New York State Sportswriters Association   
    
Search
 
→ Rankings
NYSSWA rankings are updated weekly.
See the latest plus the earlier weeks'
updates on our rankings page.

 

 
→ User tools

John Moriello's NYSSWA blog
Sunday, March 2, 2008: Special all-basketball edition of the blog
   Leading off today: Syracuse Henninger took control of the game in the second period and went on to defeat Utica Proctor, 57-41, in the Section 3 Class AA boys basketball title game at Manley Field House today.

   Henninger, which had dropped six straight to Proctor, advances to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association quarterfinals on Saturday.

   Henninger's Kihary Blue scored 16 points and Quantae Elijah added 12. Center Ben Cronin had 10 points and 16 rebounds. Proctor got 21 points from Deandre Preaster.

   In Class C, West Canada (24-0) rallied past Onondaga, 66-60, as Anthony Ambrose and Jeff Yaworski scored 15 apiece.

   More Sunday action: Mount Vernon downed Poughkeepsie, 75-52, in the Section 1 Class AA final game at the Westchester County Center to earn its eighth championship in nine years. Sherrod Wright finished with a game-high 29 points and Kevin Jones had 27 points and 15 rebounds for the Knights.

   HHH West does it the hard way: Beating Walt Whitman and star Kyheem Green in the Section 11 Class AA boys final was going to be tough enough. But Half Hollow Hills West had to attempt it minus point guard John Conneely, lost due to an emergency appendectomy.

   Conneely was admitted to Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip with stomach pain early Friday morning. But the Colts (23-0) got the job done, 41-39, before more than 5,000 fans at Stony Brook University on Friday night. It was the school's first championship.

   HHH West took a late lead on two free throws by sophomore Tobias Harris (19 points), and Will Hennep's long three-pointer with 1:50 left made it 41-37.

   Difficult day at Red Hook: Though the Red Hook boys beat Burke Catholic, 62-49, on Saturday in the Section 9 Class B final on Saturday, basketball was not high on the list of thoughts.

   The game was played hours after 15-year-old schoolmate Alexandra Gravano, a former student of Coach Rod Chando, died in a car crash that injured six others.

   The Raiders were also without starting forward Austin Carrothers, who injured a hand last week. That forced Red Hook to go with a three-guard lineup.

   Huge comeback in Binghamton: Roxbury sophomore DaVaun Morgan scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter Saturday to lead the Rockets over South Kortright, 50-46, in the Section 4 Class D championship at Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.

   Roxbury trailed by 16 points at the half before going on a 27-9 run in the third quarter thanks to defensive pressure.

   Up to the challenge: The move up in class hasn't slowed down North Salem, which scored a 76-70 win in OT over Briarcliff in the Section 1 Class B final. North Salem blew a 13-point lead in the second half but rallied to win its school-record 22nd straight game.

   Tuckahoe survives: Tuckahoe erased an eight-point deficit with 5:15 to go in the fourth quarter and then ouscored Keio by 18-6 in overtime to earn the Section 1 Class C championship. Shaquille Griffiths posted seven points with three rebounds in OT to finish with a 22/13 double-double.

   A long time in the making, Part I: Baldwin snatched its

  
Winter tournament brackets
  • NYSPHSAA boys basketball
  • NYSPHSAA girls basketball
  • NYSPHSAA boys ice hockey
  • first Section 8 trophy since 1982 by beating Uniondale, 50-46, in the Nassau Class AA championship game at SUNY-Old Westbury.

       A long time in the making, Part II: East Rochester won its first Section 5 basketball championship since 1963, downing Gananda in the Class CC title game at Blue Cross Arena on Friday, 54-42.

       Senior Sean Michele scored 23 points for the Bombers, whose only loss was a 115-111, five-overtime thriller in Florida over the holiday break.

       A long time in the making, Part III: Northville walloped St. Johnsville, 51,33, in the Section 2 Class D championship at Glens Falls Civic Center to secure the Falcons' first championship since 1962. Junior Jordan Williams led the way with 19 points.

       A long time in the making, Part IV: Jesse Robinson scored 10 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter to wrap up Tioga's 54-43 victory over Newfield in the Section 4 Class C girls championship.

       It's Tioga's first title since the program started in the mid-1970s said Tigers coach Joe Robinson, Jesse's father.

       With 15 seconds remaining, Jesse Robinson was sent to the bench, prompting an ovation from the crowd, and jumped in her father's arms.

       "It made me cry," Joe Robinson told the Press & Sun-Bulletin. "She's put a lot of time into basketball and it's a dream come true for her and for me and for Tioga Central."

       A little revenge: Blind Brook beat Haldane in the 2007 girls tournament, ending a run of 14 consecutive Section 1 championships. Haldane got its revenge in the '08 final, earning a 41-40 victory in overtime in Class C action.

       Brittany Shields came through with 26 points, seven rebounds and eight steals. Haldane forced 24 turnovers, including five on the first six possessions of overtime.

       Pioneer keeps winning: Williamsville East held Section 6 career scoring leader Joelle Connelly to four field goals and eight free throws, but Pioneer still coasted to a 62-38 victory in a Class A state qualifier at Erie Community College.

       "They just have too much firepower," Williamsville East Coach Chris Durr told The Buffalo News. "They’ve got three post players that can score, four or five guards they can rotate in that can handle the ball and shoot the three, and they hustle and work hard."

       Connelly finished with 15 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Panthers, who will go to the state quarterfinals for the first time since 1986.

       Senior leadership: Shenendehowa is fielding its first all-senior starting lineup in Coach Ken Strube's 29 seasons, and it's working. The Plainsmen beat Bethlehem in the Section 2 Class AA final, 36-29. It's the ninth championship for Shen overall, but the first since 2004.

       Bethlehem's final 14 possessions ended in five missed field-goal attempts and nine turnovers.


    Read previous blog entries from John Moriello. | Send us an e-mail. | Subscribe to RSS feed.


      
    → Recent blogs and news     NYSSWA RSS feed
  • 12/8/23: It's not Christmas but we have ties
  • 12/1/23: Bennett controversy takes unexpected turn
  • 9/29/23: Massapequa files lawsuit over mascot mandate
  • 9/26/23: Soccer association fitting refs with body cameras

  • This Site
    HOME | BLOG | RANKINGS | BRACKETS | REFERENCE | KERR CUP | ABOUT US

    ©2007-19 Abbott Trento Online Media. All rights reserved. Contact us via e-mail.

    → Twitter
       Get all the latest:

    Follow the NYSSWA on Twitter

      
    Road To Syracuse H.S. football in New York   Ten Man Ride H.S. lacrosse in New York
    Road To Glens Falls boys H.S. basketball in N.Y.   Road To Troy girls H.S. basketball in N.Y.
    ROCVarsity.com