Leading off today: All eyes were on Taran Buie yesterday in Glens Falls, and the Bishop Maginn sophomore guard delivered during a 54-52 victory against Mount Vernon.
Buie shot 9-for-12, scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds and made four steals as the Golden Griffins advanced to today's New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA boys basketball championship game.
Among those on hand to watch the star-studded contest were Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim and assistant Mike Hopkins and Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt, formerly the man in charge at Siena.
Maginn (25-1) will play Niagara Falls (24-3) for the large-school championship. The Wolverines were 66-49 winners against Baldwin as Kelvin Agee dropped 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Rahshon added 20 points and four assists at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
Niagara Falls held a 60-34 rebounding advantage.
Boys Class A: Jamesville-DeWitt stormed into the championship game with a convincing 74-55 rout of three-time defending champion Peekskill as reserve Alshawn Hymes tore it up with 18 points in nine minutes beginning early in the third quarter.
The victory avenged J-D's 63-60 loss at Peekskill on Dec. 28 and terminated Peekskill's 37-game winning streak. The Red Rams (23-2) advance to the final against East Hampton (23-1). East Hampton eliminated Buffalo East, 55-52, as 5-foot-9 senior Mikey Russell poured in 23 points.
Russell made five 3-pointers and shot 9-for-14 from the field. His runner in the lane gave East Hampton a 52-50 lead with 3:42 left, and he followed an East turnover with another basket for a four-point lead with 2:58 to go.
Small-school finals: Olean (25-2) dethroned defending Class B champion Malverne, 63-53, as MVP Sam Moore posted 27 points and 10 rebounds. Moore went 15-for-20 on free throws to advance the Huskies to the Federation tournament against AIS rep Collegiate on March 28.
In Class C, Maple Grove (25-2) tore past Mechanicville, 71-46, as sophomore Chris Secky had 11 points and seven assists, while older brother Tom Secky earned MVP honors with 12 points. Cam O'Neill added 22 points and eight rebounds for the winners.
Chateaugay (24-1) became Section 10's first state champion in boys basketball by downing Rochester's Northstar Christian in Class D, 52-41. Northstar committed 13 turnovers and was unable to get into the offensive flow in the first half while falling behind, 29-16.
Girls Class AA: Miami-bound Shenise Johnson produced the monster game of the season, scoring 35 points and grabbing 30 rebounds as Rush-Henrietta three-peated by edging North Babylon, 59-54, at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy.
The Royal Comets (24-3) advance to the Federation Tournament on March 29 in Glens Falls with their three-time NYSPHSAA MVP. Johnson shot 9 of 16 from the field and 17 of 21 from the free-throw line to raise her career total to 2,224 points.
Other girls finals: Malone Franklin Academy (25-2) wiped out a nine-point deficit in the third quarter to defeat Honeoye Falls-Lima in Class A, 43-41. Malone lost in the semifinals two years ago and in the final last March. Senior Alyson Johnson made five 3-pointers and finished with 15 points.
Balanced Briarcliff took home the Class B trophy with
