Five things to know about high school basketball
1Out of the nine area teams that advanced to the state semifinals, just one already faced its semifinal foe this season in Section II Class AAA boys’ basketball champion Green Tech. The Eagles (18-6) will face Section IX champion Kingston (18-4) Saturday at Cool Insuring Arena. The Tigers are no stranger to area teams this season as veteran coach Ron Kelder scheduled seven regular-season contests against Section II opposition. Kingston posted wins against Saratoga
Springs, Shenendehowa, Niskayuna and Albany and dropped contests vs. Albany Academy, Colonie and Green Tech — an 83-66 home defeat Feb. 8 on Senior Night. The Eagles led in that game 81-49. Two of the Section II girls’ basketball champions are returning to Hudson Valley Community College on Friday after falling in 2023 semifinal action. Averill Park (24-0), the No. 1-ranked Class AA team in the state, meets Section V champion Hilton (21-4) at 7 p.m. Averill Park fell to Walter Panas in the 2023 Class A semifinals. Albany Academy for Girls (21-3), the topranked Class B team in the state,
2meets Section VI champion Southwestern (18-7) at 9 a.m. The Bears lost to Putnam Valley in the Class B semifinal in 2023. The Glens Falls boys’ basketball team (25-0), ranked No. 1 in Class A, begins pursuit of the program’s second state title Friday morning against Section IV champion Maine-endwell (13-7) at Cool Insuring Arena — a facility two miles away from campus. When Glens Falls defeated Lowville in overtime for the 2019 Class B state championship, it did so in Binghamton. This is the first time Glens Falls has played a state playoff game in town since 2007.
34There have been 24 girls’ basketball state champions from Section II and 13 titles were won by Class A teams. Among the past champions are Catholic Central, which prevailed in 2002. CCHS (23-1), ranked No. 2 in the state, seeks the program’s second state title and meets Section V champion Aquinas (20-5) on Friday in the semifinals.
The last of the five area girls’ basketball champions to compete at HVCC will be Northville. The Falcons (20-3), making the program’s first semifinal appearance since 1997, take on Section V champion Elba (21-4) at 12:15 p.m. Saturday.