Leading off today: Gentlemen (and ladies), start your brackets.
It's a work in progress, as always, but I built out brackets today for the impending New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournaments in boys basketball, girls basketball and ice hockey.
For links to all 12 classes in the four sports, visit here.
By the way, I'm aware that brackets from the fall sports are incomplete. That's the result of a glitch on my end that resulted in me overwriting files with old data. I'll try to rebuild those pages as time allows.
Maginn an improbable finalist: Senior guard Galal Cancer scored 30 points, including making 16 of 17 free throws, as defending state Class AA boys basketball champ Albany CBA outlast Albany in overtime 65-62 in the Section 2 semifinals Tuesday at the Times Union Center.
Cancer made all eight of his free throws in OT. The final two came with 20.7 seconds remaining to account for the game's final points.
The Brothers (21-0) will play their eighth straight sectional final on Tuesday vs. Bishop Maginn.
Maginn (8-13) continued its unexpected run after a 5-13 regular season by upending Shenendehowa 59-50 in the second semifinal. The Golden Griffins previously beat Bethlehem and Troy.
"This has been crazy," senior guard Matt Petruccione told The Times Union. "Ever since we got our seedings, we never expected to be in the finals -- let alone upset three of the best teams in the area.
Girls basketball: Jasper-Troupsburg, ranked 11th in Class D this week by the New York State Sportswriters Association, beat No. 2 Batavia Notre Dame 44-38 in the Section 5 Class DD semifinals. The Wildcats will meet No. 8 Elba in the final.
Notre Dame roared to a 20-6 lead through the first 10 minutes but was outscored 19-0 over the next 14 minutes. Eighth-grade reserve McKenzie Prutsman led all scorers with 14 points for J-T.
J-T held on despite making just 5 of 13 free throws.
State ski meet: Section 5 participants took two of four individual honors on the first day of the NYSPHSAA ski meet.
Alyssa Likly of Pittsford Mendon won the girls individual nordic race at Mount Van Hoevenberg in 27 minutes, 11 seconds to beat Queensbury's Brittany Winslow by 19 seconds. Aaron Newell and Mike Mulshine gave Queensbury a sweep of the top two spots in the boys race.
In alpine action at Whiteface Mountain, Taylor Burgart of Honeoye Falls-Lima closed in on a repeat as the girls combined champion by winning the slalom in 1:29.23. Sean Donohue of Bolton's landing won the boys race in 1:29.15.
Field complete: Saranac Lake earned the final berth in the NYSPHSAA Division II hockey tournament with a 3-2