Plainsmen, Eagles win Class AA semis

By The Leader-Herald

GLENS FALLS – The Section II Class AA boys basketball championship game is set.

Thursday night, top-seeded Shenendehowa overpowered No. 4 Christian Brothers Academy 55-38 and No. 3 Green Tech ousted No. 2 Guilderland 57-37.

Kevin Huerter led Shenendehowa with his 26-point performance,while Luke Hicks added a 22-point effort.

CBA was paced by Sloan Seymour and Dave Kopyc who finished with nine points apiece.

Neftali Lund paced the Green Tech Eagles with his 16-point game, while Keyshaun Miller grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points and three steals.

Michael Win led the Guilderland scoring with 10 points, while Andrew Sischo had eight points and 11 rebounds.

Shenendehowa and Green Tech will square off for the Class AA title at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Times Union Center in Albany.

Shenendehowa 55, CBA 38

CBA2 6 22 8 – 38

Shenendehowa15 11 15 14 – 55

CBA

D. Kopyc 3-0-9, Kolbe 1-0-3, Wynn 0-3-3, DeBrino 1-0-3, Seymour 3-1-9, Schultz 4-0-8, Trobridge 1-1-3. Totals: 13-5-38.

Shenedehowa

Huerter 7-10-26, Hicks 6-7-22, Collins 0-1-1, Pizziketti 1-1-3, Bebic 1-1-3. Totals: 15-20-55.

3-point goals: CBA 7 (Dave Kopyc 3, Sloan Seymour 2, Joe Kolbe, Nick DeBrino); Shenendehowa 5 (Luke Hicks 3, Kevin Huerter 2).

Green Tech 57, Guilderland 37

Green Tech11 15 16 15 – 57

Guilderland4 12 9 12 – 37

Green Tech

Rodriguez 1-0-2, Murphy 0-1-1, Lund 7-2-16, Friend 3-0-7, Lukes 3-0-6, Miller 2-4-8, Davis 3-0-6, Currie 1-0-2, Ford 2-0-4, thomas 2-1-5. Totals: 24-7-57.

Guilderland

Wine 4-0-10, Boeri 1-0-3, Henderson 1-2-4, Greene 1-0-2, Morin 1-0-3, Marinopolus 2-1-7, Sischo 4-0-8, Totals: 14-3-37.

3-point goals: Green Tech 2 (Marcus Friend, Cameron Thomas); Guilderland 6 (George Narinopolus 2, Michael Wine 2, Andrew Boeri, Justin Morin).

Garcia, Thompson tied at Honda Classic

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) – Sergio Garcia made an eagle, avoided an alligator and wound up in a share of the lead Thursday in the Honda Classic.

Garcia holed out an 8-iron for eagle on the second hole and finished with a birdie for a 5-under 65. Michael Thompson, who won the Honda Classic in 2013, also made birdie on the 18th for a 65.

They were one shot ahead of Rickie Fowler and William McGirt.

Garcia’s big day included a bogey on No. 6 after his tee shot bounced into the water. He rolled up his pants to play the shot, but not before looking over his shoulder at a gator on the island.

Garcia and the golf ball made it out just fine.

The day didn’t end so well for Rory McIlroy. He three-putted from 10 feet for bogey on the 18th and slammed his putter on the concrete outside the scoring area before signing for a 72.

California Chrome victorious in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – California Chrome has easily won a race in Dubai on Thursday, a second straight victory for the 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner on the comeback trail.

The 5-year-old horse opened the year with a win in the San Pasqual at Santa Anita, and then was sent to Meydan Racecourse to train up to the $10 million Dubai World Cup on March 26.

California Chrome looked in top form under Victor Espinoza. He raced third early on in the eight-horse field going about 1 1/4 miles. Around the far turn, Chrome kicked into gear and took the lead on the outside and cruised to the finish line well ahead of runner-up Storm Belt.

A year ago, California Chrome ran a close second in the World Cup and did not run again until winning the San Pasqual on Jan. 19.

The win was the 12th in 21 career starts for California Chrome, who is trained by Art Sherman.

Johnstown Little League sign-ups set

JOHNSTOWN – The Johnstown Little League Baseball program will be conducting their registration for the 2016 season starting Feb. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. Additional registration dates include Feb. 13 from 9 a.m. until noon, Feb. 26 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., Feb. 27 from 9 a.m. until noon, March 4 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., and March 5 from 9 a.m. until noon.

All registrations will take place at the Johnstown Little League Park at 506 West Main St. in the upstairs board room.

Registration is open to all boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 13 years old. Players must turn 5 years old on or before Aug. 31. Divisions of play for this season will include Tee Ball division (5 and 6 years old), Bantam division (6 to 8 years old), Minor division (8 to 10 years old), Major division (10 to 12 years old) and 50/70 division (for 12 and 13 years old), a news release said.

Two softball divisions will be offered this year as well consisting of a minor division team for 8 through 10 years old and a major division for 10 through 12 years old. The softball division will once again be part of the local area softball program consisting of teams from other leagues such as the league did last season.

New for the 2016 season, JLL will have a challenger division for mentally and physically handicapped children between the ages of 5 and 18 years old.

In order to participate in the JLL program all players must live within the Johnstown School district or attend school in the Johnstown School District.

At the time of registration it will be required that all players registering provide proof of age and residency, in the form of a birth certificate and parents drivers license.

Fees for the 2016 season will be $60 for the first child, $45 for the second child, and $35 for the third child with a cap of $140 per family.

The league is in need of managers, coaches and volunteers. Anyone wishing to volunteer their time may also sign up at the time of registration.

For more information check the JLL Facebook page or contact league president, Chris Tallon, at 376-1292 or by email at [email protected].

Three share Phoenix Open lead at 65

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry and Hideki Matsuyama shared the lead at 6-under 65 on Thursday in the suspended first round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

After an hour-long frost delay at chilly TPC Scottsdale, Fowler played the first six holes in 5 under.

Lowry birdied seven of his first 13 holes, then bogeyed the next two. Matsuyama was in one of the last groups to finish before play was stopped because of darkness.

Anirban Lahiri was a stroke back at 66, and Bryce Molder also was 5 under with two holes left when play was suspended.

Phil Mickelson settled for a 69 after dropping four strokes in a two-hole stretch. On his back nine, Mickelson bogeyed the par-3 fourth and followed with a triple bogey on the par-4 fifth.

Ko catches leaders before rain hits LPGA

OCALA, Fla. (AP) – Lydia Ko played enough golf Thursday to catch up to the lead, but not enough to finish the rain-delayed second round of the Coates Golf Championship.

Ko was 4-under par for the round and had a 15-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole at Golden Ocala when the horn sounded to stop play because of thunderstorms in the area. Ko, the No. 1 player in women’s golf making her 2016 debut, was 7 under for the tournament. She was tied with Ha Na Jang, who opened with a 65 and was not scheduled to tee off until Thursday afternoon.

The forecast was for rain the rest of the day.

Haru Nomura of Japan made seven birdies in her round of 66 and finished two rounds at 6-under 136.