New York: Another Trip to Semifinals for Niagara Falls

What were we thinking when we assumed high school basketball season started in late November with tip-off tournaments right before or after Thanksgiving?

Giulio Colangelo holds his Niagara Falls team to a much more ambitious standard.

“The expectation going into every season is getting to Glens Falls,” the Wolverines’ third-year coach said.  “That’s what we try to accomplish. And it’s good for kids to have a goal and an expectation.”

Apparently so. Niagara Falls scored a 66-56 victory over Greece Athena on Saturday at SUNY Brockport to reach the New York State Public High School Athletic Association semifinals for the seventh time in nine years. Kelvin Agee Jr. scored 27 points, made 11 steals and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the way, with eight players getting significant minutes.

“Everybody pitched in, did what they had to do,” Colangelo said. “There are some things we have to work on. We can’t settle for just going to Glens Falls, so we have to be ready. We haven’t accomplished anything yet.”

At 23-0, the Wolverines are ranked No. 1 in the state and favored to earn their first Class AA championship since 2005, particularly since No. 2 Albany Academy and No. 4 Mount Vernon crashed out of the postseason last weekend.

Niagara Falls will play Syracuse CBA in Saturday’s semifinals at the Glens Falls Civic Center. A win there puts Colangelo’s team into its fifth final in six years. It’s a standard of excellence that has required outstanding work my many players.

Noteworthy recent program alums include forward Paul Harris and point guard Jonny Flynn, both now starring for Syracuse University and prime time fixtures on ESPN. Colangelo’s current players notice that.

“They strive for that,” he said. “I mention to them that it’s difficult to reach that level, but as long as they work hard they have a chance. They see it and strive for it.”

Here’s a look at pairings for the NYSPHSAA semifinals, which begin Friday morning:

Class AA

Niagara Falls vs. Syracuse CBA

Niagara Falls (Section VI, 23-0) — Won the AA championship in 2005 . . . Lost an ugly 68-37 final to Bishop Maginn last season and also lost 2004 and 2006 title tilts during its outstanding recent run of seven final fours since Niagara Falls and LaSalle High merged in 2000 . . . 6-foot-2 Kelvin Agee Jr. made the all-tournament team as a junior and then raised his stock in last summer's Empire State Games. He surpassed 1,000 career points vs. Athena, and senior post player Michael Crumpton went for 12 points, nine rebounds . . . Junior guard C.J. Cox has been cleared to play despite a broken jaw suffered three weeks ago in a practice altercation that left starting point guard Wayne Ollison suspended for season.

Syracuse CBA (Section III, 20-4) — The only team possessing a win this season vs. Jamesville-DeWitt, arguably the best team in New York in any class . . . Won the B championship in 1997 and making its first trip to Glens Falls since 2003 . . . Excellent balance across the lineup behind 6-foot-6 center Mike Goodman (15 points per game), who is the school's first player over 1,000 career points and rebounds. Senior guard Stefan Thompson averages 12 points a game and made a back-breaking 18-footer (while playing with four fouls) with 14.5 seconds to go in a quarterfinal win vs. Albany CBA . . . Greg Thomson, a 6-3 forward, dropped 40 points (21 in the fourth quarter) on Henninger two weeks ago in a 76-75 overtime thriller in which the Brothers trailed by a dozen after three quarters. . . Goodman has 12 points and 17 rebounds in the 50-45 win vs.  Albany CBA one night after scoring  dozen in a 78-42 rout of Massena.

Newburgh Free Academy vs. Uniondale

Mike McLeod, Newburgh Free Academy

Photo By Lonnie Webb

Newburgh Free (Section IX, 19-4) — Advanced out of the quarterfinals when William Bouton (14.1 points per game) banked in a 55-footer at the buzzer to beat perennial power Mount Vernon, 71-70 . . . Beat Vestal in the opening round of the tournament, 89-67, by breaking open a 48-40 game with 17-for-21 shooting to open the second half. . . . Junior standout Mike McLeod (14.5 points a game) missed the Section IX Class AA final three days after being arrested by Newburgh city police and charged with obstructing governmental administration, a misdemeanor . . . Vying for its first NYSPHSAA championship and making its first visit to Glens Falls since 1998 . . . Not timid about slapping baseline-to-baseline defensive pressure on opponents . . . Damon Cousar averages 13.5 points.

Uniondale (Section VIII, 20-2) — Seeking its first NYSPHSAA championship . . . Beat North Babylon in the state quarterfinals  . . . Led by Justin Brown and inside muscleman Dane Dixon . . . Guard Devon "Fatty" McMillan, formerly of PSAL power Abraham Lincoln and destined for Hofstra in the fall, made a buzzer-beater to defeat Baldwin, 53-52, in the Nassau County Class AA championship game . . .  McMillan left Lincoln over academic issues and following a skirmish with Lance Stephenson and averaged nearly a triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists) during the regular season.

Class A

Peekskill vs. East Hampton

Daquan Brickhouse, Peekskill

Photo By Lonnie Webb

Peekskill (Section I, 23-1) — Won three of its five tournament championships from 2005-07 in Class A. Had to beat local favorite Glens Falls in the 2007 title game, 58-48, and lost in last year's semifinals against Jamesville-DeWitt, 78-54 . . . Five-time defending Section I champion . . . Point guard Daquan Brickhouse  — most definitely one of the tournament's featured attractions — will be more than two weeks removed from a nasty ankle sprain by the time he arrives in Glens Falls . . . 6-7 junior Kenny Bradshaw, coming off a summer knee injury, averages just 5.3 points per game but has been getting a bigger role on the court this month.     

East Hampton (Section XI, 23-2) — Won Class A in 1989 . . . Lost to Jamesville-DeWitt in the 2008 final, 78-54 . . . Defeated North Babylon last week in the Section X1 large-school final . . . Led by Hayden Ward (22.2 points a game), possibly the best big man in Suffolk County, and guard Jerome Russell. The pair each went over 1,000 career points on consecutive possessions during the 57-48 win over Roslyn in the quarterfinals. Ward finished the game with 26 points and Russell had 15.

Jamesville-DeWitt vs. Batavia

Jamesville-DeWitt (Section III, 24-1) — Two of its three Class A titles came in 2004 and 2008 . . . Ranked No. 1 by the New York State Sportswriters Association since the start of the season . . . This is a college team in disguise. Syracuse-bound guard Brandon Triche averages 23 points a gme, with 6-2 senior guard Alshwan Hymes adding 16 and 6-8 freshman center Dajuan Coleman nearly 12 a game . . . J-D has won 43 of its last 44, including last season's Federation Class A final.

Batavia (Section V, 23-1) — Vying for its first NYSPHSAA championship . . . A disciplined team with accurate perimeter shooting, highlighted by a 7-for-12 night on three-pointers in the post-sectional qualifier against Pittsford Sutherland . . . Owns an early-season win vs. Class D semifinalist Maple Grove while the Red Dragons were still rounding into form after a long football season . . . Senior forward Joe Schlossel scored 17 on Saturday vs. Buffalo McKinley, with senior guard racking up seven points, seven rebounds and 15 assists in an impressive 54-40 win.

Class B

Malverne vs. Binghamton Seton Catholic

Malverne (Section VIII, 12-10) — Possesses three NYSPHSAA trophies, including the 2007 Class B crown. Lost to Olean in last winter's final, 63-53 . . . Last week vs. Center Moriches, DeShawn Moorer made six three-pointers in the first half . . . . Gave back all of a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter vs. Burke Catholic in the state quarterfinals before closing the game with a 9-5 win for a 79-75 victory. Two years ago, Malverne rallied past Burke after being down by 20 . . . Kadeem Bell scored 20 in the most recent win, and Justim Williams went for 21 points, eight rebounds.

Seton Catholic (Section IV, 20-3) — In pursuit of its first championship and making its first appearance in the semifinals in eight years . . . Defeated Hannibal by 64-51 in the regional semis last week as freshman Tom Torto scored a season-high 24 points, senior Matt Meier scored all 17 of his points in the final 11 minutes and the Saints used nine players in the first half . . . Last loss was by 69-46 to Vestal, the Section IV Class AA champ, on Feb. 17 . . . Meier has scored in double figures 17 times this season but has been over 18 points just twice.

Bishop Kearney vs. Broadalbin-Perth

Bishop Kearney (Section V, 22-3) — Vying for its first NYSPHSAA championship and last played in the semifinals in 2002. . . Edged defending champ Olean in the quarterfinals, 47-45, building an early lead by exploiting Olean's zone defense . . . The Kings start four juniors . . . 6-3 junior James Taylor, is averaging 18.2 points during the postseason but was largely a third option to sectional tournament MVP Roderick Gray and Blair Roberts during the regular season . . . Junior forward Jerome Lewis is already attracting major-college football offers . . . Kearney recently became the sixth school to have earned 10 Section V basketball championships.

Broadalbin-Perth (Section II, 18-7) — Seeking its first NYSPHSAA championship. Other than the largest classification, no Section II school has won a title since Watervliet in 1991 . . . Plenty of scoring balance with 6-6 center Justin Boyles (11.1 ppg), guard Brian Blake (10.7), point guard Shane Hathaway (9.0) and 6-3 forward Nob Norgard (8.9), all seniors . . . Advanced by beating Ogdensburg over the weekend in OT, 46-44, wiping out a 10-point deficit with a 14-0 run in the fourth quarter. Boyles led the way with 18 points.

Class C

Avon vs. Oyster Bay

Avon (Section V, 25-1) — Vying for its first NYSPHSAA championship . . . Ranked No. 1 by the NYSSWA since the start of the season . . . Starts an all-senior front court that averages 6-4, 215 pounds, with a 6-5 junior usually the first player off the bench. Forward Matt Phillips is hitting 44 percent of his three-pointers . . . Senior guard Dan Banach (21 points and five assists) in the quarterfinals) runs the show . . . Outscored Randolph by 40-24 in the paint on Saturday thanks to a 40-23 rebounding advantage. Held Randolph to 19-for-53 shooting but did not run hard with the rebounds, netting just eight fast-break points . . . Only loss was a non-leaguer to Class B semifinalist Bishop Kearney as coach Rob Fries beefed up the February schedule.

Oyster Bay (Section VIII, 13-8) — Gunning for its first NYSPHSAA trophy on the heels of its first-ever Long Island championship and first sectional title in seven years . . . The Baymen posted a 60-58 win vs. Port Jefferson in the L.I. title game last week, riding a Bryan Van Cott jumper with five seconds left and surviving a running one-hander by John Nielsen that rimmed out at the buzzer . . . C.J. Durrant (18 first-half points, 21 overall) and Brett Restrepo (22) led the offense against Valhalla in the quarterfinals and Kevin Wilva was solid down the stretch in that 68-62 win.

Onondaga vs. Maple Hill

Maple Hill (Section II, 25-1) — You're not going to win states without first having won sectionals, which the Wildcats did for the first time since 1958. Their next game was a 60-42 win in a post-sectional state qualifier against Canajoharie, which hadn't won a sectional title since 1961 . . . Senior guard Trent Tibbitts averages 15.5 points a game . . . The only loss came to a 7-14 Greenville squad, 54-52, on Feb. 4.

Onondaga (Section III, 17-9) — Chasing its first NYSPHSAA championship following a wild postseason that began as a No. 9 seed (11-9 record) in the sectional tournament and included three victories that avenged regular-season losses (Pulaski, Tully and Westmoreland) . . .  Features balanced scoring led by Ted Zabel (13.0 ppg), Brad Emerson (9.9), Zach Holbrook (9.8), Chris Cota (9.0) and Taylor Bassett (7.6) . . . The Tigers have five sectional championships since 2001 . . . Lost four of six games during a 12-day stretch in mid-January . . . Broke to a 15-8 lead vs. Oxford in the quarterfinals, survived two rallies and held on for a 44-37 win.

Class D

Greenport vs. Maple Grove

Greenport (Section XI, 21-2) — Playing for its first state championship . . . Led by Ryan Creighton, Long Island's all-time leading scorer with 2,741 points including half of Greenport's output in a 72-59 victory vs. Coleman Catholic over the weekend. Creighton nailed four first-half three-pointers. For good measure, he also had 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks while playing all 32 minutes . . . The Porters knocked off Section X1 Class C champ Port Jefferson and Class B winner Center Moriches in the Suffolk County tournament before losing to East Hampton in the small-school final . . . Forward Wally Sorenson 16 points and six assists in Greenport's third consecutive win vs. Coleman Catholic . . .  The team went just 5-for-14 from the line vs. Coleman . . . Creighton, who hasn't gotten any meaningful college Division I attention thus far, is 44 points behind Sebastian Telfair for No. 2 on the state career list. Lance Stephenson is at 2,908 entering the PSAL final.

Maple Grove (Section VI, 21-3) — Won Class C for its second hoops title a year ago and also coming off a Class D football championship last fall . . . Ranked No. 1 by the NYSSWA since the start of the season . . . 6-2 junior football QB/basketball guard Chris Secky has 1,532 career points  . . . Shot 29-for-58 from the field in the quarterfinals  (including 65.5 percent in the first half) against previously unbeaten C.G. Finney, the state champ in 2006 and 2007. Joe Caporale handed out 10 assists in that win . . . The losses were to state A semifinalist Batavia, C quarterfinalist Randolph and Buffalo St. Joe's, which was 14-12 in a rugged large-school league.

Chateaugay vs. South Kortright

Chateaugay (Section X, 22-4) — Won Class D last March in Glens Falls after having fallen to C.G. Finney in the '07 small-schools final. Beat Greenport in the semifinals, 61-58, as Ryan Creighton missed a last-second trey  . . . Lost a 52-34 decision to Class AA squad Massena in the overall Section X title game last week -- the first loss since Dec. 26 . . . Senior Drew Boyea was voted league MVP recently. He's scored 25 points or more nine times and averages 21.2 a game . . . Senior guard Brad Spinner averages 12.4 points a game and 5-11 junior Alex Stalter, the team's tallest player, clocks in at 8.9.

South Kortright (Section IV, 24-0) — One of just two unbeatens still alive in the NYSPHSAA semifinals and the only school whose boys and girls are both still in the state tourney . . . The Rams has won 20 games by 14 or more points . . . Vying for its first NYSPHSAA championship and making its first trip to Glens Falls under 26th-year coach Bob VanValkenburgh.. . . Set a school record for single-season victories . . . Senior guard Eric Burns (11.3 ppg) and senior forward Kyle Hotaling (10.3 ppg) are the leading scorers in the starting lineup. Junior guard Rashawn Herrington (9.7 ppg) came off the bench to score 21 points vs. Laurens when the Rams won their first Section IV title since 2000 . . . The core of the team went 18-3-1 and earned a spot in the state soccer quarterfinals in the fall . . . Herrington retuened to the district this season afer a year in North Carolina.

John Schiano, who has written about high school sports in western and central New York for more than 25 years, covers New York for MaxPreps. He may be reached at johnschianosports@gmail.com .