Adirondack League

Keith Harrington-Staff Writer

North Warren 52 Sharon Springs 26

The sixth seeded North Warren Cougars gave the “Whiteout” crowd a lot to cheer about as they defeated Sharon Springs 52-26 to advance in Section II Class D play. The Cougars raced to a 15-7 first quarter lead, and increased the margin to 27-12 at halftime.

Kiera Warner was “on fire” for North Warren, scorching the net for a career high 32 points. Warner also had seven steals. Margo Broderick added eight points for the Cougars, while Cassie Maday had five points and four steals.

North Warren advances to the quarterfinals to take on CHVL champion Heatly, Friday at Argyle. Tip-off is at 6:00 pm. The Hornets are the #3 seed.

Hartford 69 New Lebanon 14

The Hartford Tanagers wasted very little time, jumping to a 27-4 first quarter lead and flying past New Lebanon 69-14. All 10 Hartford players got into the box score. The Tanagers now get a rubber match with Fort Ann in the Class D quarterfinals, Friday at 4:30 pm in Argyle. The two teams have split their regular season meetings.

Brittany Brayman led the way for Hartford with 17 points. Fellow senior Morgan Mercure added 13 points. Molly Spear chipped in with 10, and Jaclyn Lavin tallied 10 points off the bench.

Hartford is now 13-6 on the season.

Northville 59 Salem 38

The Salem Generals saw their season come to an end, falling to Northville 59-38 in Section II Class D first round play. Northville knocked down nine 3-pointers and got 20 points from Allison Wadsworth to advance to the quarterfinals against Argyle Friday night at 7:30 pm.

Katelyn McKeighan led Salem with 14 points. The Generals finish the year 4-14.

Voorheesville 64 Lake George 27

In Section II Class C play, the Lake George Warriors fell to the defending champion Voorheesville Blackbirds 64-27. The Warriors fell behind 27-14 at halftime, and the Blackbirds used a 19-3 third quarter to put the game away, and end the season for Lake George.

Chelsea Sipowicz led Lake George with 12 points. The Warriors end the year with a record of 11-9.

Watervliet 59 Corinth 20

Watervliet jumped to a 20-1 first quarter lead, and lead 32-10 at the half as they ended the season for the Corinth Tomahawks in Section II Class B play. Watervliet placed three players in double digits, led by 14 points from Ailayia Demand.

Leandra Allen, Kaylee Giordano, and Ellie Lockhart had five points apiece for Corinth.

Fort Ann 66 Northville 30

Robert Sprague surpassed the 1,000 career point mark,  pouring in 30 points to lead Fort Ann past Northville 66-30 in Class D play. Sprague hit a foul shot in the fourth quarter for point 1,000. The Cards jumped on top early and never looked back , leading 14-4 after a quarter and 26-13 at halftime.

Derek Durkee added 12 points for Fort Ann, who now play Hartford Saturday at Stillwater. Tip-off for  that game is 1:30 pm. The Cardinals have beaten Hartford twice this season.

Hartford 54 St. Johnsville 45

The #6 seeded Tanagers fell behind a bit early, but used a solid second quarter to go ahead 32-20 at halftime, and held off a game St. Johnsville team 54-45. The Tanagers move to 13-6 on the season, and now will face Fort Ann in the Class D quarterfinals Saturday at Stillwater. That game begins at 1:30 pm.

Hartford had a balanced attack on offense as three players reached double figure. Ethan Farley paced Hartford with 13 points. Tad Jones added 11, while Delos Jackson chipped in 10.

North Warren 49 Doane Stuart 33

Seventh seeded North Warren led 28-23 at the half, then turned up the wick on defense to pull away to defeat Doane Stuart 49-33 in Class D first round action. The Cougars held the Thunder Chickens to three points in the third quarter and seven in the fourth to advance.

Benn Frasier had 13 points and 12 rebounds for North Warren. Nick Sapienza added 12 points.

North Warren now meets #2 seeded Sharon Springs Saturday at Stillwater. That game tips at 3:00 pm. The Cougars are now 10-9.

Loudonville Christian 51 Salem 30

The Salem Generals saw their season come to an end at the hands of Loudonville Christian 51-30. Salem hung around early,  leading 13-11 after a quarter, and trailing just 23-18 at the half. A 19-6 third quarter however opened things up for Loudonville Christian and they adavnced to the quarterfinals.

Marcus Blanck led Salem with 14 points.

Hawthorne Valley 45 Bolton 44

The Bolton Eagles nearly pulled off the upset, but Christian Peterson’s late jumper allowed Hawthorne Valley to escape with a 45-44 victory. Bolton had control in the first half, winning the first quarter 13-8, and the second 15-12 to lead 28-20 at the break.

Hawthorne Valley rallied with a 17-5 third quarter to grab the 37-33 lead, but the Eagles battled to a 43-43 tie until Peterson’s big shot.

Billy Smith led Bolton with 15 points. Mitchell Jordon and Dustin French had 13 points apiece.

Germantown 44 Fort Edward 40

The Germantown Clippers ended the Fort Edward season with a 44-40 victory. The Flying Forts held close all night, never allowing Germantown to pull away, but just could not get over the hump to grab thw win.

Mike Taft led Fort Edward with 18 points. Kevin McCarthy added eight points.

Keith Harrington-Staff Writer

The boys basketball teams of the Adirondack League have had great seasons, but starting tonight they all have the same goal. A trip to the Glens Falls Civic Center for the Section II Final Four. Here is my preview of how I think the ADK boys teams will do.

Class D

Argyle-The Scots,  17-1, are the champions of the Adirondack League and the #1 seed. They have the best pair of guards in the tournament in Joey Lufkin(Section II’s leading scorer) and Josh Horton. They have not lost since a league loss to Lake George back in December.  I expect the Scots to ease their way to the Civic Center and win the Class D title.

Fort Ann-Fort Ann is 14-4 and the #3 seed. The Cards have two big time scorers in Robert Sprague and Derek Durkee and a solid supporting cast. Fort Ann is well coached as Kevin Nassivera is one of the best in the business. I see them reaching the Civic Center to meet Sharon Springs in the semi-finals. Sharon Springs will be the favorite, but I think Fort Ann could pull the upset and meet Argyle in the title game.

Hartford-The Tanagers have been bit of a surprise this year. Ethan Farley, Phil Cassella and Tad Jones provide a good core. The Tanagers should beat St. Johnsville at home in their opener, but after that may face a rematch with For Ann, and the Cards have dominated the Tanagers in two meetings this season. Kudos to Hartford for a nice season, but their run should end in the quarterfinals.

Salem-Some key injuries hurt the Generals right out of the gate this season, and the Adirondack League season has been a struggle for them. The Generals open at Loudonville Christian, who seems to be a team peaking at the right time. Getting out of the first round will be tough for Salem.

Bolton-Bolton is the 12 seed and opens play at 5th seeded Hawthorne Valley. The Eagles have had some ups and downs this season, but Mitchell Jordon can play with anyone.  He is a nice scorer and rebounder. I feel that the tough ADK schedule gives Bolton a chance to pull the upset in this one, but a meeting with #4 Loudonville Christian in the quarterfinals may be the end of the road.

North Warren-The Cougars looked to be contenders for the ADK  West title, but they fell on tough times the second half of the season. Nick  Sapienza is a very good guard,  and Benn Frasier provides the post game. The Cougars open at home against Doane Stuart,  a game I think they will win. Then though they must take on #2 Sharon Springs, a team many people think can win it all. That will be a tough one for North Warren to get by.

Fort Edward-The Flying Forts are the #9 seed and open up at #8 Germantown. As I have mentioned before, I like the Adirondack League teams against the CHVL squads so Fort Edward may have a shot at this one. The Clippers have been very successful over the past few years,  but are rebuilding this season. Still, they have a lot of big game experience and might be a tough out. The Forts are led by Mike Taft, Sean Morency, Jonah Taylor and Kevin McCarthy. Should they advance, they would meet #1 Argyle, a team that has handled them twice in league play.

Class C

Lake George-The Warriors went unbeaten in ADK play during the regular season, but fell to Argyle in the league title game. Lake George is 16-2 and earned the #4 seed in Class C, but could face a fierce field. Lake George opens against #13 Mayfield at home and should advance. A potential matchup with #5 Voorheesville in the quarterfinals could be a difficult one to get through. Even if they beat the Blackbirds, top seeded Hoosick Falls could be waiting in Glens Falls. The Warriors have a strong backcourt combo with Aaron Chambers and Joel Wincowski. Ethan Wincowski has enjoyed a nice season down low.

Hadley-Luzerne-The Eagles were one of the favorites to win the ADK West, but things just did not come together the way they were hoping. Devin Waite and Joe Marciano can both score. Hadley-Luzerne is the 14 seed and will have a hard time getting by the first round when they travel to Mechanicville to tangle the #3 Red Raiders and Jordan McBride. Mechanicville is a team many pundents thinks can surprise Greenwich and Hoosick Falls to win it all.

Rick Lyons Staff Writer:  Fifteen boys and girls basketball teams from the Adirondack and Wasaren leagues  will be in action tonight as sectional play starts to roll.  Some teams will have  multiple games in the second season while others are looking at a one and done.   No matter how long your stay, sectional games are special.  Here’s a few reasons why.

One of the things I really liked as a player heading into a sectional game was the unknown.  Now thirty years ago it was common not to know much about your opponent especially if you were seeing a team from out of the immediate area.  There were no internet sights with every team and all their stats from height to free throw percentage listed.  Today you have all of that along with video highlights where you might actually catch a glimpse of an opponent in action.  That being said if you’re playing a team for the first time you learn what’s most valuable after the ball’s tipped.  Their backside wing is slow to drop defensively, or the middle is wide open.  Maybe their backcourt is a step slow, or their frontcourt is longer than you thought. All hard to figure out until you step on the floor.

Floors.  That’s another reason sectional games are special.  Walking into a gym having never seen let alone played there, is something that made play-off time unique.  I know with players involved in AAU that many of them have played on multiple area floors, but when the Lake George girls walk into the Voorheesville gym, or the Granville boys take the floor at Cohoes most team members will run there for the first time.  In the second round they’ll be doubleheader sites where a 6:00 and 7:30 game will take place.  Great atmosphere as usually it’s a packed house.  I can remember playing Mechanicville at Shen my junior year and in game two Greenwich was on tap.  You couldn’t find a seat.  Hopefully some of our teams will advance and get themselves into a doubleheader night.

I think league pride is another special element to the tournament.  You’ve knocked heads all year with league teams and now most players and coaches like to see their league squads play well.  It speaks to your league strength when multiple teams advance in their respective classes.  You see it every year where a high seed from a weaker council gets dropped by a low seed from a more competitive one.  Pride is taken when your league’s on the giving end and advances to the next round.

Lastly the chance that it’s the last game you’ll play this year.  The win and advance or the lose and go home atmosphere that only sectional time can provide.  It’s not that competitive teams or players will play any harder at this time of year because they can’t, but that feeling that this could be our last run tonight gives the game more sizzle.  Especially if you’re playing in a toss up game  or are a decided underdog.  The season began in early November and for over three months you’ve played, practiced and traveled with this basketball family.  It may end tonight.

I remember coaching in Vermont one year and we won a play-in game and as the #15 seed earned the rights to travel two hours north to take on the #2 seed.  We played a nice first half and were right there.  At the end of our halftime talk the last thing I wrote on the board was 10:00.  I told the team that’s our practice time for tomorrow.  They flew out of that locker room and took care of business in the second half, and indeed we did practice the next morning at 10.  Her’s hoping all local teams in action tonight will be practicing tomorrow as well.

Keith Harrington-Staff Writer

As I sit here watching the Knicks play Dallas, all the “Linsanity” hype has me pumped up for the Section II Class D girl’s basketball tournament. It has been a great winter for the Class D teams in the ADK. Fort Edward, the defending Class D champs won the league title, North Warren won the west, and Argyle, Fort Ann and Hartford all had nice seasons. The Adirondack Legaue has been dominant over the years in Class D, and I don’t expect 2011-2012 to be any different. I would be stunned if it was not another “All ADK” final. It is just a matter of what two teams it will be. Will it be Argyle vs. Fort Edward round four, or will Fort Ann,  North Warren or Hartford crash the party?

Fort Edward-The Flying Forts are the #1 seed and are the defending champions of Class D. This year is a bit different however. Last year the Flying Forts surprised some people, rallying to win the crown after a slow start. This year as the Adirondack  League champs,  they will have a target on their backs. Fort Edward plays solid defense and has three excellent scorers in Sam Godfrey, Rae Heym and Taylor Boucher.

Prediction: The Forts should have no problem getting by the Germantown/Hawthorne Valley winner, but things will get more challenging in the semi-finals where they could face Fort Ann or Hartford. The Cards and the Tanagers have not been able to show that they can handle Fort Edward this season,  but this is the playoffs where anything can happen. That being said, I expect the Flying Forts to make another trip to the Class D final.

Argyle-The Scots played in Class C last year, falling to Berne-Knox. They are an experienced team with five veteran starters, and are looking forward to being back in Class D. Argyle would love another shot at their rival, Fort Edward which they have lost to, two out of the last three. The Scots are led by point guard Jax Miller and forward Shelby Graham. Megan McWhorter, Ashley Ellis and Hannah Kennedy are all capable of providing points as well. This is a very balanced team.

Prediction: Argyle as the #2 seed may actually have an easier road to the final than Fort Edward. That is because should they reach the final four, they will most likely meet either North Warren who they handled easily during league play, or #3 Heatly. I personally give very little respect to te CHVL champions. I think the Scots cruise into the Class D finals. and will be motivated for another shot at Fort Edward.

Fort Ann-The Cardinals are the #4 seed and await the Hartford/New Lebanon winner. Even though they have had a very good season, the Cardinals probably started the year with much higher expectations. They were a Class D finalist a year ago before being upset by Fort Edward at HVCC, and had all five starters back. However, they have not been able to solve Argyle or Fort Edward this winter, and only managed a split with Hartford. This team has the talent to get back to the finals if they put it together at the right time. Jordan Aubin has had another solid year, but the question is can this veteran team step up in the playoffs?

Prediction: I think the Cards will meet Hartford in the quarterfinals, and if they play well should get by the Tanagers. I think from top to bottom they have more talent. That would set up another game with Fort Edward with a trip to the championship game at stake. Although Fort Edward will be the favorite, and I think the Forts will win, I want to go on the record as saying that I love this Fort Ann team, and would not be stunned if they pull off the upset. Remember, it is the playoffs.

Hartford-The Tanagers have been led all year by Brittany Brayman and Morgan Mercure, both seniors and two of the top players in the ADK.  For the Tanagers to make a deep run, the supporting cast of Katie Frye, Morgan Wicks, and Molly Spear must contribute. When someone other than Brayman or Mercure scores, Hartford is a much more dangerous team. This may actually be coach Jason Harrington’s best coaching job as this team with only eight kids, but with two outstanding players has jelled into a double digit win team.

Prediction: Hartford will cruise past New Lebanon at home Tuesday night, and advance to play Fort Ann. Although the Tanagers split with Fort Ann, I think it will be difficult for them to beat the Cards in the playoffs. Fort Ann is just much deeper, and the Tanagers have not played as well down the stretch, and may be a little tired. That being said, Harrington will have his kids ready to play and I have learned never to count them out.

North Warren-I take my hat off to coach P.J. Hogan and the North Warren Cougars. They beat Lake  George twice and claimed the ADK West title. They deserve all of the credit in the world for this. It was nice to see a new face in the league championship game. Kiera Warner and Cassie Maday lead the Cougars on offense. North Warren opens the playoffs at home against Sharon Springs.

Prediction: I think the Cougars will defeat Sharon Springs in their opener, and advance to play Heatly. The Hornets, 17-1 will be a big favorite in this game, which will be played at Argyle. However,  I always like the ADK teams in games against teams from other Class D leagues. If the Cougars play well, and can shut down high scoring Melissa Heffern, they could pull off the win and advance to take on Argyle in the semi-finals. That is where the Cougar’s great season will most likely end,  but what a memorable season for the Cougars. I congratulate them on their accomplishments.

Salem-The Generals have struggled this year in the ADK East. I look forward to the day when this once powerful program returns to contention. They open sectional play as the 10th seed at Northville. The Falcons are 8-10, but have struggled to score, putting up scores in the 20′s several times, and in the teens a couple. Their high scoring game of the season is just 46 points, so if Salem plays a big game, they may have a shot. Dana Kupiec and Katelyn McKeighan lead the Generals.

Prediction: This will be a low scoring game that could go either way. The tough Adirondack League schedule is what Salem has on their side. Even if Salem is able to beat the Falcons, they will face Argyle and their season will come to an end.

Final Prediction: I feel that it will be round four between Argyle and Fort Edward in the final. The only thing that could change that is if the Fort Ann/Hartford winner were to upset the Flying Forts. Argyle, as I have already stated has the easier path and will be there waiting for the Fort Edward vs. Fort Ann/Hartford winner. As far as who will win if indeed it does end up being Fort Edward vs. Agyle  in the final, I couldn’t predict it. These teams are so evenly matched. Argyle won the first meeting by seven. Fort Edward has won the last two by 19 and four. The huge court at HVCC leads me to think that Fort Edward will have an edge because of their speed, but who can forget Argyle knocking off unbeaten Whitehall on that very court a couple of years ago. The Scots seem to rise up in these type of games. So I guess we will just have to wait until the first weekend in Match to find out.

Rick Lyons Staff Writer:  As we head into tournament play this will be our last basketball power rankings of the year.  Thanks to all for following and commenting whether about a team that made our top five, or about one we left out.  This week like every week proved to be a challenge but two big match-ups provided some clarity for our season ending power rankings.

1. Hoosick Falls 17-1:  Just a remarkable year for the Panthers as they went through the Wasaren wars and only dropped a four point decision to Greenwich.  This team has nice balanced scoring, excellent leadership and can win in a shootout or a defensive battle.  They received a well earned #1 seed in Class C.

2. Greenwich 14-4:  The Witches ended the season by winning their last four, beat everyone in the league except Schuylerville, and can score with anyone in the area. Their starting backcourt of Estramonte and Flynn knocked down 98 three point goals in a league that guards people.  A #2 seed in Class C for this explosive club.

3. Stillwater 14-4:  A big win over Schuylerville to finish the regular season puts the Warriors back in the top five and gets them back on track for a long sectional run.  They have the best depth of talent in the Wasaren and earned a #4 seed in Class B for that potential second season run.

4. Argyle 17-1:  The Scots had to wait a long time to avenge an early season loss to Lake George but good things come to those who wait.  The big W over the Warriors puts Argyle at number four here, and at the #1 seed in Class D.

5. Lake George 16-2:  A great year by the Warriors losing only to the Scots and Stillwater in their 18 game campaign.  They earned the #4 seed in a loaded Class C where after round one nothing will come easily.

Keith Harrington-Staff Writer

Wow. It is hard to believe that the high school basketball season is over.  It seems like just yesterday that we were making our pre-season predictions. The season went by in the blink of an eye. Congratulations to the league champions. Hoosic Valley of the Wasaren League, and Fort Edward from the Adirondack. Also our hats go off to North Warren on their ADK West title. As we head into sectional play, I feel that there is a lot to look forward to, with many local teams making long runs. I can’t wait until the “second season” gets started. This will be my last edition of the ADSN Power Rankings for the season. Thanks for your support,  and for your comments this winter.

ADSN Girls Power Rankings

1. Hoosic Valley (17-1)-The Indians wrap up the regular season unbeaten in the Wasaren, and claim the league title once again. Watch for this team to make a deep sectional run. Coach Walt Dorman’s squad can defend like usual, and have a great 1-2 scoring punch in Whitney Kugler and Cassidy Chapko. 

2. Fort Edward (15-1)-The Flying Forts were picked third in the ADK East behind Argyle and Fort Ann, but swept the Cards and beat the Scots two out of three to claim the title. I would be shocked if they don’t meet Argyle again in the Class D final. Taylor Boucher, Sam Godfrey and Rae Heym form a solid nucleus for coach Jason Thomas.

3. Greenwich (13-5)-The Witches struggled against Tamarac and Hoosic Valley, but dominated everyone else. Dani DeGregory and Alexis Case are a dangerous backcourt, and Mariah Linnett and Anissa Anuszewski provide balance. Look for this team to have a great run in Class C, but the field will be tough with the likes of Hoosic Valley, Voorheesville and Cambridge waiting in the brackets.

4. Tamarac (14-4)-The Bengals have had a solid year lead by Jenna Erickson and Briana Matazinsky. They had the number of the Greenwich Witches, but could not get by Cambridge or Hoosic Valley. This team played a tough non-league schedule and grabbed some impressive wins. They may have their hands full though in Class B.

5. Argyle (15-3)-The Scots had all five starters back and were primed for another ADK  title run, but Fort Edward beat them twice late in the season to derail  their title run. Now they set their sites on a Class D crown. Last year Argyle played in the C’s and lost to Berne-Knox. I look for the Scots to to use their experience to make it to the finals to get another shot at the  Flying Forts. Shelby Graham and Jax Miller lead the Argyle  attack, but Hannah Kennedy, Ashley Ellis, and Megan McWhorter can all beat you on any given night.

Keith Harrington-Staff Writer

Offense wins games, but defense wins championships. I know it is an over used cliche in sports, but never was it more true than it was Saturday night as the Fort Edward Flying Fort turned up the wick on defense in the third quarter,  and rallied to edge the Argyle Scots 38-34. The win at Hudson Falls High School in a winner take all playoff game gives Fort Edward the Adirondack League East division crown and a spot in Tuesday night’s league championship game against west champ North Warren at SUNY Adironack.

Fort Edward has scored as high as 82 points in a game this season. They have scored in the 60′s multiple times, and normally score in at least the 50′s. As a matter of fact,  they just scored 64 against this same Argyle squad last Tuesday night. On this night however, the points were harder for the Flying Forts to come by,  but in the end,  “D” was what carried this team that coaches picked third behind Argyle and Fort Ann to the division title.

Argyle jumped out to a 10-6 lead in the first quarter. The Flying Forts outscored Argyle by the slimmest of margins in the second quarter, 8-7, to make it 17-14 at the half.

It was a physical, low scoring, defensive struggle that saw both teams grinding it out and trying to find ways to put points on the board. No quarter demonstrated that more than the third, which turned out to be the quarter that decided it. Fort Edward came out extending their defense in the stanza, moving to full court man to man pressure. This change in defensive strategy led Fort Edward to a 10-4 advantage in the quarter as they came from behind to lead 23-21 heading to the fourth.

In the final frame the teams finally opened it up a little on offense, but Fort Edward outscored Argyle 14-13 to hold on for the win, taking two out of three meetings with the Scots this season, and the division crown. It remains to be scene whether meeting number four between these two teams will come in the Section II Class D tournament.

Sam Godfrey led Fort Edward, 16-1, with 17 points. Taylor Boucher added 7.

Shelby Graham paced Argyle with 14 points. Jax Miller had eight.

Argyle will play a crossover game against Lake George on Monday.

Keith Harrington-Staff Writer

The Argyle  Scots and Flying Forts of Fort Edward both did what they has to do Friday night,  coming up with wins to finish tied for first in the Adirondack League East division. The teams will now meet in a one game playoff tonight at Hudson Falls at 7:00  pm. The winner will meet North Warren on Tuesday in the Adirondack  League title tilt. The teams split  in the regular season, with Fort Eddward beating the Scots in the most recent meeting.

Fort Edward 61 Whitehall 41

The Fort Edward Flying took care of things on their end, knocking off Whitehall 61-41 to set up a meeting tonight with Argyle for the Adirondack League East title. Fort Edward led 31-19 at the half,  and cruised the rest of the way.

Fort Edward jumped out to a 16-9 lead after one quarter, and then increased their lead with 15-10 a second quarter to open the game up. Fort Edward outscored the Railroaders 30-21 in the second half to out it away.

Taylor Boucher led Fort Edward with 20 points. Brittany Sardina added 11 and Erica Brockway chipped in 10.

Brittany Putorti led Whitehall with 16 points.

Fort Edward is 15-1, 16-1. Whitehall  is 6-10,  6-11.

Argyle 70 Hartford 39

Argyle did their part to keep pace with Fort Edward as they disposed of rival  Hartford 70-39. The Tanagers hung tough for a quarter, but Argyle was not to be denied as they used a 44-14 advantage in the middle quarters to pull away for the victory.

Argyle jumped to a slim 21-16 lead in a faced paced,  high scoring opening stanza. In the second the Scots turned up the pressure on defense, outscoring the Tannagers 22-9 to lead 43-25 at te half. A 20-5 third quarter put the game in the pocket of the Scots.

Shelby Graham led Argyle with 21 points. Jax Miller dropped in 18, and Ashley Ellis 10.

Brittany Brayman led Hartford with 12 points.

Argyle is 15-1, 15-2. Hartford is 11-6, 11-6.

Keith Harrington-Staff Writer

In the first meeting between the Fort Edward and Argyle girl’s basketball  teams, the Flying Forts had a nine point lead in the fourth quarter. Argyle however, came storming back to  grab the victory. In round two last night, Fort Edward made no doubt about it as they defeated the Scots 64-45.

In this game both teams came out with their offenses in high gear in the first quarter, as they combined for 34 points in the stanza. The teams were knotted at 17-17 after the period, but Fort Edward appeared to take charge in the second, outscoring Argyle 16-8, using their aggressive in your face defense to shut down the Scots, and taking advantage of Argyle’s foul problems.  Argyle’s Shelby Graham, the teams number two scorer and as fierce a rebounder as their is anywhere around, had three first half fouls and saw her minutes on the floor limited. It was 33-25 at the half.

In the third Argyle fought back, and it looked for awhile as though they would  rally again to beat the Forts. They outscored Fort Edward 11-6 in the third to pull within 39-36, and then took a 43-41 in the fourth and seemd to be on their way. Then the wheels came off. Fort Edward went on a 10-0 run to go up 51-43, and things snowballed from there as the Flying Forts went on for the win, thanks to a 25-9 fourth quarter advantage.

The teams are now tied at 14-1 on top of the Adirondack League East standings. If they both win on Friday, they will play  a one game tiebreaker on Saturday at Hudson Falls, with the winner of that game meeting North Warren February 14th in the ADK title game.

Samantha Godfrey led Fort Edward with 17 points. Erica Brockway added 15 and Taylor Boucher 10.

Graham had 11 for Argyle.  Jax Miller added nine.