Leading off today: Spring Valley never led in the second half, fell behind by 13 points and somehow rallied Wednesday for a 77-71 win in an overtime boys basketball game against Tappan Zee.
The Tigers entered the home game ranked sixth in the state in Class A, three spots ahead of Tappan Zee. (Full rankings here.)
"This is the hardest game we've ever played," senior Rickey McGill told The Journal News after finishing with 23 points and nine assists. "Usually when we're down, we keep our heads down and get blown out by 20. This game, we came out in the second half, went at them and got the win."
Tappan Zee went on a 20-4 blitz at the end of the second quarter to take a 42-30 lead and tacked on another point on a technical foul assessed at halftime. Spring Valley clawed back to within a point in the third quarter, only to have another technical foul create what amounted to a six-point swing.
The game went to OT tied at 66, but the Tigers -- two players deep into their bench after starters fouled out -- grabbed a lead on Rob McGill's 3-pointer. McGill and Jy'Quan Boykin each made steals in the final minute, one of which resulted in a clinching dunk by Kai Mitchell (24 points).
Robert McWilliams scored 38 points for Tappan Zee.
More boys basketball: Senior Willy Bradley buried three 3-pointers down the stretch to finish with 13 points and spark Hoosick Falls, ranked eighth in Class B, to a 42-38 win over host Greenwich, ranked 13th in Class C.
"It was Willy Bradley to the rescue tonight," Hoosick Falls (7-0) coach Mike Lilac told the Bennington Banner. "We were down and had a standing eight count."
Bradley's first 3-pointer broke a 12-0 Greenwich run. After a Lukas Whitehouse basket put the Witches back up by three, Bradley drew Hoosick Falls even with his third 3-pointer of the game. His go-ahead bucket came with 39.2 seconds left to break a 38-38 tie.
No. 1 team's streak snapped: Dundee outscored Romulus 35-18 in the first half and rolled to a 58-35 victory over the state's top-ranked Class D girls basketball team.
Romulus (10-1), the defending NYSPHSAA Class D champion, had been riding a 35-game winning streak.
Brooke Howell had 13 points and nine rebounds to lead Dundee, which is 9-1 but unranked in Class C. Teammate Megan Howell also finished with 13 points.
New Hartford recovers: New Hartford let a two-goal hockey lead evaporate in the third period and then edged Skaneateles 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Evan Strassberger.
Skaneateles is ranked second and New Hartford seventh in the state in Division II by the New York State Sportswriters Association. (Full rankings here.) New Hartford handed state-ranked Syracuse CBA/J-D its first loss last week.
Wrestler injured: Maine-Endwell rallied past visiting Ithaca for a 30-27 wrestling victory, and the Little Red also lost one of the state's most accomplished performers.
Ithaca senior Richie Burke suffered a knee injury in the 145-pound match, to a knee injury in the 145-pound match. The Ithaca Journal reported Burke, who last week recorded his 200th career victory, could be sidelined for two weeks.
