Horseheads girls hoops cruise to Section IV finals, Troy boys basketball outlasts Southern Columbia
HORSEHEADS, N.Y. (WETM) – Horseheads girls basketball and the Troy boys highlighted a thrilling night of playoff hoops action.
Horseheads and Watkins Glen girls basketball advanced to their respective Section IV finals, on Tuesday. On the boys side, Troy outlasted Southern Columbia to reach the District IV finals. In the Section IV Class AA girls basketball tournament, Horseheads punched their ticket to the title game. The Blue Raiders rolled past Binghamton 52-30, with 23 points from Sophia Bonnell. The back-to-back STAC champions will take on Union-Endicott this Sunday, at the Visions Veteran’s Memorial Arena for the Class AA crown. The top-seeded Blue Raiders will look to win their 1st section title since the 2015 season, while U-E is in search of a 2nd straight crown. The Tigers defeated Maine-Endwell for the Class A championship, last season.
In Class C, the Watkins Glen girls beat Unatego 44-32, to punch a ticket to back to the title game. Rachel Vickio led Watkins Glen with a game-high 22 points and 8 rebounds. The Lake Hawks will return to Tompkins Cortland Community College this Saturday, to battle Moravia for the crown at 2 p.m. Watkins Glen will be looking to claim their 1st title since their impressive run from 2015-19. From 2015 to 2019, Watkins Glen won 4 section crowns in 5 seasons. Moravia is returning to the sectional final for the 2nd straight year, and is in search of their 1st Class C championship. Watkins Glen and Moravia last met for the Class C crown in 2016.
In Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the Troy girls saw their quest for a District IV title come to an end. Class AAA 2nd seed, Hughesville ended an impressive run for the Trojans in the District IV semifinals. Troy now moves to the 3rd place game against Bloomsburg, touting a 22-4 overall record, NTL crown, and NTL showdown title.
On the boys side, Troy survived a back and forth battle with Southern Columbia, 70-68. In the closing seconds of the contest, Southern Columbia missed a game-winning 3 point shot, at the buzzer. Despite the close finish, the Trojans will carry their perfect 25-0 record into the final for the 2nd straight year. Last season, Troy won their 1st District IV title since 1997. Standing in the way of another District IV trophy for the Trojans, are the top-seeded Loyalsock Lancers. Loyalsock defeated Warrior Run 64-55, in the other semifinal. Troy will head to Montoursville High School this Saturday, to play Loyalsock for the crown at 7:30 p.m.
In Section V, Avoca-Prattsburgh’s Class D semifinal with Hammondsport was postponed to Wednesday, February 28th. The move comes after host school Wayland-Cohocton experienced a mechanical issue in the gym.
A full look at Tuesday’s playoff scoreboard is listed below:
High School Girls Basketball:
Section IV Girls Basketball Tournament –
Class AA: Horseheads 52 – Binghamton 30
Class C: Watkins Glen 44 – Unatego 32
District IV Class AAA Girls Basketball Tournament –
Hughesville 55 – Troy 40
High School Boys Basketball:
District IV Class AAA Boys Basketball Tournament –
Troy 70 – Southern Columbia 68
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