Tartans, 20-0, go after title tonight

PHOTOGRAPHER: Bill Palmer

Scotia-Glenville faces a familiar foe tonight when the unbeaten and defending champion Tartans meet Glens Falls for the Section II Class A boys’ basketball title at the Glens Falls Civic Center.

The scheduled 7:15 game is the final of four championship games set tor today, with the winners moving on to regional play.

“You don’t want to change anything at this point of the season,” said Scotia coach Jim Giammattei, whose 20-0 team advanced to its third straight final with an 81-41 semifinal win over Lansingburgh on Thursday. “We shot phenomenally well, and that’s something you’d like to see continue.”

Though Scotia won both regular-season meetings with the Indians handily — 70-46 at Glens Falls and 74-49 late in the season at home — Giammattei said all that means is that both teams are familiar with each other.

“Those two games are mutually exclusive,” he said. “We know them and how they play. We know they can stroke the ball, especially the two Girards [Cam and Lee].”

Sophomore Joe Cremo is Scotia’s top scorer, but Giammattei cites the Tartans’ balance as the reason for their success.

“Every game, they all contribute something,” he said. “Some games, someone won’t score as much, but they’ll help in other ways.”

Senior Andrew Tabbert and 11th-grader Dom LeMorta have also had strong offensive games against the Indians.

“Andrew Tabbert has had 20 good games,” said Giammattei, downplaying the role of one scorer carrying the load for the Tartans. “They all have.”

Beating the Indians for a third time this season won’t be an easy proposition.

“It’s kind of a home game for them,” said Giammattei. “They’ve won on that [Civic Center] floor, but so have we.”

Glens Falls beat another Foothills Council team, Queensbury, to get to its first final since Jimmer Fredette led the Indians to a sectional title in 2007.

Cam Girard scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half to help the 14-6 Indians pull off their 53-40 win in the semifinals.

Watervliet, which lost in the state final in 2012, looks for its third straight Section II championship when it plays Schuylerville in the Class B final at 5:30.

Hoosic Valley and Lake George meet in the 3:45 Class C final. Adirondack League rivals Argyle and Lake George open the four games as they play for the Class D championship at 2.

Girls

FOUR FINALS SET

Four girls’ champions will be crowned today at Hudson Valley Community College in a four-game set that begins at noon.

In that game, 20-1 Berne-Knox-Westerlo will be trying to unseat top-seeded Hoosic Valley (18-3) in the Class C contest.

The third-seeded Lady Bulldogs, led by senior guard Liz Harvey, won the Western Athletic Conference championship this season and beat No. 2 seed Maple Hill, 38-34, in the semifinals to avenge their only loss of the season.

Hoosic Valley has won sectional titles six of the last seven seasons. The Lady Indians have the second-stingiest defense in Section II, and are led offensively by senior guard Cassidy Chapko, who has made 223 three-point baskets in her career.

Top-seeded Watervliet and senior guard Ailayia Demand take on Colonial Council rival Ravena-

Coeymans-Selkirk (15-6) in the Class B final at 1:45 p.m.

Gordie Johnson’s top-seeded Lady Cannoneers are 19-2, and beat Ichabod Crane, 51-23, in the semifinals behind Demand’s 24 points.

Ravena, the No. 3 seed, beat second-seeded Tamarac, 44-41, in the semifinals, holding the Lady Bengals’ talented guard duo of Briana Matazinsky and Jenna Erickson to a combined 13 points.

Watervliet, which has won five sectional championships in the last six years, won the regular-season meeting, 48-42.

The Class A final at 3:30 matches top-seeded Troy with second-seeded and unbeaten Holy Names, which ended Averill Park’s three-year run of titles in the semifinals.

“We’re really looking forward to the final,” said Troy coach Paul Bearup, whose 15-5 team has moved down the enrollment list from Class AA. “They’re a good team. We’re kind of mirror images of each other.”

Adirondack League rivals Fort Edward and Fort Ann meet for the Class D title in the final game.