Thursday, February 28, 2008

Broadcasting Live from the Civic Center

Members of the Hoosic Valley team celebrate their quarterfinal victory over Spa Catholic at HVCC.

5:40 pm: I'm here live at center court in Glens Falls getting ready for the class B semifinal game between No. 3 Hoosic Valley and No. 2 Fonda-Fultonville.
The class D semifinal between North Warren and St. Johnsville is still going on. Of note, the players on the floor outnumber total cheerleaders 10-9. At halftime, St. Johnsville leads, 24-19.

Fonda narrowly escaped over Cohoes in the quarters, but the Braves carry a 19-2 record into the contest. The Wasaren champion Indians are 19-3.

Not having seen Fonda, I'm not sure what to expect from them, but I know the Indians live and die by the outside shot. We'll see if the larger floor affects them.

--
Yesterday, Rensselaer beat Maple Hill to advance to the class C final against Germantown on Saturday. Keith Britt scored 16 points and grabbed 14 boards while sitting out most of the first half due to foul trouble. Britt and Justin Wilkinson will have to slow down a surprising sixth seed Clipper team looking for an upset.
The winner of the class C final plays the class CC winner in a playoff for a state tournament berth on Tuesday night.

6:30 pm: We're minutes away from the start of the second game -- Fonda and Hoosic Valley are taking their warmups. In the first game, after leading by double digits most of the game, St. Johnsville held on for a 51-49 victory.

7:00 pm: With 5:26 to go in the second, it's HV 24, FF 16.

7:10 pm: At halftime, HV leads 27-22. Pat Lanoue has 17 points already, including three 3-pointers. Matt Horton has six points on two treys in the first quarter.
After a big first quarter, the Braves switched to zone and have started to slow down the Indians' offense because they can swing two guys up in Lanoue's face. No one else has yet to step up for Hoosic Valley - although if Alex Kugler or Kyle Pallozzi start getting hot from behind the arc, HV may just have too many weapons on the outside for Fonda to handle.
However, HV has had a tough time with the Braves' big man, Josh Nethaway. Their tallest starter is Lanoue at 6'1".

7:27 pm: HV 39, FF 32, 2:54 left in the 3rd.

7:42 pm: HV 50, FF 41, 4:51 to go in the 4th.

8:04 pm: Final from Glens Falls, HV 56, Fonda 47. Lanoue scored 27 and Matt Horton added 14 for the Indians. Each knocked down four treys.
The Indians face the winner of the Broadalbin-Perth/Ichabod Crane tilt beginning in five minutes.

8:54 pm: With 6 minutes to go in the third quarter, Ichabod leads Broadalbin 23-15.
CBA nudged Guilderland by a point down at the former Knickerbocker Arena and according to the PA announcer here, Colonie leads Maginn 31-21 at the half.

9:55 pm: BP snapped Ichabod Crane's 21-game win streak and will face off against the Indians on Saturday at 7:15 pm at the Civic Center. The Patriots hit some clutch shots down the end - Dan Schultz led the way with 17 points. Defense, however, was the key. The Riders did not score in the overtime period.

More basketball tomorrow, as I'll see the A semifinal games. BH-BL plays Bishop Gibbons at 7, followed by Mohonasen-Albany Academy at 8:30.

Looks like it's another CBA-Maginn final in Albany on Monday night.


--Will Montgomery

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