Tuesdays are always busy, but this week, it was packed. Skip the small talk, straight to the goods!

THE GAMES

(for the record – Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10 are featured in this particular ‘games’ segment – and we’ll work upward in numerical order)

The game of the night in the 518 (and arguably my entire coverage region) featured Round 2 of a Colonial Council clash between Catholic Central and Albany Academy. Not only are they frontrunners to take Section II crowns in Classes A & B respectively, the potential for mid-March state runs are very high for both if they stay healthy. For the second time this winter, Catholic High held it down with a 56-49 win. Dior Dobere (2027), who missed the season opener between the two, led all scorers with 20 for CCHS; Navi Turpin (2025) added 15. I was at this game & already wrote about it… scroll to the next article for all the details.

CCHS/AAG must be a hell of a matchup if I’m not even calling a game between reigning Section II champions the ‘game of the night’ in its own area, but 9-time defending Class A champ Averill Park (now in AA) took care of business early on the road at 2-time defending Class AA champ Albany (now in AAA). AP went +17 in the 1st half and got a monster 33 point/15 rebound/5 block night from Northeastern signee Taylor Holohan to lead the way in a 68-43 win. Arianna Verardi (2025) added 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. D1 offered 2025 PG Azera Gates led Albany with 18 & filled the stat sheet.

I mentioned this in yesterday’s preview post because I had a feeling… and it apparently came to fruition. The first time Berne-Knox-Westerlo and Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons met this season, it was a 20+ point win for BKW in Berne, part of a quiet but monstrous start to the season that included a legitimately shocking win over Duanesburg. BKW then took the Gibbons decision, won all the games they should win, and came in as just a one-loss team. Gibbons flipped the script at their place in resounding fashion on Tuesday with a 51-38 win. They started strong (+9 in the 1st quarter) and finished the same way (+10 in the 4th) and got a season high 26 points from Mia’Rose Wylie (2024) with 15 for recent 1,000 point scorer Angelina Deitz (2024) to lead the way.

Best game in S2 that I didn’t include in the preview was a matchup that brought the same energy in the same gym last year. It took 36 to decide this time, but Holy Names got 19 from Maggie Volmer (2027) to lead 4 in double digits in a 64-59 overtime win over Mohonasen. Bella Petrocci led 3 in double figures with 15 for Mohon. Also in S2, Hudson won a 35-31 grind ‘Battle of the Bridge’ rivalry game over Catskill.

Moving onto Section III, where the biggest game came from the smaller schools. Little Falls narrowly avoided losing its spotless regular season record a few weeks ago when Hamilton came to town, but they escaped with a win in overtime. Down in Emerald Knight country, Hamilton evened the score and knocked the Mounties from the unbeaten ranks with a 60-47 triumph. Lindsey Speer (2024) went off for 26 & added 6 boards, and Logan Langel (2026) contributed 14 with 7 boards & 4 assists.

The large school schedule was pretty bare in S3 as far as quality of game goes, but the one I had my eye on was a rematch between Baldwinsville & Henninger, which seemed like it had the highest potential of being competitive. Baldwinsville finished the opening frame +7 and kept Henninger at arm’s length the rest of the way for a 51-42 win. Natalie Hollingshead (2026) finished with 19 & Olivia Davis (2027) added 16 to lead the way for the Bees; J’Daria Thompson had 14 for Henninger.

And for a couple noteworthy results in S3 that I didn’t have in the preview: Bishop Grimes got 14 apiece from their youthful, talented backcourt of Aaliyah Zachery (2028) & Gia Kinsey (2029) to lead the way in a solid 48-45 win over CBA. The Lady Brothers got 16 from Chianna Williams (2024) in defeat. Also in the Frontier League Ds, Belleville-Henderson registered a 41-39 ‘wow’ type of win over Copenhagen.

The STAC brought some sneaky heat in Section 4, which it has a tendency to do. The one that moved the needle the most (at least to me) beforehand was a potential Class AA playoff preview with Horseheads making the trip east to Binghamton, a game that I felt was almost guaranteed to be a grind. It appears that it was all of that, and Horseheads survived in the later stages to take home a 44-43 win. They got 17 (15 after the break) from 2025 Megan Wolf, and fellow junior Jordyn Gross added 11.

More from the STAC: it took 36 to decide, but Chenango Forks scored the last 8 in OT to avoid getting knocked off on the road in a 56-49 win over Susquehanna Valley. Didn’t see any stats for this one, but the larger point is Class B in S4 is a mess… Owego got a big 20 from Lexi Herceg and 17 more from standout 2025 Madison McEvoy to register a solid 59-57 win at Norwich, a place that’s always difficult to take a win from. SUNY Cobleskill pledge Olivia Schiraldi led a late Purple Tornado charge back into the game & finished with 22 to lead all scorers… is it time to really start paying attention to Vestal? Perhaps. Three days after picking up an eye-opening win over Union-Endicott, they defended home court against Elmira by going +13 in the 1st half and holding off the Express’ late pushes to win 74-65. Haley Carey (2025) pumped in 28, Kate Reyes added 21, and the two combined for 23 in the 4th quarter alone (15 for Haley). In defeat, Mariah Matias (2027) went off for 30.

Onto Section V, and the schedule in the 585 was loaded. The most noteworthy matchup between S5 teams was a potential (and you could say likely) Class B neutral site rematch, and for the second time, Hornell reigned supreme. It didn’t come easy out of the gate as Dansville stormed to an 11 point lead in the opening minutes, but Hornell chipped away by the end of the 1st & then exploded in the 2nd to flip that double digit deficit to a 12 point lead at the break. That 31-8 stretch did the job in an eventual 60-45 victory. Raegan Evingham (2027) carried the load early for Hornell & led all scorers with 20; Jordyn Dyring (2026) added 18 to the cause, and Payton Bentley (2026) joined them in double digits with 11. Dansville got 12 & 11 from 2024s Chelsie Tyler and Aynsley Belcher.

And if we’re including S5 vs. non-S5, a star-studded matchup between Webster Schroeder and St. Mary’s-Lancaster might do the trick for you. Schroeder defended home court in the Rochester vs. Buffalo matchup and registered a 56-46 win. D1 offered 2025 Bria Watkins finished with 17 & 12 to lead the way. Ava Gallup, a 2024 that recently continued the 585-to-RPI (shoutout to Dani Strauf) pipeline, added 15, and Addison Morgan (2025) chipped in with 13. St. Mary’s, a team that has experienced some turmoil of late that’s unfortunately gone public in WNY, got 11 from Jada Mushat (2025) and 10 from D1 offered 2026 Emily McDonald.

Didn’t see any stats for this game, but the matchup itself was worth previewing & is worth mentioning here – in a rematch of last March’s S5 Class A final (which won’t happen this year as Canandaigua is now in AA), CA took home a 56-44 win over Pittsford Sutherland.

I had my eye on the Rochester area also for an intriguing Aquinas vs. Victor game in the sense that both teams bring things to the table that the other can have problems with. AQ’s troubles proved to be greater in this game as Victor rolled forward to a 69-48 win. If you like big stat lines, you’ll love what Victor standout 2026 Rhylin Fehrenbach brought to the table – she went for 23 points, 26 rebounds (!!), and 6 assists. AQ got a team high 16 from 2025 Molly O’Toole.

Section V had something for everyone on Tuesday, and that included small school madness. East Rochester made a bit of a statement with a 47-36 win over Gananda in a game that always seems to bring the juice. The Eldridges led the way, with Zarriah Eldridge (2024) leading all scorers with 17 including 11 in the 3rd & Aniyah Eldridge (2026) adding 16. Also, the night was close to going perfectly for Alexander as they were within reach of a big win to cap a milestone game, but Sydney Reilly (2025) had other plans. She connected on a buzzer-beating attempt for the last of her 25 points to push Elba over the top for a 59-58 win. Alexander standout Alyssa Kramer (2024) led them with 23 and scored her 1,000th point in the process.

There was only one Section VI game that moved the needle at all, and no surprise here, but Tim Lindner was on it and has all your in-game updates on X-Twitter at @TML1000. That result was kind of an eye-catching win for Lake Shore, who got 16 each from Elizabeth Jarzynski & Chasity Leroy in a 58-52 win over Sweet Home. If you’re looking for private school action in the 716 (Monsignor Martin), the most noteworthy result was a 65-56 Nichols win over Sacred Heart. Nichols saw 4 players finish in double digits, led in the books by Lillian Colpoys‘ 20 and including double-doubles for Buffalo signee Brianna Barr-Buday (16 & 15) and 2025 Evie Walcott (14 & 10 with 6 assists).

Section X Class D is wild, Exhibit 135978395872. On a milestone night for standout 2025 Ava Howie, reigning Class D state champion Hammond evened the score from an early-season loss in emphatic fashion, knocking off Hermon-DeKalb 55-38. Ava had 18 & reached the 1,000 point mark in the process. Also in the North Country, kind of a ‘wow’ result – Gouverneur put a whooping on Canton with a 62-28 decision.

BUCKET GETTERS (and stat stuffers)

I should create an award for whoever gets the most mentions in this segment in future years and name it after Audrey Shields. She led it off yesterday, she leads it off today. The Providence signee went off for 39 just 24 hours removed from dropping 42, and Emma Willard needed it again as they didn’t break away until the 2nd half for a 62-43 win over Hoosick Falls.

Big buckets AND a milestone for one of the most lively & dedicated hoopers in WNY. Iroquois star 2025 Molly Mescall went off for 38 points and scored her 1,000th point in the process in a blowout win over Tonawanda.

Taylor Holohan got busy in a big game that turned into a statement win for her Averill Park team. The Northeastern bound standout 2024 went for 33 and added 15 boards & 5 swats in a 68-43 win over Albany.

Buckets, stat lines, milestones… all in one. A junior season that has (for the most part) been a storybook kind of winter continues for LaFargeville 2025 Emeline Barton. She went for 33, added 13 rebounds & 9 steals, and scored her 1,000th career point in a 68-34 win over Lyme.

First game back in a month – she hasn’t touched the box score since late December – and what a way to return for Port Byron standout 2024 Abby McKay. She went off for 32 & 10 rebounds, and her team went +15 in the 4th to win 56-46 over APW.

Rising 2027 star Mariah Matias has put together some big-time numbers in her first varsity season at Elmira, and on Tuesday, she set a new career high with a 30 piece. Unfortunately for her, it was in defeat as they fell 74-65 on the road to Vestal.

If there was a Section V fantasy girls’ basketball line and you played Rhylin Fehrenbach, you’re in business. The Victor standout 2026 went for 23 points, 26 rebounds, and 6 assists in a big 69-48 win over Aquinas.

20/20 vision for more 20-20 stat lines! Tuesday wasn’t even the first time Jordan-Elbridge standout 2024 Abbie Ahern achieved the feat this season. This time around, it was a 25 point/23 rebound night as J-E knocked off Cazenovia 69-42 in Section 3 (Class B) play.

Triple-double life! Not the first go-around for Lyons star 2025 Jayla Bell. She went for 20 points, 11 rebounds, 13 dimes, and 4 steals in a 76-31 win over Clyde-Savannah.

More triple-double life! From Jayla in S5 over to S6 territory for a noteworthy night from Depew 2026 glue player Olivia Leazott. She’s had her newsworthy moments this winter, including a buzzer-beating three that sent an ‘instant classic’ game to overtime, and she adds to it with a 14 point/12 rebound/10 assist evening in a blowout win over Lackawanna.

Noteworthy that this came in only 3 quarters as she got to ice the knees in the 4th, and also noteworthy because another milestone is on the horizon. William & Mary signee Makana Gardner dropped 27 and added 8 rebounds & 6 blocks in a blowout win for Newark Valley. That bumps her to 1269 for her scholastic career, which is 19 points from the Newark Valley school record.

Payton Littlefield had 26 in an Edison win over Whitney Point in Section IV IAC play, but I’m not mentioning her for that – she does that all the time. Keep reading & stay tuned for something that’s way more inspiring than any milestone she’s achieved or point total she’s reached (and she holds all the Edison records & has put on some shows along the way)…

MILESTONE LIFESTYLE

She might be a lax girl to the fullest, but anyone that’s watched Saratoga play in recent years knows that Carly Wise isn’t just a laxer. The Clemson lacrosse commit dropped 28 on Tuesday & scored her 1,000th career point in the process as the Blue Streaks beat Schenectady 68-37.

1,000 point party carried into Section 3 for the aforementioned Emeline Barton (2025), who dropped 33 and reached the four-digit mark for her career in a 68-34 LaFargeville win over Lyme.

The west end of Section V had its own 1,000 point feat as well. Alyssa Kramer (2024) dropped 23 and hit quadruple digits for her career at Alexander in the process, and it was almost a perfect night for them as they were within reach of a big-time win over a tough Elba opponent, but it came in a heartbreaking last-second 59-58 setback.

Just three days after her homie Emily McDonald scored her 1,000th point in a Saturday matinee at St. Mary’s (a feat I didn’t give its just due to since I didn’t do one of these articles), it was Molly Mescall‘s turn. A pull-up three did the trick as part of her 38 points, and the Iroquois star 2025 – one of WNY’s most productive scorers this winter – reached the 1,000 point milestone in a comfortable victory over Tonawanda.

The tundra also had one of its finest juniors cross into 1,000 point land, and this one’s homeland isn’t too far from S3’s 1,000 point getter of the night, so shoutout to the North Country. Hammond standout 2025 guard Ava Howie finished with 18 points and hit the quadruple-digit mark for her career at the line, and her team registered a big win over Hermon-DeKalb in the process.

Shoutout to Pennsylvania! Or the 518! Or both. On the same night that Carly Wise scored her 1,000th for Saratoga, Lauren Patnode – a Saratoga native & LaSalle signee that was quickly working her way into standout territory for the Blue Streaks in her 8th/9th grade years – registered her 1,000th point in a Perkiomen School (PA) uniform in a 60-55 win over Pennington. Worthy accomplishment for a player that Perk has basically built its girls’ program through.

BIGGER THAN BASKETBALL

I mentioned this in one of these posts a few weeks ago, but since I went most of mid-late January without knocking one out, I probably didn’t give it its just due as the event approached. Thankfully, others (such as Brian Fees of the Southern Tier Sports Report, etc.) were on it. Elmira & Edison standout seniors Ellie Clearwater and Payton Littlefield – also New Visions classmates & fingers crossed/heart hands level homies in general – used a project to do something positive. That grew into the ‘Hooping for Hope’ game that took place Saturday between their respective teams, a vessel used to raise money for the Josh Palmer Fund, a well-known organization in the Elmira area & Twin Tiers. The final total came in for what goes toward leukemia patients in their area… $12,000. You can want things to be different or you can be the difference… Payton & Ellie, tremendous players in their area and college-bound athletes, are even better people and personified ‘being the difference’ here. Congratulate them & show some love – this is impact.

THE EST PREVIEW

Wednesday won’t give you too much – after all, how much can you take after what Tuesday was? But it’s not empty. Here’s the games from across my coverage region that catch my eye, and I only get one sentence to explain why:

• Maple Hill @ Greenville (Section 2): Greenville has been waiting for the rematch of perhaps the top two Patroon teams after coughing up a big lead in their early January loss, and after three postponements, it might actually happen tonight?!
• Sidney @ Unatego (Section 4): Tego needs it if they want a shot at MAC championships, and despite losing the first go-around in Sidney, they might be in a better mental state after a big win over Delhi – oh, and you get Ava Cirigliano vs. Lizzie Craft in the post.
• Laurens/Milford @ Schenevus (Section 4): If you’re into the league look in Section 4, the TVL playoffs are probably pretty simple if Schenevus wins (not a guarantee) and murky if L/M pulls out a win.
• Wayne @ Waterloo (Section 5): Dead night in S5, but if I lived in the area & didn’t take a night off, I’d end up watching Wayne try to deal with Waterloo’s guards (Addison Bree, Maci Mueller, etc.) and Waterloo try to deal with Kaylee Marvin (keep in mind, now at Wayne) in the middle.
• Lancaster @ Clarence (Section 6): Lot of recent history between the two in big games as they’ve been two of the 716’s better large public schools at least the last couple years.

I am surprisingly taking tonight off. Thursday/Friday/Saturday is set to be spent in Rochester, Rochester, and Buffalo (with a return home at one point), Sunday might be in the 315, and yesterday was in a gym but trying to stay away from everyone until I figured out what was going on with my illness. Might try to pull up a couple of these live streams (Sidney/Tego should be fun), might wait for the social media updates. See you in a gym… tomorrow!