Leading off today: Trailing by nine points early in the fourth quarter,
Shenendehowa rallied to force overtime and went on to defeat Syracuse Henninger 60-54 in the NYSPHSAA boys Class AA basketball quarterfinals at Colgate University.
Thomas Huerter led Shenendehowa with 22 points. Kevin Huerter and Brandon Fischer each finished with 18 for the Plainsmen, who last made it to the semifinals in 1987. Junior guard Romero Collier led all scorers with 30 points, making seven 3-pointers.
Henninger led 53-44 with 6:30 left, but Shen chipped away. A baseline drive by Collier gave Henninger a 59-57 lead, but Fischer tied it with 1:03 left in regulation. Shen missed on two chances to win it just inside the buzzer.
Collier and Fischer made two free throws apiece to start the overtime, then Fischer converted a Kevin Huerter feed as the Plainsmen led 63-61. Shen then went 7-for-8 from the line the rest of the way to finish the contest 24-for-27 from the line. Henninger converted just 8 of 19 free throws.
Shenendehowa advances to Saturday's semifinals vs. Mount Vernon in one of five semifinals between Sections 1 and 2 in the boys tourney in Glens Falls and the girls final fours in Troy.
The other head-to-head clashes are:
- Boys Class A, Spring Valley vs. Scotia-Glenville.
- Boys Class C, Haldane vs. Lake George.
- Girls Class AA, Ossining vs. Bethlehem.
- Girls Class B, Irvington vs. Hoosick Falls.
Scotia-Glenville won its 51st straight game, beating Syracuse CBA 62-54 as Joe Cremo made 14 straight fourth-quarter free throws and finished with a career-best 39 points after going just 2-for-6 from the line in the first half. The Tartans will continue defense of their state title Saturday against Spring Valley, coming off the weekend's ultimate nail-biter and riding an 18-game win streak.
Saugerties fell 10 points behind Spring Valley in the first quarter and eventually pulled even at 62 on a four-point play by senior Paton Gibbs, fouled by Kai Mitchell while unleashing a long 3-pointer with :20.4 to play.
Spring Valley's response was a Rickey McGill (21 points) 3-pointer over two defenders just before the buzzer at SUNY New Paltz.
"I've never made a shot like that in my life," McGill, a 6-foot-2 guard committed to Iona, told The Journal News. "We've dreamed about it. I told my team I wasn't going to let them down."
Aquinas advances: Aquinas led almost the entire way, only to take two punches to the gut from a tough Jamestown team in the form of 3-pointers from Zack Panebianco (31 points) midway through the fourth quarter. The first bucket put the Red Raiders up 64-59 and the second broke a 64-64 tie with 3:49 to go.
The Little Irish then went on an 8-1 run and won 76-70 behind Jalen Pickett's 18 points. D.J. Roberts had 15 points, Earnest Edwards 14 and Melvin Grayson 11 for the Little Irish.
