A Monday In The Mohawk Valley: WCV Holds Off Little Falls, Herkimer Runs Past Dolgeville

March 29, 2021

A two-for-one! While the vast majority of New York (and the entire country) has moved onto AAU season, a couple pockets of the state are still getting some high school games in. That includes Herkimer County. The last ones to remain seated after "high-risk" indoor sports got the state go-ahead have now become the last ones standing with contests stretching into early April. Mix that with a friendly schedule change allowing me to catch two games Monday, and it was an easy destination choice to start the week. In the opener, West Canada Valley made plays in the final minutes to hold off host Little Falls, and in the nightcap, Herkimer used a big 3rd quarter run to separate themselves and earn a win over visiting Dolgeville. First, from Mountie country:

Stifling Defensive Effort & Big Night From Beaver Push Southwestern to B2 Finals

March 25, 2021

Southwestern 50, Eden 31

Wednesday was dedicated to B1 semifinals... might as well make Thursday about the B2s. The Section 6 playoff sprint continued with another day in the Southtowns, this time Eden as they faced off with a familiar playoff opponent in Southwestern. A competitive grind of a start turned the visitors' way with a big run to start the 2nd half, and the Trojans took the momentum & ran with it to the finish line to pick up an impressive victory.

Reece Beaver turned it up in the 2nd half & led the way with 27 points in Southwestern's W.

Depew Rights The Ship & Runs To Section 6 Class B1 Final

March 24, 2021

Depew 61, Springville-Griffith 50

A Wednesday that started with a plan to attend the 'top half' Section 6 Class B1 semifinal turned into an eventful drive, a last-minute change of plans, and a stop in Depew for the bottom half of the B1 bracket. It proved to be a win-win situation in the 716; while East Aurora was overcoming a double digit deficit at City Honors to earn their berth in the sectional final, 2nd seeded Depew & #6 seed Springville-Griffith provided their own entertaining battle. After losing all of an early 15 point lead, Depew bounced back in the 4th quarter to put their pesky visitors away and lock in a third matchup with EA, this time for all the marbles.

Kaylee Krysztof dropped a game high 20 points, 18 of them coming from beyond the arc, in Depew's sectional semifinal W.

Chautauqua Lake Catches Fire, Wins Going Away At Southwestern

March 18, 2021

Chautauqua Lake 62, Southwestern 42

Another day, another section! Thursday took me to Chautauqua County, the far reaches of Section 6 & southwestern NY, for the longest drive I've had in the condensed season. Host Southwestern and visiting Chautauqua Lake have experienced success over the last month, with the teams combining for a 20-2 record in games that aren't against each other. Chautauqua Lake won a close one the first time around, and they were in the process of another tight battle most of the way Thursday, but the Thunderbirds put their stamp on the game's later stages to break it open and earn a quality road victory heading into sectional season.

Lily Woodis got it going in the 2nd half and led Chautauqua Lake with 15 points.

Mount Markham Regroups Late, Escapes WCV With OT Win

March 17, 2021

Mount Markham 48, West Canada Valley 42 (OT)

Most NYSPHSAA sections have wrapped up their winter sports seasons, with many wrapping up over the weekend. Out of the four sections still participating in basketball, three of them (VI, VII, X) have all of their areas still competing. Section III is the outlier with a clear divide. While the entire Syracuse area & most CNY counties wrapped up on Saturday, Herkimer County just started at the beginning of March 1. With that, not only are they the only place in NY currently scheduled to play into April, games have just started for the county's schools. West Canada Valley & Mount Markham have experienced success in their opening games, so it only made sense to make the trip to Newport as they matched up against each other, and they made it worth the trip.

Hayleigh Gates had her hand in many big plays and led all scorers with 20 points in Mt. Markham's W.

Late Run, Big Night From McCulley Helps Batavia Notre Dame Earn D1 Title

March 13, 2021

Batavia Notre Dame 55, South Seneca 48

The Section V final tour concluded in the small town of Ovid for a clash between opponents from opposite ends of the section. The Class D1 championship was at stake when Batavia Notre Dame made the trip east to take on top-seeded South Seneca. In what quickly cemented itself as the most competitive game of the night, the last of 16 lead changes went Notre Dame's way and a last-minute spurt kept the hosts at bay & cemented a Section V Class D1 title for the Irish.

Amelia McCulley went off in the 2nd half, where she dropped 21 of her game high 30 points in the Notre Dame W.

Waterloo Starts Fast & Runs to B2 Title Over Dansville

March 13, 2021

Waterloo 55, Dansville 31

75 miles and an area code. That's how long the drive was from Elba, the western end of the 585 where I started the day, to the western edge of the 315 in Waterloo for game two. This result was much more in question before tip, as Waterloo & visiting Dansville had spent the last month running through all challengers. However, top seeded Waterloo left no doubt as to who ruled the roost in Section V Class B2, as they jumped to a big lead early and never let Dansville make it close on the way to a sectional final victory.

Giavanna White-Principio made it happen from the jump & led Waterloo with 20 points in their W.

Elba Rolls Past Avoca/Prattsburgh to 5th Straight Class D2 Crown

March 13, 2021

Elba 66, Avoca/Prattsburgh 27

Unlike most sections, a five week sprint in Section V basketball culminated with a sectional playoff week. Saturday, the last day of the season in many regions including this one, was when the Class B & D split classes determined their champions. The action-packed day tipped in the western reaches of the 585, where Elba left no doubt on its home court and sent a special senior class home with one for the thumb, a 5th straight Section V Class D2 championship.

Brynn Walczak dropped 12 of her game high 22 points in the 3rd quarter in Elba's victory.

Kearney Survives Test From Schroeder

March 10, 2021

Bishop Kearney 60, Webster Schroeder 55

The timing of Wednesday's Section V games provided a perfect opportunity for a twin bill. The night's opener set the bar high for quality & entertainment value, as top-seeded but undermanned Bishop Kearney needed a big 4th quarter run to survive and advance against a streaking Webster Schroeder squad.

Marianna Freeman started & finished hot, and she led BK with 24 in a comeback victory.

Third Time's A Charm For Brockport Against Canandaigua

March 10, 2021

Brockport 45, Canandaigua 38

Wednesday's nightcap took me to familiar territory, as it was the second time in the pandemic-shortened winter campaign that I took the far baseline at Canandaigua Academy. This contest, a Section V Class A semifinal, pitted the hosts against a Brockport squad that they narrowly defeated twice in the regular season. Led by a strong individual performance offensively & disciplined team performance defensively, the visitors took an early lead and held on to not only prevent a season sweep, but take the one that matters most.

Ella Fadale turned it up from the jump & led all scorers with 21 points in Brockport's win.

Livonia Starts Strong In Each Half, Rolls To Sectional W Over Hornell

March 9, 2021

Livonia 60, Hornell 39

I admittedly tend to neglect the southern tiers of Sections 5 & 6 during high school season - schedules usually don't gel and let's face it, it's a long drive for me. However, the circumstances around this matchup were tough to ignore. Livonia & Hornell met twice during the regular season, splitting a pair of competitive contests, and know each other very well. Round 3 happened to be during something one of only three NYSPHSAA sections are doing this winter: sectionals. Section V is in the midst of their condensed playoff season, and Livonia was tasked with the bus ride to Hornell for the 4/5 quarterfinal in Section V Class B1. The visitors, who pulled in at the same time I did, were ready to go off the bus & then again out of the halftime huddle, as two huge runs to start each half set the tone in an eye-opening victory.

Kylie Buckley dropped 20 of her game high 27 in the 2nd half in Livonia's win.

A Tale Of Two Halves: Warriors Flip The Script To Slay Bison

March 8, 2021

Averill Park 57, Shaker 46

My pregame tweet to Coach Organ's @APLADYWARRIORS Twitter account was said jokingly, but there was a hint of truth behind it - sick of me yet? After not seeing perennial power Averill Park for the first three weeks of the condensed season, a trip to start the week became my 3rd time watching AP in eight days & my 2nd consecutive Monday in the Warrior gym. The first two games - one win & one loss for them - were not close. This contest brought the dramatic feel. In a Suburban Council league playoff quarterfinal vs. a Shaker squad that just defeated them two days prior, the hosts overcame a double digit deficit with a dominant 2nd half performance en route to a semifinal berth.

Anna Jankovic made it happen for AP & had 14 of her game high 20 in the 2nd half.

Cambridge Spreads The Wealth In Victory Over Norwich

March 6, 2021

Cambridge 70, Norwich 53

Saturday afternoon was the closest it felt to pre-COVID times since before the world shut down a year ago. Why? An intriguing out-of-area matchup where two teams that wanted a battle put it together & made it happen. It took longer than hoped to get a chance to see Cambridge in person this year, but as anticipated, it was worth the wait. After a competitive start, the three-time defending Section 2 Class C & still-defending NYSPHSAA Class C champs used a big 2nd half to break it open & pick up a good win over Norwich, the two-time defending Section 4 Class B champions.

Lilly Phillips got it going early & finished with 19 points to help lead the Cambridge attack.

Warriors Win Behind Dominant 2nd Half

March 5, 2021

Averill Park 69, Guilderland 45

It's been a busy few days for most of the Suburban Council, and most of upstate NY girls' basketball teams for that matter. With schedules designed to make up for lost time to begin with and this being the first week of the season where weather didn't impact schedules, things got pretty packed for many. This also goes for Averill Park & Guilderland, who each had pretty rigorous schedules. In my second time watching both this week, Averill Park used a big 3rd quarter run to break open a close game & roll forward to the finish line.

Anna Jankovic was offensively assertive, scoring in the twenties in AP's win, & made a major two-way impact.

Views From The Couch: Nichols Game Winner Lifts General Brown Over Indian River (3/4/21)

Life during a pandemic strikes again. I never thought I'd spend nights sitting at home watching games through a computer screen while they're being played in New York gyms, but COVID restrictions can get in the way. Unfortunately, my planned Thursday game was postponed less than 4 hours before tip time, and I was unable to get in touch with athletic administrators in time to make backup plans. No worries though, I'll catch up on some streams? It's 2021, technology should've allowed this to be a thing for a while now.

My first game of the night was an intriguing Watertown area matchup. I even initially considered reaching out to see about media policies at General Brown to see them take on Indian River, and after watching it live on the stream, I wish I did give it a shot. It turned into an entertaining contest between the Frontier League foes, which featured a 2nd half double digit comeback and a last-second game winner.

Blue Streaks Fight Fire With Fire To Beat Guilderland

March 3, 2021

Saratoga Springs 80, Guilderland 63

I've had the luxury of being able to watch some entertaining basketball games with high level players & high octane offenses in this shortened season. Wednesday's pilgrimage to Saratoga Springs quickly established itself as one of those contests that provided great entertainment value. After Guilderland recovered from a 1st half double digit deficit, a big 3rd quarter broke it open for good as the Blue Streaks took care of business on their home floor.

Natasha Chudy was an unstoppable force in the paint, and she dropped a game high 38 with 20 coming in the 1st quarter alone for Saratoga.

Norwich Pulls Away To Win Over Unatego

March 2, 2021

Norwich 56, Unatego 48

Another day in Section 4? Sounds good! Tuesday turned into my seemingly annual pilgrimage to Norwich, this time for an interesting area matchup not often seen as the Purple Tornado hosted Unatego. A back-and-forth affair turned in Norwich's favor right before intermission, and one more run sealed the deal for the hosts in a good high school basketball game.

Sydney Coggins got hot in the 3rd quarter, where she scored 10 of her team high 16 for Norwich.

There were five lead changes in the 1st quarter as Norwich & Unatego, who have very contrasting styles in ways, each tried to establish themselves. Back-to-back threes from Sydney Coggins (Norwich 2021) and Maddy Morris (Norwich 2022) gave them a 14-10 edge late in the frame, and the margin remained 4 at 16-12 through the opening stanza. The lead changed hands four more times in the 2nd, with a Meghan Perry (Unatego 2021) basket & free throw eventually pushing Unatego in front for the last time at 20-19 with 3:36 left in the half. A game-changing push followed for Norwich though. Mackenzie Hess (Norwich 2022) buried a three at the 1:08 mark, then after a Norwich timeout, they came out and forced consecutive Unatego turnovers & made them pay at the other end. First, it was Emily Evans (Norwich 2022) with a three-point play, then Hess canned another triple with :17.0 left in the half to send the Purple Tornado into the locker room up 28-20.

The game certainly remained competitive in the 2nd half and Unatego hung around, but they had to deal with the hot hand of Coggins in the 3rd quarter. She hit two consecutive threes to extend the Norwich lead to double figures early in the frame. The margin shrank to seven midway through the frame after a pair of Morgan Perry (Unatego 2021) free throws & a Meghan Perry bucket, but Norwich again got back-to-back triples from Coggins & Morris in response. Morgan Perry cut Unatego's deficit to 43-32 by the end of the 3rd.

A Meghan Perry score got Unatego as close as 8 in the 4th quarter at 46-38, but a Margaret Dougher (Norwich 2022) fueled stretch gave Norwich all the space they would need late. It started right before the Perry basket with a drive & dish to Evans, then she continued the trend with another assist to Evans, a drive & finish at the rim, and a steal & layup. Abby Hansen (Norwich 2021) completed the 8-0 spurt with a midrange J to give them their largest lead at 54-38 with 2:50 remaining. Unatego reeled off 10 of the last 12 points to cut the final margin back to single digits.

Sydney Coggins led Norwich with 16 points, 10 of them coming in the 3rd quarter, and she hit 5 of their 10 threes. Margaret Dougher joined her in double digits with 10 points, and four others (Emily Evans, Mackenzie Hess, Abby Hansen, Maddy Morris) scored between 6-9 points. For Unatego, Meghan Perry had a game high 17 points, Morgan Perry added 13 points, and Maddie Wilsey (Unatego 2023) joined her in double figures with 11.

Meghan Perry, who recently crossed the 1000 point mark, led all scorers with 17 for Unatego.

#ThoughtsFromTheBaseline

- Two short, but huge stretches meant the world to Norwich Tuesday; the 9-0 spurt over 68 seconds to end the half, then the 8-0 spurt over about two minutes in the 4th quarter. A perfectly timed Coach Bennett timeout helped fuel the first one for Norwich; he called a quick one after a Mackenzie Hess three, reorganized them defensively and they pulled out the run & jump to turn Unatego over on consecutive possessions. They made good on the added possessions to complete the job before the break. The 4th quarter spurt happened after Unatego switched from zone to man defensively, which they had to do out of necessity with their deficit. Credit to Norwich, who simplified the game after that switch; Margaret Dougher had an advantageous matchup, and they went to the well time & time again. She got paint touches on middle drives three consecutive times, twice finding Emily Evans when the low help committed to the drive, then she scored on the third drive when help didn't commit. Add a steal & layup after that, and Margaret - who had been a little quiet to that point - put her stamp all over the late run.

- This was about as clear of a contrast of styles as fire vs. ice. Norwich's guard play, perimeter shooting, and relentless pressure runs the show for them; Unatego's superior size, length, and interior play has been their main ticket to success. They both tried to take full advantage of their strengths. Even when both teams went the same route defensively (2-3), it was for different reasons - Norwich to pack in the paint and try to force perimeter shots, Unatego to use length and try to get tips vs. smaller guards with built-in help behind. The 'contrast of style' matchups are always particularly interesting to me, and this was about as different as it'll get.

Margaret Dougher had a great 4th quarter stretch for Norwich and contributed 10 points in the W.

- Unatego had a lot of trouble against the scrappy Norwich pressure - as many teams usually do - but they still were very much in it. When they got the ball in the half-court and were able to get some sort of an interior touch (high post, low post, or short corner), they often had success. Really, I thought they missed a lot of shots 12' & in that they'd love to have back, which perhaps could've changed the outlook.

- I'm grateful for any/every school that allows me in the gym to cover a game, and I'll certainly never play favorites... but I'll just say that the Norwich hospitality is in a league nearly of its own. This has always been the case, but it's especially notable this winter. A major thank you to Norwich athletic director Rich Turnbull, coach Josh Bennett, and the whole crew for allowing media (and myself) in for this one!

Shen Dials Up The Pressure, Storms To Win At AP

March 1, 2021

Shenendehowa 63, Averill Park 34

It took me a little longer than usual to watch the traditional Section 2 powers - COVID restrictions and where I'm allowed will do that - so why not catch two of the primary ones at the same time? When two-time defending AA champ Shen and many-time defending A champ Averill Park line up, the air in the gym feels a little different. It's very uncommon to see it turn into a one-sided affair, but that's the direction it went on Monday, as Shen used a superlative defensive performance to spearhead a dominant showing in a battle of unbeatens.

Rylee Carpenter hung 21 of her game high 23 points in the 1st half as Shen ran to a W.