By Rob Potter
SULLIVAN COUNTY — The Section IX Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Tournaments are underway and 13 county teams, as well as The Family School in neighboring Delaware County, qualified for the tourneys.
Here is a brief look at the games involving the local teams.
BOYS
Class A Quarterfinal
No. 7 Monticello (3-3, 7-11 at No. 2 Saugerties (10-4, 13-4), 6 p.m. tonight
Monticello won two of its last three games including an elimination game against Goshen to finish with a 3-3 league record and qualify for the sectionals. The Panthers are led by Anthony Gray and Rob Riley, both of whom average better than 13 points a game.
Saugerties is 13-4 overall and finished second in Mid-Hudson Athletic League (MHAL) Division I with a 10-4 record. The defensive-minded Sawyers defeated perennial MHAL powerhouse Red Hook earlier in February for the first time in 18 years. Earlier in the season, they lost to the Raiders in overtime.
The Monticello-Saugerties winner will face the winner of the Marlboro vs. Goshen quarterfinal in a semifinal game at 6 p.m. Thursday at the higher seed.
Class B Quarterfinal
No. 6 Spackenkill (9-6, 10-7) at No. 3 Sullivan West (2-4, 12-6). The game was played last night.
After winning only one game last season, Sullivan West improved greatly this season. The Bulldogs posted a 12-6 overall record and 3-3 mark in OCIAA Div. IV this season. Spackenkill finished the regular season with a 10-7 overall record and 9-6 in MHAL Div. III.
The winner of the game will play at No. 2 Ellenville at 6 p.m. tomorrow in a semifinal game.
Class B Quarterfinal
No. 5 Liberty (2-4, 5-12) at No. 4 James I. O’Neill (2-4, 8-10. The game was played last night.
Both Liberty and O’Neill successfully appealed to the Section IX committee to be included in the tournament. Liberty had to forfeit four games earlier this season because of an ineligible player and O’Neill played without key players earlier in the season due to injuries.
“We are excited for our kids, coaches, school and community to be playing in the sectionals,” Liberty Athletic Director Andy Buchsbaum said. “It’s a good lesson for our kids that if you do the right thing, it will be rewarded.”
Both Liberty and O’Neill competed in OCIAA Div. IV. and split their two league games, Liberty taking the last meeting 46-45.
The winner of the game will play a semifinal game at No. 1 seed John S. Burke Catholic High School at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Class C Semifinal
No. 4 Fallsburg (7-2, 14-5) at No. 1 Pine Plains (13-1, 16-2), 6 p.m. tonight
Fallsburg reached tonight’s game by defeating No. 5 seed Tri-Valley, 58-41, in a quarterfinal game on Saturday afternoon at Fallsburg Central School. Braiden DeGraw led the Comets’ offense with 16 points.
Pine Plains which is the defending Class C champion, had a bye in the quarterfinal round. The Bombers, whose only two losses came to Class A schools in Red Hook and Marlboro, rely on a huge front line that averages 6-foot-6 inches.
Class D Semifinal
No. 4 Roscoe (3-3, 3-14) at No. 1 Livingston Manor (7-0, 12-5). The game was played last night.
Manor won the OCIAA Div. VI title with a perfect 6-0 mark.
Two of the Wildcats’ Div. VI victories came against Roscoe. The second of those wins, 64-39 on Feb. 6 in Roscoe, gave Manor Coach Charlie Hicks his 100th career victory.
The Manor-Roscoe winner will face the winner of the other semifinal contest between No. 2 John A. Coleman Catholic School and No. 3 The Family School in the Class D championship game at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday night at SUNY New Paltz.
Class D semifinal
No. 3 The Family School (3-3, 4-11) at No. 2 John A. Coleman Catholic High School (4-9, 4-11). The game was played last night.
The Family School qualified for sectionals by way of its .500 division record. Coleman, the defending Class D champion did not have a .500 division or overall record but qualified for sectionals because of the point system which rewarded the Statesmen for their MHAL wins against Class C competition.
GIRLS
Class A quarterfinal
No. 5 Goshen (3-3, 8-9) at No. 4 Monticello (3-3, 9-9), 6 p.m. tonight.
Monticello and Goshen both qualified via .500 records in league play. The two teams play in OCIAA Div. III and split their two games this season.
The Lady Panthers are led by Shamira Moore, who averages nearly 15 points per game.
The winner of the game will play at No. 1 Cornwall in a semifinal game at 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Class B quarterfinal
No. 5 Liberty (3-3, 8-10) at No. 4 Onteora (10-5, 11-6). The game was played last night.
Liberty won its last OCIAA Div. IV game to finish at .500 and qualify for sectional play. The Lady Indians are led by Olivia Baum, who averages almost 15 points a game.
Onteora won the MHAL Division III title.
The winner of the game will play at No. 1 Highland in a semifinal game at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Class C Semifinal
No. 3 Tuxedo (9-1, 13-5) at No. 2 Tri-Valley (9-1, 17-1), 6 p.m. tonight
Tri-Valley advanced to tonight’s semifinal by defeating No. 7 seed Fallsburg 68-54 in a quarterfinal game on Saturday night. Tuxedo reached tonight’s game with a victory over No. 6 Rhinebeck in a quarterfinal contest on Saturday night.
Tri-Valley and Tuxedo shared the OCIAA Div. IV title with identical 9-1 records. The two teams split their regular season meetings, with the visiting team winning both times.
The winner of the game advances to the Class C championship game, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Friday at SUNY New Paltz.
Class D Championship
No. 1 Livingston Manor (4-0, 10-8) vs. No. 2 Roscoe (2-2, 3-13) 5:30 p.m. Thursday at SUNY New Paltz.
Manor finished the regular season with a 10-8 overall record and won the OCIAA Div. VI title with an unblemished 4-0 record. Roscoe was 3-13 overall and 2-2 in Div. VI.
The last time the teams played was on Feb. 6 in Roscoe. The score was tied at 41-41 at the end of regulation, but Manor outscored Roscoe 9-4 in overtime to earn the win.