Staff Report
STATE PLAYOFFS
CLASS D GIRLS’ SEMIFINAL
Teams: Section IX Champion Livingston Manor vs. Section II Champion Argyle
When: Tomorrow, 10:45 a.m.
Where: McDonough Sports Complex at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy
Argyle is located in Washington County in northeastern New York State near the Vermont border. Lake George is nearby to the west with Lake Champlain to the east. To the south is Saratoga and Albany.
Argyle, ranked 3rd in the state in Class D (Manor is ranked 4th) is making its first trip to the New York State Public Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Class D Final Four since 2001. In the last five years, the Lady Scots have lost twice in the regional finals. Argyle has won the Section II Class D title four times in the past nine seasons.
Argyle reached the Final Four by defeating Section X champion Hammond, 77-65, in the opening round of the state tournament and then topping Section VII champion Indian Lake-Long Lake, 47-21, in the Regional Final.
In the regular season, Argyle finished with a 15-1 record in the Adirondack League’s East Division. The six-team division has five Class D teams and one Class C team, Cambridge.
During the regular season, Argyle played one Class B team, nine Class C teams and six Class D teams.
Since the Lady Scots and Fort Edward both had 15-1 records at the end of the regular season, the teams had a one-game playoff to determine the division champion. Fort Edward won that playoff contest by the final score of 38-34. But Argyle defeated Fort Edward, 35-28, in the Section II Class D championship game.
Around the Adirondack League, Argyle is known for its physical brand of basketball, a tradition born from pick-up “barn ball games” played in local barns where there are no rules and no fouls.
The Lady Scots’ top players include seniors Ashley Ellis, Shelby Graham and Hannah Kennedy. There are five seniors on the team
Kennedy, a 5-foot-9-inch guard, is the team’s leading scorer with an average of 11 points per game. Ellis, a 5-11 center, averages eight points a game and is the team’s top rebounder. Graham, a 5-11 forward, also averages eight points a game.
“We have two 5-11 starters and a couple of perimeter shooters,” Argyle Coach Terry Chamberlain said. “Basically we try to work the ball inside to our post players. But we can also kick the ball back outside for a good shot when we need to.”
On defense, Argyle plays both man-to-man and zone.
“What kind of defense we play depends on what our opponent is doing,” Chamberlain commented.
Chamberlain noted his team is ready for the Final Four.
“It’s an exciting time for all of the teams going to the Final Four,” Chamberlain said. “We are going to have fun, but also focus on our opponent and play our best.”