As the league regular season and playoff titles are about to be decided, the excitement is building for the upcoming Section 2 girls’ basketball tournament. The tournament will feature a new-look format and pairings will be released in less than three weeks.
Teams will be competing in six classes rather than five this year with the addition of Class AAA, which pairs Section 2’s largest schools in Albany, Colonie, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Shaker and Shenendehowa.
Albany and Shenendehowa, each with one loss, are currently vying for the top seed in Class AAA. Several other teams like unbeaten Averill Park and Greenwich, as well as once-beaten Catholic Central, Queensbury, Greenville, Berne-Knox-Westerlo and Corinth, have also positioned themselves for high seeds in their respective classes.
The Adirondack League, Patroon Conference, Wasaren League and Western Athletic Conference will hold league championship games just before the sectionals, which will have first round games Feb. 16-17.
Here’s a few more things to know as we close in on the postseason play.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
The busy Section 2 tournament slate will include games on 12 consecutive days running from Feb. 20 through March 2.
First round action is slated for Feb. 16-17, and any preliminary games will be held Feb. 15 if needed. Tournament pairings will be released Feb. 14.
Highest seeds will host games through the quarterfinal round before action moves to neutral sites for the remainder of the tournament. The tourney concludes March 2 and 4
Tournament champions advance to state regional competition scheduled for March 5-6 and March 8-9. The NYSPHSAA tournament is March 14-17 at Hudson Valley Community College.
Here’s the schedule for the Section 2 tournament.
Preliminaries (if necessary): Class B, Class C, Thursday, Feb. 15.
First round: Class AA, Class A, Class D, Friday, Feb. 16; Class B, Class C , Saturday, Feb. 17.
Quarterfinals: Class AAA, Class D, Tuesday, Feb. 20; Class B, Wednesday, Feb. 21; Class C, Thursday, Feb. 22; Class A, Friday, Feb. 23; Class AA, Saturday, Feb. 24
Semifinals: Class B, Sunday, Feb. 24 at HVCC; Class C, Monday, Feb. 26 at Averill Park; Class D, Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Averill Park; Class A, Wednesday at HVCC; Class AAA, Thursday, Feb. 29 at HVCC; Class A, Friday, March 1 at HVCC.
Finals: Class A, Class B, Class C, Friday, March 2 at HVCC; Class AAA, Class AA, Class D, March 4 at HVCC.
SIXTH CLASS
Prior to the 2022-23 school year the New York State Public High School Athletic Association approved the sixth classification — Class AAA — for sports with 501 or more teams eligible to participate in NYSPHSAA state championships.
Those sports are girls volleyball, boys’ soccer and girls’ soccer in the fall, boys’ basketball and girls’ basketball in the winter, and baseball and softball in the spring.
For the Section 2 girls’ basketball tournament, the six teams eligible for Class AAA competition (see above) are by far the fewest in any class, with eight eligible for Class D play. Twenty teams are eligible to compete in Class B and C, and 12 teams are eligible to compete in Class AA and A.
The Section 2 tournament is open to all area teams tied to the NYSPHSAA regardless of record.
AMBITIOUS SCHEDULE
Basketball teams often play “up” against those from bigger schools as a prep for the playoffs, and Duanesburg (11-3) is hoping the tough schedule it’s assembled pays off in the coming weeks when it bids for a third straight Section 2 championship
The Class C Eagles of the Western Athletic Conference scheduled five games against Suburban Council teams of Class AAA and Class AA size. The Eagles beat Niskayuna (AA, 25 state rank) Tuesday 50-43, and before that they beat Guilderland (AA) 69-52 and lost to Colonie (AAA, 21 state) 53-43. Duanesburg has upcoming games at Shaker (AAA) and home against Columbia (AA, 19 state).
GOING THE DISTANCE
Averill Park (14-0) and Greenwich (14-0) are both striving for unbeaten regular seasons before postseason play, where the Warriors and Witches will go after repeat championships. Averill Park has the more difficult schedule to close out including a home-and-away against Albany (12-1). Greenwich, which went 20-0 last season before sweeping through its Section 2 playoff foes, has Mechanicville (13-2) remaining on its slate.
Class A Averill Park and Class C Greenwich are both ranked No. 1 on the New York Sportswriters Association polls.
2023 TOURNEY CHAMPS
Class AA: Top-seeded Albany got 22 points from Shonyae Edmonds, and repeated as the Class AA champ with a 57-49 win over Bethlehem.
Class A: Taylor Holohan led four double-digit scorers with 21 points to go with 11 rebounds in leading Averill Park over Catholic Central 62-49. It was the ninth straight Class A title for AP.
Class B: Saige Randolph scored 17 points, Alex Leonard added 11, and Albany Academy beat Catskill 64-36 for its first Section 2 title.
Class C: Duanesburg scored the first 19 points and defended its Class C title with a 60-28 win over Whitehall. Allison O’Hanlon scored 18 points, and Alex Moses and Hannah Mulhern both netted 16.
Class CC: Freshman Brooke Kuzmich collected 17 points, seven steals and six rebounds, and Greenwich stayed unbeaten with a 53-39 title-game win over Corinth.
Class C/CC playoff: Kuzmich scored 21 points, and Greenwich threw a defensive blanket over Duanesburg’s star players in a 51-43 win.
–Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons never trailed in beating 2022 champ Hartford in the small-school final 58-48. MVP Angie Deitz collected 21 points and 11 rebounds, and all-tourney pick Mia’Rose Wylie netted 20 points.
Averill Park, Albany Academy, Greenwich and Bishop Gibbons won regional championships in 2023 before state semifinal setbacks ended their seasons.
Disagree: Strongly believe Section 2 girls’ basketball playoffs deserve more attention and analysis.