Brackets for this year’s Section II basketball postseason tournaments were released Wednesday.
Earning top seeds in the boys’ tournaments were Bethlehem, Troy, Schalmont, Lake George and OESJ.
Earning top seeds in the girls’ tournaments were Shenendehowa, Averill Park, Tamarac, Cambridge and Fort Edward.
Here are several things to know ahead of this year’s tournaments.
LIONS MOVE UP
Both Mekeel Christian Academy teams have been moved up one class, the boys from Class B to Class A, and the girls from Class C to Class B. A Section II criteria that was put in place before the 2016-17 season says private schools must do so if they reach consecutive championship games. The Mekeel girls actually reached the last three Class C finals and took the top Class C spot in 2017 before advancing to the state semifinals.
LOOKING BACK AT 2018 (BOYS)
Shenendehowa won its third Section II Class AA title in four years when it rallied for a 43-40 victory over Colonie. Mohonasen beat top-seeded Amsterdam for the Class A title 58-55. Mekeel Christian Academy topped Schalmont in the Class B final 69-59 after losing to Glens Falls in same game the year before. Lake George defended its Class C title with a 69-49 win over Hoosick Falls. Whitehall beat Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville 71-60 for Class D honors.
Mohonasen, Mekeel and Lake George earned regional championships, and Mekeel and Lake George later secured state titles. Lake George (28-0) tied a Section II record for wins in a season.
LOOKING BACK AT 2018 (GIRLS)
Colonie upset top-seeded Bethlehem 67-49 for the Section II Class AA championship. Averill Park beat Amsterdam for the third year in a row for Class A honors 79-60, giving the Warriors five consecutive sectional titles and eight in nine years. Voorheesville went from the No. 6 seed to beat top-seeded Tamarac 51-46 for the Class B title after earlier beating the No. 2 and 3 seeds. Cambridge outlasted Mekeel Christian Academy in overtime 62-59 for the Class C title, and denied the Lions a repeat. Argyle topped Hartford 48-40 for the Class D title.
Cambridge emerged as Section II’s only regional champion.
GIRARD WATCH
State career scoring leader Joseph Girard III of Glens Falls career points total standa at 4,230 points, and he will be looking to add on while attempting to lead the Indians to a second Section II title in three years. In last year’s tournament he averaged 54 points, with 46 in an 84-38 win over Tamarac, 60 in an 87-78 win over Schuylerville and 56 in an 87-82 Class B semifinal loss to Schalmont. The 46-point game pushed him over 1,000 for his junior season, and the 60 points matched his career best at that time.
Girard III scored a Section II-record 69 points (he had 45 at the half) last Friday in a 98-83 win at Schuylerville.
Shane O’Dell of once-beaten Schalmont, 2,000-point career scorer Graceanne Bennett of Lake George, and Section II career 3-point leader Harmony Philo of Gloversville are among other top players to watch.
LOOKING AHEAD
Boys’ and girls’ Section II championships teams will advance to regional competition the week of March 5-9, with Shenendehowa, Saratoga Springs and Hudson Valley Community College serving as the local sites. Some teams will play regional semifinals before all of the March 9 regional title games. The New York State Public High School Athletic Association final four games are March 15-17 at (boys) Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton and (girls) HVCC.
SECTION II BOYS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES
CLASS AA
First round
Feb. 20
1-Bethlehem, bye; 2-Saratoga Springs, bye; 3-Shenendehowa, bye; 13-Guilderland at 4-CBA, 7; 12-Shaker at 5-Green Tech, 7; 11-Niskayuna at 6-Columbia, 7; 10-Albany at 7-Colonie, 7; 9-Schenectady at 8-La Salle, 7.
Quarterfinals
Feb. 23, at HVCC
Semifinals
Feb. 26, at Cool Insuring Arena
Championship
March 2, at Cool Insuring Arena
CLASS A
First round
Feb. 20
1-Troy, bye; 2-Gloversville, bye; 3-Averill Park, bye; 13-Bishop Maginn at 4-Mekeel Christian Academy, 7; 12-Burnt Hills at 5-Lansingburgh, 7; 11-Catholic Central at 6-Mohonasen, 7; 10-Ballston Spa at 7-Amsterdam, 7; 9-Scotia at 8-Queensbury, 7.
Quarterfinals
Feb. 24, at HVCC
Semifinals
Feb. 28, at Cool Insuring Arena
Championship
March 2, at Cool Insuring Arena
CLASS B
First round
Tuesday
17-Hudson Falls/16-Cohoes at 1-Schalmont, 7; 18-Broadalbin/15-Greenville at 2-Glens Falls, 7; 14-NDBG at 3-Watervliet, 7; 13-Voorheesville at 4-Catskill, 7; 12-Coxsackie at 5-Fonda, 7; 11-Mechanicville at 6-Hudson, 7; 10-Tamarac at 7-Johnstown, 7; 9-Cobleskill at 8-Schuylerville, 7.
Quarterfinals
Feb. 22, at HVCC/Shenendehowa
Semifinals
Feb. 25, at Cool Insuring Arena
Championship
March 1, at Cool Insuring Arena
CLASS C
First round
Tuesday
17-Saratoga Central Catholic/16-Cambridge at 1-Lake George, 7; 18-Rensselaer/15-BKW at 2-Hoosick Falls, 7; 19-Duanesburg/14-Hadley at 3-Maple Hill, 7; 20-Galway/13-Fort Plain at 4-Chatham, 7; 12-Greenwich at 5-Mayfield, 7; 11-Waterford at 6-Granville, 7; 10-Hoosic Valley at 7-Canajoharie, 7; 9-Stillwater at 8-Schoharie, 7.
Quarterfinals
Feb. 22/23, at HVCC/Shenendehowa
Semifinals
Feb. 25/26, at Cool Insuring Arena
Championship
March 2, at Cool Insuring Arena
CLASS D
First round
Feb. 20
1-OESJ, bye; 2-Germantown, bye; 3-Fort Ann, bye; 13-Salem at 4-Hartford, 7; 12-Whitehall at 5-North Warren, 7; 11-Hawthorne Valley at 6-Argyle, 7; 10-Fort Edward at 7-Northville, 7; 9-Loudonville Christian at 8-New Lebanon, 7.
Quarterfinals
Feb. 23, at Stillwater
Semifinals
Feb. 27, at Cool Insuring Arena
Championship
March 1, at Cool Insuring Arena
SECTION II GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES
CLASS AA
Quarterfinals
Feb. 21
9-Columbia/8-Niskayuna at 1-Shenendehowa, 7:30; 10-Catholic Central/7-Bethlehem at 2-Albany, 7:30; 6-Shaker vs. 3-Saratoga Springs, at Albany, 6; 5-Guilderland vs. 4-Colonie, at Shenendehowa, 6.
Semifinals
Feb. 27, at HVCC
Championship
March 2, at HVCC
CLASS A
First round
Friday
1-Averill Park, bye; 2-Queensbury, bye; 3-Amsterdam, bye; 4-Holy Names, bye; 12-Mohonasen at 5-Gloversville, 6; 11-Emma Willard at 6-Troy, 6; 10-Burnt Hills at 7-Scotia, 6; 9-South Glens Falls at 8-Ballston Spa, 6.
Quarterfinals
Feb. 21, at Averill Park/Queensbury
Semifinals
Feb. 27, at HVCC
Championship
March 2, at HVCC
CLASS B
First round
Saturday
17-Broadalbin/16-Hudson Falls at 1-Tamarac, 6;18-Glens Falls/15-Greenville at 2-Mechanicville, 6; 19-Cairo/14-Cohoes at 3-Mekeel Christian Academy, 6; 20-Corinth/13-Fonda at 4-Voorheesville, 6; 21-Catskill/12-Watervliet at 5-Schalmont, 6; 11-Albany Academy at 6-Johnstown, 6; 10-Cobleskill at 7-Ichabod Crane, 6; 9-Ravena at 8-Hudson, 6.
Quarterfinals
Feb. 20, at TBD
Semifinals
Feb. 26, at Averill Park
Championship
March 2, at HVCC
CLASS C
First round
Saturday
17-Saratoga Central Catholic/16-Canajoharie at 1-Cambridge, 6; 18-Galway/15-Schoharie at 2-Hoosic Valley, 6; 14-Stillwater at 3-Maple Hill, 6; 13-Mayfield at 4-Warrensburg, 6; 12-Chatham at 5-BKW, 6; 11-Rensselaer at 6-Lake George, 6; 10-Middleburgh at 7-Hoosick Falls, 6; 9-Duanesburg at 8-Greenwich, 6.
Quarterfinals
Feb. 20, at TBD
Semifinals
Feb. 26, at Colonie
Championship
March 1, at HVCC
CLASS D
First round
Friday
1-Fort Edward, bye; 2-Hartford, bye; 3-NDBG, bye; 4-North Warren, bye; 12-Northville at 5-Germantown, 6; 11-Salem at 6-Heatly, 6; 10-Loudonville Christian at 7-Argyle, 6; 9-Fort Ann at 8-Whitehall, 6.
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, at Fort Edward/Hartford
Semifinals
Feb. 25, at Ballston Spa
Championship
March 1, at HVCC
Reach Gazette Sportswriter Jim Schiltz at 518-395-3143, [email protected] or @jim_schiltz on Twitter.
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