Change was evident when the pairings for the Section II basketball tournaments were released Wednesday.
Change not only in the classification levels of the playoffs, but for some teams, a different view that sees them looking down from the top of their respective brackets.
For years, the section’s basketball committees had divided the biggest enrollment classification — Class C — into two tournaments, the winners playing off for the right to go on to regional play. But a change in classification numbers for the current school year resulted in more teams moving to Class B.
Hoops pairings
For the full playoff schedule, click HERE.
The boys’ committee opted to split the “B” brackets; the girls’ committee did not, instead going with 20 teams in one bracket.
The Scotia-Glenville boys’ and girls’ teams both were awarded top seeds in Class A — both ahead of No. 2 Mohonasen — and the Schenectady Christian School boys were put atop the Class BB draw.
“The girls are excited,” said Scotia girls’ coach Regan Burns, whose Foothills Council champions went 18-0 in the regular season. “They’ve been playing with a target on their back all season, because we were picked to finish first in the Foothills Councii, and they’ve dealt with the pressure of everyone trying to knock them off.”
Scotia’s strengths have been one of the best defenses in Section II and a balanced scoring attack.
“Defense is our No. 1 priority,” said Burns, in her fifth season with the team. “Our defensive intensity and pressure is what makes our team. That’s something we can control. You can’t always bank on your offense, but you can play hard all the time.
“And we get lot of points off defense. They get rewarded for that hard work.”
Two-time league MVP Cassie Broadhead leads a Scotia offense that also gets consistent contributions from Sarah Janson and Danielle Conley.
Scotia, seeded fifth, lost to No. 4 seed Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake in its playoff opener last year. The Tartans avenged that loss this season.
“I think our confidence is better going in this year,” Burns said. “Burnt Hills got us in their tournament last year, and they also ended our season. This year, we beat them in their holiday tourament, and we’ve also beaten Catholic Central twice.
“That’s half the battle, to have them believe in themselves.”
State finalist Shenendehowa got the top spot on the Suburban Council side of the girls’ Class A bracket, and a first-round bye. Big 10-runner-up Bishop Maginn and Colonie are in the same half of the draw.
Big 10 champ Albany heads the other half, which includes 2010 runner-up Shaker.
Maple Hill, moving up from a state tourney showing in Class C, tops the Class B girls’ bracket. Voorheesville got the top seed in Class C, ahead of 2010 Class D champ Argyle.
Heatly is No. 1 in Class D.
Brothers rated first
In the boys’ draw, defending state champion CBA got the top spot in its half of the Class AA brackets, as did its opponent in the 2010 final, Shenendehowa.
Albany Academy was placed in the Suburban Council half of the boys’ Class AA draw, where the teams from that league and the Big 10 are ranked and then put opposite one another — the top Big 10 team opens with the lowest-ranked SC team, and vice versa.
With Colonie and Ballston Spa opting not to participate, the committee was left with seven Suburban Council teams and eight from the Big 10, and elected to put the Cadets on the SC side with a No. 2 ranking.
“They split with Albany and beat Schenectady, and we went with the Harbin system that awards points for wins,” said boys’ committee member Mark Treanor. “They had more points than Bethlehem and Shaker.”
Schenectady, the No. 4 seed from the Big 10, opens at home against Columbia on Tuesday. That game is the second of a double-header that begins with the Schenectady girls playing Niskayuna at 6.
Scotia got the top seed and a bye into the Class A tournament quarterfinals next Sunday at Hudson Valley Community College, where it will get either South Glens Falls or Schalmont. Mohonasen has the same path, with a projected semifinal with Lansingburgh.
Notre-Dame Bishop Gibbons got the No. 4 seed.
Defending champ Burnt Hills was seeded 12th, and opens at No. 5 Glens Falls.
Fort Plain’s win over Schenectady Christian, and Argyle’s victory over Lake George, both on Tuesday, got those teams the second and top seed, respectively, in the 16-team Class C field. The Hilltoppers open the playoffs at home next Wednesday against Hadley-Luzerne.
Schenectady Christian, which had a 17-game win streak snapped by the Hilltoppers, still got the top spot in the “BB” brackets. After a first-round bye, the Falcons play either Green Tech or Johnstown next Saturday in the final game of a four-game block at Guilderland High School.
Hoosick Falls and Watervliet are 1-2 in Class B.
“There’s always a lot of questions with the Class B and C every year because the schools come from all different leagues,” said boys’ basketball coordinator Mike Lilac. “Some are coming from a bigger league and playing down. There was a little bit of a challenge there, especially with the BB.”
Panthers fall
Mount Anthony (Vt.) recovered from a three-point third quarter to outscore Hoosick Falls, 20-15, in the final eight minutes of a 43-41 win Wednesday.
Hoosick Falls got 16 points from Tanner Williams and 10 from Alex Lilac.
Catskill held on to beat Green Tech, 80-76, with 25 points from Jeremy Taylor.
MT.ANTHONY 43, HOOSICK FALLS 41
HOOSICK FALLS
Dingman 0-2-2, Hayden 2-0-4, Lilac 1-7-10, Rasmus 1-7-9, Williams 6-0-16. Totals: 10-16-41.
MT. ANTHONY
Bibbens 0-1-1, Henberg 0-1-1, McVay 7-4-19, Palmer 5-1-11, Pulver 2-0-4, Severs 1-0-2, Stratton 2-0-5. Totals: 17-7-43.
Hoosick Falls 3 9 14 15 — 41
Mt. Anthony 6 14 3 20 — 43
Three-point goals: Lilac, Williams 4, McVay, Stratton.
CATSKILL 80, GREEN TECH 76
CATSKILL
Hall 4-1-11, Overbaugh 4-1-9, Peterson 6-4-19, Roberts 1-0-2, Spencer 2-8-12, Taylor 9-6-25, Walker 1-0-2. Totals: 27-20-80.
GREEN TECH
Clark 6-2-14, Gauze 4-0-8, Jackson 1-1-3, Lane 10-0-21, Manning 9-0-18, Tedder 2-0-6, Wells 3-0-6. Totals: 35-3-76.
Catskill 19 16 23 22 — 80
Green Tech 14 22 15 25 — 76
Three-point goals: Hall 2, Peterson 3, Taylor, Lane, Tedder 2.
GAZETTE COVERAGE
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Categories: High School Sports
