High School Fridays: Basketball roundup, 1/11/19

The weather was cold enough tonight, such that ye scribe decided to work from home and hearth, awaiting results of tonight's action. We'll be back out on the road tomorrow.
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Perhaps the biggest mismatch of the night came in a non-conference game between Ballston Spa (Suburban Council) and Mekeel Christian Academy, formerly of the Western Athletic Conference, but now, per the Albany Times-Union, seemingly playing a more independent schedule, following the lead of Albany Academy and Green Tech.

The Lions dominated the Scotties in much the same way a Division 1 college team---say, for example, Duke or Syracuse---would with a tomato can opponent from a mid-major or lower conference. Mekeel led by 40 at halftime, and blew away Ballston Spa, 80-28. Ouch!
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Back at home, Troy High's women's basketball team snapped their Suburban Council losing streak, gaining some momentum toward a three game road trip that begins tomorrow in Kingston. Alaina Holmes led all scorers with 20 points. Jenalyse Alarcon had 16, and Jakaiya Dewer had 10, including the only three pointer for Troy on the night, as the Lady Horses beat Schenectady, 55-45.

Of the next five games on the schedule, two look winnable (Niskayuna next Friday, and the rematch with Burnt Hills on January 29), but as we saw with Columbia on Tuesday, nothing is guaranteed with the Troy women.

Meanwhile, the Troy men continued to roll with a 90-73 win over Schenectady. The Patriots drop to 4-4 in the league, four games behind Troy with a rematch looming at Zotto Gym next month. Latyce Faison led all scorers with 22 points. Nazaire Merritt & Lateef Johnson added 19 each. Troy will be home for Averill Park and Nisky next week before a road trip to Kingston & Saratoga, with mid-term exams in between.

The wheels seem to have suddenly fallen off for Columbia, which has now dropped two in a row after losing to Averill Park tonight. The task ahead for Dave Pugilese's Warriors come Tuesday is figuring out how to slow down the Flying Horse Express. Coach Greg Davis has plenty of weapons, perhaps more firepower than Pugilese knows how to handle. We'll see. Columbia has fallen to third place in the Gray division, two games behind Troy.

Mid-week roundup

Has Troy High's bowling team already peaked this season?

The Flying Horses dropped their second straight match, this one to Columbia, 30-2, on Tuesday. The schedule is a little more challenging next week, as Troy will have three matches in as many days. Their match vs. Guilderland was, in fact, postponed last month due to weather, and has been rescheduled for January 16.
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Troy's women's basketball team may have taken Columbia too lightly Tuesday, and it cost them. Ryan Meikle's club dropped its 5th straight league game, 47-41. Alexis Van Vorst led all scorers with 20 points to lead the way for Columbia. Juliana Valenti led Troy with 13 points, while Alaina Holmes & Jenalyse Alarcon each had 10.

Meanwhile, the Troy boys continue to roll merrily along, as they beat Columbia, 73-64. Nazaire Merritt led Troy with 24 points, and Latyce Faison added 17. Dylan Ouimette had a game high 26 points for Columbia, while Cooper Zwanka added 20 in the losing effort.
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When LaSalle & Saratoga get together on the ice, you're assured of a low-scoring, defensive battle, and that's what happened Wednesday night, as the Blue Streaks needed overtime to beat the Cadets, 2-1. Jack O'Bryan had the lone goal for LaSalle. The two teams meet again Saturday night in Troy.

LaSalle's basketball team also went to overtime on the road, but the result was a happier one for Jon Desso's Cadets, as they beat in-city rival Catholic Central, 55-54. As of press time, this result had not been submitted to the Albany Times-Union's website.
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The way local television frames Atlanta Hawks highlights around Shen alum Kevin Huerter, you'd think they'd be contending. Nope. The Hawks are likely a lottery team again at the end of the season. Huerter had 14 points and 10 rebounds for his first pro double-double, but it wasn't enough in a loss to Brooklyn.

News & notes

LaSalle's hockey team returned to Union College Saturday night, and shut out Niskayuna-Schenectady-Albany, 3-0. The Mohawks haven't beaten LaSalle in quite a while, it seems. The Cadets will play a home & home series with Saratoga this week, as they'll visit the Spa City on Wednesday, and the Blue Streaks will return the favor for the 2nd annual Cadets For Vets event on Saturday night. Conway Arena was packed last year for the inaugural Cadets For Vets, and the house will be rockin' again.
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We have to give Stan Hudy (& The Blowfish) of The Record/Saratogian some points for creativity.

Covering Friday's Troy-Shen men's basketball game, Hudy, realizing he can't talk directly to the Troy players & coaches, decided to wait until well after the game was over, and collected a sound byte of an interview Troy coach Greg Davis gave to WTEN/WXXA, before filing his report, which appeared in Sunday's editions. Have to believe sports editor "Average" Joe Boyle has been hearing it from the Troy faithful about the ongoing standoff between The Record and Troy schools superintendent John Carmello, whose heavy handed, stubborn approach to this conflict reminds us of a certain bloviator in the White House.

Your move, Mr. Carmello.
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Speaking of Troy High, we know the men's & women's basketball teams have been trending in different directions this season. Nothing new there. With the Troy boys undefeated in Suburban Council play, the question becomes one of whether or not they'll run the table and win their 2nd Gray division title in four years. Well, let's take a look at the schedule:

January 8: @ Columbia.
January 11: @ Schenectady.
January 15: Averill Park.
January 18: Niskayuna.
January 20: @ Kingston.
January 25: @ Saratoga.
January 29: Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
February 1: @ Christian Brothers Academy (Colonie).
February 5: @ Albany.
February 8: Bethlehem.
February 12: Schenectady (Senior night/regular season finale).

This much we know. Columbia & Averill Park are much improved from last season. As noted last time, Blue Devils coach Curt Sankey, a former Troy star, is looking for his first win against his alma mater. Kingston swept Troy in a home & home series last season, and won the Lansingburgh Thanksgiving tournament in November. Troy has had CBA's number at Ned McGraw Gym in recent years, so that's not a guaranteed loss anymore. Bethlehem is undefeated, and sits atop the Suburban Council's Blue division along with Saratoga. Schenectady is no pushover, either, and is two years removed from a division title of their own. It will be news if Columbia and/or AP beats Troy.

Projected finish: No, they won't run the table, but they won't lose the division, either. The in-league winning streak will end with Bethlehem, which swept Lansingburgh in a home & home series earlier this season, and have their best player, Michael Ortale, healthy. I see them finishing the league slate 15-1, and will finish 15-3 overall (conceding the Kingston game).

As for the women, they will have a home & home with Kingston starting Saturday afternoon on the road. The Lady Tigers will be in town on February 2. First year coach Ryan Meikle's club has nine league games left, and has already lost to Albany on the road. The remaining schedule:

January 8: Columbia.
January 11: Schenectady.
January 12: @ Kingston.
January 15: @ Averill Park.
January 18: @ Niskayuna.
January 25: Saratoga.
January 28: @ Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake. Troy's already beaten the Lady Spartans this season.
February 2: Kingston.
February 5: Albany (senior night).
February 8: @ Bethlehem.
February 12: @ Schenectady (regular season finale).

The 4-5 (2-5 league) Lady Horses should have a couple of breathers before playing Kingston to get them back on track. The Lady Devils are not what they once were. Troy wouldn't mind finally breaking the hexes AP & Albany have on them, but I don't see it.

Projected finish: 6-10 (league). Figure they will have issues with Kingston, as well, and finish 8-12 overall.

Of course, I could be wrong.

News & notes

Time to take a look at college hockey for a change.

Union College is playing in the Three Rivers Classic in Pittsburgh, and the Dutchmen, nearly five years removed from a national title, made a big statement Friday night, upsetting top ranked St. Cloud State, 7-2. That will get Union some attention nationally, to be sure.

On the other hand, RPI dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to Harvard in Boston. Changing coaches hasn't changed the Engineers' poor fortunes on the ice the last couple of seasons.
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Turning to boys' hoops, it was a big night for the hometown teams.

In the Colonial Council, Lansingburgh spanked Cobleskill-Richmondville, 86-52, LaSalle likewise blew away Voorheesville, 76-39, and Catholic Central snapped its losing streak in picking up a win over Ichabod Crane, 60-54.

Over in the Suburban Council, the game of the night involved Troy & Shenendehowa. After the Plainsmen escaped with a one point win last season, Greg Davis' Flying Horses came to Clifton Park seeking to snap a three game losing streak to Shen. Jake Reinisch led Shen with 14 points. However, Troy had a two-man offensive scoring machine in seniors Latyce Faison & Nazaire Merritt, who combined for 50 points (Faison with 26, Merritt with 24), including a ridiculous 12 three pointers, as Troy improves to 7-1 overall (6-0 in the Suburban Council) by beating Shen, 60-56.

Up next for Troy will be the much improved Columbia Blue Devils, as coach Curt Sankey is still looking for his first win over his alma mater, on Tuesday, then Schenectady next Friday. Troy will make the trip to Kingston for the 2nd straight year on January 20 for a Sunday matinee. Troy leads Columbia by a 1/2-game in the Gray division standings.

High School Fridays: Shenendehowa @ Troy (girls' basketball), 1/4/19

Since entering the Suburban Council three seasons ago, Troy High's women's basketball team has had to overcome a number of hazards. That is to say, there are teams they haven't been able to beat. Albany, for example, has adjusted to the league better than Troy has, and currently leads the Suburban Council's Gray division with an undefeated record at 10-0 overall.

Then, there are established Suburban Council powers such as Bethlehem and Shenendehowa. The Lady Plainsmen came to town tonight leading the Blue division. Nothing new there, and there was a familiar name on the program for the visitors.

Huerter.

Meghan & Jillian Huerter, a sophomore & freshman, respectively, are the sisters of Atlanta rookie Kevin Huerter and Siena's Tom Huerter, Jr.. Proud papa Tom Huerter, Sr. was in attendance, making his first appearance at Zotto Gym since Kevin was a senior just three years ago. You couldn't miss the elder Huerter, not with the white Siena sweatshirt.

However, the Huerter sisters are not the stars of the Lady Plainsmen. Not yet, anyway. Meghan is a starter, while Jillian comes off the bench as a role player. The attention instead has been on seniors Cat Almeida and Anna Milham, but it wasn't offense that was showcased tonight. Instead, it was defense.

Shen's full court pressure smothered Troy from the go, forcing a ton of turnovers. It was so stifling, Shen held Troy to just 11 points at the break.

The partisans, however, had issues with the officials assigned to the game. What appeared to be a pair of offensive fouls, one in each half, went the other way. In the referees' judgement, the Troy defenders weren't set enough to draw the charges. When it appeared that Troy's Jakaiya Dewer appeared to be fouled, but didn't get the call, her father, in the balcony, exploded at the referee, and was subsequently ejected. According to a Troy security monitor, this was the second time this season a parent has been ejected from Zotto Gym.

Milham led all scorers with 18 points. Almeida added 10, and Shen, which led by as much as 21 at one point, sent Troy to its fourth straight league loss, 54-39. Jenalyse Alarcon led Troy with 16 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter, and Dewer added 10. The Huerter sisters combined for 11 points for Shen. Meghan had 8, and Jillian had 3.

Troy continues its current homestand on Tuesday against Columbia, with Schenectady coming in next Friday before a road trip to Kingston.
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The boys' game at Shen had not been reported as of press time. We should have that result within 24 hours.
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Shen also ended Troy's undefeated (far as we know) streak in bowling on Wednesday in a 31-1 rout at Spare Time Clifton Park.
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Former LaSalle star Elijah Burns was hoping for a sweet homecoming after transferring as a graduate student from Notre Dame to Siena last month, with designs on playing for the Saints this season.

The NCAA had other ideas, and denied the Saints' request for a waiver on a rule prohibiting players from competing for two different programs in the same season. Burns had appeared in four games for the Fighting Irish before graduating last month. Siena is appealing the decision, but Burns, per the Albany Times-Union, had an inkling this wasn't going to end well. The T-U website offers this video:



Barring one last appeal, Burns will be eligible to play for the Saints next season, not this season.

A remembrance of times past

When I first began covering high school sports over in The Land of Whatever, I got on the stump to forward the idea of reviving what was briefly a Thanksgiving tradition in the hometown.

The Uncle Sam basketball tournament only lasted a short time, the last being in 1981, as memory serves, but at that time, it was the only time that all four of the city's high schools (Troy, LaSalle, Lansingburgh, & Catholic Central) would be under the same roof in a tournament setting. Troy hosted the tournament, which, back then, coincided with Homecoming weekend, which has long since been moved up the calendar from late November to either late September or early October, depending on the school's home schedule for football.

Why was Homecoming moved? Evidence of this was in the 1981 tournament. What is now Clement Zotto Memorial Gym was packed. If you left your seat in the bleachers to find the concessions or a restroom, you were SOL getting your seat back. Many fans & students were turned away at the door because of the lack of even SRO (Standing Room Only) space. Homecoming was moved to football season the following fall, and it's been a football season tradition ever since.

Back then, Lansingburgh, being in the Colonial Council, was the odd team out, as the others were in the now defunct Big 10. Today, LaSalle & Catholic Central are in the Colonial Council, and Troy is on the outside as a member of the Suburban Council. So, then, why hasn't anyone at any of the four schools considered reviving the Uncle Sam tournament? I cannot say for sure, but I would chalk it up, for one thing, to the rigid scheduling of both the Colonial & Suburban Councils, and the fact that some of the schools accept invitations to compete in other tournaments in the area either at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Unless I'm mistaken, Troy might've hosted the Uncle Sam tournament every year of its existence, which ended with the 1981 tournament.

In recent times, Troy has tried hosting a different basketball tournament, the Troy Holiday Classic, but that was discontinued after the 2016-17 season after both the women (2015-6) and men (2016) finished last in their own events. These tournaments saw Troy invite fellow members of the Suburban Council to participate, though, if memory serves, teams from outside Section II were invited for the men's event in 2016.

I still think the Uncle Sam tournament can be revived. The problem is, obviously, getting the four schools to cooperate and work together. For a women's tournament under the same banner, you can sub Emma Willard, which is now playing an independent schedule after leaving the Central Hudson Valley League, for LaSalle. The trick, though, is finding a venue big enough to host the event. LaSalle has the luxury of being next door to Hudson Valley Community College, which is home to the Cadets' hockey team. I've been in LaSalle's gym once. I don't think it is any bigger than the others. The Ed McDonough Field House at HVCC is a little bigger, and hosts Section II tournament games every year.

For Troy to host the event, they would need to rent the Houston Field House from neighboring RPI, and they're not about to cover their ice during hockey season for a 2 night basketball tournament. They'd want it to happen at a less convienent time for the high schools. Monsignor Burns Gym on the CCHS campus is a stand alone building, like in college, but the seating configuration is limited, and renovations are needed on the bleachers, as I discovered last week.

Okay, I've outlined exactly why they're not doing the tournament anymore. In order for the Uncle Sam tournament to happen, the schools have to work together. With Troy the outsider in 2019, and given the bunker mentality of the school district against the hometown paper, do they even want to do it?

Right now, we can only dare to dream.

Ignorance of news is not bliss

The first Rich Gilooly Holiday Basketball tournament is in the books at Catholic Central. However, you wouldn't know unless you checked Section II's website and its basketball page.

You see, there were no reporters at Monsignor Burns Gym Saturday afternoon at all. The Albany Times-Union hasn't updated their standings, as their stat people were inexplicably MIA on Saturday. Bad enough that they waited nearly 24 hours to update those charts after Friday's games.

Thomas Corcoran High of Syracuse won the varsity tournament, defeating Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons of the Western Athletic Conference, 86-79. Troy High won the consolation game, blowing away host Catholic Central, 67-38, in the first meeting between the two teams in nearly four years. Game stats are unavailable. Troy is now 6-1 overall (5-0 Suburban Council), and will resume their road trip at Shenendehowa on Friday. Catholic Central falls to 2-7.

I cannot stress this enough. It is not just coaches & athletic directors that can contact the local papers. Parents should do their part to help their schools. Timing, they say, is everything.