Lourdes’ James Anozie pulls in a rebound in the first half of the Section 1 Class A semifinal against Bryan Hills at the Westchester County Center in White Plains on Wednesday.

For as thrilling as that victory was on Wednesday night for the Our Lady of Lourdes High School boys basketball team, the challenge now is keeping everyone grounded, coach Jim Santoro said.

Lourdes stunned top-seeded Byram Hills, 54-48, in a Section 1 Class A semifinal. Byram Hills had eliminated the Warriors in the semifinals en route to winning the title last season.

But a portion of Santoro’s speech to the Warriors on Thursday was dedicated to issuing this reminder: “That wasn’t our goal.”

Lourdes, seeking its first section championship since 2013, will face Tappan Zee on Sunday, 5 p.m. at the Westchester County Center.

SEMIFINALS: Lourdes pulls upset to advance to sectional final

TOWNES FAMILY: Siblings spark Lourdes teams

James Anozie had 27 points and 18 rebounds Wednesday, and Kevin Townes hit a go-ahead three-pointer with two minutes left as fourth-seeded Lourdes erased a fourth-quarter deficit and pulled the upset against a powerhouse that had won 17 straight games.

The players — and their fans — were gleeful afterwards, sharing congratulations and celebratory photos on social media Wednesday night. This, clearly, was the highlight of their season thus far. But, Santoro said, they must now ensure the season doesn’t end with that moment having been their apex.

“It’s a tremendous feeling beating the No. 1 team in the state (in Class A), but our goal is to win a state title,” Santoro said, reiterating what his players have said openly since November was their mission. “We have to stay focused and we can’t be satisfied with just accomplishing this.”

CHARITY: Lourdes basketball went an extra few miles for holiday help

The Warriors (17-6) certainly can’t afford that. Because although they defeated the toughest team in their bracket on paper, standing in their way now of their first section title since 2013 is Tappan Zee … the second seed. So any let-up there could easily result in a let-down.

Tappan Zee eked out a 69-67 win in its semifinal against Albertus Magnus. But the Dutchmen, like Lourdes, feature a dominant 6-foot-5 center who poses a challenge to all opponents.

Kevin Lynch is long and nimble, and able to step outside and score from the mid-range. His skills, undoubtedly, will make him difficult for the Warriors to contain.

“He’s similar to James (Anozie) in that they’re both incredibly talented and effective big men,” Santoro said. “James is a little heavier and stronger, and more under-the-basket. Lynch is more agile and runs the floor well.”

And both teams have enough of a supporting cast to make the opponent hesitate in double teaming the center. Lourdes has a slew of perimeter shooters in Townes, Brady Hilderbrand, John Arceri and Aidan Hilderbrand. Tappan Zee, Santoro said, runs a number of diverse offensive sets and passes the ball well.

That battle in the post “will be epic,” Santoro said. It also will likely be key in determining which team captures the gold ball.

The teams didn’t meet in the regular season this year, but one can foresee a matchup in which Anozie and Lynch have difficulty guarding each other. Lynch will have an edge in quickness, and being able to attack from the elbow. Anozie, with his strength, could power his way in the low post. Keeping the big men out of foul trouble will be paramount.

“It’s so critical,” Santoro said. “If James isn’t on the floor, we’re gonna struggle. The same would hold true for Tappan Zee. It’ll depend on how the officials call the game … If they let them play a little, I think it benefits James.”

As it did in the days leading up to the Byram Hills contest, Lourdes is spending its afternoons in practice, followed by comprehensive film sessions in the evening.

“We’re already back in the gym, working and keeping focused,” Santoro said. “If complacency is a problem, you probably don’t have a championship team to begin with.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Lourdes’ Brady Hildebrand drives on Byram Hill’s Matt Milone during the first half of the Section 1 Class A semifinal at the Westchester County Center in White Plains on Wednesday.

Lourdes’ Aiden Hildebrand drives on Byram Hill’s Ben Leff in the Section 1 Class A boys semifinal at the Westchester County Center in White Plains on Wednesday.

Scoring just never appealed to Noelle Mancini. For a long time, the thrill in playing basketball was blocking shots, contesting jumpers, defending the post and rebounding.

The Spackenkill High School junior said last fall that it would be a challenge for her this season, being relied on to score. But the 6-foot-1 post said she was willing to give it a shot.

The collective reaction of her Spartans teammates: Shoot!

The collection reaction of opponents this season: Aww, shoot!

Mancini had 17 points and 11 rebounds on Thursday, leading top-seeded Spackenkill in a 44-28 win over No 4. James I. O’Neill in a Section 9 Class B semifinal.

The win sets up a showdown between Spackenkill, seeking its first section title since 2015, and upstart Highland in the final on Saturday, 2 p.m. at SUNY Orange.

Sixth-seeded Highland beat No. 2 Fallsburg, 51-35, in its second successive playoff upset on Thursday. Bri Rozzi had 17 points and four assists, and Sam Garcia had 10 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Huskies (15-5).

“We never thought of ourselves as underdogs,” Highland coach Jim Malak said. “We thought we were better than a sixth seed, and we’ve played our best ball in the playoffs.”

Spackenkill, meanwhile, rolled against O’Neil. Maya-K Johnson had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Spartans (10-11). Issy Herrera added 11 points and Eileen Fiore had seven rebounds and, coach Don Neise said, “anchored the defense that did a great job against them.”

But it was Mancini who again shined. She also had 16 points in their quarterfinal blowout of Ellenville.

“The talent was always there, it was just a matter of her building confidence on the offensive end,” Neise said. “She’s been able to provide us with a great inside presence.”

Neise warned that Highland is a “very athletic” team that can’t be taken lightly.

“We respect Spackenkill,” Malak said. “But at this point, we’re just two teams fighting for the same goal.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Basketball in Hoop

Lourdes’ Madison Seigrist (20) puts up a shot during the first half of play in the Section 1 Class AA girls semifinal basketball game at the Westchester County Center in White Plains on Thursday, March 2, 2017.

Our Lady of Lourdes insisted all season that it not only expected to face Ossining in the playoffs, but that it would have no fear of the four-time defending girls basketball state champion.

The Warriors showed that for a half on Thursday night, proving themselves a handful for Ossining. But in the end, the Pride proved too much to handle, controlling the second half to pull away for a 76-66 win in a Section 1 Class AA semifinal at the Westchester County Center.

Maddie Siegrist scored 30 points for Our Lady of Lourdes, but her team’s sterling season came to an end against the giant that has loomed over its class.

Ossining’s Kailah Harris (34) and Lourdes’ Daniela Valdez (21) fight for possession during the first half of play in the Section 1 Class AA girls semifinal basketball game at the Westchester County Center in White Plains on Thursday, March 2, 2017.

Lourdes trailed 38-37 at intermission, showing briefly that its boastful talk was backed by substance. But Ossining, simply, had too much talent to contain.

LOURDES VS BYRAM HILLS: Lourdes boys have loftier goals than semifinal stunner

PLAYOFFS: Siegrist dominates, leads Lourdes to showdown with Ossining

“We played well the first half and we were right there,” Lourdes coach Al Viani said. “But they opened up the lead in the third and we couldn’t catch them.”

Abby Weeks added 12 points and Katie Clarke scored nine points for Lourdes (20-3).

Ossining forward Andra Espinoza-Hunter scored 36 points, which actually was a dip from her season average of 38.3 points per game. She had scored 51 points in the Pride’s win over Lourdes in December. Kailah Harris added 22 points.

The Warriors improved by five wins from last season and were dominant during stretches of the regular season. But, of their three losses, two were to Ossining.

Ossining will face No. 3 Albertus Magnus in the final at 2 p.m. Sunday, seeking a seventh consecutive section title. It was Albertus Magnus that snapped the Pride’s 93-game win steak against Section 1 opponents on Feb. 1.

“This was a tough way to finish out, but we had a great season,” Viani said. “(The players) will lament this for a little bit, but they’ll be OK and we’ll move on. They’re a resilient group.”

The Warriors will return nine players, including Siegrist, a 6-foot-1 center who starred during their postseason run.

“We’ve just gotta think about next year,” Viani said. “We’re already thinking about next year. We’ll bounce back.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

A view of the Pine Plains girls basketball team after winning the Section 9 Class C final.

NEWBURGH – Ashley Starzyk gazed in awe at what she had just been handed, pressed it against her chest and blushed a bit. It was as if she had been gifted a rare gem.

“I love it!” she later exclaimed. “It’s beautiful.”

Several of her teammates reacted similarly.

It wasn’t even the championship plaque that elicited that reaction on Friday. No, this precious memento was dark blue and made of nylon, and it matched the Pine Plains girls basketball uniforms quite well.

At this point, it seems, those sectional championship T-shirts are all the rave for the Bombers. And in typical fashion, Pine Plains earned some more for the collection.

Starzyk starred with 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in leading the top-seeded Bombers over Millbrook, 56-41, to capture a third consecutive Section 9 Class C championship at Mount St. Mary College.

Pine Plains’ Frances Snyder, right, takes the ball down the court during Friday’s Section 9 championship game against Millbrook at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

The Bombers will face the Section 1 champion (Haldane or Hamilton) in a regional semifinal Tuesday, 5 p.m. at SUNY New Paltz.

READ: For Pine Plains basketball, it’s all in the family

READ: After a concussion upended her life, Pine Plains’ Fumasoli triumphs on court

“Winning has become a tradition here and it’s something we expect,” said forward Cat Simmons, who also led the Pine Plains softball team to a section title last spring. “But it’s always the most exciting thing to get it done.”

Getting it done wasn’t easy. In fact, it took a fourth-quarter surge for Pine Plains to finally silence No.2 Millbrook. Each time it seemed the Bombers were about to pull away in the second and third quarters, Millbrook answered with a spurt to keep it close. But it was Starzyk, late, who sealed it.

The 6-foot-3 center scored 10 in the fourth, including three quick baskets to open the period. She sank a reverse layup after recovering a loose ball along the baseline, pushing the lead to 48-38 with 5:06 remaining.

“It was big for her to step up and take over like she did,” guard Tia Fumasoli said. “She’s capable of that and she came through when we needed it.”

Frances Snyder scored 11 points and Bella Starzyk had 11 points and six rebounds for Pine Plains (15-6). Simmons added eight points and three steals, and Haley Strang scored four points. Fumasoli had five points but made her mark on defense with two steals and six deflections on the perimeter.

Simmons and Snyder each drained two three-pointers in the first, helping stake Pine Plains to a 21-14 lead. But Millbrook pulled within 27-23 at intermission.

It took a while for the Bombers to get their inside game going. Millbrook’s Erin Fox dominated the paint with 14 of her 18 points in the first half and Pine Plains found it difficult to contain the freshman until switching to a zone defense, Ashley Starzyk said. On the other end, Millbrook’s foul trouble and Starzyk’s maneuvering out of double teams helped free her.

“Each year, we get nervous coming into these big games, but we get even more excited after them,” said Ashley Starzyk, a senior. “It’s a thrill.”

Sam McKenna had eight points and Kaitlyn Daly scored seven for the Blazers (15-6), who had last reached the final in 2014.

The silver lining for Millbrook is immediately visible on their roster. The Blazers have no seniors and eight underclassmen, so this season can serve as a building block. The future certainly seems bright.

Pine Plains’ Cathryn Simmons, left, looks for an open teammate during Friday’s Section 9 championship game against Millbrook at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

But the present belongs to Pine Plains, which has won the last two regional championships and now has designs on claiming a state title.

Oh, speaking of designs…

“I would’ve preferred long sleeves,” sophomore Bella Starzyk joked as she showed off her T-shirt. “But these are definitely nice.”

Fitting.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Pine Plains’ Haley Strang, left, wretches a rebound away from Millbrook’s Hannah Fisher, right, during Friday’s Section 9 championship game at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

Pine Plains’ Isabella Starzyk, center, goes for a layup during Friday’s Section 9 championship game against Millbrook at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

Millbrook’s Humberto Cabrera, left, brings the ball down the court during Friday’s Section 9 championship game against Tri-Valley at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

NEWBURGH – In some sports-related fantasies, we presume, the championship is won in a dramatic and cathartic moment. A buildup of immense stress and uneasiness, finally, is released and tension transforms in a nanosecond to jubilation as the hero delivers.

Ehh… Not this time.

“But there is a lot of joy in winning like this,” Millbrook boys basketball coach Bill Kyle said on Friday. “It eases a lot of the tension you would normally have late in the game, and you get a chance to enjoy the performance.”

And what a performance it was.

The Millbrook boys basketball team after winning the Section 9 Class C championship game against Tri-Valley at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

Humberto Cabrera scored 31 points to lead top-seeded Millbrook in a 77-42 rout of Tri-Valley in the Section 9 Class C final at Mount St. Mary College.

The upstart Blazers captured their first title since 2009 and advance to face the Section 1 champion (North Salem or Hamilton) in a regional semifinal on Tuesday, 7 p.m. at SUNY New Paltz.

READ: Cabrera scores 20, leads Millbrook to section final

“This is what all the hard work and practice is for,” said Cabrera, a 6-foot-1 guard who scored 13 points in the first quarter. “You do all that for moments like this, when it’s just pure excitement.”

There wasn’t a particular moment in this game, though. But for the Millbrook supporters — and the coach’s blood pressure — that was just fine. The excitement persisted throughout.

Gavin Burns scored 13 points for the Blazers (16-6). Shane Sinon, Jake Daly and Zeke Kopilak each added six points and were among nine Millbrook players who scored.

Brennan Healy had 22 points for third-seeded Tri-Valley.

Millbrook’s Zeke Kopilak, center, goes for a layup during Friday’s Section 9 championship game against Tri-Valley at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

This contest was close for 14 seconds. That’s the time that elapsed before the Blazers scored their first basket. In a blink, Millbrook had a 9-0 lead, and it was 13-2 under three minutes in. More than a hot start, it was foreshadowing. Millbrook maintained its high-energy frenetic pace, and Cabrera proved unstoppable off the dribble. Tri-Valley simply had no mach for any of it.

The Blazers were up 62-29 at the end of the third quarter and by then, in the stands behind their bench at least, the celebration was already on.

“It’s fun to win games like this, because you know everyone played well and we executed,” Drew Jackson said. “Everybody gets a chance to get in and be a part of the championship.”

That included big man Nick Larocque, who elicited the loudest ovation and had his name chanted when he was substituted in with four minutes left. The junior is a center for the Millbrook football team — a position that seldom draws attention, let alone acclaim — and he has received sparse playing time in basketball this season.

“I’ve never heard anything like that before,” Larocque said of the chants. “This is the first time a crowd has reacted like that to me.”

Teammates said that he is beloved. That, and he was the last reserve to enter the game for Millbrook as Kyle made sure to empty his bench in the second half. Football players Delvin Wood and Jacob Wright led the cheers for their friend and said this victory — and in that fashion — offered them solace for the fall. The Blazers reached the section final in football, but lost a lead in the fourth quarter and fell to John S. Burke Catholic. Larocque agreed with that assessment.

“My freshman and sophomore years we weren’t competitive in basketball,” said Cabrera, a junior. “So that makes this feel even more special. We’ve got guys playing basketball year-round and it’s showed.”

From start to finish.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Millbrook’s Shane Sinon looks for an open teammate during Friday’s Section 9 championship game against Tri-Valley at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

MIDDLETOWN – Underdog? Umm…

Highland has insisted that tag didn’t really belong to them. After each “upset” pulled during this playoff run, the girls basketball team told all who would listen that it was better than the sixth seed, that it was at least as talented as those favored teams.

Gotta believe ’em now.

“Uh-huh,” point guard Bri Rozzi said with a grin on Saturday. “I think we just proved that.”

With incontrovertible evidence.

Rozzi had 22 points and six assists as Highland rolled in a 49-31 win over top-seeded Spackenkill High School to capture the Section 9 Class B championship at SUNY Orange.

Highland’s Brianna Rozzi, center, attempts a shot during Saturday’s Section 9 championship game against Spackenkill at SUNY Orange in Middletown.

“We knew all along what we could do and how good we were,” forward Jayda Jackson said. “It was just a matter of showing it, and we did.”

The Huskies advance to face the Section 1 champion in a regional semifinal on Tuesday, 3 p.m. at SUNY New Paltz. Irvington and Briarcliff were scheduled to play Saturday night in White Plains for the Section 1 title.

Emily Peterson scored eight points and Sam Garcia added six points and 14 rebounds for Highland (16-5). Jackson added five points and guard Candace McCutcheon, a defensive maven, gave fits to Spackenkill on the perimeter.

“We knew that we could do this,” Garcia said. “I couldn’t have predicted the score, but I knew we were going to have a good game and win.”

Winning titles isn’t exactly new for this program. Highland last won the title in 2014, capping a run of five championships in six seasons. But coaching changes and a loss to a near-indomitable Marlboro in the playoffs a year ago, perhaps, removed some luster. Only Rozzi, a sophomore, and senior Taylor Farino were on the roster for its last title.

That, and the Huskies’ 4-4 league record this season made the Section 9 seeding committee stick them with a sixth seed. The claims of being better than its seed, however, weren’t unfounded.

“But we did well overall and we played against a tough non-league schedule,” Highland coach Jim Malak said. “We got better as the season went along and we came into the playoffs battle-tested.”

The final, for most of the second half, wasn’t much of a battle. Highland took control early and never trailed. Rozzi drained three-pointers on back-to-back possessions in the first quarter, the second of which was a bomb from three feet behind the arc that put the Huskies up, 8-2, with 4:36 left.

Spackenkill had a 7-0 run in the second quarter and Eileen Fiore’s layup pulled them within 22-15. But Highland answered, and McCutcheon’s jumper with 17 seconds left in the half made it 28-15.

“It’s really been our defense that’s brought us here,” Rozzi said. “Candace has been amazing on defense and that’s been a huge factor.”

Issy Herrera had 10 points and Maya-K Johnson had eight points and seven rebounds for the Spartans (10-12). Noelle Mancini scored five points. The 6-foot-1 center had thrived offensively in the playoffs, but Highland contained her with well-timed double teams on the elbow.

“We lost twice to Marlboro (in the regular season) and then turned around and beat them in the playoffs,” Jackson said. “That shows how much we’ve improved.”

That growth was more rapid than Malak expected. With only one senior and a team featuring mostly sophomores and juniors, Malak said he thought it would take another year for them to contend.

“That part of it has been a pleasant surprise for me,” the coach said.

After the Huskies ripped through the Section 9 bracket, we would assume he isn’t alone.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

The Highland girls basketball team celebrates its victory over Spackenkill in the Section 9 Class B championship game at SUNY Orange in Middletown

Highland’s Emily Peterson, left, goes for a layup during Saturday’s Section 9 championship game against Spackenkill at SUNY Orange in Middletown.

Highland’s Sam Garcia, right, blocks a shot from Spackenkill’s Madeleine McCall, center, during Saturday’s Section 9 championship game at Orange Community College in Middletown.

The Spackenkill boys basketball team after beating Rhinebeck in the Section 9 Class B championship game at SUNY Orange in Middletown.

MIDDLETOWN – Intangibles go but so far. Terms like “intensity” and “grit” have become bromides in sports parlance, but seldom are those really the determining factors in a game.

That is, until a team has been shellacked in the opening minutes of a championship and the idea of a sparkling season ending up fruitless becomes a real possibility.

The Spackenkill boys basketball team avoided that on Saturday, rallying in the second quarter and then taking control to beat Rhinebeck High School, 65-56, in the Section 9 Class B final at SUNY Orange.

“There’s no better feeling than holding that plaque,” forward Kyiev Bennermon said. “From the end of tryouts, when I saw the kind of talent we had on this team, I knew we had a chance to win this.”

Spackenkill’s Camron Abalos, center, takes the ball down the court during Saturday’s Section 9 championship game against Rhinebeck at SUNY Orange in Middletown.

Camron Abalos scored for 11 of his 25 points in the third quarter, and Hayden Peek dropped 11 of his 21 in that pivotal period for the top-seeded Spartans. Those names pop immediately in the box score.

But the one most mentioned by teammates — including those two — was John Timm. The senior scored two points, but…

“He lit a fire under us,” Spackenkill coach Tom Bell said. “John brought the energy defensively and that’s what led to us turning the game around.”

Spackenkill, which last won the title in 2014, will face Section 1 champion Pleasantville in a regional semifinal on Tuesday, 5:45 p.m. at Yorktown High School.

Spackenkill’s Kyiev Bennermon, center, goes for a layup during Saturday’s Section 9 championship game against Rhinebeck at SUNY Orange in Middletown.

But Rhinebeck’s performance at the outset raised doubts about Spackenkill’s prospects. The third-seeded Hawks raced out to a 9-0 lead three minutes in, and Lex Kronbichler’s three put them up, 19-7, three minutes into the second quarter.

That’s when Timm began putting his imprint on the game. The forward shifted to guarding Jack Spencer, Rhinebeck’s hot hand, and held him to five points in the second.

“Last year I had to sit out with a concussion and I watched our team lose to Marlboro in the final,” Timm said. “So I wanted to do everything I could… I don’t contribute much on offense, so I try to have an impact on the other end.”

Spencer did finish with 25, but Timm certainly made him work for it and his constant pressure and aggressiveness helped ignite that in his teammates.

“Coach was preaching defense all along, but when you see somebody giving maximum effort and making things happen, that adds something to it,” said Abalos, a point guard. “After that, we all started getting more aggressive and trying to make plays.”

The rotations and switches on defense were more crisp, and the back court pressure led to turnovers. Ezekiel De La Cruz, with his length and athleticism, also helped contain Rhinebeck. And the offense picked up. The Spartans surged late in the second quarter and Bennermon’s layup had them entering intermission down just 26-24.

Spackenkill’s Tucker Lee, right, looks for an open teammate while Rhinebeck’s Lex Kronbichler, left, defends during Saturday’s Section 9 championship game at Orange Community College in Middletown.

Spackenkill outscored Rhinebeck, 24-14, in the third. Peek’s three from the left wing — off a drive and kick from Abalos — gave them a 41-34 lead with 2:53 left in the quarter. Bennermon had 11 points, nine rebounds and two blocks for the Spartans (20-2).

“We had trouble scoring at first,” Peek said, “but we kept attacking and we knew our shots would eventually fall.”

The Hawks did rally late, and Rob Veith (nine points) converted a three-point play that cut the lead to 58-54 with 1:25 remaining. But Spackenkill sank free throws to salt the game away. Rhinebeck went 19-3, but the Spartans were responsible for each of those losses.

“They’re a great team and it was tough,” Bennermon said, “It’s never easy to beat a team three times.”

That’s another of those sports clichés. Another one proven true.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Jessica Wilkinson, 50, drives possession towards Cornwalls net with Olivia Davet, 15, close on her tail in Cornwalls 37-34 winning game for the Section 9 basketball championship title at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, March 5, 2017

NEWBURGH – For as much as had gone wrong and as poorly as Red Hook played during stretches of this game, the waning seconds offered an opportunity to continue what had been a magical season.

The blunders of the previous possessions didn’t matter as the ball took flight from the left wing. A crammed and rollicking gymnasium suddenly went silent as Kalie Harrison released the shot. And for a second, the Raiders had hope.

“’Please go in! Please go in!’” Jessica Wilkinson said of her Sunday evening prayer. “That’s all you’re thinking.”

The ball hit the backboard and deflected onto the rim, but it rolled off as time expired.

So ended the Red Hook girls basketball season as top-seeded Cornwall High School won a nail-biter, 37-34, to capture the Section 9 Class A championship at Mount St. Mary College.

Cornwall, which had lost in each of the previous five section finals, finally cleared its hurdle. And for the second-seeded Raiders, there was heartbreak.

“To be honest, this (stinks),” senior Alexa Francheschi said. “We thought we could handle them and we just didn’t play well.”

FEATURE: Red Hook’s Harrison delivers on farm, on court

SECTION 9: Rozzi shines as ‘underdog’ Highland girls roll to a Section 9 championship

SECTION 1: Haldane girls win fourth straight Section 1 title

Excluding a few stretches, particularly in a roaring third quarter, her assessment was accurate. Still, Red Hook had a chance to tie the score at the end with the ball in the hands of a clutch shooter. And it almost happened.

That the Raiders came so close — and that so many of their fans believed — was a testament to what this team had exhibited all season.

Kalie Harrison of Red Hook, 3, drives the ball down court while flanked by Samantha Incognoli, 12, and Mekenzi Moreau, 11, of Cornwall in Cornwalls 37-34 winning game for the Section 9 basketball championship title at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, March 5, 2017

Red Hook (19-4) won its league, reached milestones, dominated for portions of the season and had its share of dramatic victories. In fact, it was a Harrison three-pointer that won the Mid-Hudson Athletic League semifinal last month before the Raiders went on to win that title for the first time since 2007.

“They have given me so many reasons to be proud,” coach Andrew Makebish said. “We struggled in this game, but looking back on the season as a whole, we have to be pleased.”

Wilkinson, who earlier this season topped 1,500 career points and set the program scoring record, had 11 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Francheschi added 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Harrison had three points and three steals.

Maggie Malone scored 17 points for Cornwall, which faces Vestal of Section 4 in a regional semifinal on Wednesday at SUNY New Paltz.

Red Hook last won the title in 2012, beating Cornwall.

“This is amazing,” Cornwall’s Samantha Incognoli said. “We’ve waited a long time for this and we just believed this was the year we’d finally make it happen in the final.”

Red Hook had a number of offensive droughts and fell behind 20-12 early in the third quarter. But the Raiders surged late in the period. Perimeter pressure led to turnovers, and Red Hook capitalized.

“We put up a fight and gave ourselves a chance,” Wilkinson said. “We can keep our heads up.”

Megan Jankowiak, 33, navigates through Cornwalls heavy defense for a 2 point shot in Cornwalls 37-34 winning game for the Section 9 basketball championship title at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, March 5, 2017

Wilkinson’s steal and fast-break layup at 1:56 gave them a 26-25 lead — their first since 2:53 of the first quarter. Syr Esposito (four points) hit a jumper that pushed it to 29-25 at the end of the third.

Malone’s free throws retook the lead for Cornwall at 33-32 with 3:38 remaining, then she hit a layup a minute later. Francheschi’s put-back pulled Red Hook within a point with 1:25 left, then Harrison got a steal. But the Raiders turned it over twice in the final minute, forcing them to foul to stop the clock.

The Dragons’ missed free throws to left the door ajar for Red Hook on its final possession with nine seconds left. But it wasn’t to be.

“There are a lot of little girls who’ve been at our games all season and they look at this team like superheroes,” Makebish said. “That won’t change.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Red Hooks Megan Jankowiak, 33, goes in for the rebound in Cornwalls 37-34 winning game for the Section 9 basketball championship title at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, March 5, 2017

Alexa Francheschi of Red Hook, 24, goes for a 2 point shot in Cornwalls 37-34 winning game for the Section 9 basketball championship title at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, March 5, 2017

Alexa Francheschi of Red Hook, 24, goes for a 2 point shot against Cornwalls Cassidy Brusseler, 23, in Cornwalls 37-34 winning game for the Section 9 basketball championship title at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, March 5, 2017

Alexa Francheschi of Red Hook, 24, battles for possession of the ball with Madison Vinett of Cornwall, 22, in Cornwalls 37-34 winning game for the Section 9 basketball championship title at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, March 5, 2017

Poughkeepsie takes the win over Goshen in overtime with a final score of 100-92 securing the Section 9 Class A basketball championship title at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, March 5, 2017

NEWBURGH – It was with heavy hearts that Poughkeepsie entered this basketball season.

Following an offseason marred by controversy and tragedy, the players, emotionally worn, said the court would serve as their sanctuary. It would be an escape from a reality they fast learned can be cruel.

Mo’Quez Dickens said in December, not long after attending his second funeral of the year, that there was more significance to this season because Pioneers needed to help heal the community and ” make our angels proud.”

To that end: Mission accomplished.

Poughkeepsie rallied late and stunned top-seeded Goshen High School, 100-92, in overtime to win the Section 9 Class A championship at Mount St. Mary College on Sunday.

Poughkeepsie was blitzed in the second half by Goshen’s outside shooting and, after leading from the opening possession, trailed by as many as 69-57 with seven minutes remaining. But the third-seeded Pioneers roared back late and forced overtime when Davontrey Thomas’s two free throws tied it at 83 with 15 seconds left.

Marvin Lunsford’s jumper gave Poughkeepsie a 1-point lead in overtime, then Antawone West (19 points) hit a three to make it 90-86, and the Pioneers took control. Free throws in the final minute helped them pull away.

“At the start of the season, I didn’t think we could make it this far,” said Lunsford, who scored 21 points. “This feeling is amazing.”

Poughkeepsie (14-7), which won a Section 1 title in 2013, advances to face the Section 4 champs Johnson City in a regional semifinal on Wednesday, 7 p.m. at SUNY New Paltz.

The shooting death of former teammate Caval Haylett last March led off a tumultuous offseason that saw an unexpected coaching change that drew the ire of the community, and the passing of some players’ loved ones.

“This wasn’t just for us,” Dickens said on Sunday. “The community needed this.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

High school basketball

Pragmatism suggests there is no such thing as a “team of destiny.”

Poughkeepsie High School’s Jahquel Harvard boxes out a Goshen opponent during Sunday’s Section 9 Class A final at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

There are good teams that capitalize on fortuitous circumstances and accomplish what few expected. Simple.

A proverbial magic carpet ride lasts only until a stiff breeze disrupts it.

But every so often, a group gives cause to wonder if destiny is involved. And the occurrence gives some reason to make statements like:

“There’s something special going on,” Poughkeepsie High School basketball player Mo’Quez Dickens said on Sunday. “I feel like we can take it all, like we can go to the top.”

The senior said that after Poughkeepsie had pulled a stunning comeback and upset top-seeded Goshen, 100-92, in overtime to capture the Section 9 Class A championship at Mount St. Mary College.

It had already been a remarkable run for the third-seeded Pioneers, a team few believed in at the beginning of the season. Heck, the team itself didn’t imagine getting that far.

And Goshen represented that fierce gust of wind.

But the Pioneers erased a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter and surged in overtime to win their first title since 2013, when they earned a Section 1 championship.

“There’s a component of luck in getting here,” Poughkeepsie coach Jerome Elting admitted. “We were fortunate. That team was tough and shot the ball really well. But we persevered.”

READ: Poughkeepsie takes refuge on court after difficult offseason

READ: Poughkeepsie basketball team helps feed the needy

The Pioneers (14-7) will face Johnson City of Section 4 in a regional semifinal on Wednesday, 7 p.m. at SUNY New Paltz.

In preparation, the team practiced on Monday, less than 24 hours after one of the most thrilling victories in program history.

“I’m not gonna lie,” sophomore Jamik Carter said, “we didn’t think we could win a title. I came into this game nervous.”

This was expected to a rebuilding season for Poughkeepsie, both tangibly and emotionally. The Pioneers would have a young roster, relying heavily on a slew of sophomores, and they would face challenges with a first-time head coach.

Many in the community questioned the decision to make a coaching change last summer, considering the team had reached the final a year ago.

As well, the team and neighborhood still was grieving the death of former teammate Caval Haylett, an 18-year-old who was shot and killed days after the basketball season ended last March.

Had the Pioneers struggled, it wouldn’t have been a shock. It would have been understandable.

But players said in December the season held more significance, and added motivation would come from attempting to “make our angels proud.”

Marvin Lunsford scored 21 points to lead the Pioneers in the final. Antawone West added 19 points and Tremell Reaves scored 16. Corey Simmons, a 6-foot-7 center, had 15 points and nine rebounds.

“We have people looking down over us, so this (championship) wasn’t just for me and my team,” said Dickens, whose grandmother died shortly before the season began. “This is for my family. The community needed this.”

Simmons expressed similar sentiments and said he played for his grandma, who also died last fall. March 2 was her birthday, the senior said as he became emotional, “so everything I do is to honor her.”

Given the tragedy and controversies the community has endured, that blue championship plaque can serve, at least, as a small feel-good emblem of progress.

“This is something they’ll always be able to talk about with their children and grandchildren one day,” said Elting, who starred on the court for Poughkeepsie in the 1970s. “This day — March 5, 2017 — we were here and we did something special.”

Comeback victory

The Pioneers raced out to a big lead, but Goshen charged back late in the second quarter and pulled within 40-35 at halftime. In the second half, the Gladiators unleashed an offensive barrage from the perimeter.

Cory Simmons, 44, takes a free throw shot against Goshen in Poughkeepsie’s 100-92 winning game, securing the Section 9 Class A basketball championship title at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, March 5, 2017

Goshen’s Ryan Lutz scored 14 of his 32 points in the third quarter. His deep three-pointer gave the Gladiators their first lead, 44-42, with 6:51 left in the third. Goshen had 30 points in the period and its lead eventually swelled to 69-57.

Poughkeepsie was kept afloat by sophomore Niyal Goins, who scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half and sparked the rally.

“Coach told us to that you don’t want to come out of this with bad memories,” Dickens said. “Win or lose, we had to give our best and make sure we wouldn’t have regrets.”

The Pioneers made a push late in the fourth, as Goshen’s shooting cooled, and Lunsford’s layup pulled them within two with 48 seconds left. Davontrey Thomas was fouled on a putback attempt with 15 seconds remaining. His two free throws tied it at 83.

“That’s our shooter,” Carter said. “There was no doubt he was gonna make those. Once we got it close and got back in, we started thinking we could win.”

Goshen scored first in overtime, but Lunsford’s jumper put Poughkeepsie ahead, 87-86, with 3:13 remaining. West then nailed a three on the ensuing possession. Myles Ukoh’s three-point play pulled the Gladiators within 90-89 with 2:31 left, but Carter’s four quick points rebuilt the lead and Poughkeepsie sealed it with free throws in the final minute.

Poughkeepsie’s Tremell Reaves drives against the Goshen defense during the Section 9 Class A final on March 5.

The buzzer sounded. Players rushed the court to celebrate, coaches and administrators hugged, fans danced, and the crowd roared as the Pioneers were crowned. The scene was lit, as the kids say.

“I didn’t expect this,” Goins said. “Right off the bat we lost our first game to (Franklin D. Roosevelt) and we got down on ourselves. I didn’t see us winning it at first. But we picked ourselves up.”

Lucky? Team of destiny? Maybe.

The most accurate label, however, is “champions.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

John Jay bowler Victoria Pacacha

The best girls scholastic bowler in Dutchess County earned a place as second-best in all of New York on Sunday.

John Jay High School’s Victoria Pacacha rolled a 1,269 six-game series in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament on Sunday at AMF Gates Lanes in Rochester. The sophomore’s total was good for second overall among girls, and she led the Section 1 team to a second-place finish.

Her series included a 278 in the fifth game.

The Section 1 boys team placed fourth in its tournament, and Section 9 finished 11th.

PREVIOUSLY: Pacacha, the kingpin (and queen) of Section 1 bowling

SECTIONALS: Four Dutchess female bowlers reach states

SECTION 1: North Rockland boys take state title, girls 2nd

Bethlehem’s Jenna Lemke won the girls individual title with a 1,366 series and led Section 2 to victory as the team toppled 5,977 pins to finish ahead of Section 1 (5,842). Section 9 placed eighth with 5,052.

Pacacha, who led the Patriots to a Dutchess-Putnam Interscholastic Bowling League crown, was named the Journal’s Girls Bowler of the Year last winter. Her John Jay teammate and close friend Alyssa Rubeo shot a 1,105. Arlington teammates Lauren Regan (1,065) and Leah Cole (1,059) also represented Section 1.

For Section 9, Natalie Colaizzo of Franklin D. Roosevelt bowled a 981. Highland bowlers Brooke Harris and Amanda Darmochwal rolled an 874 and 855, respectively.

South Colonie from Albany won the girls team title on Saturday.

Arlington’s Matthew Rice rolled a 1,077 for a 38th-place finish, tops among mid-Hudson Valley bowlers, and Michael Sheridan of John Jay had a 1,039 for the Section 1 boys, who totaled 5,897.

Section 4 won the championship with 6,191 pins. But Panas sophomore Nick Perrone, representing Section 1, won the individual title with a 1,392 series.

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Ryan Padgett bowled a 966 for Section 9, which totaled 5,112. Presidents teammate Derrick Storms rolled a 915, and Highland’s Lenny Cassaburra shot an 886.

North Rockland, the Section 1 champion, won the boys team title on Saturday. The Raiders edged East Islip by a single pin — 5,743 to 5,742.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Highland’s Brianna Rozzi (2) knocks the ball away from Irvington’s Mary Brereton (4) as teammate Jayda Jackson (30) picks it up, during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017. Irvington won the game 53-38.

NEW PALTZ – There were a few tears afterwards, but the eyes dried not long after. Some players, in fact, provided themselves solace as they spoke.

For as disappointed as the Highland High School girls basketball team was to see its season come to an end on Tuesday, they soon were reminded that this campaign wasn’t their hallmark, but a stepping stone.

“This hurts a little bit right now,” junior Candace McCutcheon said. “But we’ll learn from this. We’re coming back next time and we’ll be better. I can promise that.”

After crashing the Section 9 bracket as a sixth seed, the Huskies fell to Section 1 champion Irvington, 53-38, in a Class B regional semifinal at SUNY Paltz.

The Bulldogs, an older and more experienced team, erased a halftime deficit and dominated the second half.

“We had a chance, but we just kind of fell apart,” Highland sophomore Bri Rozzi said. “But the good thing is, this is just the start for us. This season gives us confidence to believe we’ll be right back next year.”

SECTION FINALS: Rozzi shines as Highland girls roll to a Section 9 title

HAYNES: Poughkeepsie basketball – Team of destiny?

WHAT’S NEXT: State basketball playoff schedule

Those “We’ll get ‘em next year” declarations are often said in a perfunctory manner, a consolation statement following a crushing loss. But in this case, it’s more of a projection.

From left, Irvington’s Olivia Valdes and Highland’s Bri Rozzi battle for a loose ball on Tuesday at SUNY New Paltz.

The Huskies (16-6) have only one senior and will return all their core. This run, which coach Jim Malak has admitted came a year sooner than he expected, was spearheaded by sophomores and juniors.

“A lot of these other teams will be graduating their superstars,” McCutcheon said. “We’ll have almost the entire team back and we’ll be working hard to improve all summer. We can definitely get better.”

Irvington, which lost in this round to Marlboro last season, advanced to face Mattituck of Section 11 in a regional final on Thursday at SUNY Old Westbury on Long Island.

Rozzi had 13 points, three assists, two steals and a block for Highland. Jayda Jackson added 10 points, and McCutcheon had six points and three steals. Sam Garcia had four points and seven rebounds.

Rozzi’s layup gave the Huskies a 27-25 lead going into halftime, but the Bulldogs blitzed the Huskies in the third quarter. Irvington opened with a 6-0 spurt then ended the period with three baskets in 13 seconds.

Highland players watch as the clock ticks down in game against Irvngton during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017. Irvington won the game 53-38.

Lindsay Halpin had steals and fast-break layups on two consecutive possessions, then Irvington stole the ensuing inbound pass and sank another layup to make it a 42-30. Olivia Valdes scored 16 points to lead the Bulldogs (18-5). Her three-pointer from four feet behind the arc put them up 47-33 with 6:08 left in the fourth.

“They gave me everything they have and we have no regrets,” Malak said. “I think experiencing this atmosphere and this (opponent) will make us better. We’ll be OK.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Highland High School’s Jayda Jackson looks for an open teammate as she is covered by Irvington’s Heather Hall during a state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday. Irvington won the game 53-38.

Highland’s Brianna Rozzi (2) passes around Irvington’s Olivia Valdes (2) during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017. Irvington won the game 53-38.

Pine Plains players walk off the court after they were defeated by Haldane 47-41 in the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017.

NEW PALTZ – Rich Starzyk knew it. There was little he could say, as a coach, to console his team immediately after Pine Plains’ season-ending loss on Tuesday. As a father, there wasn’t much to say for standouts Ashley and Bella Starzyk, either.

“This hurts and it’s gonna hurt for a little while,” the girls basketball coach said. “It’s just gonna take time for them to cool off and maybe start reflecting.”

What likely will be reflected on is the Bombers’ run of dominance for three years, which culminated in trips to the state final four the previous two seasons.

But that run — a regional reign, really — came to an end with a 47-41 loss to Haldane High School in a Class C regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz.

And now, Haldane will finally have its own chance to make a state-playoff run.

The Blue Devils have won the Section 1 championship four consecutive years, but were upended by Pine Plains in this round the previous two years.

READ: Starzyk stars late as Pine Plains wins third straight section title

READ: After a concussion upended her life, Pine Plains’ Fumasoli triumphs on court

LOHUD: Haldane finally gets the best of Pine Plains

“We definitely wanted redemption,” said Alzy Cinquanta, who finished with 11 points. “Our top priority was to beat Pine Plains, and it definitely worked out.”

Haldane faces the Long Island champion, Section 11’s Port Jefferson, in a regional final on Thursday, 7:30 p.m. at SUNY Old Westbury.

The Bombers knew this would be a proverbial grudge match, expected a fierce effort from Haldane, and prepared as such. But offensive droughts and last-minute blunders cost Pine Plains.

“We had our chances to win and this is a game we were confident we would win,” senior Frances Snyder said. “We didn’t play well enough, didn’t do enough on offense, and we paid for it.”

Pine Plains’ Isabella Starzyk (21) goes up for a shot in front of Haldane’s Abbey Stowell (25) during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017.

Bella Starzyk’s layup got the Bombers within 40-38 with 1:29 remaining. Haldane’s Abby Stowell hit the first of her two free throws and missed the second with 43 seconds left, but the Blue Devils grabbed an offensive rebound. Gabriele Baumann’s free throw made it 42-38. Pine Plains still had life with 33 seconds remaining, but a snafu on an inbounds play led to another turnover and more free throws for Haldane.

Cat Simmons’ three with 18 seconds left cut the lead to 44-41, but the Blue Devils salted the game away with three additional foul shots.

“It’s like my first birthday party,” Haldane coach Tyrone Searight said of the win. “That feeling to beat them — they were like the dinosaur of Section 9. They’re a great team — they weren’t just a good team.”

Ashley Starzyk, a senior, had 12 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks for the Bombers (16-6). Bella Starzyk, a sophomore, scored eight of her 12 points in the fourth and had seven rebounds. Snyder, a point guard, added seven points and three assists, and Haley Strang scored five points.

“Getting this far is an accomplishment for our school,” Snyder said. “We had never gone as far or done as well until three years ago. We have to be proud of that.”

From left, Pine Plains’ Frances Snyder (3) drives to the basket in front of Haldane’s Hannah Monteleone (3) during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017.

Before this core emerged, Pine Plains had never won a Section 9 championship.

The Bombers came out of a taut first half trailing, 18-16. Ashley Starzyk was effective in the paint on both ends, but Haldane offset that somewhat with four three-pointers.

Hannah Monteleone’s straightaway three gave the Blue Devils that two-point edge 22 seconds before intermission. The lead eventually grew to 32-22 on Olivia McDermott’s left-wing three with 1:51 left in the third, before Pine Plains chipped away late in the fourth.

McDermott had 13 points to lead Haldane, which made eight 3-pointers to Pine Plains’ one.

Tia Fumasoli had two points and three steals. The senior had suffered a severe concussion in the state final last March and dealt with symptoms for almost a year before returning to athletics last month. It was feared that she would never play competitive sports again. A deep playoff run for Pine Plains, she said, would offer her a chance to “make up for lost time.”

Pine Plains’ Ashley Starzyk (1) looks for an open teammate while guarded by Haldane’s Olivia Monteleone (15) during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017.

The guard was distraught after Tuesday’s career-ending loss — and understandably so. But in time, most likely, she will have greater appreciation of the time she did have on the court, and the historic successes she helped lead this team to. That Fumasoli played in this game, and the handful leading up to it, was itself a victory.

“It’s been a phenomenal run,” Rich Starzyk said. “This team made school history and they’ve made a lot of people proud. For them to get to sectionals four years in a row and win it three times, get to states twice. There’s something to be said for that.”

A whole lot will be said about it. Eventually, in the days and years to come, when the pain subsides. The Bombers look back fondly.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Pine Plains’ Ashley Starzyk (1) is surrounded by Haldane defenders as she puts up a shot during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017.

Pine Plains’ Ashley Starzyk (1) puts up a shot in front of Haldane’s Gabriele Bauman (31) during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017.

Millbrook High School players celebrate their 59-54 victory over North Salem in the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday.

A la bio, a la bao, a la bim bom ba, 

Humberto, Humberto, rah rah rah

That Spanish chant — well, a version of it — is commonly belted out during Mexican soccer games in celebration.

The SUNY New Paltz gymnasium on Tuesday night was treated to, umm, sabor de México. That cheer rang out from the Millbrook High School side of the stands, with Humberto Cabrera’s name placed where a crowd would normally chant for his family’s native land.

And, with reason.

Cabrera scored 12 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Millbrook boys basketball team over North Salem High School, 59-54, in a Class C regional semifinal.

“It basically means ‘Hooray,’ and it’s something you yell to support a player,” said Cabrera’s cousin, Kimberly Baeza-Jimenez, who was joined by several family members. “We’re extremely proud of him and the team, so we gave them a little traditional cheer.”

CLASS B: Spackenkill defeats Pleasantville, advances in regional tourney

LOHUD: Cabrera, Sinon lead Millbrook past North Salem 59-54

In whatever language, Millbrook is giddy.

The Blazers, enjoying a resurgent season, advanced the regional final, where they will face Section 11 champion Stony Brook 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Suffolk Community College’s Selden campus on Long Island.

“It’s amazing and we want to keep this going,” said Cabrera, a junior. “We’re having a lot of fun with this and that’s motivation to push harder. We made some huge plays at the end.”

Himself included. The guard drained a 3-pointer to give Millbrook the lead, 47-46, with 3:53 remaining. Shane Sinon hit two 3-pointers to help stave off North Salem, and Colby Whalen sealed the win at the free-throw line.

“Coming into this, coach (Bill Kyle) said it would probably be a five-point game and he was right,” said Drew Jackson, who snagged a key offensive rebound off a missed free throw with three seconds left on the clock. “It was going to come down to which team made the crucial plays at the end. That was us.”

Millbrook High School’s Humberto Cabrera drives to the basket against North Salem during a state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz on Tuesday.

It has been them for most of this season. Millbrook crushed Tri-Valley by 35 points last week to win its first Section 9 championship since 2009. Cabrera erupted for 31 points in that contest.

But this game, Kyle said, “was a good test of our will. And we came through it… We refuse to lose.”

Sinon, a transfer from Franklin D. Roosevelt, has been instrumental in the turnaround. In him, the Blazers have a reliable secondary scorer and his perimeter shooting helps space the floor. The junior scored 12 points, including three three-pointers in the fourth quarter. Patrick Kyle added nine points and Whalen scored six.

The game was close throughout — it was tied at 26 at halftime — but Millbrook outscored the Tigers, 23-15, in the fourth. Cabrera’s driving layup, going the length of the court and weaving through the defense, gave the Blazers a 52-48 lead with 49 seconds left. That elicited more cheers from the crowd, and an emphatic fist pump from the coach.

“We go as ‘Berto goes,” Bill Kyle said. “He’s incredible. You could see that fire in his eyes. He wasn’t gonna come off this floor as a loser.”

From right, Millbrook’s Drew Jackson (11) battles for a rebound with North Salem’s Miles D’Alessandro (22) in basketball action during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017.

Miles D’Alessandro scored 17 points for North Salem (17-7). John Martabano added 13 points and Chris Alterio, one of the focal points of the Blazers’ defense, was held to eight points.

Jackson, reserved afterward, said the team would celebrate its victory by simply, “getting back and preparing for our next opponent.”

Cabrera’s family seemed a little more festive, though. As did the rest of the Millbrook fans, who shouted several cheers during the rollicking fourth quarter.

“’Berto brings the best fans!” Bill Kyle said with a chuckle. “I have no idea what they’re saying, but it’s all good.”

¡Todo está bién!

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Saturday

What: Class B and C boys basketball state regional finals

Where: Suffolk Community College’s Selden campus

Class B: Spackenkill vs. Section 11’s Center Moriches

When: Noon

Class C: Millbrook vs. Section 11’s Stony Brook

When: 2:30 p.m.

From right, Millbrook’s Humberto Cabrera (3) tries to get around North Salem’s Chris Alterio (23) in basketball action during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017.

From left, Millbrook’s Shane Sinon (15) and Humberto Cabrera (3) put pressure on North Salem’s Chris Alterio (23) during basketball action during the state regional semifinal at SUNY New Paltz March 7, 2017.

Scenes from the boys basketball Class A regional semifinal game at SUNY New Paltz.

NEW PALTZ – The crowd loved it.

Poughkeepsie — its boys basketball team and its fans — had been on the edge of their seat during a taut first half and, perhaps, nervous at times during the competitive portion of that third quarter.

“We were a little stagnant in the first half and we allowed them to dictate the tempo,” Pioneers coach Jerome Elting said. “We needed to change that.”

Then came the eruption — from the team, and its fans in response. It was deafening din of a raucous quasi-home crowd at SUNY New Paltz that roared with delight as Poughkeepsie went on a run and literally ran its opponent out of the game.

Spurred by that electric spurt, the Pioneers built a sizeable lead and held on to beat Section 4’s Johnson City High School, 73-59, in a Class A regional semifinal on Wednesday.

One can now anticipate an even more charged atmosphere on Saturday as the Pioneers advance to face neighborhood rival Our Lady of Lourdes in an all-Poughkeepsie regional final, noon at Pace University in Pleasantville.

READ:  Poughkeepsie basketball: Team of destiny?

“Everybody from Poughkeepsie might come out to that,” Mo’Quez Dickens said with a grin. “It’s gonna be big.”

Whomever the victor in that matchup, the town (and Dutchess County) will have reason to celebrate.

The Pioneers earned their way there with an impressive second half and, with Lourdes in the stands watching and scouting, essentially issued a memo: This team is athletic and deep and better than initially advertised.

Poughkeepsie, switching to a smaller lineup and upping the tempo in the latter part of the third quarter, finished the period with a 20-6 outburst that included an eight-point flurry in 52 seconds.

“Coach told us to play faster,” forward Davontrey Thomas said. “He said this team was slow, so we needed to push the ball more. It worked.”

The Pioneers went ahead, 35-33, on Marvin Lunsford’s free throws with 4:31 left in the period. In a blink, Dickens was raising up court for a layup. Seconds later, Niyal Goins was doing the same, converting a steal into a fast-break layup. Then Goins again a few seconds later. And the rout was on.

Scenes from the boys basketball Class A regional semifinal game at SUNY New Paltz.

Poughkeepsie trailed, 28-27, at halftime. But that was soon erased and forgotten.

“We’ve been down before and that doesn’t mean nothing to us anymore,” Lunsford said. “It just means we have to turn up the intensity.”

And never was the crowd, or this team, more amped than with 25 seconds left in the third, when Dickens demonstrated a move worthy of multiple rewinds.

The point guard got a steal and zipped down court with one defender to beat. And that defender’s knees soon buckled as he crossed over, dribbled behind his back then scooped in a layup to absolute delight of the crowd. The slick move pushed the lead to 52-39, and upped the decibel several levels.

“I didn’t know Mo had that in the arsenal,” Thomas said with a chuckle. “It was good move. The crowd loved it.”

Elting said that Dickens is “the straw that stirs the drink for us sometimes,” though he is often overlooked because he isn’t a prolific scorer. Dickens said he wasn’t looking to show off with the dribble, he simply “needed to get a basket.”

Poughkeepsie’s Corey Simmons, left, goes for a layup as Johnson City’s Xavier Hill, right, defends during the Class A regional semifinal game at SUNY New Paltz.

Lunsford and Corey Simmons each scored 20 points to lead Poughkeepsie (15-7). Goins added nine points and Dickens had four points, six assists and four steals. Johnson City’s Patrick Garey scored 24 points.

Simmons, a 6-foot-7 center owned the paint in the first half, scoring easily inside. The Wildcats, a considerably smaller team, “had nobody that could match his size,” Lunsford said. Simmons had 14 points, before Johnson City countered that with perimeter shooting. That is, until Poughkeepsie changed the pace and pressured them out of their half-court sets.

“This is great,” Thomas said. “I’ve never experienced this before and I never expected it this season. But now we’re here, I wanna keep on going.”

Lourdes also has a fast and athletic team with a band of outside shooters. But the ballyhooed matchup, no doubt, will be the battle in the post: Simmons against Lourdes’ 6-foot-5 center James Anozie, a dominant scorer.

“I expect it to be a competitive game with two big men who are well-respected around the county,” Elting said. “Hopefully we’re the ones coming out on top, but this will be a good thing for either team.”

And for all of Poughkeepsie. The crowd will love it.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Scenes from the boys basketball Class A regional semifinal game at SUNY New Paltz.

Poughkeepsie’s Tramell Reaves, left, looks for an open teammate as Johnson City’s Daishawn Bradham, right, defends during the Class A regional semifinal game at SUNY New Paltz.

Spackenkill’s Kyiev Bennermon, left, goes for a layup during Saturday’s Class B regional final game against Center Moriches at Suffolk County Community College in Selden.

SELDEN – Spackenkill coach Tom Bell became choked up at times as he addressed his basketball team, sitting in a classroom beneath the gymnasium of Suffolk Community College in Selden.

“I’m proud of you all,” he said. “I don’t think there’s anything we could have done differently.”

Part of the reason for that sentiment was scrawled on the chalkboard behind him: A mathematical equation tallying the number of three-pointers that Center Moriches High School drained to sink the Spartans.

The problem on the board was solved but it wasn’t on the court as the Spartans’ sparkling season came to an end with a 72-57 loss in the Class B regional final on Saturday.

“It’s hard when a team is that hot from outside,” Spackenkill senior Camron Abalos said. “It gets a little frustrating and there isn’t much you can do to cool them off.”

Spackenkill was undermanned for a portion of the game, seemingly overmatched throughout and, in the end, overwhelmed.

Center Moriches, the Section 11 champion, hit 14 three-pointers and made close to 70 percent of them. That included going 8 for 12 in the first half.

“We accomplished a lot this season and we can’t hang our heads over this,” Bell said. “We’re going to go out and celebrate this season.”

Literally. The Spartans had reservations for a popular Italian restaurant in Suffolk County. The team would gather there to reflect and “enjoy each other’s company,” said Abalos, who finished with 1,325 career points, second in program history.

Center Moriches faces Westhill or Norwich in a state semifinal Friday at Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton.

The Spartans (21-3) won the Mid-Hudson Athletic League title this season and came from behind in the Section 9 championship and the regional semifinal, showing a resilience and resolve that Bell said defined their season.

There was more of that on display on Saturday as Tucker Lee returned from an injury that, at one point, was feared to be a broken ankle. But his absence for a chunk of the game proved another obstacle for Spackenkill. Lee is one of the Spartans’ better shooters and a stopper on defense.

The senior went down beneath the basket in the first quarter and required help to hobble off the court. Lee told a trainer he heard a “pop” and initially was unable to put weight on his right ankle. But during the third quarter he reappeared with his ankle taped, pacing behind the bench. He was reinserted midway through the period.

“I wasn’t sure if I should allow him to go back in,” Bell admitted. “But the trainer said it was a sprain and Tucker was begging to go back in.”

Seconds after re-entering, Lee hit a three from the right wing. Teammates said his return gave them an emotional boost.

However, that basket cut the deficit to 17 points with 4:49 remaining in the third. The Red Devils (21-4) had taken control from late in the second quarter and would pull away in the second half.

Spackenkill’s Camron Abalos, right, takes the ball down the court during Saturday’s Class B regional final game against Center Moriches at Suffolk County Community College in Selden.

“I didn’t want my last game to end on the bench and I wanted to step up and do something for my team,” said Lee, who last month was given the team’s leadership award. “They were struggling and needed something, and I wanted to help.”

That gesture typified what the guard has been about in his career, Abalos said, describing Lee as selfless and “tough.”

Kyiev Bennermon had 17 points and 17 rebounds for Spackenkill. The 6-foot-4 forward was effective in the post and Center Moriches could do little to match his size inside. But that wasn’t of consequence for the Red Devils, who offset that with outside shooting.

Abalos and Ezequiel De La Cruz each added 10 points. Hayden Peek scored seven points and Lee was held to two three-pointers in the third.

The Spartans were hampered by turnovers in the first half, and David Falco’s three at the buzzer gave Center Moriches a 39-26 lead at halftime. Tyiquon Nix’s three pushed the lead to 54-33 with 3:09 left in the third.

Nix scored 19 points and Nakia Durham had 17 points to lead the Red Devils, who had lost to Spackenkill in a regional final in 1998.

“When you think of everything we did this year, it’s hard to say it wasn’t a good year,” Lee said. “I can be proud of that.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Millbrook’s Humberto Cabrera, center, takes the ball down the court during the Class C regional final game against Stony Brook at Suffolk County Community College in Selden.

SELDEN – Capturing a section title last week was enough to make coach Bill Kyle call the Millbrook boys basketball season a success. Any accomplishments beyond that point, he said then, would be “gravy.”

“Not quite,” he said on Saturday, amending his previous thought. “It’s gravy, but it still hurts. When you come this far and get this close, you get that feeling that it’s within your grasp. It hurts a lot to fall short.”

The Blazers season was a successful one, though, yielding their first Section 9 championship since 2009 and bringing them within a victory of the state final four.

But the campaign was cut short in a 45-27 loss to The Stony Brook School of Section 11 in a Class C regional final at Suffolk Community College in Selden.

READ: Viva la Millbrook: Blazers top North Salem to advance in states

READ: Cabrera, Millbrook roll to first section title since 2009

Millbrook struggled offensively, and Stony Brook performed better than it had for most of the season, dominating the paint defensively. Its height advantage and shot-blocking prowess was too much for the Blazers.

“It was frustrating,” guard Humberto Cabrera said. “Every time you went inside, you had to go through two people.”

The two often were 6-foot-6 Jyles Etienne and 6-foot-4 Mac Bohuny, each of whom blocked several shots, altered many others and, essentially nullified dribble penetration.

“We were stymied all day,” Kyle said. “We struggled to get anything going against this team.”

Stony Brook faces Cooperstown or Moravia in a state semifinal on Friday at Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton.

Millbrook played well defensively in the first half, but scoring was an arduous task. Outside shots weren’t falling consistently, and a number of drives inside ended with an attempt being swatted away. The Blazers trailed 21-18 at halftime but were held to a point in the third quarter as Stony Brook pulled away. The lead eventually grew to 45-24 in the fourth quarter.

Cabrera, who had averaged better than 29 points in his previous two playoff games, was held to six on Saturday — all in the first half. The Bears defense collapsed on him whenever he breached the paint, and they rotated defenders on him along the perimeter.

Millbrook’s Colby Whalen, left, grabs a loose ball during the Class C regional final game against Stony Brook at Suffolk County Community College in Selden.

Shane Sinon and Colby Whalen each added four points for Millbrook (17-7).

“This is a young team,” Kyle said. “We got this far, and now we build to take the next step.”

Stony Brook’s 15 third-quarter points, though far from a gaudy total, were enough to seize control of the game. Brandon Providence, a speedy 5-foot-5 guard, scored 16 points to lead the Bears (15-14). Etienne added 13 points.

“They were better than what it looked like on film,” Kyle said of Stony Brook, a small private school in Suffolk County. “We watched a lot of film on them, but sometimes it’s still hard to get a feel.”

Stony Brook won the Long Island title last season as well, and lost to Haldane in the regional final.

The bright spot for Millbrook is its roster includes only two seniors, and juniors comprise the core. This group, Kyle said, “put Millbrook basketball back on the map.” It has a good chance to contend next season and, perhaps, from this loss can be extracted experience and motivation.

“I’m very proud of what we did this year,” Cabrera said. “Our expectation was to be competitive and we exceeded that. But this motivates us a lot. We’re gonna come out so hard next year.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Our Lady of Lourdes’ James Anozie and head coach Jim Santoro hug as their team celebrates after beating Poughkeepsie to earn a place in the state semifinals on March 11 in Pleasantville.

Some wished the calendar could skip ahead and today was Saturday.

There is an eagerness — an anxiousness — now to get upstate. Competing for a state championship is the obvious goal, but getting away and spending a few days in a hotel is an added perk. Several players became giddy just thinking about it.

The Our Lady of Lourdes High School boys basketball team earned its trip to Binghamton with a dazzling postseason run. The group now embarks on what could be a historic weekend for the program, readying for what senior James Anozie called, “the biggest games of our lives.”

READ: Lourdes defeats Poughkeepsie, reaches Class A final four

READ: Lourdes boys win wild one, claim Section 1 Class A crown

READ: Derisive & dynamic: Townes siblings spark Lourdes teams

The Warriors face Southampton High School in a Class A state semifinal at 10:45 a.m. Saturday at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena. Should Lourdes advance, it would play in the final at noon Sunday.

Lourdes seeks to become the first Dutchess County team to claim a boys basketball state title since Millbrook won Class D in 1999.

The excitement is palpable, and certainly understandable. Now, just imagine what that three-hour ride on Friday afternoon will be like with a busload of teenagers.

Radio silence.

That’s right. For anyone who assumed there might be music being played to pass time, it’s a no. Ain’t no AUX cord here.

“Coach is gonna take away our phones for the weekend,” senior Corey Mullaly said. “If all goes well, we’ll get them back on Sunday night.”

The confiscation of electronics has become a road trip routine for the Warriors. In an effort to keep his team free of distractions and foster camaraderie, coach Jim Santoro collects all electronic devices from his players as they enter the vehicle. That means no cellphone, laptop, iPad or iPod… or a Walkman, if anyone under 25 even knows what that is.

So, as they trek along Route 17, a source of entertainment will be staring out the window, taking in the winter foliage in the rural parts of western New York. Perhaps making note of the highway signs for odd-named towns like Hale Eddy and Fishs Eddy. Fun, huh?

“It’s gonna be terrible,” senior Kevin Townes said bluntly. “You know how hard it is to not have your phone for days?”

The Warriors do, actually. Santoro did the same back in December when his team spent a weekend in New Rochelle and on Long Island, helping construct a house with Habitat for Humanity.

“And they survived it then,” the coach said on Wednesday. “They’ll be OK.”

Our Lady of Lourdes High School’s Kevin Townes splits two Poughkeepsie defenders during the Class A regional final at Pace University in Pleasantville on March 11.

Bonding, joking

Although the team has earned his trust, Santoro said he has run a tight ship the last several weeks, having his players cut out junk food and he has attempted to enforce a curfew. That will continue in Binghamton, where the team probably won’t check in to its hotel until Friday night. With a morning game on Saturday, the coach said, it’s imperative they get to sleep early.

Before that, though, the crew will likely resort to an old-school, tech-free method of communication: Conversation.

Well, that and roasts. Yeah, there will be jokes.

Mullaly said the group sometimes keeps itself engaged by coming up with “silly” chants for teammates and coaches. Townes said several of those are directed at Anozie, the team’s superstar, whom they’ve nicknamed “Toes.”

“When he takes his shoes off and we see those feet,” the guard said chuckling. “We can’t help but laugh. Those toes are ugly.”

The 6-foot-5 Anozie has, um, put his foot down in the post during the playoffs, serving as an offensive anchor and outperforming the centers who have opposed him.

En route to the Westchester County Center to face favored Tappan Zee for the Section 1 final, Townes said the team chanted “Kevin Lynch” — the opponent’s standout center — with the goal of getting Anozie worked up. It worked out.

Lourdes (19-6) entered the sectional playoffs as a fifth seed and pulled upsets in close games against Saunders, top-seeded powerhouse Byram Hills in the semifinals, and then No. 2 Tappan Zee. The Warriors then handled a surging Poughkeepsie team, 61-46, in the regional final last Saturday.

Our Lady of Lourdes’ Brady Hildebrand brings the ball up the floor against Tappan Zee in the Section 1 Class A final at the Westchester County Center in White Plains.

Earning a shot at history

It’s the farthest this program has ever gone. Lourdes last won the section championship in 2013 but lost in a regional semifinal. This will be Santoro’s first trip to the state final four in 28 seasons as the head coach there. Players said some of their motivation will come from a desire to win for the coach.

“There’s a sense of fulfillment because it’s not easy getting to this point,” Santoro said. “And there’s an element of luck. The ball rolls one way or another, and maybe you don’t get as far. You have to be good to have a chance, no doubt, but you’ve got to have Lady Luck on your side, too.”

With the Warriors having survived a series of nail-biters — including two games decided on the final possession — it would seem Lady Luck has winked at them.

The team said that eking out those thrillers has made it battle-tested, and that having suffered a handful of losses offers a fresh reminder of how painful defeat is.

“Just two more wins,” Anozie said. “We’re gonna make history for Lourdes and we’re almost there.”

The first step in that direction, of course, will be containing a high-scoring Southampton team known for its perimeter shooting. The Mariners (21-3) had won the three previous Long Island Class B championships, before moving to Class A this scholastic year. Marlboro beat Southampton, 79-65, in the regional playoffs last season on its way to a state final.

“We’ve watched every piece of film of (Southampton) we could get our hands on,” Santoro said. “We feel prepared. We’re not cocky, but we’re confident. We don’t consider ourselves a Cinderella, even though we’re new here.”

This also will be the first time that Binghamton hosts the ball, well, ball games. The boys basketball state tournament had been held in Glens Falls since 1981. But Broome County won a bid to host the 15 games this weekend, and offered a recently-refurbished arena.

“I’ve never been to Binghamton before,” Townes said. “I’ve never gone to states before in any sport, so it wouldn’t matter what town it is. We’re gonna be excited for all of it.”

They won’t be able to share that with their Instagram followers, so take our word for it.

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Class A state semifinals

When: Saturday

Where: Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton

Who: Section 5’s Irondequoit vs. Section 3’s Jamesville-DeWitt at 9 a.m., Section 1’s Our Lady of Lourdes vs. Section 11’s Southampton at 10:45 a.m.

Finals: Sunday at noon

Live updates: Follow Journal reporter Stephen Haynes on Twitter, @StephenHaynes4, for the latest news

The feeling now is reminiscent of when Our Lady of Lourdes High School last made a state final four.

“It feels like you’re on top of the world and you can’t lose,” senior Corey Mullaly said. “No matter how many odds are stacked against you.”

The Lourdes boys basketball team takes on Southampton of Long Island at 10:45 a.m. Saturday in a Class A state semifinal at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton.

The winner advances to face Irondequoit or Jamesville-Dewitt in the final on Sunday.

Our Lady of Lourdes High School’s James Anozie looks for space as Poughkeepsie’s Cory Simmons defends during the Class A regional finals at Pace University in Pleasantville on March 11.

Mullaly was a defensive back on the Warriors’ football team that stunned everyone in the autumn of 2015, pulling a series of upsets to reach its first state final. He now is a forward on the basketball team that has pulled a series of upsets to make its first state semifinal.

PREVIOUS ARTICLE: Lourdes tuned in for state semifinals, even without tunes

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Lourdes’ basketball team had never advanced past the regional round. The Warriors last won the Section 1 championship in 2013, but lost their next game.

The football team trekked up Route 17 to Syracuse on Thanksgiving for the big game against South Park. This time, the basketball team traveled up Route 17 to Binghamton on St. Patrick’s Day to face Southampton.

There certainly are some eerie similarities.

Lourdes’ Brady Hildebrand dribbles up court against Poughkeepsie’s Mo’Quez Dickens during the Class A regional final on March 11, 2017.

“Yeah,” Mullaly said, “but I’m really hoping we win it all this time.”

To do so, the Warriors (19-6) will first have to dispatch a sharp-shooting Southampton squad that boasts a balanced lineup with several scorers.

Lourdes seeks to become only the third team from Dutchess County to win a boys basketball state championship. Poughkeepsie won a Class B title in 1995, and Millbrook took Class D in 1999.

To get this far, the Warriors beat Section 1 powers Byram Hills and Tappan Zee, two of the most highly-regarded programs in the state. So this team, it will insist, is battle-tested and will face all challenges with aplomb.

Getting to know Southampton

Southampton (21-3) had won the previous three Long Island Class B championships before an enrollment bump shifted them to Class A this year. The Mariners of Section 11 beat defending Class A state champ Elmont, 60-53, last week to capture another Long Island title.

Southampton lost to Marlboro, 79-65, in the Class B regional final last season. The Mariners last made it to the state semifinal in 1999, when they won their only state championship.

The Mariners have won 11 of their last 12 games and the loss, two weeks ago, was to a Class AA opponent in the Suffolk “overall” title game — an extra contest before the teams’ respective Long Island championship games.

Southampton averages 76.5 points per game with five players scoring in double figures. Perhaps most alarming for an opponent is that four of them shoot well from the perimeter.

“Our best defense is man-to-man,” Lourdes coach Jim Santoro said. “We have to stay aware of who the shooters are and keep track of where they are on the court.”

Andre Franklin is their leading scorer at 15.7 points and is averaging 2.5 three-pointers made per game. He had 29 points against Elmont, including seven 3s. Chad Pike is averaging 13.8 points and 2.6 threes made.

There’s also Elijah Wingfield, who is averaging 12.1 points and has hit 32 threes, and Timmy Alejo averaging 11.2 points with 36 made threes. Even 6-foot-4 Aaron Krzyzewski has drained 18 threes. And, you get the idea.

“It’s going to be difficult to contain them,” guard Kevin Townes admitted. “The past few teams we’ve faced didn’t have many great shooters, so this is a change. We’re gonna have to close out on them, and we can’t let them penetrate and kick out for open shots.”

Lourdes’ Aiden Hildebrand goes up for a basket against Poughkeepsie during the Class A regional final on March 11, 2017.

Lourdes held an athletic Poughkeepsie team to 46 points in the regional final last week, after the Pioneers entered averaging 86 points in their previous two playoff contests.

“We’ll have to adjust to how we provide help (defensively),” Santoro said. “We have to make sure we don’t bring help and leave an unchecked shooter alone for a kick-out.”

Mismatch in the middle

The Warriors also have their own cadre of shooters and a slew of good athletes who excel in transition. Townes, Joe Heavey, Brady Hilderbrand, Aidan Hilderbrand and John Arceri can do damage from the perimeter.

The Mariners’ best player, however, is Micah Snowden, a 6-foot-3 sophomore averaging 14.3 points. He also must cover Lourdes’ James Anozie in the post. That, likely, will be the marquee matchup as the Warriors look to feature their 6-foot-5 center.

Southampton doesn’t have a player who matches up well physically with Anozie. His inside presence could be the Warriors’ offensive counter to the outside shooting.

“He’s an advantage no matter who we’re facing,” Santoro said of Anozie, a senior who scored his 1,500th career point in February. “James is a unique player and anybody that faces us will have to make adjustments to defend him.”

Opponents haven’t been able to do much against him this postseason and the big man has dominated the low post with his size, power and an array of moves. The Warriors will need that to continue.

“I think James is gonna go to work on them,” point guard Brady Hilderbrand said. “He’s determined and we’re ready to go.”

Anozie, who was named the Journal’s Player of the Year last season, said he relishes the challenge and likes being relied on. During the playoffs, his teammates have goaded him before games, chanting the name of the opposing team’s center. That likely will continue Saturday.

“Their tallest guy is Micah Snowden,” Anozie said. “I’ve got to give him the work.”

Mullaly said he doesn’t have much advice for his teammates before the game. But he has warned that the emotions will run high.

“I think you need to relish the moment,” he said. “Nerves are a part of that and it’s unavoidable. But that’s sometimes a good thing. I want them to experience it all firsthand and take it in.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Class A state semifinals

When: Saturday

Where: Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton

Who: Section 5’s Irondequoit vs. Section 3’s Jamesville-DeWitt at 9 a.m., Section 1’s Our Lady of Lourdes vs. Section 11’s Southampton at 10:45 a.m.

Finals: Sunday at noon

Live updates: Follow Journal reporter Stephen Haynes on Twitter, @StephenHaynes4, for the latest news

Our Lady of Lourdes’s Aiden Hildebrand (5) throws up a 3-point shot during their 70-67 win over Southampton 70-67 in the NYSPHSAA boys Class A semifinal basketball game at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton on Saturday, March 18, 2017.

BINGHAMTON – Aidan Hildebrand could’ve played it cool, as he had just two minutes earlier, and continued to exude the swagger he carried on Saturday morning.

Instead, the Our Lady of Lourdes basketball player was candid.

“Hell yeah, I was nervous,” he said bluntly. “I tried to keep it cool, but there were so many nerves.”

Well, he is a freshman and Lourdes was locked in a taut contest in the state Class A semifinals. But the young’un controlled that tension and put forth a performance that certainly belied his age, and now has his team on the verge of its first state title.

Hildebrand hit a tying jumper late in the fourth quarter and eventually sank the clinching free throws as Lourdes rallied back to beat Southampton High School, 70-67, at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena.

“We’re just one win away!” said James Anozie, who led the Warriors with 25 points and 10 rebounds. “The whole community is behind us and it’d be a nice thing to bring them back a championship.”

WHAT IF: Townes, Anozie almost didn’t play basketball for Lourdes

PREVIOUSLY: Lourdes tuned in for state semifinals, even without tunes

The center dominated throughout, but it took heroics from Hildebrand and Kevin Townes for Lourdes to eke out the victory and continue its historic run.

Our Lady of Lourdes’s Kevin Townes (13) puts up a shot during their 70-67 win over Southampton in the NYSPHSAA boys Class A semifinal basketball game at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton on Saturday, March 18, 2017.

The Warriors (20-6) face Irondequoit of Section 5 in the final at noon Sunday. Lourdes seeks to become only the third boys basketball team from Dutchess County to win a state championship, and the first since Millbrook claimed one in 1999. Lourdes had never before even reached the state semifinals.

After Hildebrand’s jumper tied it at 61 with 2:44 remaining, Townes drained a three from the left corner 34 seconds later to give Lourdes the lead for good. Seconds later, he got a steal near midcourt and took it in for a layup.

“I air-balled my first three and the second one I left short,” Townes, a senior, said of his three-point shots. “But in the second half I started feeling it. By the time the last one went up, I was so confident it was going in.”

The guard had 21 points, including four three-pointers, to go with seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Aidan Hildebrand added 21 points and seven rebounds. The 6-foot-2 forward showcased his arsenal, scoring on drives to the basket, put-backs, jumpers and hit a three.

Southampton, of Section 11, pulled within 68-67 with 27 seconds remaining. The Mariners then came up with a steal in the backcourt with 20 seconds left, but missed the would-be go-ahead layup. Townes grabbed the rebound and flipped the ball backwards to Aidan Hildebrand as he fell out of bounds.

After a series of clock-stopping fouls, Southampton sent Aidan Hildebrand to the line with nine seconds left. The Mariners, known for their perimeter shooting, had hit 13 threes in this contest, so although the clock was in Lourdes’ favor, it was almost imperative that Hildebrand make both free throws.

We should probably mention here that Hildebrand struggled at the line during stretches of the regular season. Eh-hem. He swished both this time.

“As a freshman, you don’t have much experience to fall back on,” Lourdes coach Jim Santoro said. “He’s listening and learning as we go, but also playing like a seasoned veteran.”

Southampton’s last-second three missed and Joe Heavey snagged the rebound as time expired. So was triggered a delirious crowd who traveled 140 miles from Poughkeepsie, and a giddy team that had just survived its test on the grand stage.

“I don’t consider age a disadvantage or take it as an excuse,” said Hildebrand, who recently turned 15. “I just try to be myself and play my game.”

Brady Hildebrand, a junior, had two points, five assists and five rebounds, and Heavey had two points and four rebounds for Lourdes.

Southampton (21-4) had knocked off the defending state champion, Elmont, in the Long Island championship to earn its bid upstate last week. The Mariners boast a cadre of scorers, including five quality outside shooters. Southampton, however, lacked the size to contend inside with the 6-foot-5 Anozie, who went 10 for 14 from the field.

The Mariners’ shooting did offset that somewhat, and Aaron Krzyzewski (23 points) hit a three to give them a 50-43 lead with a minute left in the third. Lourdes surged early in the fourth and took a 59-57 lead on Anozie’s layup — after crossing over a defender on a drive from the foul line — but Southampton went back ahead on Krzyzewski’s free throws with 3:15 to go.

Lourdes watched Irondequoit dominate in the second half to beat Jamesville-DeWitt in the earlier semifinal. Preparation for the Eagles, Santoro said, would begin an hour after Lourdes’ win.

“They’ve got size, athleticism, they can shoot,” Santoro said of the opponent who stands in the way of his team’s first state championship. “I was impressed with how they attack the basket and how they hit the offensive boards. We’re gonna have to figure out how to counter that.”

Irondequoit, meanwhile, must contend with the Warriors’ Weapon X: The freshman.

“I told my brother over the summer that I’m gonna be on varsity,” Aidan Hildebrand said of Brady. “He said, ‘No. How about junior varsity?’ That’s been my fire.”

In typical big-brother fashion, Brady Hildebrand told his sibling that, but for more than a year he had been secretly talking him up to teammates.

“Brady told us last year how good Aidan was,” Anozie said with a grin. “We knew the kid had ice in his veins and was gonna be great.”

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4826, Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

Lourdes’ Aiden Hildebrand (5) blocks a shot during their 70-67 win over Southampton in the NYSPHSAA boys Class A semifinal basketball game at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton on Saturday, March 18, 2017.

Our Lady of Lourdes’s Kevin Townes (13) feeds a pass from underneath the basket during their 70-67 win over Southampton in the NYSPHSAA boys Class A semifinal basketball game at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton on Saturday, March 18, 2017.

Lourdes’s James Anozie (54) puts up a shot during their 70-67 win over Southampton in the NYSPHSAA boys Class A semifinal basketball game at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton on Saturday, March 18, 2017.

James Anozie