Basketball Roundup: Hillsdale Academy and Pittsford boys hoops teams continue win steaks
HILLSDALE COUNTY — County basketball faced another stretch of weather-related conditions on Thursday night, but none of it would impede on the scheduled events for the evening.
More: Hillsdale boys basketball silences the Hudson Tigers' defense with 61 points
Through the heavy, Stephen King-like foggy and rainy night, multiple area prep hoops teams were able to write new narratives on their season by earning statement wins or completing a 2-0 mark for Week 8.
Hillsdale Academy boys basketball keeps on winning big
It's not just a three-game winning streak, it is a path of destruction through the SCAA-East.
Hillsdale Academy boys basketball looks to be back to pre-Pat Paterson tournament status with another double-digit victory on Thursday night. The Colts beat Camden-Frontier 73-28 to make it three games in a row that they have defeated opponents in their division by more than 20 points.
This Colts team and coach Zach Miller have faced their fair share of challenges and tests this season. Their Week 7 schedule that included three games saw the team escape Litchfield with a 41-37 win before dropping a game to Battle Creek St. Phillip.
More: Roundup: Pittsford boys and girls basketball teams defeat Litchfield in home-and-home
The now 11-3 Colts are still undefeated at 9-0 in their conference. Two of those losses this season came at the hands of the Pat Paterson tournament. Outside those two losses, they have only lost one true regular season game.
Leading the way against Camden-Frontier was senior Dominic Scharer with 23 points. Connor Hill had 13 points.
For Camden-Frontier, Kaiden Conroy had 15 points. Darran Drake had seven points.
The Colts should be able to win their first matchup of the week against Colon on Jan. 3 before they match up against Pittsford on Thursday, Feb. 1. The Wildcats defeated the Colts in their Pat Paterson matchup 38-31, but the bested their rivals 55-35 on Dec. 15 in their regular division matchup.
More: 2 Reading wrestlers earn pinfalls in Wednesday night duals; 3 earn two wins
Pittsford boys basketball continues winning streak with win over North Adams-Jerome
Speaking of the Wildcats, they are on a merciless winning streak of their own. After defeating a depleted Academy team during the Pat Paterson tournament, the Wildcats have marched through Tekonsha, Litchfield and now North Adams-Jerome to start their 2024 half of the prep hoops season.
It hasn't always been perfect basketball with the Wildcats. Their first half against the Terriers showed the team's streaky ability to handle tougher offenses, but that second half against the Terriers is the only Wildcat team that showed up against the Rams in their 59-23 win.
More: Vote for Week 7 Athlete of the Week; Holiday season and Week 6 winners announced
Senior Mason Payne had 14 points to lead the Wildcats, earning two triples along the way. Anthony Governo hit 13 points with three triples in tote. Brady Hartman had six points in the paint. Teagan Williams had five points. Bryce Williams, Alex Logan, and Jacob Drawe each had four points.
The Rams were led by Conner Arsenault with seven points. Nolan Paradine had six points. Connor McKay and Danny Whitcomb each had four points. The Rams will have a strong chance to secure their second win of the season when they face North Adams-Jerome Friday night. Game scores from that contest will be in the weekend report.
More: Top performers Week 7: Elder leads Comet hoops to two wins; Petersen takes Gold at Hudson
For the 7-5 Wildcats, they are playing their best stretch of basketball this season. The team should continue that trend when they host Jackson Christian this Saturday, Jan. 27. After that, the Wildcats will have a tough challenge against a strong Burr Oak team on the road. They then head to Hillsdale Academy for what should be their toughest week of basketball before March Madness.
More: Hillsdale junior John Petersen earns first place at Hudson Super 16 wrestling tournament
Litchfield rebounds with win over Jackson Christian
The Litchfield boys basketball team has been tested week in and week out since their 5-0 start to the season. Before Thursday night, the team had dropped six of their last eight contests. This included losses like a two-score game to Hillsdale Academy, a one-score deficit to Will Carleton Academy and a 71-61 loss to Pittsford in a game they were leading at halftime.
The Terriers have shown their ability to strike on offense and to play solid defense. But, the team's inconsistent play has struck them hard when they needed a stop or a score to change the tide. On Thursday night, the Terriers rebounded from their tough loss to Pittsford earlier in the week with a 49-37 win over Jackson Christian.
The Terriers led 22-12 at halftime and had a traditional big second half that has been common in their victories this season. Junior Alvarez had 15 points to lead the Terriers. Brandon Campbell had 11 points. Tyler Bills had 10 points. Hunter Snyder had seven points.
More: Week 7 Review: Hoops teams play close rivalry games; Wrestlers earn medals at tourneys
Campbell had seven rebounds, three steals, two assists and a blocked shot. Bills had four steals, three rebounds and two assists. Simon Collins had six rebounds, two assists and one steal. Alvarez had two steals.
At 8-6, the Terriers have a strong chance to finish next week 2-0 with games against Athens and Camden-Frontier. However, they will face four winning teams in the last five weeks of February to end their regular season schedule. The Terriers will have a chance to show their improvement before March with games against Waldron, Burr Oak, Hillsdale Academy and Pittsford.
From Week 7: Litchfield and Reading score season-high points totals in wins
Other Scores
Girls Basketball: Sockbridge 51, Reading 15
Reading falls to 6-7
Boys Basketball: Waldron 61, Tekonsha 45
Waldron improves to 7-5
Boys Basketball: Hillsdale 61, Hudson 31
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Basketball Roundup: Hillsdale Academy and Pittsford boys hoops teams go 2-0 for Week 8
