The Saranac Spartans are crowned the 2024 Section VII Class B Champions over the #1 Northeastern Clinton Cougars. It would be the last game of the opening day of the Section VII Basketball Championships and it would feature #1 Saranac Spartans and the #2 Northeastern Clinton Cougars for the Class B Girl's championship. It would be a slow start for both teams as the Spartans would have a slim low-score lead of 6-4 after the first quarter. The offenses would start to wake up in the second quarter as the Spartans would have a 9-6 quarter and a 15-10 lead at the intermission. When the team returned for the third quarter it would be an even matchup with more scoring but the Spartans were still slightly better with a 14-13 quarter and took the 29-23. In the fourth quarter, the Cougars would try everything that they had to be able to get over on the Spartans and would outscore them 13-10 but it would not be enough as the Spartans would get the 39-36 victory. In the winning effort, the Spartans would end the Cougar's undefeated season and go to 19-3 on the season as Brenna Ducatte would lead the way with 13 points. With the win, the Saranac Spartans will enter the NYSPHSAA Class B Girl's State Tournament and will play the winner of Section II in the opening round on Wednesday. Gallery

Northeastern Clinton's Bailee LaFountain (10) with the score on the layup as she charges down the lane for the score. It would be the first round of the NYSPHSAA Class C Tournament and it would be a matchup inside the top ten teams as the #7 Northeastern Clinton Cougars would take on the #3 Greenwich Witches for the right to head to the quarterfinals from Clinton Community College. The game would start off great for the #3 Greenwich Witches as they would race out to a 17-4 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Cougars would dust off the early game nerves and fight back into the game with a 15-4 quarter to trail by just 2 at the break 21-19. When the teams returned for the second half the Witches would find would get back on track and would expand their lead to ten points with a 19-11 quarter for the 40-30 lead as they enter the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Witches would be able to keep a spell on the Cougars with a 9-4 quarter for the 49-34 victory. With the win, the #3 Greenwich Witches would advance to the quarterfinals of the tournament and have a match-up with the #13 Canton Golden Bears with a ticket to the final four on the line. Gallery

The Northeastern Clinton Cougars would be crowned the 2023 Section VII Class C champions with a 49-29 victory over the Northern Adirondack Bobcats. It would be the opening game of championship Sunday for Section VII Basketball and it would feature the top two seeds from Class C on the Girl's side as the #2 Northeastern Clinton Cougars and the #1 Northern Adirondack Bobcats. The Cougars would get off to a quick start in the game and take a 14-3 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Bobcats would get their shot going although it wouldn't be good enough as the Cougars would have a 13-10 quarter and take a 27-13 lead into the intermission. When the teams returned for the third quarter the Cougars would stay hot and have a 14-9 quarter and take a 41-22 lead into the fourth. In that quarter the Cougars would fall back and use the clock to their advantage and have a 9-8 quarter for the 49-29 victory. With the win, the #7 Northeastern Clinton Cougars advance to the NYSPHSAA Tournament and will take on #3 Greenwich on March 8th in the opening round of the tournament. Gallery

The Saranac Chiefs have been crowned the 2022 Section VII Class B Champions at Clinton Community College. It would be the finals of the Section VII Class B Girls Basketball between the #1 Northeastern Clinton Cougars and the #2 Saranac Chiefs. The Cougars would start off hot and quick with a 12-7 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the game would be played more evenly with a 10-9 cougars quarter and take a 22-16 lead into the break. When the teams came back for the third quarter the break would do the Chiefs go as they came back energized with a 10-5 quarter and trail by just one at 27-26 as they entered the fourth quarter. In that fourth quarter both teams would have their best offensive output of the game as the Chiefs win the quarter 16-11 and get the come from behind win at 42-38. With the win, the Chiefs advance to the NYSPHSAA Class B Girls Tournament and will play the quarterfinals on March 12th at Clinton Community College as the Northeastern Clinton Cougars season comes to an end at 18-3. Gallery

Northeastern Clinton sophomore Bailee Lafountain drives to the basket past Plattsburgh freshman Bailey Hewson. Northeastern Clinton rode a strong second and third quarter performance to a 49-29 victory over Plattsburgh High School Friday in Champlain Valley Athletic Conference action.

Both teams got off to a slow start, with neither scoring before the midpoint of the opening quarter. The Hornets got on the board first with a pair of free throws from junior Calli Fitzwater, but it was the Cougars who ended the opening frame with a 9-5 lead.

Northeastern Clinton pulled away in the second, led by a nine-point quarter for sophomore Desiree Dubois.

The score at the halftime break saw the Cougars with a 21-9 lead. Plattsburgh junior Cora Long put up nine points of her own in the third quarter, but the Hornets were never able to pull back the Cougars' lead.

Dubois led Northeastern Clinton's offense with 20 points, ahead of 13 points from sophomore Bailee Lafountain. Long's 16 points led the Hornets in the loss, followed by Fitzwater with 6 points.

Both Dubois and Long knocked down four shots each from the three-point arc. Gallery