by Steve Bradley
HF 55 – Mt. Anthony 68
Monday, January 16 at HFCS. HF 9-3, L 8-0; MA 5-4. Mt. Anthony got the jump on the Panthers early, but the Panthers came back before the first quarter ended to be within three at 19-16.[private]The second quarter turned out to be a killer for HF when the Patriots outscored the Panthers 23-10 to grab a 42-26 lead. The Panthers struggled thoughout the game to get rebounds on both ends of the court.
The second half found the Panthers down around 20 points until late in the fourth quarter when HF got the lead down to 13. Alex Haynes led the Panther scoring with 15 points, 12 of them coming on three-pointers. Jon Kempf added 13. Mt. Anthony had four players in double figures, with Ryan O’Neill leading the way with 19 points. The Hoosick Falls JV won, 69-41.
HF 40 – Stillwater 39
Friday, January 13 at Stillwater HS. HF 9-2, L 8-0; SW L 7-2. In a close, low scoring game that was exciting from beginning to end, the Panthers defeated the Stillwater Warriors. Stillwater held a 6-5 lead at the end of the first quarter and an 18-17 lead at the half. More hot shooting in the third quarter gave the Panthers a commanding, 24-23 lead. In the fourth quarter each team had 16 points, combining for six baskets from the field, with Hoosick Falls scoring two of them. But there were plenty of foul shots, with HF making 12 out of 22 and Stillwater making six of seven. The difference in the game was the third quarter, when HF outscored Stillwater 7 to 5. Alex Haynes was top scorer for the Panthers with ten points. Jared D’Aloia was top scorer for Stillwater with 28, while three others combined for 11 points.
The win gave the Panthers an excellent chance to become the 2017 Wasaren League champs. The win put Stillwater two games behind the Panthers. If both teams run the league table, all of which are quite weak this year, the Panthers will bring home the title.
This week the Panthers travel to Waterford-Halfmoon on Friday, January 20. The next game is scheduled for Friday, January 27, when the Panthers will host Cambridge. Start time for both varsity games is 7:30 pm. [/private]