The Return? Basketball Is Back In New York... For Some

*** THIS POST WILL BE UPDATED ON A COUNTY-BY-COUNTY BASIS AS TIME ALLOWS ***

The news heard around the state for high school athletics enthusiasts: there's at least hope for some semblance of a winter season.

Well, that will depend on decisions made at the local level. This isn't new info to anyone that's been paying attention, but with Governor Cuomo's announcement last week, the onus has essentially been passed to county health departments to either approve or deny the start of 'high risk' winter sports - including basketball - on February 1. Of course, individual school districts also have the option to opt out of competing even if their county approves going forward.

Early 'yes' responses from individual counties have mainly come in region clusters, with Long Island (Sections 8 & 11) & the Hudson Valley (Sections 1 & 9) all in. Also, an increasing percentage of counties west of the I-81 corridor have approved the February 1 start date in the days directly following the updated guidance.

To those that are nuts like me and care about what's going on throughout the state on the girls' basketball tip, hopefully this will be of use. A much more comprehensive look as to where we stand at this point:

(NOTE: I have only included counties that I've seen make official statements from their county health departments. There has been plenty of speculation from many counties and advocates/politicians coming out in support, but only those where county DOHs have made February 1 approval/denial statements are currently included - if I have missed any, please pass along a link!)

The Horseheads fieldhouse, pictured from an open gym in October 2019. Horseheads, a perennial Section 4 Class AA contender, is located in Chemung County - 1 of the 38 NY counties currently set to start February 1.

The following counties have given the go-ahead for high school basketball to start on February 1, pending individual school districts' approval:

• Allegany County (Section 5)
• Broome County (Section 4)
• Cattaraugus County (Section 6)
• Cayuga County (Sections 3 & 4)
• Chautauqua County (Section 6)
• Chemung County (Section 4)
• Cortland County (Sections 3 & 4)
• Dutchess County (Sections 1 & 9)
• Erie County (Section 6)
• Essex County (Section 7)
• Genesee County (Section 5)
• Lewis County (Sections 3 & 10) (only for in-county play)
• Livingston County (Section 5)
• Madison County (Section 3)
• Monroe County (Section 5)
• Montgomery County (Section 2) (only for in-county play)
• Nassau County (Section 8)
• Niagara County (Section 6)
• Onondaga County (Section 3)
• Ontario County (Section 5)
• Orange County (Section 9)
• Orleans County (Sections 5 & 6)
• Oswego County (Section 3)
• Putnam County (Section 1)
• Rensselaer County (Section 2)
• Rockland County (Section 1)
• Schuyler County (Section 4)
• Seneca County (Section 5)
• Steuben County (Sections 4 & 5)
• Suffolk County (Section 11)
• Sullivan County (Section 9)
• Tioga County (Section 4)
• Tompkins County (Section 4)
• Ulster County (Section 9)
• Wayne County (Section 5)
• Westchester County (Section 1)
• Wyoming County (Section 5)
• Yates County (Section 5)

Although no counties have denied the opportunity to compete in winter sports altogether, there are some that have denied a February 1 start and delayed 'indefinitely' until certain metrics are reached. Nearly all of those counties will require a 4% or less positivity rate (7-day rolling average) within the county, which is the hang-up involved. To put in perspective, this is a metric that as of January 29, only 10 of New York's 62 counties reach. The counties that have announced a February 1 denial include:

• Albany County (Section 2)
• Clinton County (Section 7)
• Columbia County (Section 2)
• Delaware County (Section 4)
• Fulton County (Section 2)
• Greene County (Sections 2 & 4)
• Herkimer County (Section 3)
• Saratoga County (Section 2)
• Schenectady County (Section 2)
• Schoharie County (Sections 2 & 4)
• Warren County (Section 2 & 7)
• Washington County (Section 2)

As time goes on, there will more than likely be a number of schools that opt out of winter competition regardless of their home county's decision. To this point, I've only seen a couple make official statements opting out. Those schools are:

• Glens Falls (Section 2, Warren County)
• Port Byron (Section 3, Cayuga County)

Last but not least, there's also been a blanket decision from an entire league to opt out of winter sports competition:

• Delaware League (Section 4 - Davenport, Downsville, Gilboa-Conesville, Hunter-Tannersville, Jefferson, Margaretville, Roxbury, Stamford, South Kortright, Windham-Ashland-Jewett)

Since this is meant to be an easy-to-read, comprehensive statewide reference point for psychos like myself that have a vested interest in hoops across the state, if there are any updates or anything I've missed, please feel free to let me know... it's for all of us! Hoping for the best for as many as possible that are in currently undecided counties, and I hope to see you all on the court soon!

Clash of the Titans, 570 Edition: Late Run Propels Prep Past Dunmore

 January 23, 2020

Scranton Prep 50, Dunmore 45

As a basketball fan, there are certain matchups that you just don't miss. In northeast Pennsylvania girls' hoops, the premier 'must see TV' battle is whenever Scranton Prep & Dunmore hit the court. Regarded as the top two programs in the area, schools located 1.5 miles apart, multiple Division I players on each side, two teams that know each other well enough to call out each other's plays... it checks all the boxes. The play on the court, even as an early-season matchup, lived up to the hype. A back-and-forth battled turned Scranton Prep's way for good with a big 4th quarter run en route to a big road W to get them going.

Rachael Rose (Scranton Prep 2021, USC Upstate signee) dropped 20 to tie for the game high & made big plays throughout in their narrow W.

Defensive schemes were different, but offensive response was the same - both teams were firing away from the perimeter early & often. The 1st quarter featured four lead changes on four consecutive buckets - all threes - with the second straight from Rachael Rose (Prep 2021, USC Upstate signee) putting them up 11-9. An 8-0 run not long after & running into the 2nd quarter, including the second trey from Maria Belardi (Prep 2022) along with another Rose basket, ran it to 19-11. Prep extended their lead to as much as 10 in the 1st half after a Cecelia Collins (Prep 2021, Bucknell signee) free throw made it 26-16, but Dunmore cut their deficit to 6 going into the locker room with four quick points from Ciera Toomey (Dunmore 2023) to end the half.

The hosts came out blazing to start the 2nd half. Moriah Murray (Dunmore 2022, Drexel commit) started it with her second trey of the night, and after Rose responded with a bucket, Dunmore reeled off 13 of the next 15 points - 9 coming from behind the three-point line off the right hands of three different players - to push ahead to a 36-30 lead. Another Murray trey, their 5th of the quarter as a team, gave Dunmore a 39-35 lead through three, and another triple from Mia Blume (Dunmore 2022) gave them their largest lead at 42-35 early in the 4th. It was all Scranton Prep from there though, as their D1 bound seniors played a major role in taking the game over. Rose & Collins teamed up to score 11 in a 13-0 extended run, with Collins knocking down a three to give them the lead for good at 43-42 with 4:50 left along with a steal & layup to push it to 48-42 with under a minute remaining. Blume broke the long Dunmore drought with another three with :38.6 left, and a Prep turnover & missed front end of a 1&1 gave Dunmore two more possessions, but they were unable to convert. On the latter of those two, Collins jumped the passing lane and got another late steal, then canned two free throws with :04.9 left to ice the win.

40 of Scranton Prep's 50 points came from their two D1 signees, as Rachael Rose & Cecelia Collins pumped in 20 points apiece including 7 of the team's 9 made threes (Rose 4, Collins 3). Dunmore got a team high 14 points from Moriah Murray, 9 coming in the 3rd quarter on 3 of her 4 threes, and Ciera Toomey added 10. Mia Blume chipped in with 9, all coming from behind the arc and in the game's last 12 minutes. Dunmore hit 11 threes overall.

Moriah Murray (Dunmore 2022, Drexel commit) paced Dunmore with 14 pts & hit 4 of their 9 threes.

#ThoughtsFromTheBaseline

- This is where the fun starts! Entertaining game to watch for an early-season matchup, but that's to be expected when nearly everyone on the court is a future college basketball player. Let's do that more often!

- Lot of made threes by Dunmore, but Prep was living with it. It was clear with their plan was defensively - commit to weak side help and limit Ciera Toomey's post touches, commit help to Moriah Murray on high ball screens & midpost touches, and make others hit threes to win. Mission accomplished, as they were largely able to do that. The main exception was the 3rd quarter, when Dunmore was able to at least get downhill a few times (often Murray) and make the Prep defenders react to their action. That turned into a couple breakdowns leading to a Murray three, Toomey bucket, Mia Blume three, Elisa Delfino three... you get it. When Dunmore was able to get a post touch or dribble penetration paint touch, it often paid dividends. Prep buckled down again, and that coupled with Dunmore also missing a couple good looks along the way led to a scoreless stretch of over 6 minutes as Prep regained the lead.

Cecelia Collins (Scranton Prep 2021, Bucknell signee) pumped in 20 points, tying for a game high, and made numerous plays at both ends to help Prep recover late.

- About Prep coming back with that 13-0 4th quarter run... Rachael Rose & Cecelia Collins doing Rose & Collins things. It obviously was a complete team effort - especially because you don't hold a high-octane offense scoreless for over 6 minutes without all five being engaged - but the two standout 2021s had their prints all over it at both ends. Collins had a few steals, including two in the closing possessions to help put it on ice for her squad. Offensively, the secondary break paid dividends as they each were able to step into an open three as Dunmore was trying to locate. Rachael's made it 42-40, Cece's gave them a 43-42 lead. Rachael made a big shot a couple minutes later in a 1v1 situation - D1 player making a D1 type play - to extend the lead. You expect them to make those kind of plays, which might be the most telling thing about them. One thing is for sure - USC Upstate (Rose) and Bucknell (Collins) are getting winners.

- First time watching them as a high school team, but this is easy to see. It's really, really tough to play from behind against Scranton Prep. With Rose & Collins along with Maria Belardi and Lizzie Neville (both 2022s), they put 4 guards on the court that are strong with the ball, can handle it, and make good decisions. They did a fantastic job as a team controlling tempo through much of the game, the ball moved crisply especially in the 1st half when Dunmore went 2-3, they didn't turn it over against the Dunmore 1-2-2 (or at any time, really), and they picked their spots with very few forced or bad shots. SUCH a luxury to have that at the high school level. Honestly, Dunmore being able to do it in the 2nd half is a testament to how good they are as well - no short order.

Ciera Toomey (Dunmore 2023), one of the Northeast's premier prospects, finished with 10 points while receiving plenty of defensive attention.

- Quick blip on the radar for a Dunmore squad that's going to win a ton of games this year and may end up running it back with a state tournament berth at stake. Regardless of result, I'm sure they'll take those competitive games in the regular season when they can get them. Looking forward to hopefully catching them again in coming weeks. Thanks to the Dunmore athletics crew for allowing me to check this game out!

- Next time I'm around, someone... please keep me from hitting the Krispy Kreme drive-thru after. I'm trying to get right over here... the hot light is too tempting!

Towanda Jumps Out Early & Keeps Distance in W Over Montoursville

 January 23, 2020

Towanda 51, Montoursville 38 (PIAA District 4)

Not a bad way to start the weekend. Saturday brought my second PA trip of the week, this one for a pair of games including my first District 4 contest, as Towanda hosted Montoursville in an interesting nonleague matchup. An 11-0 run in the 1st half and a strong start from a young standout helped Towanda jump to an early double digit lead, and they were able to hold the visitors at arm's length the rest of the way in Saturday's matinee.

Paige Manchester (Towanda 2023) led all scorers with 20 points and fueled the offense in the W.

A competitive start turned Towanda's way late in the 1st quarter. Looking to run at any opportunity, they were able to get out in transition and convert, often fueled by Paige Manchester's (Towanda 2023) scoring or long advance passes. A steady dose of that mixed with a steady dose of missed perimeter jumpers on Montoursville's end sparked an 11-0 run, 7 from Manchester, to run their lead to 21-10 early in the 2nd. Even with a tough offensive stretch through much of the 2nd, due in large part to Montoursville's employment of a triangle & 2 on Manchester and Porschia Bennett (Towanda 2022), Towanda extended their lead to as much as 16 in the 1st half before Maddie Adams (Montoursville 2022) canned a three at the buzzer to cut the deficit to 30-17.

Montoursville came out of the locker room battling but were unable to make much of a dent in the deficit the rest of the way. They cut it to 10 once after five straight Alaina Marchioni (Montoursville 2023) points cut it to 32-22 and hit enough perimeter jumpers against Towanda's zone to hang around (8 threes), but Towanda immediately responded with a 7-0 spurt to open it back up. A Bennett basket early in the 4th quarter gave them their largest lead of the day at 48-30. Even though that proved to be Towanda's last made field goal of the game, they were able to keep their opponents at bay while maintaining a 10-18 point lead through the 2nd half.

Paige Manchester led all scorers with 20 points in Towanda's victory and Porschia Bennett added 12. For Montoursville, MacKenzie Weaver pumped in a team high 15 points including four of their eight treys. Alaina Marchioni chipped in with 11.

Alaina Marchioni (Montoursville 2023), a youngster with some promise, finished with 11 points.

#ThoughtsFromTheBaseline

- Towanda, who maintained an undefeated record with the nonleague W, is an interesting group that will present matchup problems for a lot of teams. From a team standpoint, all five will get out & run and look to do so at any opportunity. Montoursville gave them plenty of chances early - a few turnovers and several long rebounds off missed perimeter Js helped get them out & running. They do well as a unit to get it out of their hands early in transition, 1-2 dribbles and a long advance pass when available, often from Manchester who usually runs the point. They also bring a good amount of size & athleticism. Manchester is a legitimate 6'0"-6'1" and long, Porschia Bennett is an athletic 5'11", Erin Barrett & Gracie Schoonover also bring good size to the table. Their size & activity defensively greatly limited Montoursville scoring opportunities going toward the rim. It was my first ever Pennsylvania District 4 game so I clearly don't have the lay of the land, but conventional wisdom and the eye test says they have pieces that could make them very dangerous going forward.

Porschia Bennett (Towanda 2022), an athletic 5'11" tweener with upside, finished with 12 pts in the W.

- From an individual standpoint, I have to bring up Paige Manchester. As mentioned, she has the natural physical tools at 6'0"+ with superior length, and she brings a lot of versatility to the table. She spends a lot of time running the point for Towanda & does well sparking their transition offense by not overdribbling - whether she grabs a defensive rebound herself or gets the outlet, she showed willingness to hit ahead in transition and ability to get it there on target, often to Porschia Bennett (very good athlete at 5'11" with a lot of upside herself). She finished herself in transition too, got to the rim a few times in the half-court, hit a couple threes off the catch with a quick, confident release, and took advantage of a few post iso situations when a smaller guard was matched up with her. Defensively, she was able to use that length to tip some passes when they went zone. I've been familiar with Paige for a couple years - she even did the Middle School Combine back in the day - but this was the first time I saw her with her high school. Her confidence looks to be at another level and it's showing in her game; breakout sophomore season well underway for a gem in northern PA.

- Credit to Montoursville for not laying down when things weren't going well. On the road, unfamiliar gym, Saturday midday, didn't shoot it well early as a guard-heavy team reliant on the perimeter J, got down 16 in the 1st half... they could've packed it in and the final margin could've been more like 25-30. That wasn't the case though, as they continued to battle and scrap. After an early transition onslaught, they did a better job getting back defensively and making Towanda have to score in the half-court. They also saw some shots fall - enough to hang around - and got better shots in general after halftime. Maddie Adams (2022) showed some promise as a 2 guard with decent size, good range, and a smooth stroke. Alaina Marchioni (2023) was a bit of a sparkplug for them and also showed 3 point range. Towanda has been in their share of blowouts early this year; Montoursville showing competitiveness & not rolling over when things got difficult probably helps them grow.

- Last but not least - I threw a clip of this on Twitter Saturday afternoon, but worth mentioning here too. I thought there was a quietly important sequence late in the 1st half that helped Towanda in a major way. Montoursville had switched to a triangle & 2 on Manchester/Bennett pretty early in the game, and once they started to improve with their transition D, Towanda went through a pretty lengthy stagnant spell in the 2nd quarter. Thankfully for them, Montoursville's struggles on the offensive end didn't allow them to make much of a dent into their deficit, but Towanda started to look a little frustrated & out of sorts. They were finally able to get back on the right track with a pair of possessions resulting in Bella Hurley buckets - Montoursville missed a rotation and Gracie Schoonover found her on a cut for a layup, then Manchester hit her for an open left wing trey. This extended their late from 10 - and again, out of sorts - to 15 and a little more bounce in their step again. Box & 1s/triangle & 2s mean it's a prime opportunity for others to answer the bell, and they made it happen here.

District 4, hopefully I'll see you again soon!

High School Hoops in PA! Hazleton Area Turns Up the Heat, Roars Back at Wyoming Valley West

 January 21, 2021

Hazleton Area 56, Wyoming Valley West 46 (OT) (PIAA District 2)

320 days without being able to watch a high school game in any setting - regular season, team camp, summer/fall league, anything. While New York may still be on freeze, PIAA basketball is back in action, and my first high school game in the Keystone State had a flare for the dramatic. Defending PIAA District 2 Class 6A champion Hazleton Area overcame a 17 point 3rd quarter deficit, then took their first lead of the game while holding host Wyoming Valley West scoreless in overtime to complete an eye-opening comeback victory.

It looked like nothing of the sort would happen in the 1st half as WVW set the tone utilizing its noticeable size advantage. 6'2" Trinity Johnson (Wyoming Valley West 2022) and 5'11" Fatikha Tikhtova (WVW 2023) made their presence felt at both ends and on the glass early, splitting all 16 of WVW's 1st quarter points along with combining to make a formidable back tandem in their 3-2 zone. Their length & athleticism deterring anything around the rim coupled with cold perimeter shooting led to early trouble for Hazleton, as they fell behind 16-6 after one quarter. The visitors showed signs of life in the 2nd quarter, rattling WVW with the press and turning live ball turnovers into easy buckets - a sign of things to come later - but the hosts responded with a spurt of their own and extended their lead to 31-17 at the break after a pair of Tikhtova buckets.

Valley West extended their cushion to as much as 17 when Tikhtova put back her own miss to make it 36-19 early in the 3rd, but the tide would start to turn from there. Olivia Wolk (Hazleton Area 2021) knocked down a three - the first for either team - and the flood gates started to open. Another Wolk trey to end the 3rd cut Hazleton's deficit to 43-35, and they carried the energy & momentum into the 4th. Johnson ended a WVW spell of around 6:30 without a field goal with a layup to make it 45-39 with 4:10 left, but that would be their last made field goal of the game as Hazleton Area's pressure continued to take hold. Brooke Boretski (Hazleton Area 2021), who didn't score in the 1st half, knocked down her 2nd trey of the night to tie it at 46 with 1:26 remaining, and they'd continue on to overtime at that score.

Olivia Wolk (Hazleton Area 2021) turned it up as the game went on and was a driving force in their comeback, leading them in the scorebooks with 18 points.

Like much of the 2nd half, the overtime session was all Hazleton Area. Carley Krizansky (Hazleton Area 2021) scored to give the visitors their first lead of the night, Wolk followed with a three and a pair of free throws, and Hazleton Area would hold Valley West without a point in the extra session, completing a monster comeback by outscoring the hosts 37-10 over the last 17 minutes of action.

Olivia Wolk led Hazleton Area with 18 points, 14 coming after halftime including three of their five treys. Brooke Boretski joined her in double figures with 10, and Carley Krizansky, Jaya Franck (Hazleton Area 2021), and Lacie Kringe (Hazleton Area 2023) added 8 apiece. For Wyoming Valley West, Trinity Johnson pumped in 19 points to lead all scorers and Fatikha Tikhtova was right behind her with 18.

Trinity Johnson (Wyoming Valley West 2022) had another big game Thursday, as she finished with a game high 19 points and was a consistent force on the glass.

#ThoughtsFromTheBaseline

Hey, Pennsylvania! I've never been to a high school game in your state before, so this may be new to you. We've made it through the generic game detail stuff. This part, which I seem to rename every year, is where I verbalize my thoughts - from individuals to teams to the warmup CD to what was for dinner, it's all fair game. I'll try not to ramble, but fair warning that I won't succeed! A deeper look at what transpired Thursday:

- A MAJOR contrast of styles between the teams made this game interesting to watch from front to back, even when it looked like Wyoming Valley West may run away with it. Valley West has real size, not just 'listing' size, in 6'2" 2022 standout Trinity Johnson and 5'11" 2023 Fatikha Tikhtova. They're both long, run the floor hard and get off the ground decently well. When they were able to get those two the ball in an advantageous position - or even just get the ball on the rim when they were in a position to rebound - things generally went well for them. On the other side, Hazleton Area is very guard heavy with no one on the roster above a 5'9" listing. Their activity defensively and the ability to harass ballhandlers into poor decisions with the press was hugely important to their success - and as it showed as the game wore on, the ability to knock down some perimeter jumpers to stretch the D goes a long way too. And that leads to this...

- Hazleton Area's press REALLY bothered Valley West over the final 28 minutes. It didn't show up on the scoreboard until later in the game because it took a while for them to utilize it. As mentioned above, they had their own issues offensively with Valley West's 3-2 zone - couldn't get much around the rim with Johnson & Tikhtova on the back line, and they went 0-for-however many perimeter Js were taken in the 1st half. No made basket, no making them take it out of the net, no setting up the press. Olivia Wolk hit a couple jumpers in the 3rd and Brooke Boretski hit one as well, which not only allowed them to get up defensively - which often turned into steals & layups and greatly limited WVW bigs' meaningful touches, the old adage of your best post defense being to prevent post touches by making guards uncomfortable - but it also forced Valley West to stretch a little defensively, which opened up some different actions going toward the rim. They even did a better job with the press in the 2nd half & OT as they were able to keep it out of Johnson's hands - at 6'2" & skilled, she was an effective release early.

- Also a major difference in age between these two teams. Hazleton Area, a team that's 'been there before' as a defending champion in PIAA District 2 Class 6A play, started four seniors and I believe have seven on the roster. 48 of their 56 points tonight came from those seniors. Wyoming Valley West? No seniors in the starting lineup and I believe none on the roster at all. They rolled with a junior, three sophomores, and a freshman for starters. I'm usually the first to say age/experience is an overrated 'difference' in high school basketball, but it showed in the 2nd half & OT with Hazleton Area's resilience clawing back into the game. They looked like a team that had been down that road and dealt with some situations. When momentum shifted, Valley West got stagnant and looked a bit shocked. Age & experience; this experience could potentially be a worthwhile one going forward for them.

- Let's get to a couple individuals and start with Trinity Johnson. The scoreboard may not have ended in her team's favor, but she certainly made her presence felt. I had the chance to watch her several times in the COVID-limited summer & fall with the NEPA Elite AAU program, and she caught my eye as early as the first game watching her team at Spooky Nook. With them, it was her face-up game and ability to stretch that was most noteworthy. Here, she showed she's willing to take advantage of a size discrepancy and set up shop in the low post along with great mobility getting up & down the court. Out of her 19 points, I only remember two coming from a midrange jumper and three free throws along the way - the rest were around the rim, whether it came off a post move, offensive rebound, catch & finish, or layup in transition. She also got after it on the glass and with Hazleton not having anyone that could match up with her size & athleticism, she probably had about as many rebounds as points. At 6'2" with back-to-basket & face-up skill along with great physical tools, there's no question she'll be very actively recruited before all is said & done.

Lacie Kringe (Hazleton Area 2023), who finished with 8 points in the OT win, is a young, athletic guard that shows promise.

- Always looking for who could be the best of tomorrow too, so here's some more. Hazleton Area was pretty heavily balanced offensively, but I like what I saw in Lacie Kringe at first look. 2023 guard with good size at around 5'8", good natural frame, made a difference defensively, found ways to get to the rim, and I thought her mind was in the right place with a lot of plays that she made. On the other end, I'll be interested to see how Wyoming Valley West's youngsters develop. They certainly have enough of them!

- The day's local food haul? Pierogies, because what else. Like 60 of them. Stocked up for the winter. All different fillings... I have a problem.

- Last but not least, a major thank you to Wyoming Valley West athletic administration for allowing me in the gym to check this game out. I've reached out to many athletic directors in northern PA between District 2 (LIAA & WVC) and District 4 (NTL), and to be honest, I haven't got more than a handful of 'yes' responses so far. I get it with COVID restrictions and me being a New York guy, but each 'yes' at this time means something to me. This was a first for me in a PA high school gym, and what a fantastic first it was! Quick turnaround though as I plan to make the trip across state lines again on Saturday for a twin bill, one in District 4 and a marquee District 2 matchup for the nightcap... stay tuned!