Christian Brothers Academy's Andy Stire (left) and Kameron Ritter will lead the Brothers into a Big 10 battle against Bishop Maginn on Friday night. The Griffins have won 33 consecutive league games and are the defending state champions. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record)

Stire is the only player on the current CBA roster who has experienced a victory over Bishop Maginn and the No. 18 ranked Brothers are looking for their first in over two years (including two postseason games). Look for the full story on Stire and Ritter and a preview of the big game in Friday's edition of The Record.

The CBA-Maginn showdown will go a long way in determing who takes the Big 10 title and after a number of crucial games between first and second place teams on Tuesday and Wednesday and a handful of upsets, let's revist the magic number scenarios for the local basketball conferences.
Remember, the magic number equals any combination of a first place team's victories and second place team losses.

Boys Basketball
Big 10

B. Maginn (AA, 17) (11-0, 12-3)
C.B.A. (AA, 18) (12-1, 14-2)
B. Gibbons (7-4, 10-5)
Schenectady (7-5, 9-7)
Albany (5-7, 6-9)
Troy (4-9, 5-12)
Amsterdam (3-9, 5-11)
La Salle (3-9, 5-11)
Catholic Central (2-10, 3-13)

Bishop Maginn's magic number: 5
A victory over CBA on Friday would leave the Griffins much closer to their second consecutive Big 10 title, but a Brothers victory would put the teams in a two-way first place tie.
Due to snowdays, the Griffins have a few games at hand should they need to catch up. Troy plays at Maginn on the 17th to close out the Big 10 schedule.

Suburban Council

North Division

Shenendehowa (AA, 20) (11-1, 15-1)
Saratoga Springs (7-5, 10-6)
Shaker (7-6, 8-9)
Burnt Hills (7-6, 9-8)
Niskayuna (3-10, 4-13)
Ballston Spa (1-12, 3-13)

South Division

Guilderland (9-3, 11-5)
Mohonasen (9-3, 11-5)
Colonie (8-4, 10-6)
Columbia (6-8, 10-8)
Bethlehem (5-7, 5-11)
Averill Park (2-10, 3-13)

Shenendehowa's magic number: 1
South Division: Two-way tie with four games to play
The Plainsmen sealed their destiny in the North Division with a victory over archrival Saratoga Springs on Tuesday night. Any combination of a single Shen victory or a single Saratoga loss down the stretch clinches the title for Shen. Should Saratoga win out and Shen lose their final four, the teams would finish tied.
In the South Division, Mohonasen forced a first place tie with a victory over Guilderland on Tuesday. But who has the edge in the final four games? Mohonasen.
Guilderland closes out with Shaker (away), Columbia (home), Bethlehem (away) and Shenendehowa (home). Combined Suburban Council records: 29-21.
Mohonasen finishes with Ballston Spa (away), Colonie (away), Averill Park (home), Saratoga (home). Combined Suburban Council records: 18-31.
Mohon should win all of those games although the Colonie game on the road will be very hard and although the Blue Streaks are slipping, with Jordan Stevens, they are always dangerous. Guilderland, on the other hand, could easily be challenged by Shaker, Columbia and/or Bethlehem and they'll have to beat the best of the best in the final game to stick with the Warriors.

Colonial Council

Lansingburgh (10-1, 13-4)
Voorheesville (9-1, 11-5)
Cohoes (8-4, 10-7)
Watervliet (8-5, 10-8)
Mechanicville (4-7, 5-12)
Cobleskill (3-8, 3-14)
Ravena (2-9, 2-13)
Schalmont (1-10, 1-15)

Lansingburgh's magic number: 4
The Knights edged a little closer to their goal with a victory on Tuesday, but the Blackbirds are still hanging around. Voorheesville still has to play a Watervliet team on the way up and Lansingburgh will face a tough-minded Cohoes team on the 17th in a makeup game.
The way these teams have been playing, however, it looks like the Colonial is bound for a first-place tie.

Wasaren League

Hoosick Falls (C, 8) (8-2, 12-3)
Granville (8-3, 14-3)
Tamarac (8-3, 14-3)
Stillwater (7-4, 10-7)
Hoosic Valley (5-6, 11-6)
Schuylerville (4-6, 7-9)
Greenwich (2-9, 8-10)
Cambridge (1-10, 2-15)

Hoosick Falls' magic number: 4
The Panthers failed to gain any ground on Tuesday, losing to Schuylerville and watching Granville and Tamarac win, to creep within a single game. Hoosick Falls head coach Mike Lilac Jr. told me not long ago he wouldn't be surpirsed if the league leader at the end of the season had three losses and he just may be right.
Hoosick Falls has three games at home out of their final four and they'll have to hike to Greenwich.
Granville has to play Hoosic Valley, Tamarac and Schuylerville to close out their schedule and none of those games are gimmees.
Tamarac closes with Stillwater, Granville and Hoosic Valley.
Since Tamarac and Granville play at Granville next Wednesday, a three-way tie is very unlikely, but if one of them wins out and Hoosick Falls goes 3-1, there would be a tie. The Wasaren is still wide-open.

Patroon Conference

Maple Hill (C, 2) (14-1, 16-1)
Ichabod Crane (12-2, 12-4)
Rensselaer (11-4, 12-5)
Hudson (9-6, 10-7)
Cairo-Durham (8-6, 10-6)
Chatham (8-7, 10-7)
Catskill (6-9, 7-10)
Greenville (5-10, 6-11)
Coxsackie (1-14, 1-16)
Taconic Hills (0-15, 1-16)

Maple Hill's magic number: 3
The Wildcats failed to gain any ground on Tuesday night, losing to Greenville as Ichabod Crane hung tight with a win over Catskill.
Maple Hill still needs any combination of their victories or Ichabod losses to add up to three to clinch the conference title. The Riders travel to upset-minded Greenville next Tuesday while Maple Hill plays two of its final three on the road.

CHVL

Heatly (11-2, 13-4)
Germantown (11-3, 14-4)
Loudonville Christian (10-3, 11-6)
Berlin (9-4, 9-8)
Waterford (8-5, 9-8)
New Lebanon (5-7, 5-9)
Hawthorne Valley (5-10, 5-10)
Doane Stuart (2-11, 3-12)
Berkshire (0-16, 0-19)

Heatly's magic number: 3
The Hornets still have the inside track on the CHVL championship and the odds say they should defeat Doane Stuart, Hawthorne Valley and New Lebanon to close out the season. The last two games, however, are on the road before Berlin comes to Green Island for the season finale on Feb 13.
Berkshire forfitted all remaining league games and will finish the season 0-19.
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Girls basketball

Big 10

Schenectady (8-2, 15-3)
Albany (6-3, 9-7)
B. Maginn (6-3, 8-6)
Amsterdam (5-3, 8-7)
Catholic Central (5-4, 10-6)
Troy (1-8, 6-11)
B. Gibbons (0-8, 1-14)

Schenectady's magic number: 2
Things got a lot more interesting in the Big 10 when Schenectady dropped its second consecutive game on Tuesday night.
Still, any combination of a Schenectady victory and losses by Albany and Bishop Maginn would lock up the title for the Lady Patriots.

Suburban Council

North Division

Shen (AA, 19) (11-2, 13-4)
Niskayuna (8-4, 11-5)
Saratoga Springs (5-7, 7-9)
Shaker (5-8, 6-11)
Ballston Spa (2-10, 4-12)
Burnt Hills (1-11, 2-14)

South Division

Mohonasen (A, 7) (10-2, 14-2)
Averill Park (A, 19) (9-4, 13-4)
Bethlehem (9-4, 11-6)
Colonie (6-6, 8-8)
Columbia (5-8, 7-10)
Guilderland (4-9, 8-9)

Shenendehowa's magic number: 2
Mohonasen's magic number: 3
The Lady Plainsmen are well on their way to a North Division title and their defense-first approach certainly has them as favorites to appear in the Section II Class AA final yet again.
A Shenendehowa victory over Averill Park and a Niskayuna defeat at the hands of Colonie would lock up the division for the Lady Plainsmen.
The South Division, however, is looking more and more like it will go to Mohonasen. The Warriors still have to play Averill Park, who could climb right back into the race next Thursday assuming they can hang a game behind.

Colonial Council

Holy Names (A, 3) (14-0, 16-0)
Lansingburgh (12-3, 12-5)
Voorheesville (C, 19) (12-3, 13-4)
Watervliet (10-5, 12-5)
Cohoes (7-8, 8-9)
Cobleskill (6-9, 8-9)
Mechanicville (4-10, 6-10)
Albany Acad. for Girls (3-11, 4-13)
Ravena (3-11, 3-13)
Schalmont (2-13, 3-14)

Holy Names' magic number: 2
Holy Names needs only a single victory and losses by both Lansingburgh and Voorheesville to take outright control of the league title.
They'll have their hands full finishing with Cohoes, Lansingburgh and Watervliet to close out the season.

Wasaren League

Hoosic Valley (C, 6) (10-1, 16-1)
Stillwater (C, 10) (9-2, 12-4)
Schuylerville (7-4, 10-7)
Greenwich (6-5, 12-5)
Tamarac (6-5, 9-7)
Cambridge (3-8, 7-10)
Hoosick Falls (2-9, 4-11)
Granville (1-10, 6-11)

Hoosic Valley magic number: 3
The Indians took control of their destiny with a victory at Stillwater on Tuesday and it looks like Hoosic Valley is on pace for yet another Wasaren League title.
Stillwater, though, proved itself in a close game and might well run into Hoosic Valley again in the Class CC bracket.

Patroon Conference

Maple Hill (C, 3) (14-0, 17-1)
Catskill (12-2, 14-4)
Greenville (10-4, 12-5)
Rensselaer (8-5, 11-6)
Hudson (5-7, 7-8)
Coxsackie (5-8, 9-8)
Taconic Hills (4-10, 5-11)
Cairo- Durham (3-12, 5-14)
Chatham (0-13, 0-16)

Maple Hill's magic number: 1
The Wildcats could clinch another Patroon Conference title with a victory over Chatham on Thursday night and a Catskill loss against Taconic Hills. Should both teams win, Maple Hill could put it away with a win over Catskill at home on Wednesday night. The Wildcats blew out the plain old regular Cats by 30 points in the first meeting in Catskill.
Friday update: Both Maple Hill and Catskill won on Thursday, meaning the Wildcats can clinch the division with a victory over Catskill on Wednesday. Should Catskill win that game, any other Maple Hill victory or Catskill loss down the stretch clinches the Patroon title for Maple Hill.

CHVL

Germantown (D, 2) (14-0, 18-0)
Berlin (11-1, 12-2)
Emma Willard (8-2, 8-4)
Heatly (7-6, 8-9)
Waterford (7-6, 7-9)
New Lebanon (4-7, 6-10)
Doane Stuart (2-11, 2-12)
Loudonville Christian (1-10, 2-13)
Hawthorne Valley (0-11, 0-11)

Germantown's magic number: 2
Berlin's loss to Emma Willard on Tuesday puts the Clippers one day away from a CHVL title.
Berlin travels to Germantown on Monday and should the Clippers win, the title is theirs. But, should Berlin win, the teams play again on Friday night in another do-or-die game.