News & notes

 Perhaps in an effort to widen its national reach, the annual Run For Women at the Empire State Plaza, taking place June 1, is now being sponsored by Sara Lee's Delightful bread, hence a name change to the Delightful Run For Women.

And, what of Freihofer's, you might ask?

Sara Lee & Freihofer's are corporate step-sisters, if you will, each acquired by Bimbo Bakeries in recent years. I'm guessing that Bimbo and event organizers felt that keeping the Freihofer's name attached to the race created the perception of a regional event, despite the fact it's attracted runners from across the country and other nations for years.

But, watch. Most folks will still associate the race with Freihofer's, whose chocolate chip cookies will still be available on race day.

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Shenendehowa now knows who they'll play this weekend in a state regional hockey final.

The Plainsmen will host Massena, the Section X champion, Saturday at Union College's Messa Rink at 3:45 pm.

Meanwhile, Queensbury will host the Section VII champion in a Division 2 regional final in Glens Falls at 5:45, also on Saturday.

Could there be another match between Queensbury & Shen for the state title? Stay tuned.

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Wednesday's sectional scoreboard:

Men's basketball:

Class A semi-finals:

Catholic Central 72, Schalmont 36. Darien Moore led the Crusaders with a game high 23 points.

Glens Falls 60, Lansingburgh 54.

Non-league:

Albany Academy 77, Poly Prep 37.

Women's basketball:

Class A:

Catholic Central 68, Schalmont 41.

Academy of Holy Names 63, Broadalbin-Perth 60.

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Colleges:

Men's lacrosse:

Siena 11, LeMoyne 9.

Skidmore 15, Oneonta 8.

Union 14, Endicott 12.

Wentworth 17, Russell Sage 9.

Women's lacrosse:

Binghamton 15, Siena 9.

Springfield 16, Skidmore 12.

Tuesday's high school & college scoreboard, 2/27

 Colleges:

Women's basketball:

College of St. Rose 46, Southern New Hampshire 45 (OT). Payton Graber (Schalnont) led St. Rose with 15 points. The Golden Knights get a 1st round bye and will have a home game Sunday against an opponent to be determined.

Women's lacrosse:

RPI 16, Oneonta 11.

Plattsburgh 16, Russell Sage 5.

Baseball:

George Washington 6, UMBC 5 (12 innings). Brett Young (Albany Academy/Siena) went 1-3.

High school sectionals:

Men's basketball:

Class B semi-finals:

Mechanicville 64, Schuylerville 52. It'll be an all-Wasaren League final Friday at 6:45 pm when Mechanicville plays Stillwater.

Class D semi-finals:

North Warren 55, Fort Edward 41.

Loudonville Christian 64, Argyle 45.

North Warren vs. Loudonville Christian, Saturday at 11 am.

Women's basketball:

Class D semi-finals:

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 72, Hartford 46.

Northville 50, Saratoga Catholic 23.

Northville vs. Bishop Gibbons, Monday at 4:30 at Hudson Valley Community College.

News & notes

 "Blame it on the rain that was falling....."--Milli Vanilli, 1989.

A recently formed Federal authority tasked to regulate horse racing unveiled its findings on Monday, and found that it wasn't just training regimen that killed 14 horses at Saratoga last year, but, well, I've already spoiled it, it was rain and wet track conditions.

Of the 14 deaths, one horse died in his barn in a non-racing or training casualty. 11 others had suffered injuries to the fetlock joint, and had been administered corticisteroid injections in the affected area within 30 days of a race.

Perhaps, unsurprisingly, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) weighed in, and called for racing at Saratoga to be suspended until the track eliminates any and all causes of horse deaths. Kind of hard to do with the Belmont Stakes coming up in June.

Maybe going back to old school training can help. Maybe.

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Albany has MVP Arena & the Capital Center, with the ancient, acoustically challenged Washington Avenue Armory just up the hill.

Schenectady will soon have the Mohawk Harbor Arena.

Plans to build the downtown arena, situated a mile from Proctor's Theatre, have been approved. The new building will be the new home for Union College hockey, and likely will also take over the annual Mohawks high school tournament during Christmas break. The arena will be a multi-purpose facility, just like MVP Arena.

Contrast this with Hudson Valley Community College evicting their own hockey team and that of next door neighbor LaSalle, all because college president Roger Ramsammy took some bad advice.

Troy, it's your move.

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Skidmore came up short of winning the Liberty League women's basketball title on Sunday, losing to Vassar, 44-32. Skidmore, RPI, & Union, all members of the league, don't get the same kind of press as Siena, UAlbany, or St. Rose, but with the latter closing in May, that could change.

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Monday's high school scoreboard:

Men's basketball:

Class C semi-finals:

Duanesburg 50, Berne-Knox-Westerlo 43. The Eagles will play on without their star, Jeffrey Mulhern, out for the season with a knee injury.

Maple Hill 54, Hoosic Valley 47.

The Eagles & Wildcats will meet Friday at 5 pm

Class B semi-finals:

Stillwater 57, Fonda-Fultonville 33. Stillwater awaits the winner of tonight's Mechanicville-Schuylerville game, with the finals set for Friday at 6:45 pm.

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Here's something for Bill Arsenault at the Albany Times-Union.

In his senior season at George Washington, Brett Young (Albany Academy/Siena/Virginia Commonwealth) has appeared in 3 games, and is hitting .333 with 3 RBI. Young didn't play in the Colonials' 16-3 pasting of Bryant on Sunday. The current homestand concludes today a 1-off against UMBC of the America East Conference. Speaking of which, UAlbany will visit the Colonials on Friday.to begin a weekend series. Here's hoping Brett sees action against the Great Danes.

News & notes

 RPI's men's hockey team would like to avoid another overtime shootout.

For the 3rd time this month alone, RPI lost via shootout, this time to Harvard, 3-2, on Saturday, after the Crimson tied the game late in the 3rd period.

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Despite getting a vote of confidence a couple of weeks back, Siena men's basketball coach Carmen Maciariello can't buy a break.

"Coach Carm" and the Saints fell again on Sunday, losing to Fairfield,88-64. Mason Courtney (Shenendehowa) & Brandan Coyle paced Siena with 13 points each. The Saints return home to MVP Arena Friday vs. Manhattan.

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Speaking of Friday, given how badly Siena has performed, this would be a good time for the Albany Patroons to siphon off some attendance as their home opener is also on Friday night, just up the hill at the Washington Avenue Armory. Across the river in Troy, there'll be high school sectional finals for the women at Hudson Valley Community College, with the Class AA semis kicking off at 6 pm.

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The rest of Sunday's college action:

Baseball:

Wilkes swept a doubleheader from Cobleskill, 4-0 & 9-7.

Appalachian State 10, Siena 6.
Tennessee 12, UAlbany 0 (7 innings).

Men's lacrosse:

Skidmore 11, Bates 10 (OT).

Women's lacrosse:

Cortland 11, Skidmore 10 (OT).

James Madison 21, UAlbany 12.

Softball:

UAlbany 10, Iona 7.

Siena 1, Middle Tennessee 0.

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Sunday's sectional scoreboard:

Hockey:

Shenendehowa 3, Saratoga 1. The Plainsmen are Section II champions for the 9th time in Juan De La Rocha's 22 seasons at the helm, but it seems like forever since the last title. Shen will play the Section X champion (to be determined) Saturday at Union College.

Women's basketball:

Class B:

Albany Academy 64, Stillwater 37.

Mechanicville 42, Fonda-Fultonville 40.

Saturday at HVCC:

Mechanicville vs. Albany Academy, approximately 2:45 pm.

Men's basketball:

Class AAA:

Colonie 71, Albany 54.

CBA 52, Shenendehowa 50.

Shaker 79, Schenectady 70.

Green Tech 84, Saratoga 52.

Thursday at Cool Insuring Arena:

Shaker vs. Green Tech, 6:30 pm.

CBA vs. Colonie, approximately 8 pm.

Class AA:

Niskayuna 63, Columbia 59.

Bethlehem 49, Queensbury 39.

Mekeel Christian 53, Mohonasen 41.

LaSalle 75, South Glens Falls 49.

Wednesday at Cool Insuring Arena:

Niskayuna vs. Bethlehem, approximately 8 pm.

Thursday:

Mekeel Christian vs. LaSalle, 5 pm.

Saturday's sectional scoreboard, 2/24

 Women's basketball:

Class AA:

Averill Park 74, Mohonasen 40.

Niskayuna 44, Queensbury 39.

Columbia 66, Guilderland 47.

Bethlehem 67, Ballston Spa 30. The Eagles shut down Sophia Lee, and led all the way. The Lady Scotties' over-agressive defense worked against them, as the officials called the game a little tighter than normal.

Friday at Hudson Valley Community College:

Bethlehem vs. Columbia, 6 pm.

Niskayuna vs. Averill Park, approximately 7:30 pm.

Men's basketball:

Class A:

Catholic Central 67, Ravena 26.

Schalmont 47, Gloversville 41.

Glens Falls 80, Ichabod Crane 46.

Lansingburgh 66, Hudson Falls 49.

Wednesday at Cool Insuring Arena:

Lansingburgh vs. Glens Falls, 5 pm.

Schalmont vs. Catholic Central, approximately 6:30 pm.

Class B:

Stillwater 82, Voorheesville 48.

Fonda-Fultonville 58, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 34.

Mechanicville 55, Hudson 54.

Schuylerville 58, Hoosick Falls 51.

Monday at Cool Insuring Arena:

Fonda-Fultonville vs. Stillwater, 8 pm.

Tuesday at Cool Insuring Arena:

Schuylerville vs. Mechanicville, 8 pm.

Friday's college & high school scoreboard, 2/23

 Women's basketball:

Class A:

Catholic Central 84, Hudson Falls 35.

Schalmont 78, Scotia-Glenville 45.

Academy of Holy Names 86, Emma Willard 51.

Broadalbin-Perth 49, Glens Falls 35.

Wednesday at Hudson Valley Community College:

Broadalbin-Perth vs. Holy Names, 6 pm.

Schalmont vs. Catholic Central, approximately 7:30 pm.

Men's basketball:

Class C:

Maple Hill 70, Whitehall 52.

Hoosic Valley 69, Warrensburg 32.

Duanesburg 82, Schoharie 43.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 67, Saratoga Catholic 53.

Monday at Cool Insuring Arena:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo vs. Duanesburg, 5 pm.

Hoosic Valley vs. Maple Hill, approximately 6:30 pm.

Colleges:

Men's basketball:

Liberty League semi-finals:

St. Lawrence 63, RPI 47.

Women's basketball:

Liberty League semi-finals:

Skidmore 66, Ithaca 63.

Baseball:

Tennessee 8, UAlbany 5. Will Binder (LaSalle) went 1-3, with a walk & an RBI.

Appalachian State 15, Siena 7. Tyler Figueroa (Colonie) went 2-5 with a homer and 5 RBI's providing most of the offense for the Saints (0-4).

Softball:

Siena split a doubleheader, losing to Bellarmine, 5-4, then going 8 innings before beating Brown, 4-3.

North Carolina State 9, UAlbany 0 (5 innings-mercy rule).

Albany was to also playAppalachian State, but that game was cancelled for unknown reasons.

Hockey:

Dartmouth 5, RPI 1.

Thursday's high school & college scoreboard, 2/22

 At UAlbany, there are three inevitabilities.

Death, taxes, and basketball losing to Vermont.

The Catamounts have had the men's basketball team's number for years, but it's even worse now with the Great Danes still without sophomore Jonathan Beagle (Hudson Falls). Tyler Bertram has stepped up in Beagle's absence, and led Albany with 27 points, including 7 3 pointers, in a 94-80 loss to Vermont at Broadview Center Thursday night. Amar'e Marshall added 14 points, and Sebastian Thomas had 19.

Vermont sweeps the season series, and has won 7 straight over Albany.

As for the women, Albany saw their 4 game winning streak snapped at the hands of Vermont, 67-35. The Lady Catamounts also swept the season series, running their winning streak over Albany to 4 in a row. Kayla Cooper led Albany with 13 points. The Lady Danes return home tomorrow for Senior Day vs. Lowell.

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High school sectional scoreboard:

Women's basketball:

Class C quarterfinals:

Greenwich 84, OESJ 17.

Maple Hill 54, Warrensburg 35.

Duanesburg 71, Hadley-Luzerne 44.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 59, Chatham 37.

Monday at Averill Park:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo vs. Duanesburg, 6 pm.

Maple Hill vs. Greenwich, approximately 7:30 pm.

Hockey:

Saratoga 3, Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa 0. The Spartan Scotties' 5 game winning streak ends.

Shenendehowa 3, Adirondack 1.

Sunday at Union College:

Saratoga vs. Shen, 5:45 pm.

Wednesday's sectional scoreboard, 2/21

 Women's basketball:

Class B:

Albany Academy 76, Watervliet 28.

Stillwater 60, Coxsackie-Athens 50.

Fonda-Fultonville 30, Greenville 29.

Mechanicville 59, Corinth 46.

Sunday at Hudson Valley Community College:

Fonda-Fultonville vs. Mechanicville, 6 pm.

Stillwater vs. Albany Academy, approximately 7:30 pm.

Men's basketball:

Class AA:

Columbia 76, Ballston Spa 59.

Bethlehem 81, Troy 59. The Eagles ran out to a 12-1 lead before Troy could really get going. Bethlehem led, 28-24, at halftime, then pulled away in the 3rd quarter with a 30 point frame. Troy outscored Bethlehem, 25-23, in the final frame, but it was not enough. Tre'Vonte Vantry had a season high 23 points to lead Troy (4-17). Cam LeClair led Bethlehem with 21 points.

Queensbury 50, Burnt Hills 35.

South Glens Falls 71, Averill Park 70.

Mohonasen 43, Amsterdam 33.

LaSalle 74, Guilderland 41.

Sunday at Siena College:

Queensbury vs. Bethlehem, 11:30 am.

South Glens Falls vs. LaSalle, approvimately 1 pm.

Mohonasen vs. Mekeel Christian, approximately 2:30 pm.

Columbia vs. Niskayuna, approximately 4 pm.

Hockey:

Queensbury & Ithaca skated to a 3-3 tie. The Spartans have a bye into the state regional semi-finals in 2 weeks.

More turmoil at Troy High

 It has been 9 days since Troy High closed the regular season with a narrow win over Guilderland, 47-46.

Now, we're learning that the Flying Horses' two best players have left the program.

We assumed that Legend & Stetson Merritt were brothers. We were wrong. They're actually cousins, and ended up in Josh Pelletier's doghouse during the game vs. Guilderland on February 12, and that was the last straw. Kyle Adams of the Daily Gazette, posting on X, reported that the Merritts have left the team, and will not play tonight vs. Bethlehem in the Class AA 1st round.

For Troy (4-16), the timing couldn't be worse. The Horses had been competitive in almost every game this season, the lone exception being a December loss to CBA. Stetson, a freshman, was arguably the team's leading scorer, a phenom who Troy hoped would bring them another sectional title, coming off one last season under John Killian, who was shown the door in April due to a dispute with an unnamed faculty member.

Since the end of the 2022-3 season, and including this latest issue, Troy has now lost 7 players total. You know, of course, that Daniel Covington, who was one of Troy's best players before he fell into disfavor with either Killian or someone else last season, transferred to Albany, and burned his former club for 30 points in a loss to Troy earlier this season. Terrance Clark left for Mekeel Christian.

And, as Adams reports, there's more:

Jasai Eason is now at Green Tech.

Stephen Mulinio went across town to LaSalle.

Da'Marion Tucker is at Lansingburgh.

Troy was competitive in losing to Bethlehem during the regular season. With the Merritts gone (Legend, a senior, was to graduate in June), Pelletier has to scramble to find some offense tonight, or any chance of an upset is gone, too. According to Adams, per his sources, the Merritts made the decision to quit the team after the Guilderland game.

So, then, the question now is, who is to blame for the exodus of players over the course of 10 months? And if Pelletier is asked to depart after 1 season, it's an even worse look for Troy, which would have to find another coach for their maiden voyage in the Colonial Council next season.

To say the mighty have fallen wouldn't be fair to Troy. To say the program has been sabotaged in some form, though, potentially could be an accurate statement.

Stay tuned.

Tuesday's sectional scoreboard, 2/20

 Women's basketball:

Class AAA:

Colonie 70, Saratoga 46. Colonie will play top-seeded Shenendehowa February 29 at Hudson Valley Community College. Some Shen players were in attendance, scouting the teams.

Shaker 71, Schenectady 29. Proof that they need more teams in Class AAA, as Schenectady's women don't belong in this classification, as badly as they've played in recent years. Shaker will play Albany at HVCC.

Class D:

Saratoga Catholic 62, Salem 40. The Saints will play Northville at Averill Park next Tuesday.

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 68, Argyle 45. ND-BG will play Hartford next.

Men's basketball:

Class A:

Ravena 54, Cohoes 29.

Ichabod Crane 47, Scotia-Glenville 46.

Hudson Falls 76, Broadalbin-Perth 42. 3rd meeting of the year for the two Foothills Council foes.

Saturday at Siena College:

Schalmont vs. Gloversville, 11:30 am.

Hudson Falls vs. Lansingburgh, approximately 1 pm.

Ichabod Crane vs. Glens Falls, approximately 2:30 pm.

Ravena vs. Catholic Central, approximately 4 pm. Section II has gone back to its habit of tight scheduling, not accounting for overtime(s).

Class B:

Stillwater 93, Taconic Hills 47.

Voorheesville73, Greenville 55.

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 53, Watervliet 48.

Fonda-Fultonville 51, Corinth 33.

Hudson 92, Rensselaer 46.

Mechanicville 92, Johnstown 48.

Schuylerville 58, Tamarac 43.

Hoosick Falls 74, Granville 36.

Saturday at Hudson Valley Community College:

Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons vs. Fonda-Fultonville, 11:30 am.

Hoosick Falls vs. Schuylerville, approximately 1 pm.

Hudson vs. Mechanicville, approximately 2:30 pm.

Voorheesville vs. Stillwater, approximately 4 pm.

Class C:

Maple Hill 60, Cambridge 49.

Whitehall 61, Chatham 56.

Hoosic Valley 69, Fort Plain 48.

Warrensburg 54, Mayfield 22.

Duanesburg 90, Hadley-Luzerne 43.

Schoharie 57, Lake George 42.

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 72, Greenwich 47.

Saratoga Catholic 78, Middleburgh 50.

Friday at HVCC:

Hoosic Valley vs. Warrensburg 5 pm.

Maple Hill vs. Whitehall, approximately 6:30.

Friday at Siena:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo vs. Saratoga Catholic, 5 pm.

Duanesburg vs. Schoharie, approximately 6:30 pm.

Monday's high school scoreboard, 2/19

 We are now down to 4 in the CDHSHL playoffs.

There were two upsets among the four games on Monday, leading to Thursday's semi-finals.

Adirondack 3, CD Jets 2. The Rivermen snapped a 7 game losing streak with the win, and snapped out of their recent offensive funk. Anthony Goodsell made 16 saves in goal for the Rivermen, who are seeking their 2nd title in 3 years.

Shenendehowa 7, LaSalle 1. As noted previously, the Plainsmen won by the same exact score on January 12, also at home. Freddy Hicks had a goal and 2 assists for Shen. Chase Rose had the lone goal for LaSalle, which was undone by some uncharacteristic, untimely penalties. Frank Ramos, in particular, seemed to have been singled out by the game officials, as he served 17 minutes in penalties all by himself. LaSalle finishes 9-13. Evan Stocker led Shen with 4 goals.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa 3, Bethlehem 1. The defending champions are knocked out in the quarters, leaving the door open for Shen to reclaim the title after a lengthy draught.

Saratoga 6, CBA 3. Andrew Nelsen had 2 goals and an assist to lead the Blue Streaks, who will play Burnt Hills on Thursday, while Shen & Adirondack square off.

Section II is taking advantage of winter recess in scheduling Thursday's games.

Adirondack @ Shen, 3:45 pm.

Burnt Hills @ Saratoga, 6:30 pm.

The winners will advance to Union College on Sunday.

Section II hockey preview-quarterfinals

 Things will move along quickly this week in the Section 2 hockey tournament. The quarterfinals take place today, with the semi-finals later this week, and the finals next Sunday at Union College. Form held in the play-in games on Friday & Saturday, so let's see if there's any upsets in the making today.

Adirondack @ CD Jets, 2:15 pm.: The Rivermen, champions two seasons ago, are skidding into the postseason, having dropped 7 in a row. This would be a good time to snap the losing streak against a Jets team that has won their last two, but if their confidence hasn't returned since losing to LaSalle in their season finale last Wednesday, they're in trouble.

Pick: CD Jets.

LaSalle @ Shenendehowa, 3 pm: These two teams last met last month, also in Clifton Park, with Freddy Hicks and the Plainsmen coming away with a 7-1 win. LaSalle's been up & down, currently up, after beating the Rivermen 5 nights ago. They have their own superstar in Chase Rose, who notched a hat trick in Saturday's win over the Mohawks. The Cadets are looking for payback, but keeping it close, and keeping Hicks away from the net, will suffice for now.

Pick: Shen in overtime.

Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa @ Bethlehem, 3:10 pm.: The Spartan Scotties are hot at the moment, having won 4 straight. The Eagles are the defending champions, and have won 3 of the last 4 titles. If any of these games had the best potential for an upset, this is it, but figure Bethlehem will flip the switch here, and reduce the opposition to dog chow.

Pick: Bethlehem.

CBA @ Saratoga, 6 pm: Fans in Saratoga County get the benefit of what amounts to a doubleheader. Once Shen-LaSalle wraps, they can make the drive to Weibel Avenue in Saratoga for this one. CBA took care of business Friday, beating Guilderville, to get here. They're my sleeper pick in the tournament, if only because 2nd generation coach Aiden Melrose would like to give his father, hockey Hall of Famer Barry Melrose, some visual comfort with a win today.

Pick: CBA.

Of course, I could be wrong.

News & notes

 It was not a good day for UAlbany on Saturday.

The men's lacrosse home opener at Casey Stadium started off promising, but Colgate shut the Great Danes down in the latter stages of the 4th quarter to escape with an 11-10 victory.

In Baltimore, the men's basketball team fell to UMBC, 80-75, despite 30 points from Sebastian Thomas. The Danes are now one game from the America East basement. The absence of sophomore Jonathan Beagle (personal reasons) has hurt Albany big time, perhaps in the same way Siena was damaged by a spate of injuries to their sophomore star, Michael Eley, this season.

The women's lacrosse team is still looking for its 1st win after dropping a 15-10 decision to Fairfield (MAAC) on Saturday.

There was a silver lining, though, for Albany.

The women defeated UMBC, 58-56, behind 16 points from Kayla Cooper, and 10 from Deja Evans. Lilly Phillips (Cambridge) chipped in with 8, and Abby Ray (Saratoga) finished with 2 points.

The men return home to play Vermont on Thursday, while the ladies travel to the Green Mountain State.

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

LaSalle's women's basketball team saw their three game winning streak snapped in a first round blowout loss to Stillwater Saturday night in the Class B sectionals, 73-34. No LaSalle player cracked double figures, with Kate Gilooly the high scorer with 9.

Back in Troy, Chase Rose had a hat trick to lead the skating Cadets past the Mohawks, 5-2, setting up a quarterfinal round match with Shenendehowa on Monday afternoon at 3 pm.

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

Referring back to Troy High's loss to Ballston Spa on Friday in the AA 1st round.

Sophia Lee had 4 three pointers as part of her team high 17 points. Amaya Harris finished her "rookie" season with a game high 18 points, including 2 three pointers.

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In the other hockey play-in game on Saturday, Burnt Hills eliminated Albany Academy, 4-1, earning a date with Bethlehem on Monday.

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It's been nearly 8 years since the locally based Dynasty Pro Wrestling hosted a card in Albany itself. Co-promoter Chris Envy finally brought the Dynasty back to Albany Saturday night for a card at Empire Live on North Pearl Street, the same venue that lost a Fozzy concert when Chris Jericho decided not to reschedule after cancelling due to injury issues in AEW.

Former NXT wrestler Velveteen Dream (Tough Enough granduate Patrick Clark) returned to the ring fir the first time in nearly 4 years, disrupting the opening match on the card....

Dream issued an open challenge, answered by Alec Odin for the main event, won by Dream, who was cut by WWE in 2020 amidst allegations of sexual abuse away from the ring.

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The Albany FireWolves snapped a recent losing streak, beating Colorado, 13-11, at MVP Arena on Saturday night. Tye Kurtz had a hat trick to lead the 'Wolves, who now share 1st place with Toronto. Albany travels to Buffalo next Saturday night.

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The rest of Saturday's college action:

Women's basketball:

Canisius 71, Siena 56.

Bentley 65, College of St. Rose 46. Bentley completes a season sweep of the Golden Knights.

Houghton 60, Russell Sage 49.

Skidmore 54, Clarkson 46.

Union 60, William Smith 35.

St. Lawrence 55, RPI 51.

Men's basketball:

Bentley 79, St. Rose 75.

Russell Sage 73, Houghton 66.

St. Lawrence 68, RPI 53.

Hobart 74, Union 61.

Clarkson 86, Skidmore 71.

Men's hockey:

Quinnipiac 7, RPI 2.

Union & Princeton skated to a 2-2 tie, but the Tigers won via shootout.

Men's lacrosse:

RPI 19, Coast Guard 3.

Hofstra 14, Siena 13.

Women's lacrosse:

Siena 12, Army 11.

News & notes

 The Capital District High School Hockey League (CDHSHL) opened its postseason Friday with CBA defeating the Guilderville Storm, 3-1. Aidan Donohue had 2 goals to lead the Brothers (10-11 overall), who will travel to Saratoga on Monday to play the 3rd seeded Blue Streaks.

More 1st round action in the Section 2 women's basketball tournament.

Guilderland 67, Amsterdam 49. Someone pulled the fire alarm during this game. For what, we don't know, but it happened in the 4th quarter, and the Rams were shut down after that.

Mohonasen 78, Burnt Hills 52. Gary Bynom's Spartans, who haven't had the talent this year that they had the last couple of years, go one and done.

Emma Willard 64, Cohoes 26.

Hudson Falls 70, Gloversville 42.

Men's basketball:

Cambridge 52, Canajoharie 49.

Mayfield 61, Salem 34.

Hadley-Luzerne 52, Germantown 46.

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

Colleges:

Men's hockey:

RPI 4, Princeton 3. The Engineers visit Quinnipiac tonight. The Bobcats defeated Union, 6-2. The Garnet Chargers will travel to New Jersey to visit Princeton tonight.

Men's basketball:

St. Peter's 75, Siena 53. The lost season continues for the Saints, who return home tomorrow to play Canisius (WNYA, JAMZ 96.3, 2 pm).

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Abraham Nova's bid to bring a WBC boxing title to the 518 came up short Friday, as he lost a split decision to O'Shaquie Foster. The bout actually aired on ESPN2, not ESPN as reported yesterday. Nova, who turned 20 last month, will be back soon enough.

High School Fridays: Troy @ Ballston Spa (women's basketball sectionals), 2/15/24

 Seven weeks ago, Ballston Spa came to Zotto Gym, and blew Troy High out of their own gym in a women's basketball matinee that was sparsely attended due to the Christmas break. 3 1/2 weeks earlier, Will Harris' Lady Horses opened their season with a more competitive effort that wilted in the 2nd half.

What kind of Troy High team would show up tonight, as the teams returned to Ballston Spa in the 1st round of the Class AA women's sectionals?

While most of Troy High Nation worried that this would be a repeat of the December 29 game, it was more like the first game at B-Spa, competitive until the 4th quarter. Troy actually had a 9-0 run that put them up, 11-3, midway through the first quarter, but the Scotties took control late in the frame, setting the tone for the rest of the night.

What did Troy in was leaving Scotties star Sophia Lee wide open again and again for 3 pointers, especially in the 2nd half, when Troy defenders had their backs to Lee. It didn't help that coach Harris was short-handed, dressing only 9 players, roughly about the same as last week in a loss to Hudson Falls. Injuries, of course, don't get reported in high school unlike in college or the pros, so there's no way of knowing what had happened.

Ballston Spa chose to stream the game only on Hudl, rather than on YouTube, hence the Scottie logo above. Their Hudl page showed some cheek by promoting their next game, which will be against Bethlehem, the #3 seed. The Lady Scotties pulled away in the 4th quarter to advance, 65-41.

We should have the full stats as early as tomorrow.

News & notes

 You'll notice that Albany Academy's men's basketball team will not be playing in the sectionals, which begin for the men next week. Academy traditionally waits for the Federation Tournament of Champions, which follows the state tournament, but there is no Federation tournament this year.

Still, Academy finished the Section II portion of its schedule Thursday in dispatching CBA, 77-51, in a makeup game from last month at Siena's UHY Center. The Cadets are 14-4 overall, while CBA dips to 10-10. Albany Academy plays more of an independent schedule, and have 4 games left.

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Meanwhile, Siena's women's team saw their 7 game winning streak snapped at Niagara, 84-70. Anaja Brown led 4 Saints in double figures with 22 points. Ahniysha Jackson (Albany) finished with just 7 points. Siena wraps up the Western NY trip Saturday at Canisius (WVCR, 1 pm).

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Boxing fans in the 518 looking for something to watch should tune to ESPN's Top Rank Boxing tonight at 9. Albany's Abraham Nova challenges O'Shaquie Foster for the WBC Junior Lightweight title at Madison Square Garden. Best wishes to Nova heading into the fight.

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UAlbany's women's basketball team has won three straight after coming from behind to beat NJIT, 38-36, on Thursday. Kayla Cooper was the lone Lady Dane in double figures with 19 points. Meaghan Huerter (Shenendehowa) is still out with an injury. Lilly Phillips (Cambridge) contributed 3 points in 23 minutes. Abby Ray (Saratoga) did not score in 18 minutes. The ladies return home tomorrow on Breast Cancer Awareness Night vs. UMBC.

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UAlbany's men made it a clean sweep over NJIT, 83-58, in front of just over 1450 fans at Broadview Center. Tyler Bertram led 4 Danes in double figures with 20 points. UAlbany travels to UMBC tomorrow afternoon (WTMM, 1 pm).

News & notes

 Pickleball is a fast rising sport. You might've seen the E-trade kids playing it in a Super Bowl commercial.

Well, it's got a home in the 518.

They're converting the former Ideal Food Basket (which, before that, was a Save-a-Lot supermarket) into a pickleball arena at Mid-City Shopping Center in Menands. It's set to open sometime later this year.

Next thing ya know, they'll start playing it in high school.......!

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When Siena opens baseball season Saturday in Longwood, Virginia, they'll have a new skipper in the dugout.

Alex Jurczynski, son of former Schenectady mayor Al Jurczynski, was named head coach, succeeding Joe Sheridan, who finished out the 2023 season after the retirement of Tony Rossi. The Saints will try to reverse their fortunes after a dismal 2023 campaign that saw them finish 7-17 in the MAAC, 14-41 overall. A MAAC coaches poll has Siena finishing 10th. That should be motivation enough to prove the doubters wrong.

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Notes from LaSalle's win over Cohoes on Tuesday:

Kate Gilooly led the way with a game high 18 points, as LaSalle overcame a 1st quarter deficit to hold the Tigers in single digits in each of the last three quarters.

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UAlbany is still looking for its 1st win in women's lacrosse this season.

The Lady Danes fell to Boston College, 15-7, on Wednesday. They fell behind, 6-1, after the 1st quarter, and never recovered.

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Wednesday's hockey scoreboard:

Shenendehowa 4, Queensbury 3. The Plainsmen claim the regular season title, and snap the Spartans' 10 game winning streak.

LaSalle 3, Adirondack 2. The skidding Rivermen have now dropped 7 straight. Chase Rose, Nick Kraz, & Danny Wiese scored for the Cadets (8-12 overall), who will host the Mohawks on Saturday. Speaking of which.......

Let's take a look at the Section II hockey playoffs, which begin on Friday.

Friday:

Guilderville @ CBA: The Storm sank into the CDHSHL basement, having lost 5 straight. CBA, under 2nd year coach Aiden Melrose, has shown much improvement from last season. The winner plays Saratoga on Monday, and I don't see an upset here.

Pick: CBA.

Albany Academy @ Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa. Academy can be thankful they didn't finish in the cellar, and can send thank you cards to the Storm. Burnt Hills, at one point, was within shouting distance of first place, but a midseason fade proved costly. Winner will play Bethlehem on Monday, and, again, I don't see an upset.

Pick: Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa.

Saturday:

Mohawks @ LaSalle. These two teams met last month, with the Cadets winning. Tim Flanigan's Cadets have been up & down since, leading to last night's win over Adirondack. The bad news for the winner is that they only have 48 hours or less to prep for Shen on Monday.

Pick: LaSalle.

We'll preview the quarters on Monday. Of course, I could be wrong.

2024 Section II basketball sectionals revealed

 The brackets have just been released for the 2024 Section II basketball tournaments. We'll start with the women:

Class AAA:

Tuesday:

#5 Saratoga @ #4 Colonie. Winner plays #1 Shenendehowa.

#6 Schenectady @ #3 Shaker. Winner plays #2 Albany.

As you can see, only six teams made the field in AAA. The semi-finals & finals will be at Hudson Valley Community College. The semis are on February 29, with the finals March 4.

Class AA:

Friday:

#9 Burnt Hills @ #8 Mohonasen. Winner plays #1 Averill Park.

#10 Amsterdam @ #7 Guilderland. Winner plays #2 Columbia.

#11 Troy @ #6 Ballston Spa. 3rd meeting between the Lady Horses & Lady Scotties this season, with B-Spa having won the first two, the last on December 29. Winner plays #3 Bethlehem.

February 24 at Averill Park:

#5 Queensbury vs. #4 Niskayuna.

Semi-finals & finals are at HVCC March 1 & 4.

Class A:

Friday:

#9 Hudson Falls @ #8 Gloversville. Winner plays #1 Catholic Central.

#10 Cohoes @ #7 Emma Willard. The Jesters finally get their just due, hosting a sectional game. Winner plays the Academy of Holy Names.

February 23 @ Catholic Central:

#5 Scotia vs. #4 Schalmont.

At Holy Names:

#6 Glens Falls @ #3 Broadalbin-Perth.

Semis & finals are at HVCC February 28 & March 3.

Class B:

Saturday:

#9 Tamarac @ #8 Watervliet. Winner plays #1 Albany Academy

#13 LaSalle @ #4 Stillwater.

#12 Schuylerville @ #5 Coxsackie-Athens.

#10 Fonda-Fultonville @ #7 Cobleskill-Richmondville. Winner plays #2 Greenville 

#14 Voorheesville @ #3 Mechanicville.

#11 Catskill @ #6 Corinth.

The quarterfinals are at Albany Academy & Greenville next Wednesday night. The semis & finals are at HVCC February 25 & March 2.

Class C:

Saturday:

#9 OESJ @ #8 Hoosick Falls. Winner plays #1 Greenwich.

#13 Waterford @ #4 Warrensburg.

#12 Whitehall @ #5 Maple Hill.

#10 Hadley-Luzerne @ #7 Cambridge. Winner plays #2 Duanesburg.

#14 Mekeel Christian @ #3 Berne-Knox-Westerlo.

#11 Chatham @ #6 Mayfield.

Quarterfinals are at Greenwich & Duanesburg February 22. Semifinals at Averill Park February 26. Finals @ HVCC March 2.

Class D:

Tuesday:

#5 Salem @ #4 Saratoga Catholic. Winner plays #1 Northville at Averill Park February 27.

#6 Argyle @ #3 Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons. Winner plays #2 Hartford at Averill Park.

Finals at HVCC March 4.

Men:

Class AAA:

February 25 at HVCC:

#8 Albany vs. #1 Colonie, 4 pm.

#5 CBA vs. #4 Shenendehowa, 11:30 am.

#7 Schenectady vs. #2 Shaker, 2:30 pm.

#6 Saratoga vs. #3 Green Tech, 1 pm.

Semi-finals & finals are at Cool Insuring Arena February 29 & March 2.

Class AA:

Next Wednesday:

#9 Ballston Spa @ #8 Columbia. Winner plays #1 Niskayuna.

#13 Troy @ #4 Bethlehem.

#12 Queensbury @ #5 Burnt Hills.

#10 Mohonasen @ #7 Amsterdam. Winner plays #2 Mekeel Christian.

#14 Guilderland @ #3 LaSalle.

#11 Averill Park @ # 6 South Glens Falls.

The quarter-finals are at Siena College February 25, with the semi-finals & finals at Cool Insuring Arena February 28 & March 2.

Class A:

Tuesday:

#9 Cohoes @ #8 Ravena. Winner plays #1 Catholic Central.

#10 Scotia-Glenville @ #7 Ichabod Crane. Winner plays #2 Glens Falls.

#11 Broadalbin-Perth @ #6 Hudson Falls. Winner plays #3 Lansingburgh.

Quarterfinals are at Siena February 24, Semis & finals at Cool Insuring Arena February 28 & March 2.

Class B:

Tuesday:

#16 Taconic Hills @ #1 Stillwater.

#9 Voorheesville @ #8 Greenville.

#13 Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons @ #4 Watervliet.

#12 Corinth @ #6 Fonda-Fultonville.

#15 Rensselaer @ #2 Hudson.

#10 Johnstown @ #7 Mechanicville.

#14 Tamarac @ #3 Schuylerville.

#11 Granville @ #6 Hoosick Falls.

Quarterfinals are at HVCC February 24. Semifinals & finals at Cool Insuring Arena February 26 & March 1.

Class C:

Friday:

#17 Cambridge @ #16 Canajoharie. Winner plays #1 Maple Hill.

#20 OESJ @ #13 Fort Plain. Winner plays #4 Hoosic Valley.

#21 Salem @ #12 Mayfield. Winner plays #5 Warrensburg.

#18 Hadley-Luzerne @ #15 Germantown. Winner plays #2 Duanesburg.

#19 Waterford @ #14 Greenwich. Winner plays #3 Berne-Knox-Westerlo.

2d round games are on Tuesday. Quarters are at HVCC & Siena February 23. Semifinals & finals at Cool Insuring February 26 & March 1.

Class D:

February 24 at Stillwater:

#8 Fort Ann @ #1 North Warren.

#5 Northville @ #4 Fort Edward.

#7 Hawthorne Valley @ #2 Argyle.

#6 Hartford @ #3 Loudonville Christian.

Semifinals & finals at Cool Insuring Arena February 27 & March 2.

Good luck to all the teams.

News & notes

 As the regular season wraps up tonight, the Capital District High School Hockey League has already released the bracket for its tournament, which will start on Friday with play-in games.

First, Tuesday's results:

CD Jets 7, Bethlehem 5. The Eagles' six game winning streak ends in stunning fashion.

Albany Academy & the Mohawks skated to a 4-4 tie.

The final night of regular season action sees a doubleheader in Glens Falls. First, LaSalle plays Adirondack at 5:30 pm. Then, first place is on the line in the league as Queensbury hosts Shenendehowa at 7:40 pm.

Even though the coaches meeting takes place tomorrow, the brackets are already out, as noted:

Friday:

Guilderville at CBA. Winner to play #3 Saratoga.

Saturday:

Albany Academy at Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa. Winner to play #2 Bethlehem.

Mohawks at LaSalle. Winner plays #1 Shenendehowa. Queensbury, remember, plays in Division II, and does not play in the Section II tournament, otherwise, the last place Storm would not be in the tournament.

The quarterfinals, including Adirondack at the Jets, will be on Monday.

Queensbury gets a bye into the Division two semifinals in Ithaca one week from today. The Section II semis are February 22, with the finals on the 25th, both events at Union College.

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Tuesday's basketball scores:

Colleges:

Women's basketball: 

College of St. Rose 57, St. Anselm 51.

High schools:

Men's basketball:

Colonial Council:

Voorheesville 54, Cobleskill-Richmondville 34.

Suburban Council:

Shaker 60, Bethlehem 49.

Women's basketball:

Colonial Council:

Catholic Central 69, Mohonasen 44.

LaSalle 52, Cohoes 30. LaSalle closes strong, winning four of their last six to finish 7-13.

Academy of Holy Names 59, Schalmont 56.

Suburban Council:

Averill Park 55, Albany 42. Sean Organ's club finishes a perfect regular season for the first time in school history at 20-0.

Western Athletic Conference:

Berne-Knox-Westerlo 45, Fonda-Fultonville 32.

News & notes

 Troy High's men's basketball team needed some momentum going into sectionals, which begin later this week.

On Senior Night Monday, they got it, clipping Guilderland in a non-league regular season finale, 47-46. Troy finishes the regular season at 4-16, a far, far cry from last season.

Meanwhile, Troy's bowling team placed 13th in the Class A sectionals at Boulevard Bowl after a hot start. Vince Mainello had high single honors. Troy, you'll recall, finished 10th in the Suburban Council championships last week after finishing their league schedule at 6-8.

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Averill Park's women's basketball team completed an undefeated regular season Monday, beating Bethlehem 50-44. They'll likely be the top seed in the sectionals when the brackets are released tomorrow.

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Lansingburgh captured the Class B men's sectionals on Monday, besting 2nd place Cohoes by nearly 40 total pins.

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The only other men's basketball score of note from Monday sees Catskill over Coxsackie-Athens, 58-45, in a battle for bragging rights in Greene County. 

As for the women, Schalmont defeated Emma Willard.

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UAlbany placed 14th in the Columbia Golf Classic for women, 50 strokes behind Yale, which won the tournament.

The rumors are true!! Troy High is leaving the Suburban Council for the Colonial Council!

 After the current school year ends, schools like Shaker, Colonie, Bethlehem, Shenendehowa, and CBA won't have Troy High to kick around anymore.

The rumors I had been hearing in recent weeks have come to full fruition with the news that Troy will be leaving the Suburban Council come June, and shifting to the Colonial Council.

In an interview with the Daily Gazette, athletic director Paul Reinisch also touted the recent upgrades at the school, including new bleacher seats in Zotto Memorial Gym. He reflected upon the decision made 9 years ago to choose the Suburban over the Colonial. At the time, Troy was a Class AA school, but they were a small fish in a larger pond in the powerful Suburban Council. Still, the resume is most impressive:

Men's basketball: 4 Grey division titles (2016, 2019, 2021 (COVID season), 2023). 3 Section II Class A titles (2016, 2019, 2023).

Softball: Sean Geisel's club enters the 2024 season as the 2-time defending Class A champions.

Baseball: Section 2 Class A champions in 2021.

Legend Merritt vs. Colonie. File photo courtesy Daily Gazette.

Troy's soccer & lacrosse teams have taken on more independent schedules of late, and so did volleyball this past fall. That changes in 2024-5, as they'll play a full Colonial Council schedule, which sees the resumption of old rivalries with Catholic Central (now based in Latham) and LaSalle, while starting new ones with Cohoes (a home & home softball series is on the 2024 calendar), Ichabod Crane, Lansingburgh, Voorheesville, Ravena, and, for the women, the Academy of Holy Names, who are 2-0 vs. Troy in women's basketball. Troy vs. Albany Academy will stir some attention as well.

Football is not affected, and since there are no Colonial Council teams in flag football for the women, the only time Troy meets their current foes in the Suburban will be on the gridiron.

The flag football schedule should be out soon. The 2024 football schedule should be out before the end of the school year. Troy has seen how LaSalle & Catholic Central have adjusted to the Colonial, and now, they've got company.

The only questions are whether or not Troy can take home some more hardware before leaving the Suburban Council. Stay tuned.

News & notes

 Glens Falls native Joseph Girard III had Saturday marked on his calendar.

Girard, who transferred from Syracuse to Clemson after last season following the retirement of longtime Orange coach Jim Boeheim, returned to Syracuse on Saturday, and, in front of a national television audience on ESPN, led the Tigers to a 77-68 victory. Girard finished with 18 points, cracking the 2,000 point barrier for his career.

Girard had 1 year of eligibility left, and has made the most of it. He's likely to be drafted into the NBA come June.

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Siena snapped a 7 game losing streak in men's basketball, beating Manhattan, 68-63. Michael Eley led the way with 24 points despite the fears of his hamstring acting up on him again. Mason Courtney (Shenendehowa) came off the bench to score 11 points, including 3 3 pointers, and all of his points came in the 1st half. The Saints will visit St. Peter's on Friday night.

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RPI & Colgate played to a 4-4 tie in overtime, but the Golden Knights won in a shootout, the 2nd such loss for RPI in as many weeks, as they lost to Yale the same way a week earlier.

RPI's still having issues with their online stream, likely due to an extra influx of listeners due to alumni weekend.

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The rest of Saturday's college action:

Men's basketball:

College of St. Rose 78, American International 69.

Cobleskill 73, Eastern Nazarene 65.

Elmira 77, Russell Sage 75.

RIT 71, Skidmore 66.

Union 67, St. Lawrence 65.

RPI 63, Vassar 56.

Women's basketball:

Siena 74, Quinnipiac 55.

College of St. Rose 71, American International 53.

Union 61, St. Lawrence 56.

Elmira 57, Russell Sage 45.

Vassar 53, RPI 44.

Skidmore 58, RIT 43.

Cobleskill 93, Eastern Nazarene 47.

Women's hockey:

Colgate 2, RPI 0.

Cornell 3, Union 1.

Men's lacrosse:

RPI 8, Yale 7.

NJIT 16, Siena 15 (OT).

Softball:

Siena 4, Bellamine 3.

Siena 4, Charleston Southern 2.

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Saturday's high school scores:

Hockey:

CBA 5, Plattsburgh 3.

Bethlehem 3, LaSalle 1.

CD Jets 4, Mohawks 2.

Queensbury 4, Saratoga 1. The Spartans, winners of 10 in a row, moved back into 1st place.

Men's basketball:

Patroon Conference:

Taconic Hills 50, Germantown 42.

Maple Hill 40, Watervliet 39.

Western Athletic Conference:

Canajoharie 77, OESJ 44.

Mayfield 47, Galway 39.

Non-league:

Colonie 74, Middletown 42.

Green Tech 74, Monroe Woodbury 50.

Cardinal Hayes 80, Albany Academy 78.

Ravena 39, Broadalbin-Perth 28.

Women's basketball:

Western Athletic Conference:

Galway 35, Schoharie 30.

Friday's high school & college scoreboard, 2/9

 Columbia completed a sweep of the Class A bowling sectionals Friday, taking 1st place in the men's competition at Boulevard Bowl. Unfortunately, we don't know how Troy High fared, as the final chart was not published in today's papers.

Columbia becomes the first school since Colonie in 2013 to sweep the sectionals for men & women.

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It was Senior Night at Frear Park for LaSalle, and the skating Cadets snapped a 2 game losing streak in shutting out Albany Academy, 4-0, avenging a loss last month. Frank Ramos had 2 goals and an assist for LaSalle, despite taking six penalties during the game. Danny Wiese & Chase Rose had the other goals for LaSalle, which takes on Bethlehem today in Delmar.

The rest of Friday's hockey:

Burnt Hills-Ballston Spa 5, CD Jets 2.

Shenendehowa 5, Adirondack 4. The Plainsmen move back into 1st, 1/2 point ahead of idle Queensbury. The Rivermen have dropped six in a row.

Mohawks 4, Guilderville 1. The Storm have dropped 5 in a row, but Academy occupies the basement, having lost four straight.

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UAlbany opened its lacrosse season Friday, with the women dropping a heartbreaker to Johns Hopkins, 14-10. Katie Pascale had a hat trick for the Lady Danes.

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The rest of Friday's college action:

Men's basketball:

Delhi 96, Cobleskill 88.

Women's basketball:

Union 45, Clarkson 40.

Skidmore 65, William Smith 37.

Russell Sage 75, Alfred 60.

Women's hockey:

Cornell 1, RPI 0.

Colgate 3, Union 2.

Men's hockey:

Cornell 4, RPI 1.

Softball:

Bellarmine 2, Siena 1.

St. Francis (PA) 4, Siena 1.

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High schools:

Men's basketball:

Adirondack League:

Fort Ann 65, Salem 43.

Colonial Council:

Catholic Central 82, LaSalle 52. Check the video:

The Crusaders clinched the Colonial Council title with the win, and completed a season sweep of the Cadets.

Women's basketball:

Colonial Council:

Academy of Holy Names 69, Ichabod Crane 34.

Cobleskill-Richmondville 41, LaSalle 25. LaSalle was held to 5 points per quarter until the 4th, when they rang up 10. Kate Gilooly was held to 3 points.

Suburban Council:

Averill Park 54, Colonie 37.

Shaker 63, Schenectady 34.

Bethlehem 71, Guilderland 33.

Western Athletic Conference:

Mayfield 64, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons 58.

Non-league:

Hudson Falls 53, Troy 41. Will Harris' Lady Horses stagger into the sectionals on an 8 game losing streak, but were competitive in non-league losses to Hudson Falls & Greenville. Sanaya Adams led Troy with 16 points.

News & notes

 Shaker captured the Suburban Council men's bowling championship on Wednesday at Boulevard Bowl. Troy High placed 10th. Men's sectionals will take place soon, likely next week.

Meanwhile, Columbia captured the women's Class A title Thursday, and Schalmont won the women's Class B title, advancing to state tournament play.

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Have to get this in.

Former Troy city manager & mayor Robert Conway, Jr., for whom Hudson Valley Community College named its now closed ice rink, passed away Monday at the age of 78. Conway was a graduate of Albany's LaSalle School, CBA, and HVCC, and spent 50 years employed by RPI, which inducted him into their Athletic Hall of Fame for his contributions to the school's athletic programs.

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Thursday's college scores:

Men's basketball:

Marist 67, Siena 51. Sean Durogordon led Siena with 16 points, the lone Saint in double figures. Mason Courtney (Shenendehowa) added 9 points, and Michael Eley chipped in with 6. With the losing streak now at 7, Siena travels to play Manhattan tomorrow night.

Binghamton 69, UAlbany 57. The Great Danes have dropped two in a row since Jonathan Beagle left the team for personal reasons last week.  Amar'e Marshall led Albany with 14 points. Sebastian Thomas added 13. After a career game last Saturday, Tyler Bertram was held to 3 points.

Women's basketball:

Siena 74, Iona 57. Anajah Brown led the Saints with 33 points. Ahniysha Jackson (Albany) had just 8 points in 28 minutes.

UAlbany 60, Binghamton 52. Lilly Phillips (Cambridge) led Albany with 19 points. Kayla Cooper added 13. Abby Ray (Saratoga) contributed 1 point. Meghan Huerter (Shen/Providence) didn't play.

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High schools:

Women's basketball:

Bethlehem 59, Queensbury 34. The Spartans raced out to an early lead, but a 2nd quarter rally by the Eagles turned the tide. Check the video:

Greenville 60, Troy 45. Sanaya Adams led Troy with 13 points. Amaya Harris added 11. The Lady Horses close their regular season tonight at Hudson Falls.

Hoosick Falls 50, Catskill 34.

News & notes

 UAlbany rewarded football coach Greg Gattuso wih a 2 year contract extension through the 2026 season, which, Gattuso hinted at a presser on Wednesday, may be his final season. The Great Danes had a phenomenal 2023 season, reaching the FCS semi-finals. They have CBA's Donald Jones coming in this fall, and where he'll fit into the offense remains to be seen.

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Catholic Central star Darien Moore, the morning after dropping 41 on Ichabod Crane, announced that he will play his college ball at Seton Hall (Big East). Moore is just a sophomore, and a key part of Guy DiBacco's offense for the Crusaders. He'll have two more years with the varsity before going to New Jersey in 2026.

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The College of St. Rose's women's basketball team got back on the winning track Wednesday, crushing St. Michael's, 76-35, in Vermont. Maddisyn Mahoney (Shaker) led the Golden Knights with 25 points. Payton Graber (Schalmont) added 16. and Syrita Faraj (Tamarac) chipped in with 15. Next up is a home game vs. American International on Saturday.

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Space limitations have prevented the results of the Suburban Council bowling championships the last two days from being published. Hopefully, the men's results will appear in tomorrow's report.

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UAlbany's women's basketball team hosts Binghamton this morning at 11 am for a matinee. Unfortunately, the Lady Danes don't have a radio contract, unlike the men, so we'll be waiting for the results later on.

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Checking stats from Tuesday's Colonie-Troy men's basketball game. The Merritt brothers, Stetson & Legend, continue to be a 2-man offense for Troy, as they combined for 34 points (24 for Stetson, 10 for Legend). Cam Trimarchi, whose sister, Ella, led the Lady Raiders past Troy, led Colonie with 16 points, while Julius Reed & Ryan Klouse had 15 each. Troy is off until Monday, when they close with Senior Night vs. Guilderland.

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Turns out Daniel Covington wasn't the only one to leave Troy for greener pastures.

Terrance Clark transferred to Mekeel Christian Academy, and led all scorers with 31 points on Wednesday. However, a 4th quarter 20-2 run was not enough, as Albany Academy downed the Lions, 69-63.

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Section II confirmed Wednesday that there will be a 12 team women's flag football league, kicking off on April 10. All but 1 of the teams will be from the Suburban Council, which will be represented by Troy, Bethlehem, Albany, Burnt Hills, Columbia, Colonie, Niskayuna, Saratoga, Schenectady, Shaker, & Shenendehowa.

Albany Leadership, out of the Patroon Conference, rounds out the field. There will be sectionals, and the state championships will be contested June 2 at SUNY-Cortland. We should have the schedule for Troy soon.

Wednesday's hockey scores:

Bethlehem 6, CBA 2.

Queensbury 5, Adirondack 4. The Spartans move into first place in the CDHSHL, because.......

Saratoga 3, Shenendehowa 2. The Plainsmen have lost two in a row, and trail Queensbury by 1 1/2 points. Saratoga is 3rd,  3 1/2 points back.