Nikki Emery-Hilton (44), Maureen Holohan (25) and Marcell Harrison (32) celebrate as the finals seconds tick off the clock in the 1989 Section II Class A final played at Colonie High School. (Record file photo).

As part of our week-long look back at the history of high school basketball in the Collar City, our Andrew Santillo caught up with a trio of Troy High stars from the late 1980s and early '90s.

In 1989, Troy High's girls basketball team won a state title and may have won it again in 1990 had Holohan not injured her knee during her senior season.

For the full story, click here.

Maureen Holohan (pictured, with ball) went on to become a college star at Northwestern University. Hilton-Emery and Harrison, who are cousins, went on to play at George Mason University.

Some of the most interesting information in the story was the fact that 1,000 people had to be turned away at the door when Troy met Shenendehowa in the Class A final at Colonie High School in 1989. The next year, the rematch was moved to the Glens Falls Civic Center, the first time a Section II girls basketball championship game was not played at a high school site. Some 5,000 fans watched the rematch in Glens Falls.

The trio will be inducted into the Capital Region Basketball Hall of Fame together Sunday night in a ceremony at the Crown Plaza in Albany. This second year of the Hall of Fame is focusing on recognizing the girls game in the area, something the Troy High trio are proud to be a part of.

“I think it’s great that they are celebrating the women who changed the game for the area,” Holohan said. “I’m honored to be considered in that group.”

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With the second annual Capital Region Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies coming up Sunday night, we here at The Record have been chasing down some of the Collar City's finest cagers to illustrate Troy's illustrious basketball history.

Sunday, Record sports editor Kevin Moran caught up with former Catholic Central High School head coach Don Bassett, who won over 300 games and turned the CCHS program into a dynasty on the east coast. His team regularly played in front of capacity crowds in gyms such as the Washington Avenue Armory, as in the picture below. To read the story on Bassett, click here.
To read quips and anecdotes from some of his former players, click here.
In Thursday's paper, we looked at the 1964-65 Troy High team, which is widely regarded as being the top team ever to play in the Capital Region.

The Troy High 1964-65 basketball team finished 22-0 and ranked No. 1 in the nation. The team, to this day, is considered the best to ever compete in the Capital District.
Front Row: Perry Ashley, Joe Cohen, A. Wilson, Neil Dembo.
Second Row: Hubert Terry, R. Pompey, Jerry Guter, Luther Rackley, K. Holmstead, Roosevelt Phillips, Bobby Wood.

All these years later, however, the Hall of Fame committee has had a hard time tracking down former members of the team. Hence, they have yet to be inducted into the hall, although they're certainly deserving.

To read the whole story on the '64-65 team, click here.

New York City's Power Memorial team, which featured a young Lew Alcindor, also finished the '64-65 season 22-0. The teams were set to meet, but the New York State Athletic Association, which allowed just 22 games to be played, canceled the contest.

Luther Rackley, a 6-foot-10 center, went on to play at Xavier and later in the NBA. He turned down an invitation to be inducted into the hall last year.

The whereabouts of some of the other members of the team are still unknown.

Mechanicville native Julie McBride, who went on to star at Syracuse University and later in the WNBA, is now a star overseas in Turkey. Here, she posed for the cover of a Turkish basketball magazine. (Photos provided).

Our Chris Fitz Gerald caught up with Julie McBride for a story that also run in Thursday's paper. To read the whole piece, click here.

She has had her number retired at Catholic Central and in a poll by Sports Illustrated, was named Syracuse University's No. 9 all-time athlete.

Julie McBride pushes the ball up court to avoid a double team while competing in a pro league in Turkey.

She spends eight months of every year playing in Turkey, but returns home in the summers and runs a basketball camp at CCHS.

“I love going over there,” McBride said. “Basketball is who I am and that’s what I do and I love getting paid for it. I go over there for eight months (October to May) and then come home to my family. I love playing and I want to keep going.”

The 27-year old recently signed a two-year contract to continue playing in Turkey.

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Check back later this week as we'll have more on the hall class, including stories on former CCHS player Rod Owens and the Troy High trio of girls, Maureen Holohan, Nikki Hilton and Marcell Harrison.

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The parking lot behind Siena College's Alumni Recreation Center told the story of the sixth annual GymRat Challenge girls AAU basketball tournament Saturday afternoon. Cars with license plates from around the country packed the spaces, as some of the best players in the country hoped to catch the eye of the many coaches on hand.

Women's college basketball coaches were out in force at the first day of competition in the sixth annual GymRat Challenge held at Siena College and the University at Albany Saturday afternoon. Action continues Sunday at both locations. (First three photos by Mike McMahon - The Record).

It was a beautiful day to be outside Saturday, but 1,750 girls decided to spend the day indoors, competing against each other in the sixth annual GymRat Challenge at Siena College and the University at Albany.

Pool play wraps up Sunday morning and championship round action begins early Sunday afternoon. Tickets are still available. Admission is $10 at the door.

Greenwich native Dani DeGregory, of the Albany City Rocks, looks to make a pass during Saturday's game against the Central Jersey Cardinals. Albany won, 60-41.

A number of local teams were in action Saturday, including the Albany Capitals and the Saratoga Sparks. I decided, however, to catch up with two local small-school stars, Dani DeGregory and Katie Roth, who play for the Albany City Rocks.

Playing in the Wasaren League and Patroon Conference, respectively, they don't get the caliber of competition day-in and day-out during their high school regular seasons that they need to prove their worth to Division I college coaches.

AAU tournaments provide them that opportunity.

"It’s good to play here (with the City Rocks) because it’s really where you’re going to get better over the summer and take things back to high school," Roth said. "I wouldn’t say one is more important than the other, though. Here, you’re getting looked at by college coaches. But high school is representing where you go to school and where you come from. I enjoy playing with both and I like everyone on both teams."

Spectators were scattered among the seven courts seeing action Saturday at Siena College, but unlike most high school basketball games, the atmosphere was subdued.

"The Wasaren League is really competitive and the game Katie and I played against each other in was really intense," DeGregory said. "Everything we play here is equally intense. I like playing with both teams. Both teams are awesome to play with. Getting looks from college is great, but high school is really important, too."

The Saratoga Sparks' 16-and-under team, featuring Cohoes High School star Bailei Tetrault (right, with ball) was among the 156 squads in action Saturday. 1,750 players are involved in the event.

Although DeGregory and Roth both list basketball as their favorite sport, they're both three-sport athletes in high school.

Roth plays volleyball and throws the shot put and discus for the Maple Hill track and field team.

DeGregory plays field hockey and softball for the Witches.

We'll have more on the supposed decline of the three-sport athlete ( I think these two athletes are a great example of how that trend is not going out of style, even with their basketball specialization) when our Ben Franklin Project is published on July 4th.

Greenwich High School sophomore Dani DeGregory is hoping that a stint with the Albany City Rocks this summer will increase her exposure among college coaches.

DeGergory and Roth squared off when their teams met on March 8 in the Section II Class CC/C playoff. (Click here to read about that game in the archive).

The gym at Adirondack Community College was packed that day with fans and fellow students, who carried signs and banners and screamed at the top of their lungs. The action at Siena on Saturday was much more subdued...a bit of polite applause here and there...but the intensity on the court was just the same for the players.

"I guess the intensity is always pretty high," DeGregory said. "Out here, you’re looking for college coaches, but in high school, it’s the same thing. Here, you get more exposed so you definitely want to play as hard as you can every day."

And for small-school players like Roth and DeGregory, AAU basketball offers them an opportunity they just could not get playing for their high school teams.

Maple Hill High School junior Katie Roth recently made a verbal commitment to the University of Hartford, an opportunity she attributed to her time with the City Rocks the past two years.

For some video highlights and more quotes, click on the video below.

The Albany Capitals' 16-and-under team, featuring Holy Names' Sarah Agan (right, with ball), won the 15-and-under title a season ago. Over 100 local players will be competing in the two-day event.

For the full story, be sure to check out Sunday's edition of The Record.

We'll also have a big story on former Catholic Central High School boys basketball coach Don Bassett and more on this year's class in the Capital District Basketball Hall of Fame.

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Katie Roth (40), seen here competing in the New York State Class C Final Four this March at Hudson Valley Community College, a University of Hartford-bound junior at Maple Hill High School, will be competing with the Albany City Rocks in this weekend's GymRat Challenge. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Steve Amedio, the Director of Communications for the GymRat Challenge, has passed along the following notes and rosters in advance of this weekend's tournament in the Albany area. Plenty of local high school basketball stars will be taking the court this weekend. For rosters and schedules, scroll to the bottom of this post.

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This year's girls GymRat Challenge tournament brings 156 teams, over 100 local players, 1750 total players from 11 states and Canada and thousands of spectators to the area for games at Siena College and the University at Albany.

WHAT: The largest girls’ AAU basketball tournament on the East Coast.
WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, June 19 and 20.
TIME: Saturday: games continuous from 8 a.m. through 11 p.m.; Sunday from 8 a.m. until the conclusion of championship games at 7:30, 8 and 8:20 p.m.
WHERE: Siena College and the University at Albany.

A local team, the Albany Capitals, won the 15-under division last year and most of its players will be back to try to win another title at the 16-under division, the highest age bracket. Champions will be determined at the 16-under (mostly current high school juniors), 15-under and 14-under age divisions.

Among the Capitals’ players competing this year are Siena-bound Tehresa Coles of Colonie High School and Catholic Central’s Taliah Pounds, last season’s Most Valuable GymRat at the 15-under division.

Also among a strong contingent of local standouts is Maple Hill’s 6-foot-2 center Katie Roth, who has given a verbal commitment to play at 2009-10 America East champion Hartford next season. Close to a dozen local players who will play here this weekend are being recruited by some level of Division I college teams.

This is the event’s sixth year, and while its longevity doesn’t match its boys’ tournament counterpart, its list of standout players who have appeared in the GymRat is extremely impressive.

Included is Epiphany Prince, who played in the first two years of the GymRat and, recently, was the No. 4 pick overall in April’s WNBA draft.

Last year’s tournament brought Syracuse’s Breanna Stewart to the area. She is currently rated the No. 1 player nationally in the high school class of 2012. Another standout who is scheduled to return for her third straight year in the GymRat is Betnijah Laney of Philadelphia, the No. 12-rated player in the class of 2011 nationally.

Graduates of last year’s event have moved on to join a number of major college programs including UConn, Boston College, Virginia, Ohio State, Maryland, Syracuse, Virginia Tech Providence and Vanderbilt. Past participants can be found at high-major level college teams from every conference nationally.

The majority of players who have appeared here in the past have gone on to play at some level of college competition.

This year players will come to the Capital Region from 11 states and Canada for what has become the largest girls’ tournament in the east, and one of the nation’s premier showcases for young basketball talent.

Admission is $10 per day, or $15 for both games and covers all games at all sites. In all, 280 games will be played. Reasonably priced concessions and event-related wearing apparel will also be available for purchase.

Teams will play a minimum of three contests with teams competing in the championship game getting up to seven games over the two days.

Here’s a list of local teams with rosters and preliminary round game times participating in this year’s event, along with the game times of their preliminary round games:

16-under division

ALBANY CAPITALS 16N
Game Times: Saturday 12:20 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 9 p.m., all at Siena.
Roster: Tehresa Coles, Colonie; Taliah Pounds, CCHS; Shannon Allen, Warwick; Sarah Agan, Holy Names; Lea McClain, Mohonasen; Jaci Hinchey, Onteora; Hillary Kollar, Johnston; Emily Kirby, Bethlehem Central; Amanda Batzold, Columbia; Allie Setter, Shenendehowa; Alexi Howland, CCHS.

ALBANY CAPITALS/Dart
Game Times: Saturday 10:10 a.m, 7:55 p.m.; Sunday 9:05 a.m., all at Siena.
Roster: Alexis Alteri, Colonie; Angelica Smith, Shaker; Catherine Howe, Waterford; Christina Alley, Shaker; Clara Alison, Albany; Molly O’Bryan, Averill Park; Monica Chappodi, Guilderland; Tessa Baker, Mechanicville; Tori Coronanto, Colonie; Whitney Ballou, Albany.

ALBANY CITY ROCKS
Game Times: Saturday 12:20 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 9 p.m., all at Siena
Roster: Katie Roth, Maple Hill, Janae Lyde, Bishop Maginn, Dani DeGreory, Greenwich, Arriell Mussi, Liverpool, Briana Kiessel, Utica Proctor, Coriesha Hickey, Corcoran, Donnaisha Fountain, New Charter School, Khadejah Ellison, John S. Burke H.S.; Sarah Longto, Kingston; Tianna Johnson, Brockton H.S.

SARATOGA SPARKS
Game times: Saturday 1:25 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 10:05 p.m., all at Siena.
Roster: Alexis Perryman, Queensbury; Ashley McCaughan, Niskayuna; Bailie Tetrault, Cohoes; Danielle Beauchamp, Cohoes; Danielle Conley, Scotia; Haley VanOrman, Arlington; Kalie Sanboeuf, Scotia; Kelly Mahar, Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake; Maggie Smith, Shenendehowa; Mallory Dickson, Shaker; Mandi Edick, Shenendehowa; Megan Rogers, Shenendehowa; Taylor Whyte, Ballston Spa.

15-under division

Albany Capitals/DiBacco
Game times: Saturday 10:10 a.m., 7:55 p.m. at UAlbany; Sunday 9:05 a.m., UAlbany.
Roster: Ashley Loggins, Colonie, Brooke O’Shea, Averill Park; Bridget Carney, Averill Park; Jennifer Cillis, Voorheesville; Hannah Kutny, CCHS; Sarah Madden, Voorheesville; Geena Gallo, Ballston Spa; Cristal Benton, Guilderland; Molly Lauver, Cambridge; Allie Olsen, Bethlehem Central; Sarah Jenson, Scotia; Bernie Jordan, Holy Names.

Albany Capitals/Matthews
Game Times: Saturday 12:20 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 9 p.m., all at UAlbany.
Rosters: Courtney Donlon, CCHS; Julie Mia, Averill Park; Emily Blow, Voorheesville; Heather Lewis, Saratoga; Kelly VanEpps, Guilderland; Kolbie Robinson, Colonie; Megan Matthews, Saratoga; Amanda Kernozek, Guilderland; Monica Compton, Schenectady Christian; Allie Smith, Columbia; Amber Maiello, Mechanicville; Samanta Tornack, Duanesburg.

Saratoga Sparks
Game times: Saturday 1:25 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 10:05 p.m.
Roster: Lauren Woods, Shaker; Emily Weber, Shenendehowa; Erica Vallacorsa, Shaker; Brehanda Stratton, Albany; Mary Kate Cusack, Shenendehowa; Laura Kipper, Colonie; Ali Lewis, Shenendehowa; Mackenzie Rowland Shaker; Kylie Small, Holy Names, Christina Spicer, Holy Names.

14-under division

Albany Capitals
Game Times: Saturday 9:05 a.m., 3:35 p.m. at UAlbany; Sunday 10:10 a.m. at UAlbany.
Roster: Bridget Murphy, Bethlehem Central; Mary Kate Murray, Holy Names; Mikayla Farrara, Mt. Anthony; Emily Sischo, Guilderland; Mikayla Deguire, CCHS; Brinkley Leagacy, Mt. Anthony; Anna Feller, Voorheesville; Kate Goodell, Mt. Anthony; Jacquelyn Miller, Argyle; Faith Welch, CCHS; Allison Nunziato, Averill Park.

East Side Hoop Stars
Game times: Saturday 10:10 a.m., 7:55 p.m. at UAlbany; Sunday 9:05 a.m. at UAlbany.
Roster: Morgan Rush, Averill Park; Megan Crock, Columbia; Claire Everitt, Averill Park; Anna Bryce, Albany Academy for Girls; Jenna Horton, Averill Park; Maria Holland, Averill Park; Christine Roy, Averill Park; Maddie DiNardo, Columbia; Eden Zeller, Averill Park.

Saratoga Sparks
Game Times: Saturday 1:25 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 10:05 p.m. all at UAlbany.
Roster: Kelsey Colwell, Mohonasen; Katherine Small, Holy Names; Madison Rowland, Shaker; Sydnie Rosales, Colonie; Allyssia Marsol, Shenendehowa; Ailayia Demond, Watervliet; Sidney Hansen, Ballston Spa; Cassie Broadhead, Scotia; Alix Gleason, Shenendehowa; Lashana Tolliver, Watervliet.

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Maple Hill High School's 6-foot-2 junior center Katie Roth has given her verbal commitment to Coach Jen Rizzotti to play for the University of Hartford beginning in the 2011-2012 season. She will make stops in Albany every year, as the Hawks compete in the America East Conference with the University at Albany's Great Danes. Roth chose Hartford over Fordham, Siena and Marist.

Mark Bubniak, Maple Hill's girls basketball coach and athletic director, confirmed the news.

(Photos by Tom Killips - The Record)

During the 2009-10 regular season, the Patroon Conference’s MVP carried the Maple Hill High girls basketball team farther than it had ever advanced before – the New York State Class C Final Four. Roth, who averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and four blocks per game, was a second team All-State selection. Maple Hill was ranked No. 1 in the state for much of the 2009-10 season. The Wildcats have won 64 consecutive games in Patroon Conference play.

Roth is also an accomplished track and field athlete and hopes to earn a trip to the New York State meet in the discus toss this spring.

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Bethlehem High School junior Jaci Oskam has given her verbal commitment to play college basketball at Quinnipiac University of the Northeast Conference.

Oskam chose Quinnipiac over schools such as Old Dominion, Sacred Heart and Princeton. Oskam is a four-year varsity basketball player at Bethlehem and has also spent seven years with the Albany Capitals AAU squad.

She has played four seasons of varsity volleyball and won a pair of Section II titles.

Oskam joins fellow Suburban Council star Tehresa Coles in making a decision to play Division I basketball this week. Yesterday, Coles made her verbal agreement to play at Siena College.

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South Colonie junior Tehresa Coles, seen here playing in a game against Shenendehowa in 2008, has made a verbal agreement to continue her career at Siena College beginning in the fall of 2011. (Photo by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Tehresa Coles had always had the label of being a Division I talent and she made that a reality Sunday night, making a verbal agreement to play for the Siena College Saints following her senior season at Colonie in 2010-11.

Colonie head coach Heather Fiore, who played her college basketball in the MAAC at Canisius in the late 1990s, confirmed the news.

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The Facebook page for the Albany City Rocks posted the news today that Nolan Hart will be attending Syracuse University this fall.

Presumably, he'll be trying to walk on to the basketball team there, according to this Scout.com profile.

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CBA's Kameron Ritter will be playing at St. Francis (Pa.) next season.

Lansingburgh's Tyler Hammett will be playing prep school ball for a year, hoping to sign with a D-I school the year after that.

Averill Park's Katie Duma will be playing at Holy Family in Pennsylvania, Catholic Central's Maria Foglia will play at Hartwick and Waterford's Jackie Sorensen will play at SUNY-Plattsburgh next season as well.

Where will other Section II basketball stars be playing in college? Let me know of anyone I forgot in the comments.

Player of the Year: Katie Duma

School: Averill Park Class: Senior Position: Guard/Forward Height: 5-foot-11

Notable: Not only was Duma the best player in the Capital Region this season, she was the best in the entire State of New York, at least in Class A. After averaging 16.5 points per game and leading the Lady Warriors to a Class A Federation Tournament of Champions title, she was named the Empire State’s Class A Player of the Year by the New York State Sportswriters Association.

Duma, the Suburban Council’s Most Valuable Player, finished her excellent high school career with 1,537 points, which is the 33rd highest total in Section II girls basketball history. A five-year varsity player at Averill Park, Duma will compete at Holy Family University, a Division II school near Philadelphia, Pa.Averill Park girls’ basketball program had never won state title before and it was the first state or Federation title in school history in a sport other than cross country.

Coach of The Year: Sean Organ

School: Averill Park
Notable: On the eve of winning a Federation Tournament of Champions title, Organ said it felt like he was living "a real-life Hoosiers." But unlike the team in the popular basketball film, Organ’s squad was a front-running favorite all season long which proved its worth in the postseason.
Averill Park, a Class A school playing in the predominantly Class AA Suburban Council, had the target on its back all season and responded well to the pressure. The team’s only defeat came in the regular season finale by a single point to Colonie. Organ, a 32-year-old former College of Saint Rose star, rallied the team in the playoffs, often without a proper scouting report on the out-of-area teams.The Lady Warriors won nine straight games in win-or-go-home situations – traveling to Syracuse, Potsdam, Troy and Glens Falls along the way – en route to Section II’s first Federation title since Colonie did it in 2001.Organ was named the 2010 Class A Coach of the Year by the New York State Sportswriters Association.

The Record’s 2009-10 All-Area girls basketball team
First Team

Brittany O’Shea

School: Averill Park Height: 5-foot-8 Class: Senior Position: Point Guard

Notable: Brittany certainly wasn’t the first O’Shea to star on the basketball court at Averill Park and she won’t be the last, but she did lead the Lady Warriors to uncharted territory in 2010 as Averill Park won its first state and Federation titles in school history. The middle child of five basketball-playing siblings, O’Shea will be followed by Brooke (a junior next season) and Caitlin, a rising eighth grader. Meghan O’Shea just finished her senior year at St. Michael’s and Gerard plays at Skidmore. Brittany O’Shea was a third-team All-State selection and a first team Suburban Council All-Star, besides being Averill Park’s emotional leader on the floor.

Dani DeGregory

School: Greenwich Height: 5-foot-4 Class: Sophomore Position: Guard

Notable: One of Section II’s top small school scorers, DeGregory, who averaged 20.5 points a game for the Witches, could play in any conference in the area. She added just about five rebounds, steals and assists per game as well. DeGregory carried Greenwich to a Section II Class C championship – Greenwich’s first since 1999-00 - after winning the Wasaren League regular season title. Greenwich fell to Maple Hill in the CC/C playoff game. A third-team All-State pick, DeGregory is 51 points away from 1,000 for her career. She won Wasaren League MVP honors for her regular season performance.

Tehresa Coles

School: Colonie Height: 5-foot-10 Class: Junior Position: Guard

Notable: Coles enjoyed a fine individual season for Colonie, averaging 14.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. She also contributed nearly five steals and just over three assists per game. Coles earned first team All-Suburban Council honors and was a third-team All-State selection. She is considered one of the area’s best potential Division I talents.

Kierra Moore

School: Holy Names Height: 5-foot-8 Class: Senior Position: Forward

Notable: Moore was hampered by a late--season knee injury that held her out of the postseason, but she guided Holy Names to a second consecutive undefeated season in Colonial Council play. She averaged 13.5 points per game for a Holy Names team that finished the season ranked No. 11 among Class A teams in the state. Moore has signed her letter of intent to play at Saint Anselm College, a Division II school in the Northeast-10 Conference. A sixth team All-State selection, Moore was named the Colonial Council’s 2009-10 MVP.

Katie Roth

School: Maple Hill Height: 6-foot-2 Class: Junior Position: Center

Notable: The Patroon Conference’s MVP carried the Maple Hill High girls basketball team farther than it had ever advanced before – the New York State Class C Final Four. Roth, who averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and four blocks per game, was a second team All-State selection. Maple Hill was ranked No. 1 in the state for much of the 2009-10 season. The Wildcats have won 64 consecutive games in Patroon Conference play. Although she still has a year of AAU basketball to play and one more season left with the Wildcats, Roth is drawing the attention of Division I coaches.

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Player of the Year
Name, School, Class, Pos., Ppg.
Katie Duma, Averill Park. Sr., G/F, 16.5

First Team
Brittany O’Shea, Averill Park, Sr., PG, 6.6
Dani DeGregory, Greenwich, Soph., G, 20.5
Tehresa Coles, Colonie, Jr., G, 14.4
Kierra Moore, Holy Names, Sr., F, 13.5
Katie Roth, Maple Hill, Sr., C, 18.5

Second Team
Ailayia Demand, Watervliet, Frosh., PG, 10.7
Michaela Ottati, Averill Park. Sr, SG, 9.7
Maria Foglia, Catholic Central, Sr., F, 12.6
Allie Setter, Shenendehowa, Jr., F, 9.8
Sarah Agan, Holy Names, Jr., C, 10.0

Third Team
Casi Chapko, Hoosic Valley, Frosh., SG, 11.3
Jackie Murphy, Holy Names, Sr, PG, 10.1
Nicole Manupella, Mechanicville, Jr., G, 8.4
Abbey Hanehan, Stillwater, Sr., F, 17.5
Lauren Woods, Shaker, Soph., C, 9.8

Honorable Mention
Breahanda Stratton, 8th, Fern Beetle-Moorcroft, Sr., and Emia Willingham-Hurst, Frosh., Albany Jill Verde, Sr., and Amanda Cioffi, Sr., Albany Academy for Girls Brooke O’Shea, Soph., Averill Park Janae Lyde, Jr., and QuiEssence Price, Sr., Bishop Maginn Jaci Oskam, Jr., Bethlehem Alexi Howland, Jr., and Taliah Pounds, Jr., Catholic Central Bailei Tetrault, Jr., Cohoes Emily Eddy, Sr., Greenwich Melissa Heffern, Soph., Stasha Cuzdey, Jr., Heatly Ariana Youngs, Sr., Lansingburgh Jessica Dailey, Sr., and Kristen DerGurahian, Sr., Maple Hill Kayla Crawford, Sr., Saratoga Springs Erica Houle, Sr., and MacKenzie Rowland, Soph., Shaker Marissa Ray, Sr., Emily Weber, Soph., Shenendehowa Zysnia Osepa, Sr., Tamarac Elizabeth Madden, Sr., Voorheesville Jackie Sorensen, Sr., Waterford-Halfmoon Tierney McGlynn, Sr., Watervliet.

Ailayia Demand

School: Watervliet Height: 5-3 Class: Freshman Position: Point Guard

2009-10 Accomplishments: In her second year on the varsity team, Demand carried the load for Watervliet’s offense, leading the team with 10.7 points per game. The Cannoneers finished four games behind first place Holy Names in the Colonial Council standings but rode the postseason wave all the way to the New York State Class B Final Four. Demand was named a third team All-State Class B player by the New York State Sportswriters Association. She was a second team Colonial Council All-Star.
Favorite moment of the season: "It was probably winning the championship because we were expected to win it and be good again."

Ariana Youngs

School: Lansingburgh Height: 5-6 Class: Senior Position: Shooting Guard

2009-10 Accomplishments: Youngs, making her second straight appearance on The Record’s All-City first team, broke the 1,000-point barrier for her career in January. Her older sister, Sheena Harrington, also scored 1,000 career points at Lansingburgh. Youngs averaged 14.1 points per game against double teams nearly every night and guided the Lady Knights to a tie for fourth place in the Colonial Council standings with Cohoes. A member of the Colonial Council’s first team All-Stars this season, Youngs was the league MVP as a junior after the 2008-09 campaign. The Lansingburgh MVP this season, Youngs is an honor roll student who is still undecided on her college choice.

Favorite moment of the season: "Scoring my 1,000th point. Not everybody does it, so I can say I reached it."

Jackie Sorensen

School: Waterford-Halfmoon Height: 5-4 Class: Senior Position: Combo Guard

2009-10 Accomplishments: Sorensen was Section II’s scoring leader – she averaged 21.2 points per game in 2009-10 – and she also kept the Lady Fordians in the thick of the race for first place in the Central Hudson Valley League all season long. Waterford finished 16-3 overall and one game behind Germantown in the CHVL. A prolific scorer, Sorensen holds the Waterford scoring records in basketball and soccer (75 goals, tied for first place with her older sister), where she was the 2009 CHVL MVP. She broke the 1,000-point mark as a junior and finished her career with more points (1,482) than any basketball player – boys or girls – in school history. She was a seventh team Class C All-State selection. Sorensen will play college basketball at SUNY-Plattsburgh.
Favorite moment of the season: "It was beating Heatly at home. We played them the first time and we lost. Then, when we played them at home, we were winning and they came back and we thought we were going to lose, but we ended up winning in overtime."

Bailei Tetrault

School: Cohoes Height: 5-5 Class: Junior Position: Combo Guard

2009-10 Accomplishments: Tetrault may not have led the Tigers in scoring (her 12.0 points per game trailed My’Asia Alston’s 12.4 ppg), but Tetrault remained the focal point of Cohoes’ offense. Continuing a long Cohoes tradition, Tetrault was sharp from behind the three-point arc, making 28 such shots. A talented ball-handler, Tetrault was named a first team Colonial Council All-Star and the Cohoes team MVP. She also plays soccer and softball for the Tigers and it a high honor roll student.
Favorite moment of the season: "My favorite moment was probably when my coach told me I won the Dunkin’ Donuts Athlete of the Week (A NewsChannel 13 segment). It was just an honor that I got picked and I was so surprised. I had no idea about it."

Tierney McGlynn

School: Watervliet Height: 5-5 Class: Senior Position: Guard

2009-10 Accomplishments: Watervliet’s lockdown defender was the heart and soul of a gritty team that once again shut down opposing offenses en route to a fourth consecutive Section II championship. The Cannoneers advanced to the New York State Class B Final Four, losing to Oneonta in the semifinals. McGlynn was a first team Colonial Council All-Star, named team MVP and was named to the Class B All-State seventh team by the New York State Sportswriters Association. The Cannoneers finished the season ranked No. 5 in the Empire State. She is undecided on a college but plans to study nursing.
Favorite moment of the season: "Winning the Class B championship and winning regionals, which we went to two years ago. I wanted to do it my senior year, so becoming regional champions was obviously a big accomplishment."

Maria Foglia

School: Catholic Central Height: 5-8 Class: Senior Position: Guard/forward

2009-10 Accomplishments: The Big 10 Conference’s Most Valuable Player, Foglia guided the Lady Crusaders to a regular season championship for the first time since the 2005-06 season. Foglia made the transition from defensive specialist as a junior to the team’s main offensive weapon as a senior under first-year head coach Audra DiBacco. She was named to the New York State Sportswriters Association’s All-State Class AA 13th team. Foglia will play basketball and study education at Hartwick College. An honor roll student, she was a second team Big 10 soccer player in the fall.
Favorite moment of the season: "Definitely winning the Big 10 championship. At first, with Albany, it was tough, but once we beat Albany and they lost to Amsterdam, we just had to beat Maginn and we did it."

First Team
Player, Yr., School, Pos., Ppg.
Ailayia Demand, Frosh., Watervliet, PG, 10.7
Ariana Youngs, Sr., Lansingburgh, SG, 14.1
Jackie Sorensen, Sr., Waterford, G, 21.2
Tierney McGlynn, Sr., Watervliet, G, 6.2
Bailei Tetrault, Jr., Cohoes, G, 12.0
Maria Foglia, Sr., Catholic Central, G/F, 12.6

Second Team
Player, Yr., School, Pos., Ppg.
My’Asia Alston, Soph., Cohoes, G, 12.4
Exciting young guard was the Tigers’ leading scorer
Alyssa Fane, Sr., Lansingburgh, G, 11.0
‘Burgh sharpshooter also gets it done in the classroom: 2010 Valedictorian
Melissa Heffern, Soph., Heatly, G, 16.4
Tough little player excelled in getting to the foul line
Nae White, Sr., Watervliet, F, 8.3
Defensive specialist in the paint was also a quiet leader for Cannoneers
Taliah Pounds, Jr., Catholic Central, F, 9.3
Proved to be a more than able sidekick to Maria Foglia in the frontcourt
Lashana Tolliver, Frosh., Watervliet, C, 7.3
Started many games on the bench, but was a big-time scorer as a reserve

Third Team
Player, Yr., School, Pos., Ppg.
Stasha Cuzdey, Jr., Heatly, G, 11.3
Cuzdey was an All-Section II Class D Tournament selection this season
Diamond Branch, Sr., Lansingburgh, G, 7.2
Senior provided scoring depth behind Youngs and Fane
Maddie Weaver, Sr., Troy, G/F, 6.0
A bright spot for the Horses, Weaver made 20 three-point buckets
Zysnia Osepa, Sr., Tamarac, F, 12.1
Full of energy, Osepa served as the Bengals’ main offensive weapon
Hannah Kutny, Soph., Catholic Central, F, 7.4
Young forward helped the Crusaders reach the Section II Class AA Final Four
Kate Howe, Jr., Waterford, F, 17.2
When Sorensen wasn’t scoring all the points, Howe was there to pick up the slack

Honorable Mention
Alexi Howland and Mikayla Deguire, Catholic Central Betsy Santoro and Danielle Beauchamp, Cohoes Fatima Johnson, Jenny Porter and Annie Hudson, Emma Willard Adrianna Brown, Heatly Nikki Cavallo and Jenna Erickson, Tamarac Anansa Benbow, Troy High Alisa Walek, Waterford-Halfmoon Kaitlyn Murray, Kristen Skelly and Julie Keegan, Watervliet.

Schools considered for The Record’s All-City teams include: Troy, Lansingburgh, Catholic Central, La Salle, Emma Willard, Waterford-Halfmoon, Cohoes, Heatly, Watervliet and Tamarac.

Members of The Record's 2009-10 All-City girls basketball team pose for a team picture Monday afternoon. Click on the image for a full-size picture.
Front row, from left to right, Maria Foglia, Tierney McGlynn and Ariana Youngs.
Back row, from left to right, Jackie Sorensen, Bailei Tetrault and Ailayia Demand.
(All photos by J.S. Carras - The Record).

Members of The Record's All-City boys basketball team converged for a team picture at The Record's offices Monday afternoon. Here is a video including their responses to the question, "What was your favorite moment from the 2009-10 season?"

The entire girls All-City team, including pictures, stats and the second, third and honorable mention teams, will be published in the paper on Thursday. Look for more on the team here on the blog later in the week.

Our All-Area boys and girls basketball teams will be published on Sunday, April 18.

Averill Park senior Katie Duma (13), seen here competing against Holy Names in the Section II Class A championship game, was named New York State's Class A Player of the Year after leading the Lady Warriors to a Federation Tournament of Champions title. (Photo by Jeff Couch - The Record).

Duma, who will play for Division II Holy Family University next season, also saw her head coach, Sean Organ, earn Class A Coach of the Year honors.

Below is a list of the players from Section II to be honored on the 2009-10 All-State team. To see the full list, click to the New York State Sportswriters Association website (UPDATE: this is a direct link).
(The NYSSWA is also trying to sell advertising based on clicks just like us, so I'm trying to respect their ownership of the full team. If you're curious, please check out the site for the complete list!)

2009-10 NYSSCOGS/NYSSWA
All-State Girls Basketball

Official as of 4/7/10
Editor: Perry L. Novak

(contact NYSSCOGS to obtain All-State certificates - $4 apiece, payable to NYSSCOGS, 3350 Rt 28, Herkimer, NY 13350)

Class AA
NYSSCOGS NYS Player of the Year:
Bria Hartley (North Babylon-11)
NYSSCOGS NYS Coach of the Year:
Matt Brisson (Sachem East-11)

Third team
11 G Tehresa Coles (Colonie)
Fourth team
10 G Emily Weber (Shenendehowa)
Fifth team
11 F Allie Setter (Shenendehowa)
Eighth team
10 F/C Lauren Woods (Shaker)
Ninth team
12 G Marissa Ray (Shenendehowa)
Thirteenth team
12 F Maria Foglia (Troy Catholic)

- - -
Class A
NYSSCOGS NYS Player of the Year:
Katie Duma (Averill Park-2)
NYSSCOGS NYS Coach of the Year:
Sean Organ (Averill Park-2)

First team
12 G/F Katie Duma (Averill Park)
Second team
09 G Cassie Broadhead (Scotia-Glenville)
Third team
12 G Brittany O’Shea (Averill Park)
Fifth team
11 G Lea McClain (Mohonasen)
Sixth team
12 F Ashley Tallman (Mohonasen)
12 G Kierra Moore (Holy Names)
Eighth team
12 G Michaela Ottati (Averill Park)

- - -
Class B
NYSSCOGS NYS Player of the Year:
Lauren Kahn (Nanuet-1)
NYSSCOGS NYS Coach of the Year:
Gina Maher (Irvington-1)

Third team
09 G Ailayia Demand (Watervliet)
Fifth team
12 G/F Paula Egelston (Fonda-Fultonville)
Seventh team
12 G Tierney McGlynn (Watervliet)

- - -
Class C
NYSSCOGS NYS Co-Players of the Year:
Olivia Suhr (Marion-5) and Kara McDuffee (Tioga-4)
NYSSCOGS NYS Coach of the Year:
Tom Nortier (Marion-5)

Second team
11 C Katie Roth (Maple Hill)
Third team
10 G Dani DeGregory (Greenwich)
Fourth team
12 G Abby Hanehan (Stillwater)
Fifth team
12 G Jessica Dailey (Maple Hill)
Seventh team
12 G Jackie Sorensen (Waterford)

- - -
Class D
NYSSCOGS NYS Co-Players of the Year:
Taylor Szwec (Candor-4) and Sam Meyerhoff (Davenport-4)
NYSSCOGS NYS Coach of the Year:
Dennis Hinsdale (Clymer-6)

Fourth team
12 G/F Brittany St. Clair (Whitehall)
Fifth team
12 F Taylor Race (Germantown)
Sixth team
09 G Jacquelyn Miller (Argyle)

A Hoop for Hope basketball event at the Mechanicville High School gymnasium this Friday at 6 p.m. will benefit a Stillwater family and a charitable organization dedicated to individuals who have disabilities. Admission is a free will donation. For information, click on www.cfdsny.org and go to the upcoming events page.

Early April is always an exciting time in the newspaper business, as the winter season is wrapping up and the spring season is just about to begin. It also means that we at The Record have a number of special sections coming your way in the coming days.

Chris Fitz Gerald, our high school lacrosse beat writer, will be publishing his season preview stories for boys and girls lax this Sunday, April 11.

Monday April 12, I will have baseball and softball season preview stories in the paper.

Tuesday, we will publish the annual All-City boys basketball team. The girls All-City team will run in Wednesday's (April 14th) paper. I also plan on shooting some video during our photo shoot.

Our All-Area boys and girls basketball teams will be published in the paper on Sunday, April 18.

Blog posts will compliment the printed stories soon after their publication.

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During the spring season, we also plan to have regular feature sections in addition to our daily features and game coverage.

Ryan Kircher will be helping us out on a part-time basis, writing track and field stories and providing a list of things to watch in the week ahead every Friday.

Sundays, Chris Fitzgerald will have a regular lacrosse column and league standings and stats.

Mondays, I will be bringing you baseball and softball standings, columns and features.

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As time permits, I will make and post as many videos as I can. We have a new CEO of our corporate chain and a new Publisher here at The Record and both of them are leading our jump into the digital age. You can keep up with The Record's coverage of high school sports here at the blog, on the main web page at www.troyrecord.com, on Twitter at http://twitter.com/troyrecordsport, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TroyRecordSports and through the Off the Record podcast, which you can download on iTunes by clicking here.

We're doing our best to get you the news in the quickest and most accurate fashion possible through whichever channel is easiest for you to consume. Our news staff did an exemplary job with the RPI siren story today. You can read more about that here in Jim Murphy's blog.

Whatever you had previously thought about The Record, please think again. This is quickly becoming a brand-new news organization. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me (through the comments or the email address above right) with your questions or comments on how I can improve the high school coverage here at Off The Record.

Katie Duma (13) hoists the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions trophy after earning Tournament MVP Honors. Next to her are Amber Dushensky (44) and Michaela Ottati 3). (Photos - Associated Press).

The Crooked Lake House will be rocking Saturday night. The Averill Park High School girls basketball team proved Saturday afternoon that they were, without a doubt, the best Class A basketball team in New York State.

The Warriors battled St. Anthony's of Melville through three quarters, taking a one-point lead into the final eight minutes.

Michaela Ottati hit a three-pointer early in the fourth and Katie Duma made a rebound and a long pass to Molly Streb for a layup on an ensuing possession. Averill Park closed it out at the foul line and won, 60-48, at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

Tournament Most Valuable Player Katie Duma scored 22 points, going 13-of-15 from the foul line. The Holy Family-bound senior tied a Class A tournament record with 18 free throws made over a two-game span. She also tied a Class A tournament record with five three-point field goals made in two Federation games.

“It's the icing on the cake,” Duma said. “It's a senior season I'll remember forever.”

Members of the Averill Park girls basketball team celebrate after winning the 2009-10 New York State Federation Tournament of Champions Class A crown.

Michaela Ottai, an Amsterdam transfer that was the new kid on the block among a group of seniors that had been playing together for the better part of the decade, played the game of her life. She scored 14 points and snared 16 rebounds in a game that made this Averill Park team immortal.

It took 24 minutes for the Warriors to figure out St. Anthony's man-to-man defense, but for the Averill Park faithful, it was worth the wait.

“We just had to adjust. They had their hands up and they were very long,” Ottati said. “They got their hands in the passing lanes. It kind of disrupted us a little bit in the beginning, but then we knew we had to adjust and we made good passes.”

Averill Park finished with a 26-1 record.

It was an incredible postseason run for Averill Park, which traveled the Empire State en route to becoming its champion. The Warriors knocked off an undefeated Holy Names team in the Section II Class A final and traveled to Syracuse for a regional semifinal three days layer. Three days after that, it was off to Potsdam for the regional final. The Warriors won a pair of games in the Final Four in their backyard at Hudson Valley Community College before heading to Glens Falls.

A Federation title is a rare feat for a Section II team. Germantown did it twice in the late 1980s, St. Johnsville won twice in the early 1990s and Colonie, in 2001, was the most recent champion from the Capital Region.

Click here for the full story on the game in Sunday's edition of The Record.

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Averill Park's main offensive weapons, Katie Duma and Michaela Ottati, got most of the attention this year, and rightfully so. They were two of the best scorers in Section II in quite some time.

Sister act Brittany O'Shea, the senior point guard, and Brooke O'Shea, the exciting sophomore forward, also played a big role in the Warriors' success.

But it really was a cast of unsung senior heroes that made this Averill Park team one to remember.

Katie Hawes was as gritty as they come on the inside, providing tremendous post defense all year long.

Amanda Fitzgerald was a valuable piece off the bench, able to spell Brittany O'Shea or serve as a lockdown defender in the backcourt.

Molly Streb always seemed to be in the right place at the right time, ready to deliver with a key rebound or a clutch shot.

Lauren Nunziato was a three-point shooting sensation off the bench who provided instant offense for the Warriors when the starters were struggling to connect.

Amber Dushensky was also a significant contributor in the frontcourt when head coach Sean Organ called her name.

--Averill Park's Brooke O'Shea, seen above poking at a loose ball, will be the leader of the Warriors' team next season as a junior.

What a wonderful end to a superb season for the Averill Park girls. They lost their final regular season game by a single point at Colonie, which was not a good omen for the postseason. The Warriors, however, put those demons to rest with an inspired run all across the state, cheered on, of course, by the Gold Mine.

Don't think a group of fans can help carry a team? Just ask the Lady Warriors.

The nine seniors on the roster will be scattering around the nation when they go to college later this year, but I'm sure the people in Averill Park will never forget their hometown heroes for what they did on the basketball court during the 2009-10 season.

The College of Saint Rose's men's basketball head coach, Brian Beaury (right), watches his team from the bench during a recent game. Saturday, he was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame. (Photo by Tom Killips - The Record).

GLENS FALLS – In 1991, Brian Beaury was the driving force behind the creation of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame, serving as the first committee chairman and developing criteria for nominees.

Saturday, he answered the Hall's call.

The College of Saint Rose's longtime men's basketball coach was inducted into the Empire State's Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Glens Falls Civic Center Saturday morning.

Beaury just completed his 24th season as the head coach at Saint Rose and has posted a 517-218 career record. He has reached the postseason in each of his 24 years at the helm.

“I think it's the family atmosphere that makes me go to work every day,” Beaury said. “Over the years, it's been a comfortable place for me to go. It continues to grow and I've seen so many changes at Saint Rose.”

His Golden Knights teams have made three NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances and advanced to the Final Four in 1998.

“I'm a Saint Rose guy,” said Beaury. “I met my wife there. I raised my kids there.”

The Hall currently has 121 members. Players were picked in the initial years, but recent classes have reflected the many coaches that have shaped basketball at the high school and college levels in New York.

Beaury, however, gives all the credit to the players that have competed for him over the years. Many of those have gone on to become successful coaches themselves, including University at Albany head coach Will Brown and local high school coaches such as Scott Hanrahan at Maple Hill.

Former Saint Rose player Ben Goodwin coached a Brewer, Maine team to the state championship game this season, as did Hanrahan, for the second straight year.

And just minutes after Beaury's induction, another of his former players, Sean Organ, watched as his Averill Park High girls team competed in the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions Class A title game.

“It's become so much of an extended family and that's the thing that has made it so enjoyable all these years,” Beaury said. “It continues to be a great place to work and I have great people to work with.”