NO DOUBT CHAMPS: HAMMOND WINS N.Y. STATE CLASS D TITLE

2022-2023 SECTION X GIRLS BASKETBALL
Final Standings & Non League Records

EAST DIVISION                  W-L    GB   Non-Lg
x-Chateaugay
x-Madrid-Waddington
St. Lawrence Central
St. Regis Falls
Colton-Pierrepont
Brushton-Moira
Parishville-Hopkinton		 11-1       -          4-2
11-1       -          4-4
  8-4       3         4-4
  5-7       6         4-2
  4-8       7         1-7
  3-9       8         0-6
0-12     11         2-5
CENTRAL DIVISION           W-L    GB  Non-Lg
x-Gouverneur
Malone
Canton
Massena
Ogdensburg 
Potsdam
Salmon River
Norwood-Norfolk		 13-1       -          6-0
11-3       2         3-2
11-3       2         3-3
  8-6       5         2-4
  7-7       6         3-3
4-10       9         3-3
1-13     12         4-2
1-13     12         3-3
WEST DIVISION                 W-L    GB  Non-Lg
x-Hammond
Edwards-Knox
Hermon-DeKalb
Heuvelton 
Lisbon
Harrisville 		10-0       -          4-0
  6-4       4         4-6
  5-5       5         6-4
  5-5       5         3-5
  4-6       6         8-2
0-10     10         7-3
INDEPENDENT                    W-L    GB  Non-Lg
Tupper Lake   0-0       -        2-13


There was no doubt – from the beginning of the weekend to a New York State Championship.  The Hammond Lady Red Devils basketball team lived up to their #1-state ranking in dominating fashion. in the New York State Class D semifinals, Hammond pulled away from a 13-9 first-quarter lead with a swarming, suffocating defense and went on to hammer Section VI champion Panama 78-56. Then yesterday, the Section X champs became New York State champions with a convincing 61-37 win that was never close from the start. The win marked the third girls state basketball in school history.  (All photos by Lisa Freeman-Arquiett)

 
 

Section X Overall Championship Playoffs

 NCSN Girls Basketball Scoreboard

FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 2023

Section X Overall Championship - SUNY Potsdam
 (B) Gouverneur 35, (D) Hammond 33

 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1, 2023

Section X Overall Semifinals - SUNY Potsdam
(D) Hammond 54, (A) Malone 39
(B) Gouverneur 51, (C) Canton 43

2023 REETZ award winner:
M-W'S GRACE PLUMLEY

The prestigious Jan Reetz Award is presented to a Section X girls basketball player for leadership, work ethic, academics and all-round playing ability.  This year's winner is senior Grace Plumley, only the fourth Madrid-Waddington player -- and the first since 2009 -- to win the award since first presented 40 years ago this year.  Grace -- the daughter of Robin Plumley and Nicole Thompson -- is a four-year member of the Yellow Jackets' squad, totaling over 900 points in her varsity career.  She averaged 19 points, five assists and six steals per game this season.  She had also earned first-team All Northern honors three years in a row.

The other finalists for this year's award included (L-R) Canton junior Ava Hoy, St. Lawrence Central senior Rylee Daoust and Hammond junior Landree Kenyon.  (Bob LaRue photos)

hammond DOWNS MALONE
54-39 IN OVERALL SEMIFINALS


Hammond's Landree Kenyon (11) muscles up for two points.  Hammond used scrappy defense and transition baskets to open a 14-7 lead through the first quarter.  However, within the first six minutes of the second period, Malone had closed gap and gained a 21-20 advantage with 1:52 till halftime.  The crucial turn came early in the third quarter when the Red Devils went on a 12-0 run to push ahead 43-31 and set the tone for the rest of the contest,  Hammond beat Malone 54-39.  For the Red Devils, Landree Kenyon and Ava Howie rolled in 16 points each.  Hailee Manning added 12.  For Malone, Chloe LaBelle recorded 12 points, while Ava Lilliock posted 11.  (Kyton Deon photo)

GOUVERNEUR NIPS HAMMOND 35-33 FOR 1ST TITLE IN 34 YRS.


On an inbounds play with 2.6 seconds left, the Wildcats’ Elizabeth Riutta scored in the low post with 1.0 second left to break a 33-33 tie.   Gouverneur won 35-33 in a tense seesaw thriller to win the Section X Girls Overall Basketball championship for the first time since 1989, dealing state-ranked #1 Hammond’s first loss of the entire season (18-1). Gouverneur improved to 23-1.  (Kyton Deon photo)

Gouverneur's Addison Conklin (2) scoots inside the Hammond defense to score on the layup.  (Kyton Deon photo)
 

On an inbounds play with 2.6 seconds left, the Wildcats’ Elizabeth Riutta scored in the low post with 1.0 second left to break a 33-33 tie. Hammond had just tied the game at 10.7 seconds remaining, when Landree Kenyon connected on both free throws. With the last timeout at 0.7 seconds left, the Red Devils designed well for one final three-point desperation shot for the win, but the ball struck slightly to the left, bounced up and missed to the right on its second descent. Gouverneur won 35-33 in a tense seesaw thriller to win the Section X Girls Overall Basketball championship for the first time since 1989, dealing state-ranked #1 Hammond’s first loss of the entire season. Gouverneur improved to 23-1. Hammond led 11-7 at the quarter and 20-14 at the half. But Coach Sean Devlin’s shift strategy and tempo in the Gouverneur defense to start the second half produced a 7-0 run and pulled the Wildcats even at 24-24 with 3:02 left in the third quarter. The 14-4 momentum of the third period was short-lived with the Wildcats surging ahead 31-24 with 7:10 left. For the next six and a half minutes, nothing. Hammond pressure, combined with several unforced turnovers, allowed the Red Devils to claw back 31-31 with just over a minute left. The Wildcats regained the lead, 33-31 with 29.2 seconds remaining. Kenyon’s two free throws tied it, and Riutta became literally a last-second hero before a near-capacity crowd at SUNY Potsdam’s Maxcy Hall, with the sea of Wildcat blue exploding with anticipation. The last second seemed to be the longest one tick in Gouverneur athletics. Riutta missed her bonus free-throw. Hammond called an immediate timeout and resumed play from midcourt, with the possibility that a well-conceived three-point shot could put the crown on the Lady Red Devils – who have never won the Section X overall championship, despite several state title runs. But the valiant final shot fell away and the Gouverneur Lady Wildcats celebrated as champion for the first time in 34 years. Riutta finished with 12 points, while Meredith Bush netted 11 points. Kenyon produced a game-high 16 points for Hammond.

GOUVERNEUR HOLDS OFF CANTON SURGE IN SEMIFINAL


Gouverneur's Lia Canell (5) sparked the Wildcats' opening 13-7 run with a pair of inside buckets against Canton.  After Canton closed eight-point margins to just one point twice and tied in the third quarter, the Cats closed out the game with a 17-12 final quarter to lock up the win 51-43 in the overall semifinals.  Elizabeth Riutta led the Wildcats with 13 points, closely followed by Canell with 12 and Addison Conklin with 11. Canton was led by Winny Downs and Ava Hoy who scored 11 points each. (Kyton Deon photo)

 

Section X & New York State Class A Playoffs 

 NCSN Girls Basketball Scoreboard

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2023

N.Y.S. Class A - Region II Semifinal - Jefferson CC
Indian River (III) 46, Malone (X) 30

 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Section X Class A Championship - SUNY Potsdam
(#1) Malone 48, (#2) Massena 42


The Malone Huskies, coached this year by Sam Dumont, won their third title in four years, Section X Class A championship with a 48-42 victory over the Massena Red Raiders.  The Raiders cut Malone's lead to 34-33 in the final six minutes, but were outscored by the Huskies 14-9 down the stretch.  Chloe LaBelle scored led the Huskies with 16 points, while Alyvia Roberts chipped in 11.  Chyler Richards popped in 19 points to pace the Red Raiders. (Bob LaRue photo)


MALONE FALLS TO INDIAN RIVER IN STATE TOURNEY PLAY


Malone's Ava Lilliock (3) looks for an opening around an Indian River defender, in the opening round of the New York State Girls Class A playoffs at Jefferson Community College.  Malone stayed close into the third quarter, until beaten by the Warriors 46-30, ending their season.  (Photo courtesy Rob Krone)

MALONE FENDS OFF MASSENA RALLY TO WIN CLASS A TITLE


Malone's Raegan McArdle (11) launches a three-pointer to extend the Huskies lead to 7-0 to open the game.  Massena tied the game 7-7 and a closed battle extended the rest of the way.  (Bob LaRue photo)

 

Section X & New York State Class B Playoffs 

 NCSN Girls Basketball Scoreboard

TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2023

N.Y.S. Class B - Region II Semifinal- SUNY Potsdam
Saranac Central (VII) 45, Gouverneur (X) 33

 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2023

Section X Class B Championship - SUNY Potsdam
(#1) Gouverneur 49, (#2) Ogdensburg 40

 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Section X Class B Semifinals - at Higher Seed
(#1) Gouverneur 83, (#4) Salmon River 30

 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023

Section X Class B Semifinals - at Higher Seed
(#2) Ogdensburg 69, (#3) Potsdam 58

WILDCATS SHAKE FIRST-HALF STRUGGLES TO BEAT O.F.A.


Gouverneur's Lia Canell (5) slips to a seam in the defense to pop a 10-footer.  Gouverneur opened with a pair of three-point salvos, but Ogdensburg’s defense then forced a series of turnovers that generated 12 straight points to put the Blue Devils at their biggest lead 12-6. The top-seeded Wildcats closed the margin to 12-10 by the end of the quarter. The strategy stayed the same for the Devils in the second frame and the results stayed the same. O.F.A., which had been outmatched by 27 and 36 points to Gouverneur during regular-season games, led 26-24 at the half. Coach Sean Devlin and Wildcats made adjustments at the intermission that quickly changed the trajectory of the game. The Lady Cats pounced defensively to open the second half, forced multiple turnovers and reeled off 12 straight points to go up 36-26, and kept that cushion for most of the rest of the game in a 49-40 victory in the Section X Class B Championship. Meredith Bush led Gouverneur with 15 points, while Elizabeth Riutta chimed in with 12 points. O.F.A.’s Chelsea Raven poured in a game-best 23 points.  (Cody Jenne photo)

4TH QUARTER WOES DOOM GOUVERNEUR IN STATES 45-33


Gouverneur's Elizabeth Riutta (4) snags a rebound and powers inside to score two points vs. Saranac Central in the N.Y. State Region II Class B semifinal at SUNY Potsdam.   After recovering from a 14-7 first-quarter deficit, the Wildcats engaged in a seesaw battle to a 29-29 deadlock through three quarters.  However, the Chiefs outscored the Wildcats 16-4 in the final quarter, for a 45-33 win.  Gouverneur finished its season at 23-2 overall. (Bob LaRue photo)

O.F.A., gouverneur win semifinals, head to final

OGDENSBURG 69, POTSDAM 58
Ogdensburg: Olivia Merrill 28, Amya LaFlair 21
Potsdam: Salwa Hmyene 28, Emma Brosell 13
Halftime: Ogdensburg 26, Potsdam 26

GOUVERNEUR 83, SALMON RIVER 30
Gouverneur: Courtney Forsythe 13, Chloe Smith 10
Salmon River: Tekaieren't Tabor 10
Halftime: Gouverneur 56, Salmon River 8

 

Section X & New York State Class C Playoffs 

 NCSN Girls Basketball Scoreboard

SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2023

N.Y.S. Class C - Region II Championship - SUNY Pdam
Greenwich (II) 60, Canton (X) 32

 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2023

Section X Class C Championship - SUNY Potsdam
(#1) Canton 49, (#2) Madrid-Waddington 36

 

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023

Section X Class C Semifinals - at Higher Seed
(#1) Canton 55, (#4) Norwood-Norfolk 14
(#2) Madrid-Waddington 63, (#3) St. Lawrence Ctl. 57

 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022

Section X Class C Play-In Game - at Higher Seed
(#4) Norwood-Norfolk 41, (#5) Brushton-Moira 27

CANTON TOPS N-N FLYERS TO ADVANCE TO "C" TITLE GAME


Canton's Olivia White (2) converts the layup on a fast-break pass from Callie Klassen, during the Golden Bears' early race to a 22-0 first-quarter advantage.  Canton beat the Flyers 55-14 in the Section X Class C semifinal.  White scored 10 points, while Ava Hoy netted 21 for the Bears.  (Kyton Deon photo)

PLAY-IN QUICK START FOR FLYERS HOLDS OF B-M 41-27


Norwood-Norfolk's Olivia Plonka (white) hits the inside jumper after a crossing pass.  Caryn Perretta dropped in a game-best 15 points and Hannah Dominy chipped in eight to pace the Flyers in a 41-27win in the Section X Class C play-in game.. The Flyers led by as many as 20 points early in the third quarter, before a 20-6 run for the Panthers that closed the gap to six points.  But the B-M surge ran out of momentum.  Kyla Phalen posted nine points and Madison Bellows closed out with seven points.  (Bob LaRue photo)

JACKETS HOLD OFF LARRIES IN FINAL 2:00 OF "C"SEMIFINALS


Madrid-Waddington's Natalia Pearson for the bank, the followed with another bucket, expanding the Jackets' to 58-52, after St. Lawrence Central tied their Section X Class C semifinal with under 2:00 remaining.  Pearson netted 26 points, while Grace Plumley chipped in 17, as the Yellow Jackets held on the beat the Larries 63-57 and advance to the final vs. Canton.  Brianna Foster scored 17 and Rylee Daoust had 15 for St. Lawrence. (Bob LaRue photo)

canton falls to greenwich 60-32 to close out season


Canton's Winifred Downs (5) fired the ball up over Greenwich defender Reegan Mullen (10) to cut into the Witches' lead early in the first quarter. Greenwich advances to the NYSPHSAA Final Four by defeating the Golden Bears 60-32.  Canton registered a 5-2 lead early, but over the next 12 minutes, the Golden Bears fell nearly silent, outscored 27-5, falling behind 29-10 at the half to Greenwich. The Witches never let off the gas, outscoring Canton 31-22 in the second half. Greenwich beat Canton 60-32 for the New York State Region II Claas C Championship. Brook Kuzmich netted 26 points to lead the green. Raegan Mullin popped in 16, while Nora Niesz hot for 12 points. Ava Hoy Led Canton with 12 points, while Callie Klassen and Winny Downs connected for seven points each. (Cody Jenne photo)

CANTON PULLS AWAY FOR "c" TITLE, BEATING M-W 49-36


Section X Class C Champion Canton Golden Bears.

Canton's Ava Hoy (white) sizes up the Madrid-Waddington defense before unleashing a three-pointer.  Two perennial champions clashed in the same class this year, after Canton dropped to a “C” school this year. Top-seeded Canton, which had won titles in eight of the last nine seasons, and #2-seeded Madrid-Waddington, with titles in five of the last six years, collided for the 2023 Class C crown. Both teams struggled to adjust to the other’s defensive schemes in the first quarter, but the Golden Bears settled with a 10-4 opening-period lead. Canton stretched the lead to 26-15 at the half, courtesy of all 16 points from either Ava Hoy or Olivia White. Adjustments in the Yellow Jacket defense gained productive turnovers that generated a 10-2 run that trimmed the Canton lead to one possession at 28-25 late in the third quarter. M-W got as close as six points, 42-36, with under three minutes remaining, but were held scoreless the rest of the way. Canton emerged with a 49-36 victory for its ninth title in the last decade. Hoy led the Bears with a game-high 14 points. Grace Plumley posted 12 points to lead the Yellow Jackets. (Cody Jenne photo)

 


 

Section X & New York State Class D Playoffs 

 NCSN Girls Basketball Scoreboard

SUNDAY, MARCH 19, 2023

N.Y. State Class D Championship - Hudson Valley
Hammond (X) 61, Oxford (IV) 37

 

SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2023

N.Y. State Class D Semifinal - at Hudson Valley CC
Hammond (X) 78, Panama (VI) 56

 

FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 2023

N.Y.S. Class D - Region II Championship - SUNY Pdam
Hammond (X) 63, Poland (III) 33

 

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2023

Section X Class D Championship - SUNY Potsdam
(#1) Hammond 53, (#2) Chateaugay 37

 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023

Section X Class D Semifinals - at Potsdam HS
(#2) Chateaugay 41, (#6) Heuvelton 30
(#1) Hammond 56, (#5) Hermon-DeKalb 32

 

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2023

Section X Class D Quarterfinals - SUNY Canton
(#6) Heuvelton 55, (#3) St. Regis Falls 33
(#2) Chateaugay 53, (#7) Lisbon 42
(#5) Hermon-DeKalb 49, (#4) Edwards-Knox 36
(#1) Hammond 62, (#8) Harrisville 20

 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2022

Section X Class D Opening Round - at Higher Seed
(#7) Lisbon 74, (#10) Parishville-Hopkinton 42
(#8) Harrisville 52, (#9) Colton-Pierrepont 33

CHATEAUGAY TURNS BACK HEUVELTON IN SEMIFINAL 41-30


Chateaugay eighth grader Irelynn LaPlante (white) scoots behind the Heuvelton defense to drop in two points.  The #2 seeded East Bulldogs rolled out to a 17-8 advantage in the first eight minutes, and 26-10 at the half.  Chateaugay led by as much as 20 points, before Heuvelton chipped away to an 11-point difference at the end.  LaPlante led Chateaugay with 14 points, while Kaelyn Morgan pitched in 12.  Heuvelton's Rylin McAllister scored 10, while Raya McGaw added eight.  (Bob LaRue photo)

HAMMOND ROLLS OUT QUICK START PLAN TO BEAT PIRATES


Hammond's Ava Howie (3) pumps up the layup.  Hammond busted out of the gates with a 21-1 lead after the first quarter, as the Section X Class D top seed and state-ranked #1 Red Devils cruised to a 62-20 win over #8-seeded Harrisville. Hammond outscored the Pirates 11-6, 15-4 and 15-9 over the final three quarters. Howie poured in a game-best 28 points, with Landree Kenyon dropping in 12 points to lead Hammond. Isabel Miller led the Pirates with seven points, while Violet Atkinson posted six points.  (Cody Jenne photo)

CHATEAUGAY FENDS OFF LISBON IN FINAL QTR. 53-42


Chateaugay's Madison McComb (1) drives hard to the paint and gets hit hard, but makes the bucket and draws the foul.  In a tight matchup through three quarters, the second-seeded Chateaugay Bulldogs pulled away from upset-minded #7-seeded Lisbon in the final quarter for a 53-43 win the Section X Class D quarterfinals. The Bulldogs edged out to leads of 12-11, 24-19 and 35-29, as Lisbon stayed close through the first three periods. An 18-13 run in the final quarter sealed the Dogs’ win. For Chateaugay, Kaelyn Morgan led all scorers with 19 points, with Irelynn LaPlante chipping in 15 points and Madison McComb scoring 11, all in the first half, including three three-pointers. For Lisbon, Allison Bell also led all scorers with 19 points, including 12 in the first half. Rachel LaRock chimed in with 14 points.

lisbon storms past p-h panthers to advance 74-42


Lisbon's Leah Warren (13) sinks the layup, breaking past Parishville-Hopkinton defender Emma Phippen (11) to extend the Golden Knights' lead to 10 points over the Panthers in the first quarter. The Golden Knights captured the 74-42 victory over the Panthers to advance to the Section X Class D quarterfinals.  Allison Bell scored 26, while Rachel LaRock added 20 for the Knights.  Marygrace Guiney led the Panthers with 12 points. (Cody Jenne photo) 

HEUVELTON STRIKES EARLY, DENIES ST. REGIS FALLS 55-33


Heuvelton's Raya McGaw (gray) drives baseline and sinks the bucket. In the first victory by a lower seed in the Section X Girls Class D playoffs, sixth-seeded Heuvelton used first-quarter pressure to establish a 20-6 lead, then kept #3-seeded St. Regis Falls at bay for a 55-33 victory in the quarterfinals at SUNY Canton. The Saints outscored the Bulldogs 12-10 in the second quarter, but were unable to get the margin below double digits. Heuvelton salted away the victory with a 12-5 run in the fourth period. For the Bulldogs, Rylin McAllister stacked up 25 points, while Raya McCaw netted 12 points. Autumn Cox led the Saints with 17 points, followed by Kendra Richardson with four points. Heuvelton will face Chateaugay in the semifinals.

harrisville pulls away from colts in opener 52-33

HARRISVILLE 52, COLTON-PIERREPONT 33
Harrisville: Megan Kackison 16, Violet Atkinson 12
Colton-Pierrepont: Kaitlyn Houston 10, Riley Cole 7

convincing & dominating: hammond wins 3rd n.y. title


Zoey Cunningham (12) and Hailee Manning double team.

Landree Kenyon (13 points) with in-your-face layup.

Manning's layup good for two of her 16 points. 

Sadey Sprabary contributed 10 points to the winning cause.

HAMMOND JETS AWAY FROM POLAND IN REGION FINAL

Hammond's Landree Kenyon (11) elevates among four Poland defenders and drops in two of her game-high 28 points, leading the Red Devils to a convincing 63-33 victory over the Tornadoes in the New York State Region II Class D championship.  Top-ranked Hammond advances to the state Final Four next weekend at Hudson Valley CC  (Kyton Deon photo)

HAMMOND BACK ON TOP IN "d" BEATING CHATEAUGAY 53-37


Section X Class D Champion Hammond Red Devils
Hammond's Ava Howie (white) looks for an opening to the basket against Chateaugay's Avery McDonald.  Chateaugay held its own against the top-seeded, undefeated and #1-rated Hammond Red Devils for about 10 minutes. After a pair of thee-pointers from Bulldog eighth grader Madison McComb, the teams were deadlocked at 17-17 early in the second quarter. But then a 9-0 run by the Red Devils, fueled by a scrappy persistent defense, reset the tone for the rest of the game. But Chateaugay stayed relevant for three quarters plus. Hammond led 15-9 at the quarter, held a 16-14 edge in the second period and both teams recorded nine points in the third frame. Hammond entered the fourth quarter with just an eight-point edge. A 13-5 run in the final quarter locked up a 53-37 final and the 17th straight win for Hammond. Landree Kenyon fashioned a game-leading 21 points, while Sadey Sprabary chipped in 16 points and Ava Howie 10. For Chateaugay, the loss ended a 12-game winning streak. Another eighth-grader, Irelynn LaPlante topped the Chateaugay scoresheet with 13 points, while Kaelyn Morgan dropped in 11.  (Cody Jenne photos)

KENYON'S 31 POINTS LEADS HAMMOND PAST H-D DEMONS

  Hammond's Landree Kenyon (11) rebounds and spins back to the hoop for two of her game-best 31 points, in leading the top-seeded Red Devils to a 56-32 victory over the #5-seeded Hermon-DeKalb Green Demons in the Section X Class D semifinals at SUNY Potsdam.  Sadey Sprabary added 11 points in the win.  Olivia Simser netted 15 points to lead the Green Demons. (Bob LaRue photo)

HERMON-DEKALB DEFENSE STYMIES E-K COUGARS 49-36

H-D's Olivia Simser (24) launches a three-pointer.  The Hermon-DeKalb defense held Edwards-Knox to just single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters, while building leads of 11-7, 24-13 and 37-21. The Demons led by as much as 21 points, before setting for a 49-36 win over the Cougars in the Section X Class D quarterfinals at SUNY Canton. The Green Demons were led by the game’s top scorer, Olivia Simser with 19 points, followed by the O’Donnells – junior twin sisters Aayliyah and Jayla – with nine points each. For Edwards-Knox, Addison Foster led the way with 13 points, while Camryn Huckle tossed in eight points, all in the first half.  (Cody Jenne photo)