20 points. Kaitlyn Robbins added 19 before leaving with an apparent knee injury.

Albany 82, Troy 28. All the momentum Troy had earned from beating Sidney on 12/16 was gone in a hurry. It was so lopsided, the score was never published in the local papers.

Columbia 76, Saratoga 56.

Non-league:

Hudson 51, Ravena 27.

Waterford 40, Mekeel Christian 35.

Stillwater 51, Whitehall 18.

Colleges:

Men's basketball:

Cornell 95, Siena 74. Michael Eley returned for Siena, and had 9 points in 22 minutes. Sean Durugordon had 23 points, but the Saints (2-9) dropped their 4th straight.

UAlbany 93, Sacred Heart 79. Jonathan Beagle had 19 points, leading 4 Great Danes in double figures.

Women's basketball:

Albion 56, Union 36.

Wesleyan 72, Russell Sage 49.

News & notes

 Less than 72 hours after their season ended in a 59-0 loss to South Dakota State, UAlbany announced that defensive linemen Anton Juncaj & Elijah Hills had entered the transfer portal. Both are hoping to sign with schools in higher profile leagues (i.e. SEC, Big 10) that, in turn, would raise their profiles for possibly being drafted into the NFL.We'll see how that plays out.

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The Albany Patroons have released their 2024 schedule in The Basketball League. 26 games total, but it's not an even split between home & away. Instead, Derrick Rowland's club will play just 12 home games, with 14 on the road.

The schedule:

March:

1: Home opener vs. Jamestown.

2: Connecticut.

7: @ Reading.

10: @ Rhode Island.

13, 15, 16: @ Newfoundland.

21: Virginia Valley.

22: Frederick.

24: @ Tri-State.

April: 

5: @ Connecticut.

6: Rhode Island.

12: @ Jamestown.

14: Tri-State.

20: @ Frederick.

21: @ Virginia Valley.

26: Reading.

28: Virginia Valley.

May:

4: Tri-State.

5: @ Connecticut.

11: @ Jamestown.

17: Jamestown.

19: Connecticut.

23: @ Virginia Valley.

24: @ Tri-State.

26: Home finale vs. Frederick.

======================================

Monday's high school scoreboard:

Women's basketball:

Wasaren League:

Greenwich 76, Cambridge 29.

Non-league:

Greenville 41, Fonda-Fultonville 25.

Men's bowling:

Foothills Council:

Gloversville 4, Scotia-Glenville 0.

Suburban Council:

Averill Park 19 1/2, Albany 12 1/2.

Saratoga 30, Schenectady 2.

Women's bowling:

Averill Park 28, Shaker 4.

Colonie 24, Bethlehem 8.

Schenectady 27, Saratoga 5.

Men's volleyball:

Ichabod Crane 3, Hudson 0.

Remembering Joe Hogan (1936-2023)

 This one is filed under, "Oh, you didn't know?".

My only link to former Siena & Watervliet coach Joe Hogan, who passed away last week at age 87, was he was a client of my daytime employers. His sister was a co-worker of mine until her retirement a few years back.

Photo courtesy Siena College.

Hogan graduated from Siena in 1967, and returned to coach the women's basketball team 12 years later. In six seasons (1979-85), Hogan compiled a 119-51 record, and led Siena to the 1982 NYSIAW title, beating current MAAC rival Canisius, at the time the #7 team in Division II. Siena moved up from Division II to Division I in 1984, prior to Hogan's final season. Prior to his Siena coaching career, Hogan coached men's basketball at Watervliet from 1969-76, and taught social studies at 'Vliet until he retired after the 1990-1 season.

Rest in peace.

News & notes

 Traditionally, LaSalle has their annual trip to Beekmantown & Plattsburgh the first weekend in December. This year, it was the 3rd weekend, but the results didn't change all that much.

On Friday, the Cadets fell in overtime, 6-5, to Beekmantown. Not much time for turnaround, as the Saturday game vs. Plattsburgh had a 12 noon puck drop.

Alaina Winther became the first female goaltender in school history to start, and went the distance with 17 saves, as LaSalle gained a split of the weekend road trip, 5-1. Winther had played in relief of starter Carter Irving a week earlier vs. the Capital District Jets, benefiting from the Cadets having a big lead in that game. LaSalle goes to 2-2, and returns home to play CBA on Friday.

==================================================

Troy High's men's basketball team is still looking for its first win of the season. 

Troy (0-5, 0-4 league) actually had a 1 point lead at halftime, 36-35, but Shaker outscored the Flying Horses, 50-33, in the 2nd half to come away with a 85-69 victory, led by Bless Demand's 25 points. Stetson Merritt snapped out of a recent scoring funk to lead all scorers with 35 points. Brother Legend added 14.

It's not going to get easier for Troy, as former teammate Daniel Covington will be waiting for them in Albany on Tuesday night, followed by the annual trip to the Pat Riley Center on Friday vs. Schenectady.

Meanwhile, the women finally picked up a win on Saturday, clipping Sidney, 55-53. After no player cracked double figures in a 59-37 loss to Shaker on Friday, Amaya Harris had 23 points to lead Troy in the home opener, giving Will Harris his first win as a head coach.

Troy continues the homestand vs. Albany on Tuesday, and they haven't beaten the Falcons in years. An upset win could give the ladies momentum heading into the Holiday Classic on December 28-29 (the men play December 29-30).

By the way, we now know the men will play Middletown on the 29th.

===================================================

Predictably, we don't have all the scores from Saturday's Evan Franz Coaches Against Cancer marathon at Hudson Valley Community College, but here's what we do have:

Warrensburg 56, Crown Point 51.

OESJ 49, Galway 41.

Greenwich 59, Chatham 55.

Glens Falls 94, Cohoes 44.

Schenectady 77, Gloversville 54.

==============================================

RPI split a weekend series vs. Minnesota State-Mankato at the Houston Field House. The Engineers won in overtime, 4-3, on Friday, but then Minnesota State bounced back to escape with a 4-2 win on Saturday.

===============================================

In a Saturday matinee in Philadelphia, the Albany FireWolves remained undefeated, beating Philly, 15-10. Could the Wolves go worst to first this season? We've still got a long way to go.

Who really made New York proud?

 Two New York State Universities went on the national stage Friday night, their games airing concurrently. All the hype surrounded UAlbany and their magical run into the FCS semi-finals. However, another state university saved the night.

The Great Danes were blitzed almost from the jump by South Dakota State. Their offense never got going, and the game was, for all intents & purposes, over by halftime. QB Reese Poffenbarger threw three first half interceptions. A relentless South Dakota State defense stymied Albany's offense, and the Jackrabbits advanced to the finals on January 7 with a dominant 59-0 win.

UAlbany coach Greg Gattuso has said the Great Danes will build upon last night's, ah, teachable moments. Poffenbarger is a sophomore, and this group will, in fact, be back next year.

Thousands of miles to the east, in Salem, Virginia, the Division III Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl saw UCortland taking on undefeated North Central. Unlike the Albany-South Dakota State game, this was a competitive, more exciting game, and I'd imagine a lot of fans here, knowing there were a few Section II graduates on the Cortland roster, flipped over to ESPNU once the realized Albany's season was ending.

Cole Burgess, the Greenwich native, scored two touchdowns. Ashton Capone (Saratoga) clinched the game with a first down run with just over a minute left in the 4th quarter after North Central failed on a potential game winning two-point conversion, and the Red Dragons, not the Great Danes, are the toast of the New York state university system with a 38-37 victory.

Check the video:

Burgess, a senior, is hoping his name is called in the NFL draft come April. Now, Cortland has the target on its back, as it prepares to defend the D3 title next year.

News & notes

 There are two options to check out tonight's UAlbany-South Dakota State football game. 

The first, of course, is on the radio on WTMM (ESPN Radio 104.5). The other is that the game can be seen on ESPN2 (Spectrum Cable channel 301). Kickoff is shortly after 7 pm.

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The Evan Franz Memorial Coaches Against Cancer series moves across the river to Hudson Valley Community College beginning tonight, with three games tonight, and eight per day Saturday & Sunday.

Leading off is a Wasaren League matchup between Stillwater & Saratoga Catholic. Originally scheduled for Stillwater, the game will now start at 5 pm (originally listed for 7:30 pm at Stillwater). The Saturday card includes Northville vs. Germantown at noon and Glens Falls vs. Cohoes at 3 pm. On Sunday, Duanesburg plays Maple Hill in a Sunday brunch special at 10:30 am.

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UAlbany-South Dakota State is not the only college football game with local ties.

The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, airing tonight on ESPNU (cable channel 370) features 7 former Section II players, including Ashton Capone (Saratoga), Cole Burgess (Chatham), David Romer (Columbia), Aidan Lochner (Ravena), Jeff Halusic (Niskayuna), Jake Hromada (Hudson), and Anthony Luciano (Shaker). Those seven players will suit up for SUNY-Cortland vs. North Central in the Stagg Bowl, which starts at the same time as the UAlbany game.

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Bad news for Siena women's basketball.

One week ago, Valencia Fontanelle-Posson (Guilderland) went down with an injury vs. Fordham at home. Now comes word that she tore her ACL and is out for the season. After beating Fordham, Siena has dropped two straight, and will host Canisius as MAAC play begins Saturday at the UHY Center.

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Bethlehem alum Claire Hutton graduated as a junior, and now, a month before her 18th birthday, she's turning pro.

Photo courtesy Albany Times-Union.

The soccer phenom, whose 18th birthday is January 11, had previously committed to North Carolina, but now will play professionally for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League, whose ownership group includes Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes and his wife, Brittany. Hutton will take college courses, but at the University of Missouri-Kansas City while on a 3 year contract with the Current. 

Hutton also has a deal with Nike, one of the biggest sneaker manufacturers on the planet. What we're not sure of is if she's also getting a supply of a certain brand of shampoo endorsed by Mahomes.

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Thursday's high school & college scoreboard:

Colleges:

Men's basketball:

Farmingdale State 81, Union 65.

High schools:

Women's basketball:

Wasaren League:

Stillwater 77, Saratoga Catholic 38.

Mechanicville 48, Tamarac 39.

Foothills Council:

South Glens Falls 52, Schuylerville 28.

Broadalbin-Perth 70, Amsterdam 34.

Men's bowling:

Colonial Council:

Ravena 6 1/2, Schalmont 1 1/2.

Cohoes 31, LaSalle 1. Andrew Gillick led the Tigers with a 629 triple.

Voorheesville 7, Cobleskill-Richmondville 1.

Patroon Conference:

Maple Hill 5, Catskill 0.

Suburban Council:

CBA 29, Troy 3. Troy has now dropped 3 straight. Ruben Rodriguez led Troy with a 566 set.

Burnt Hills 22, Columbia 10.

Guilderland 24, Niskayuna 8.

Shaker 25, Albany 7.

Shenendehowa 27, Averill Park 5.

Bethlehem def. Schenectady.

Wasaren League:

Mechanicville 5, Saratoga Catholic 0.

Women's bowling:

Suburban Council:

Columbia 29, Averill Park 3.

News & notes

 We were under the assumption that Greg Davis was still at LaSalle as their men's basketball. Turns out, no, he's not.

The Albany Times-Union, in doing an overview of winter sports today, revealed that Davis left LaSalle after last season, and is now at Colonie. His return to the Suburban Council means a date with Troy High is nigh.

And, as if current Troy coach Josh Pelletier hasn't got enough on his plate already with his team 0-4 heading into a Friday home game vs. Shaker, a former Troy player figures to haunt them, too.

In that same overview, it turns out Daniel Covington, who was dismissed from the Troy team last year, transferred to Albany.

One gets the feeling certain people in administration at Troy are paying the price for some decisions over the last year.........!

By the way, LaSalle has not updated their website, so we don't know who succeeded Davis, and has LaSalle off to a fast start. The Cadets are undefeated at last check.

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Wednesday's high school scoreboard:

Women's basketball:

Western Athletic Conference:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 55, Duanesburg 54.

Fonda-Fultonville 55, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 50 (OT).

Schoharie 48, Middleburgh 24.

Northville 60, Canajoharie 24.

Mayfield 65, OESJ 49.

Men's basketball:

Western Athletic Conference:

Canajoharie 53, Mayfield 47.

Fonda-Fultonville 65, Schoharie 36.

Duanesburg 87, Northville 32.

Men's bowling:

Suburban Council:

Ballston Spa 17 1/2, CBA 14 1/2.

Columbia 27, Bethlehem 5.

Hockey:

Albany Academy 7, CBA 4.
Shenendehowa 4, Adirondack 3.

News & notes

 As the College of St. Rose has closed out its final soccer season, junior Mia Klammer, a big part of the women's soccer team's success, was named Division II Player of The Year by the United Soccer Coaches on Tuesday.

Klammer was also honored by the Ron Lenz Conference Commissioners Association with the same honor. I think local fans are hoping she stays in the area (UAlbany, maybe?) for her senior season.

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Meghan Huerter (Shenendehowa/Providence) racked up a season & career high 20 points as UAlbany took down Dartmouth, 68-57, Tuesday at Broadview Center. Helene Haegerstrand added 18 points. Lilly Phillips (Cambridge) had 4 points, while Abby Ray (Saratoga) notched a free throw for 1 point. The Lady Danes, winners of 4 straight, host Stonehill Saturday afternoon.

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Tuesday's high school scoreboard:

Men's bowling:

Colonial Council:

Cohoes 28, Voorheesville 4.

Lansingburgh 26, LaSalle 6.

Suburban Council:

Saratoga 24, Ballston Spa 8.

Niskayuna 31, Schenectady 1.

Colonie 20 1/2, Columbia 11 1/2.

Shenendehowa 25, Troy 7. Vince Mainello stayed hot at home with a 725 triple to lead Troy (1-2) in a losing effort.

Wasaren League:

Mechanicville 5, Berlin-New Lebanon 0.

Women's bowling:

Suburban Council:

Schenectady 23, Niskayuna 9.

Swimming:

CBA/Troy/Columbia 94, Burnt Hills-Scotia 75 1/2.

Shenendehowa 99, Guilderville 69.

Men's basketball:

Foothills Council:

Johnstown 66, Broadalbin-Perth 47.

South Glens Falls 46, Scotia-Glenville 44.

Hudson Falls 63, Queensbury 53.

Suburban Council:

Ballston Spa 46, Averill Park 43.

Burnt Hills 64, Columbia 61.

Bethlehem 66, Schenectady 59.

Niskayuna 48, Guilderland 37.

Shaker 85, Albany 57.

CBA 93, Troy 54.  It started as an evenly matched game, but CBA began pulling away late in the 1st half. Troy (0-4) returns home to play Shaker on Friday.

Colonial Council:

Lansingburgh 57, Cohoes 40.

Schalmont 55, Mohonasen 49.

LaSalle 82, Voorheesville 55.

Catholic Central 72, Ichabod Crane 51.

Wasaren League:

Hoosick Falls 92, Waterford 42.

Stillwater 70, Tamarac 47.

Hoosic Valley 60, Greenwich 40.

Western Athletic Conference:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 82, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 53.

Women's basketball:

Colonial Council:

Cobleskill-Richmondville 57, Ravena 38.

Albany Academy 59, Academy of Holy Names 48.

Catholic Central 85, Ichabod Crane 23.

Mohonasen 40, Schalmont 20.

Suburban Council:

Bethlehem 86, Schenectady 33. This one was over after the 1st quarter.

Colonie 71, Saratoga 44.

Guilderland 52, Niskayuna 39.

Columbia 65, Burnt Hills 41.

Albany 59, Shaker 54. Good bounce back for the Falcons after a loss on Monday to Our Lady of Lourdes.

News & notes

 The College of St. Rose's women's basketball team has won 7 straight after crushing Roberts Wesleyan, 82-34, on Monday at Nolan Gymnasium. Syrita Faraj (Tamarac) led all scorers with 21 points, picking up the slack for fellow Section II alums Payton Graber (5 points) and Maddisyn Mahoney (9). Aniya McDonald-Perry added 14 for the Golden Knights (7-1, 3-1 Northeast 10).

St. Rose travels to D'Youville in Buffalo on Saturday.

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Monday's high school results:

Men's bowling:

Patroon Conference:

Maple Hill 5, Chatham 0.

Suburban Council:

Shenendehowa 26, CBA 6. Shen travels to Uncle Sam Lanes today to play Troy.

Women's bowling:

Suburban Council:

Columbia 27, Niskayuna 5.

Bethlehem 20 1/2, Shaker 11 1/2.

Men's volleyball:

Colonial Council:

Ichabod Crane 3, Voorheesville 0.

Men's basketball:

Loudonville Christian 72, OESJ 32.

Women's basketball:

Foothills Council:

South Glens Falls 51, Scotia-Glenville 34. The Bulldogs have twin stars in Bailee & Jordan Wolfe, who led South High with a combined 36 points (19 & 17 respectively).

Broadalbin-Perth 70, Johnstown 7. 9 players scored for the Patriots.

Queensbury 53, Hudson Falls 27.

Wasaren League:

Mechanicville 67, Saratoga Catholic 40.

Western Athletic Conference:

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 56, Northville 44. Jim Zullo's club suffers its 1st loss.

Non-league:

Edmeston-Morris 41, Canajoharie 37.

Hadley-Luzerne 51, Galway 48.

Waterford overcame a 4 point halftime deficit to beat LaSalle, 53-48. The Lady Cadets (1-2) are right back at it on the road at Voorheesville tonight.

News & notes

 Not all of the scores from Sunday's Evan Krantz Coaches Against Cancer event at Siena have been reported as of press time, but this is what we have at the moment.

Averill Park 53, Mohonasen 46 (OT).

LaSalle 49, Shenendehowa 48 (OT). LaSalle is 3-0 to start the season.

Cohoes 67, Broadalbin-Perth 52.

Ichabod Crane 55, Taconic Hills 48.

Non-tournament:

Niskayuna 64, Newburgh Free Academy 45.

We are hoping to obtain the remaining scores from Siena College.

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The Tri-City Valleycats have hired independent baseball veteran Greg Tagert as their new manager, succeeding Pete Incaviglia.

Tagert had been out of baseball for two seasons after retiring from an American Association team in Gary, Indiana, where he'd won a league title in addition to two Northern League titles.

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UAlbany saw its 5 game winning streak snapped in men's basketball with a 78-73 loss to Temple Sunday night in Brooklyn. Sebastian Thomas led Albany (6-4) with 18 points. Jonathan Beagle (Hudson Falls) didn't start, but had 16 points. Marcus Jackson (Albany Academy) got a start, but had just 2 points in 20 minutes. While Albany was technically the home team, they'll be on the road Saturday to play Drexel.

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Not a good day for Siena's women's basketball team in Boston, as they were blown out of the gym by Boston College, 88-59. Theresa Seppala led the Saints with 12 points as they played without Valencia Fontanelle-Posson, who injured her leg on Thursday. Siena has dropped three of their last four.

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The Albany FireWolves are 2-0 after beating defending NLL champ Buffalo, 17-13, on Saturday at MVP Arena. Things did get chippy between the two teams, which perhaps should be be expected, being in-state rivals. 

News & notes

 We noted yesterday that Shenendehowa & LaSalle, both coming off wins in the last 48 hours, will play each other tonight at Siena College. It's part of the Evan Franz Memorial Coaches Against Cancer Classic, which begins at 10:30 am this morning. Here's the full lineup:

10:30 am: Cohoes (Colonial Council) vs. Broadalbin-Perth (Foothills Council).

12 noon (approximate): Ichabod Crane (Colonial) vs. Taconic Hills (Patroon Conference).

1:30 (approximate): Averill Park (Suburban Council) vs. Mohonasen (Colonial).

3 pm (approximate): Albany (Suburban) vs. Schalmont (Colonial).

4:30 (approximate): Tamarac (Wasaren League and the event host w/Siena) vs. Bethlehem (Suburban).

6 pm (approximate): LaSalle (Colonial) vs. Shenendehowa (Suburban).

7:30 pm (approximate): Catholic Central (Colonial) vs. Colonie (Suburban).

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Updating Saturday's LaSalle-Ravena doubleheader:

Kate Gilooly (formerly with Troy High) led all scorers with 22 points as she carried LaSalle's offense in a 48-28 win. On the men's side, Emmanuel Karkari-Mensah & Tra'Dell Faison led the Cadets with 16 points each in their 52-35 win over Ravena.

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As for Troy, the Merritt brothers, Legend & Stetson, combined for 40 points (21 & 19, respectively) in the loss to Shenendehowa, 68-64. Troy will try again vs. CBA on Tuesday.

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RPI's hockey team hit the road and dropped a 1-0 decision to New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon. The Engineers return home Friday for a 2-set vs. Minnesota State-Manikato at Houston Field House.

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LaSalle's hockey team is 1-1 after blowing out the Capital District Jets in a twilight game on Saturday, 10-3 We do not have the stats for the Cadets as yet.

Update, 12/11/23: Chase Rose led LaSalle with 2 goals and 3 assists. The initial posting of the score was incorrect, and we have updated the information.

The rest of Saturday's action:

Men's basketball:

Non-league:

Indian River 66, Canajoharie 31.

Lake George 47, St. Lawrence 28.

Glens Falls 76, Schalmont 51.

Women's basketball:

Non-league:

Albany 40, White Plains 33.

Hockey:

Canton 5, Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa 3.

Shenendehowa 7, Guilderville 2.

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UAlbany advanced to the BCS semi-finals and a date with South Dakota State after taking down Idaho, 30-22. They'll play South Dakota State on Friday night, while the Jackrabbits, the top team in the tournament, carry a 27 game winning streak into the match.

Meanwhile, Albany's women's basketball team downed Marist, 49-39, behind Kayla Cooper's 23 points. Abby Ray (Saratoga) saw some game action, and scored 5 points, while Lilly Phillips (Cambridge) was held to just 1 basket, and Meghan Huerter (Shen/Providence) did not score.

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Another day, another brutal loss for Siena.

The men's basketball team has lost all 8 games they've played without Michael Eley in the lineup, the latest costing them the Franciscan Cup to St. Bonaventure, 89-56.

Two programs in opposite directions

 It's a pity, really, that LaSalle & Troy will not meet in basketball this season. Maybe next year. Maybe 2025, but as this season wraps its first full week of league play, the two schools are trending in opposite directions.

Troy High is in need of a win for both the men & the women. Will Harris, the former UAlbany star, is 0-2 coaching the women after the Lady Horses were trampled, 75-22, by Shenendehowa on Friday night. While Harris has a full roster of 11-12 players, unlike his predecessor, Steve Lombard, who had 9 players most nights, he's still looking for a winning formula, and it's his first head coaching job.

Considering that Ballston Spa pulled away from Troy on Tuesday to win their opener, 63-35, Troy has scored just 57 points, or, an average of 28.5 points, while allowing an average of 69 per game to this point. Shen is averaging 78.5 per game so far. Yipes!! Harris has a whole week to try to right the ship, as the Lady Horses travel to Latham to play Shaker next Friday before the home opener vs. non-league opponent Sidney next Saturday.

Similarly, Josh Pelletier, the former LaSalle standout, is also looking for his first win. 0-3 at home, Pelletier and the Flying Horses will play 3 of their next 4 on the road, starting at CBA on Tuesday after a narrow miss vs. Shen, 69-64. They'll return home to play Shaker, then go back on the road for games at Albany (December 19) & Schenectady (December 22) prior to the Troy Holiday Classic, December 28-30. To their credit, Troy, led by the Merritt brothers, Stetson & Legend, now joined by golf standout Kayne Behan, have stayed in every game. Why the school refuses to use its YouTube stream? They obviously want to fill the bleachers for home games, but it would help if they gave the paying customers a reason to go. They'll get a 2nd crack at Shen December 30, right back at Zotto Gym.

Conversely, LaSalle is off to a good start for both the men & the women.

The men, you knew, would contend in the Colonial Council. The Cadets are 2-0 after pounding Ravena, 52-35, this afternoon. We'll have the full stats as early as tomorrow. Up next is mighty Shen tomorrow night at Siena College.

Meanwhile, the women surprised Ravena, 48-28, in the first half of today's doubleheader. That squares their record at 1-1 after a non-league loss to Emma Willard on Tuesday. Kate Gilooly transferred from Troy to LaSalle over the summer, and the move seems to have paid off to this point. They'll stay on the road for a non-league tilt against Waterford on Monday and Voorheesville on Tuesday. They will finally get a home game December 21 vs. Catholic Central.

Is Lasalle a threat in women's basketball? Maybe. We know the men will be.

Now, it's incumbent upon the athletic directors to book a non-league series between Troy & LaSalle on an annual basis, and renew the classic rivalry. If they can.

News & notes

 A state appeals court upheld an earlier ruling requiring the Cambridge school district to officially discontinue the use of "Indians" as the school's nickname. The district is in the process of revealing the new team name & mascot, which will come sometime in 2024.

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Siena's women's basketball team squared their record at 3-3, and held off a late Fordham rally to take down the Lady Rams, 65-62, at UHY Center Thursday.

Valencia Fontanelle-Posson (Guilderland) played just 3 minutes before going down with a leg injury. Ahniysha Jackson (Albany) led Siena with 17 points. Siena led wire-to-wire.

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Thursday's high school scoreboard:

Women's basketball:

Foothills Council:

Broadalbin-Perth 60, Schuylerville 13.

Scotia-Glenville 65, Gloversville 35.

Amsterdam 67, Johnstown 22.

Western Athletic Conference:

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 75, Mayfield 43.

Wasaren League:

Stillwater 50, Cambridge 20.

Men's bowling:

Colonial Council:

Cohoes 21, Ravena 11.

Foothills Council:

Scotia-Glenville 4, Gloversville 0.

Patroon Conference:

Taconic Hills 5, Catskill 0.

Suburban Council:

Guilderland 30, Schenectady 2.

Saratoga 23, Burnt Hills 9.

Shaker 27, Averill Park 5.

Colonie 20, Troy 10. Liam O'Connor led the Garnet Raiders with a 669 triple. Vince Mainello paced Troy (1-1) with a 663 set.

Wasaren League:

Mechanicville 5, Hoosick Falls 0.

Women's bowling:

Colonial Council:

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