WEEK IN REVIEW: GIRLS' BASKETBALL

Greg Dedrick
ccSCOOP Sports

02-01-10 - 1:30 p.m. - There was a real lack of games this week due to state exams, which meant any games that were played were even more important. With most teams having a week or more to prepare for their games, it gave us a good chance to see how good some teams really were as we move toward the end of the regular season in both the Patroon Conference and Central Hudson Valley League.

On the girl’s side all of our local teams had nearly the entire week off before returning to action on Friday for a big set of games. Ichabod Crane was off until Saturday when they had their huge showdown against undefeated Maple Hill.

FRIDAY

Taconic Hills at Hudson

On Friday, two of the hottest teams not just in Columbia County but in all of the Patroon got together for a crucial late-season showdown. Hudson came in having won seven of their last nine, while visiting Taconic Hills won five of their last six. A win by the Titans would pull them to eight wins and match the Bluehawks, but a Hudson win would push the Bluehawks to a 9-5 record and position them firmly in a tie for third in the Patroon Conference.

Hudson started the game on fire, jumping out to a 16-2 lead after one quarter. The red hot start was a precursor to the offensive outburst to come for the Bluehawks. Although the Titans got some offense going in the second quarter, scoring 11, they still struggled to slow Hudson who put up 16 more and had a 32-13 lead at the half. 

Hudson came out of the half still scoring and playing defense, outscoring the Titans 13-7 and pushing their lead to 25.  Although Taconic Hills battled back some in the fourth quarter, it was too little too late as Hudson posted the 51-38 win.

Shavonda Cousin and Sam Davis each hit double digits for the Bluehawks scoring 16 and 12 respectively to lead the Bluehawks. Five other Hudson players got in on the scoring, including Jenna Turner who scored 9 and Danielle Kitsock who knocked down 2 shots from deep and finished with 6 points.

Taconic Hills got scoring contributions from just six players, with Emma Gryner leading the way with 11. Rachel Preusser added 10 and Alexis McComb chipped in with 9 in the loss.

Chatham at Catskill

The Panthers headed to Catskill searching for their second win of the season, but they could not overcome the high- scoring Catskill offense. The Panthers fell behind 20-3 after one quarter, and that slow start put them in a hole they could never get out of. The Chatham defense stepped up after the slow first quarter start, holding the Cats to just 22 points over the final three quarters, after giving up 20 in the first. Despite the step-up in defensive effort the Panthers continued to struggle scoring the ball as they fell 42-20.

Erika Sheerin knocked down three shots from beyond the arch and finished with a team high 9 points. Michaela Smith added 4, Katie Kresser chipped in with 3, and Leah Layton and Cathy Fowler each scored 2 in the loss.

SATURDAY

Ichabod Crane at Maple Hill

The Riders headed to Castleton on Saturday looking to avenge one of their two league losses this season by handing Maple Hill their first loss. Check out our full coverage of this game, along with the boys' contest, in our ccSCOOP Games of the Week.

PREVIEW

With so few games this week we decided to take a look at what next week may hold for our local Columbia County squads. Here is a team-by-team look

Ichabod Crane  Just four games left for ICC, two of which are coming up this week. On Tuesday, the Riders will host Greenville, a team they beat by 31 points on the road earlier this year. The Riders should be in good shape in this game, but Greenville is better now than when they played the first time.

On Friday, the Riders will head to Columbia County foe Taconic Hills, whom they beat by 16 earlier this year. The Titans had been playing some really strong basketball as of late until their loss to Hudson on Friday. Still ICC matches up well against a still dangerous Titans team.

Hudson  The Bluehawks will go on the road for both their games this week, traveling to Cairo-Durham on Wednesday and Greenville on Friday. Cairo has just one league win this year and lost to Hudson by 37 points the first go-around, so the Bluehawks look good in that match.

The Bluehawks topped Greenville by 20 the first time they met and used a well-balanced scoring attack. If Hudson can continue to get two people into double digits along with good shooting support from other players, another win should be in line.

Taconic Hills  The Titans had been on a roll until their loss to Hudson on Friday, and they really could have used that win as they head into a tough week. First up is a Wednesday is a trip to Rensselaer, a team they defeated by 9 the first time around. These two teams match up pretty evenly. The Titans put three players in double digits in the first meeting, and getting balanced scoring will be key again.

On Friday, the Titans host ICC who will certainly be looking for a couple of big wins coming off the Maple Hill loss on Saturday. The Titans lost to ICC by 16 in the first meeting and will have to slow down the size of the Riders if they want to pull the upset.

Chatham  The Panthers have a pair of home games this week, hosting Coxsackie-Athens on Wednesday and Maple Hill on Saturday. Earlier in this season Chatham fell to the Indians by 13, giving them their first win. Both teams will enter this game searching for their second victory. A key for the Panthers will be not sending the Indians to the free-throw line. Last game, the Indians got a quarter of their points at the charity stripe.

The Saturday game will certainly be an uphill battle when Chatham hosts the undefeated and top-ranked Class C team in the state. The Wildcats won by 35 in the first meeting and will certainly be a hard matchup for the Panthers.

Germantown  The Clippers have a pair of CHVL games this week. First up is a Monday home stand against Loudonville Christian. Their first contest was a 15 point win for the Clippers. Germantown has been playing some really strong basketball and are getting some formerly injured players back, so they should be looking good in this matchup.

On Thursday, the Clippers head to Berlin, a team they defeated 65-24 earlier this year. Germantown matches up well with the Mountaineers and should be in good shape in the rematch.

New Lebanon  The Tigers have just three games left this year and only one this week. On Wednesday, New Lebanon will travel to Columbia County foe Hawthorne Valley, in a battle of teams searching for their second league win of the year.  These two teams played in the Wildcats' previous game, and Hawthorne Valley won by 19. The real key for New Lebanon is simply whether or not Geneva Furlano. She missed the last game, and we haven’t gotten word as to why, but her being there is key.

Hawthorne Valley  The Wildcats look for their second and perhaps third win of the league season with back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday. The Wildcats just beat New Lebanon last week and should have good chance to do so again since these two teams match up well. It should be closer than last time, however.

On Thursday the Wildcats will take on Emma Willard, a team who they lost to by 11 not too long ago. The Wildcats got blanked 10-0 in the final quarter and will obviously need a stronger finish.

POWER RANKINGS

1  Germantown (previously 1):  Control their own 1st place destiny in C.H.V.L.

2  ICC (previously 2):  Lost to MH and looking to bounce back with a pair of wins

3  Hudson (previously 4):  Big win against the TH last week

4  Taconic Hills (previously 3):  Tough loss to Hudson, looking to get back on track

5  Hawthorne Valley (previously 5):  Have a chance for second and third wins this week

6  New Lebanon (previously 6):  If Furlano is back, may earn the revenge against HV

7  Chatham (previously 7):  Need to find a go to scorer if they want another win