High school basketball: Five things to know
1Six area teams remain alive for a state basketball championship this weekend. Only one of those programs has a chance at a second straight state championship as Averill Park (22-2), the 2022 Class A girls’ basketball title winner, seeks a berth in the final when it faces Section I champ Walter Panas (21-5) Friday afternoon at Hudson
Valley Community College. Last year, the Warriors beat Tappan Zee 54-48 to claim the program’s second state championship Albany Academy for Girls (24-1) is ranked No. 2 in the Class B girls’ basketball, one slot below semifinal opponent Putnam Valley (25-1). Each squad moved up one slot this week following Newark Valley’s 46-41 state quarterfinal loss to Cortland. Putnam Valley is led by senior Eva Dechent, the
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2022 Class B state Player of the Year. AAG is a first-time sectional and regional champion looking to earn the program’s biggest victory. Catholic Central, winner of its first sectional boys’ basketball title since 1981, compete in the state semifinals Saturday morning at Cool Insuring Arena against Section XI champion Southampton (20-5). CCHS is ranked No. 2 and the Mariners are rated No. 3.
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HVCC landed the girls’ basketball state tournament in 1997. Overall, Section II girls’ teams have won 24 state titles – 12 at HVCC. The Greenwich girls’ basketball team (26-0) is seeking the program’s first state Class C title and faces Section IX champion Millbrook (21-3). Greenwich’s previous three sectional title teams were unable to advance out of the Section II CC/C playoff.