SECTION VI BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND PREVIEW
Over the next three days, seventeen different high school basketball teams will be crowned Section VI Champions. Here’s your ultimate guide to Championship Weekend for high school hoops in Western New York.
FRIDAY MARCH 7TH
6PM - Buffalo State - Boys A2 - #4 Buffalo Science vs #10 Lackawanna
Path to the Title Game: Buff Sci defeated #8 East Aurora 48-44; Lackawanna handled #3 Olean 58-38.
Series History: Lackawanna won the lone non-league meeting 62-55, thanks to a big lead early.
Spotlight Players: Buff Sci: Jaleel Flowers, G (Jr) Lack: Sammy Ikegwuonu, F (Jr)
FINAL SCORE: LACKAWANNA 49 - BUFF SCI 45
6PM - JCC - Boys D - #1 Panama vs #2 Forestville
Path to the Title Game: Panama defeated #4 Clymer 68-41 in the semi; Forestville topped #3 Pine Valley 52-35.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: Panama: Carter Brink, G (Jr) Forestville: Jacob Anders, G (Soph)
FINAL SCORE: PANAMA 83 - FORESTVILLE 38
7:45PM - Buffalo State - Boys A1 - #1 Grand Island vs #3 Williamsville South
Path to the Title Game: Grand Island took down #5 Pioneer 57-53; Will South won the Battle of Main Street, defeating Amherst 61-45.
Series History: First Meeting this season.
Spotlight Players: GI: Dane Brown, G (Soph) Will South: Nathan Wilemski, G (Jr)
FINAL SCORE: WILL SOUTH 66 - GRAND ISLAND 45
*This game was featured on WBFO’s Friday Night Lights*
7:45PM - JCC - Boys C - #2 Holland vs #4 Westfield
Path to the Title Game: Holland knocked off #3 Franklinville with a 65-41 win; Westfield upset #1 seed Randolph, 64-58 in Double Overtime.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: Holland: Brady Wiskup, F (Sr) Westfield: Carson Swanson, G (Sr)
FINAL SCORE: WESTFIELD 72 - HOLLAND 57
SATURDAY MARCH 8TH
12PM - Buffalo State - Boys B2 - #4 Wilson vs #7 Allegany-Limestone
Path to the Title Game: Wilson beat defending regional champs #1 Salamanca 63-60; Allegany-Limestone closed out a 70-63 win over #3 Eden in a rematch from last year’s semi final loss.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: Wilson: Aidan Neumann, G (Jr) All-Limestone: Carson Kwiatkowski, G (Sr)
FINAL SCORE: WILSON 56 - ALLEGANY-LIMESTONE 47
12PM - JCC - Girls D - #1 Sherman vs #3 Panama
Path to the Title Game: Sherman defeated #5 Clymer 50-11; Panama took down #2 Pine Valley 60-42.
Series History: Sherman dominated the first meeting in December, winning 74-34. In the rematch at Sherman, however, Panama showed tremendous improvement, but Sherman swept the season series with a 58-52 win.
Spotlight Players: Sherman: Kelsey Wagner, G (Sr) Panama: Kaitlyn Horton, F (Sr)
FINAL SCORE: SHERMAN 45 - PANAMA 41
1:45PM - Buffalo State - Boys B1 - #1 Akron vs #2 Olmsted
Path to the Title Game: Akron cruised past #4 Alden with a 46-31 win; Olmsted overcame a 12-point first quarter deficit to defeat #3 Middle Early College 67-57 in overtime.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: Akron: Derren Brooks, F (Soph) Olmsted: Tacari McCray, G (Jr)
FINAL SCORE: AKRON 49 - OLMSTED 38
2PM - JCC - Girls C - #3 Frewsburg vs #5 Maple Grove
Path to the Title Game: Frewsburg upset #2 Randolph with a 50-47 win; Maple Grove beat #8 Franklinville 45-34 in the semis, after Franklinville knocked off top-seeded Holland in the quarterfinal.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: Frewsburg: Jadyn Trocki, G (Soph) MG: Bryanna Cornell, F (Jr)
FINAL SCORE: FREWSBURG 66 - MAPLE GROVE 32
3:30PM - Buffalo State - Boys AAA - #1 Jamestown vs #2 Niagara Falls
Path to the Title Game: Jamestown earned a bye to the Final as the top seed; Niagara Falls handled #3 Lancaster 81-53.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: Jamestown: Elijah Farmer, F (Jr) NF: John Strong, G (Jr)
FINAL SCORE: JAMESTOWN 63 - NIAGARA FALLS 49
7PM - Buffalo State - Boys AA2 - #1 Health Sciences vs #7 Williamsville East
Path to the Title Game: Health Sciences defeated #5 Sweet Home 63-44; Will East upset #2 Kenmore West 62-45 in the quarterfinal, before defeating #6 Hamburg 69-42 in the semis.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: Health Sci: Nahssan Young, G (Jr) Will East: Puneet Singh, F (Sr)
FINAL SCORE: HEALTH SCIENCES 41 - WILL EAST 37
8:30PM - Buffalo State - Boys AA1 - #1 Orchard Park vs #3 Lockport
Path to the Title Game: Orchard Park took care of business with a 68-50 win over #4 Will North; Lockport pulled away from #2 McKinley for a 78-67 win.
Series History: Lockport won the lone non-league meeting this season, 64-44 at OP.
Spotlight Players: OP: Max Mancabelli, G (Soph) Lockport: Charlie Croff, G (Jr)
FINAL SCORE: LOCKPORT 78 - ORCHARD PARK 74
SUNDAY MARCH 9TH
10:30AM - Buffalo State - Girls AA - #1 North Tonawanda vs #2 Starpoint
Path to the Title Game: NT took care of #4 Kenmore West with a 56-40 win; Starpoint pulled away for a 48-40 win over #3 Orchard Park.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: NT: Annabelle Day, G (Jr) Starpoint: Megan Milleville, F (Sr)
FINAL SCORE: STARPOINT 50 - NORTH TONAWANDA 43
12:15PM - Buffalo State - Girls B2 - #2 Salamanca vs #4 Wilson
Path to the Title Game: Salamanca beat #3 Eden 56-34; Wilson squeaked out a 38-37 win over #8 Portville.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: Salamanca: Mackenzie Crouse, F (Jr) Wilson: Emily Philips, G (Sr)
FINAL SCORE: SALAMANCA 51 - WILSON 32
2PM - Buffalo State - Girls B1 - #2 Health Sciences vs #4 Newfane
Path to the Title Game: Health Sciences handled #3 Olmsted with a 48-29 win; Newfane upset #1 Southwestern 57-55 with a dominant middle-two quarters defensively.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: Health Sci: Noora Alkaldi, G (Sr) Newfane: Anna Chunco, G (Sr)
FINAL SCORE: NEWFANE 59 - HEALTH SCIENCES 38
3:45PM - Buffalo State - Girls A2 - #1 Depew vs #2 Lewiston-Porter
Path to the Title Game: Depew marched past East Aurora with a 45-28 win; Lew-Port dominated #6 Maryvale 54-35 in the semis.
Series History: First meeting this season
Spotlight Players: Depew: Olivia Leazott, G (Jr) Lew-Port: Lily Baird, F (Sr)
FINAL SCORE: DEPEW 54 - LEW-PORT: 52
5:30PM - Buffalo State - Girls A1 - #1 Amherst vs #3 Williamsville South
Path to the Title Game: Amherst defeated #4 Lake Shore 67-57; Will South emphatically knocked off #2 Iroquois with a 98-73 win.
Series History: The only non-league Battle of Main Street came down to the wire, with a 58-52 Will South win at home.
Spotlight Players: Amherst: Lucy Giordano, G (Fr) Will South: Kimora Berry, G (Sr)
FINAL SCORE: WILL SOUTH 71 - AMHERST 67
7:15PM - Buffalo State - Girls AAA - #1 Lancaster vs #3 Jamestown
Path to the Title Game: Lancaster earned a bye to the title game as the top seed; Jamestown won a hard fought battle over #2 Niagara Falls, 52-48.
Series History: Lancaster dominated both meetings, by 31 and 26 points respectively.
Spotlight Players: Lancaster: Madison Francis, G (Sr) Jamestown: Aiyanna Stam, G (Fr)
FINAL SCORE: LANCASTER 67 - JAMESTOWN 46
SABRES ENTER TRADE DEADLINE DAY WITH FIFTH STRAIGHT LOSS
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the Sabres blew a multiple goal lead to lose in regulation last night, falling 6-5 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The loss extends Buffalo’s losing streak to five straight games entering today’s trade deadline. The Sabres have handcuffed themselves, by signing their youthful core to long-term contracts after they all had a collective career season two years ago. Hoping for more development, this group has seemingly plateaued, with very little hope remaining for a major change to come from the front office. While they’ve been involved in trade rumors for months, it’s unlikely that GM Kevyn Adams can get any major deal across the finish line, with most playoff contenders looking to take advantage of Buffalo’s current standing.
The Sabres return to play tomorrow night in Florida against the defending Cup Champion Panthers at 6PM.
DAEMEN MBB HONORED WITH PLAYER AND COACH OF THE YEAR HONORS IN ECC
The East Coast Conference has announced their regular season awards for the basketball season, as #1 ranked Daemen received numerous honors. Their men’s basketball Head Coach Mike MacDonald was named the conference’s Coach of the Year, and the league’s Player of the Year nod was given to Hamburg native Benjamin Bill. The Wildcats host the ECC Postseason Tournament this weekend in Amherst.
BANDITS RETURN HOME TOMORROW NIGHT TO HOST CALGARY
The top-ranked Bandits are finally back in Buffalo tomorrow night, returning home after sweeping their two-game road trip. The orange and black host 6-6 Calgary on Saturday night at 6:30PM. It’s the first of a home-and-home series with the Roughnecks, as the season series will shift west next weekend. The 9-1 Bandits’ schedule alternates from home and away each weekend from here on out till the postseason.
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