The Niskayuna Silver Warriors will challenge the Shaker Bison at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Niskayuna is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.2 points per game this season.
Niskayuna took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They walked away with a 49-37 victory over Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake. Given the Silver Warriors' advantage in MaxPreps' New York basketball rankings (they are ranked 120th, while the Spartans are ranked 416th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Niskayuna found their leader in sophomore Skye Linyear, who went 8 for 17 en route to 21 points in addition to eight boards and three steals. Linyear continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last four games she's played. Another player making a difference was Ciarra Gonzalez, who posted ten points and eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, Shaker waltzed into their match on Tuesday with 11 straight wins... but they left with 12. In a tight game that could have gone either way, they made off with a 55-54 win over the Plainsmen.
Shaker's win came from a few key players Niskayuna will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Sofia Lanni, who went 7 of 10 on her way to 17 points and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Malia Jackson, who went 6 for 9 en route to 12 points and eight boards.
Shaker pushed their record up to 14-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight on the road. They've had to fight for that success though, as they only beat their opponents by an average of 11.5 points across that stretch. As for Niskayuna, their win bumped their record up to 10-7.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Niskayuna has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Shaker struggles in that department as they've been averaging 35.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Niskayuna came up short against Shaker when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 57-47. Will Niskayuna have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.
