Saranac's McHenna Brown (2) goes in on the breakaway and lays it off the window for the score. It would be a matchup inside the Champlain Valley Athletic Conference in Plattsburgh tonight as the Plattsburgh Hornets would host the #10 Saranac Spartans in girls' basketball action. The Spartans would show off why they are the tenth team in the state as they would get off to a quick start and take the 19-7 lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the home Hornets would do their best to keep the game where it is as the Spartans would have a 17-13 quarter and take the 36-20 lead into the intermission. When the teams returned for the second half and the third quarter the Hornets would try and get back in the game with a 13-11 quarter but the Spartans would still have the 47-33 lead as they would go into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Spartans would leave little to decide the game as they would outscore the Hornets 18-6 and take the 65-39 win. With the win the Spartans will go to 15-2 on the season as they head into their matchup next week with the Peru Nighthawks as the Plattsburgh Hornets fall to 8-9 on the season. Gallery

Saranac's McHenna Brown (2) with the tight defense on Plattsburgh's Aubree Mulligan (13) as she drives to the basket and attempts to score. Gallery

Ticonderoga's Cassidy Mattison (11) with the block on Plattsburgh's Ava Weiss (14) as she drove the lane for the score. The Ticonderoga Sentinels and the Plattsburgh Hornets would start off the 2024 portion of their season at the Plattsburgh High School in Champlain Valley Athletic Conference action. The game would be tight through the first quarter and the Hornets would hold a slight lead at 15-14. In the second quarter, the Hornets would start to pull away as they held Ticonderoga to four points while scoring ten and taking a 25-18 lead into the intermission. When the teams returned for the third quarter the Hornets would keep on the gas and have a 13-9 quarter and take a 38-27 lead into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Sentinels would do their best to get back in the game with an 18-15 quarter but the Hornets would take the 53-45 win. In the win, the Hornets would get back to the 500 mark at 5-5 while the Sentinels would only suffer their second loss of the season and go to 8-2. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Bailey Hewson (10) breaks in and lays it off the window for the score as the Hornets get the 53-45 win. Gallery

Platsburgh's Bailey Hewson (10) with the block from behind on Beekmantown's Grace McCasland (3) as she broke in for the layup. It would be the classic crosstown rivalry tonight in section VII girl's basketball as the Plattsburgh Hornets would be hosting the Beekmantown Eagles in an early season match-up. The game would be tight and low-scoring through the first quarter as it would be tied at seven. In the second quarter, the teams would start to find their shot and the scoring would show it as the Eagles would have an 18-10 quarter and take a 25-17 lead into the intermission. When the teams returned for the second half the Eagles would stay hot and take the third quarter 14-9 to take a 39-26 lead into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Eagles would go into defensive mode and protect their lead as the Hornets win the quarter 10-9. However, the Eagles would hold on and get the win in the crosstown match 48-36. In the winning effort, the Eagles would even up their record at 2-2 on the season as they head into their next contest on the 19th against Northeastern Clinton. As for the Hornets, they will fall to 1-2 on season and they will be right back at it on Saturday in a nonleague match against the Chateaugay Bulldogs. Gallery

Beekmantown's Reese Gregoire (13) takes up and under on Plattsburgh's Aubree Mulligan (13) for the score. Gallery

Saranac's Samatha Myers (24) drives the basket and gets the contact on the layup and gets the foul for the three-point play attempt. It would be the first game of championship weekend for section vii basketball from Clinton Community College. It would feature the #3 Ausable Valley Patriots and the #1 Saranac Chiefs for the Class B Girls finals. The game would get off to a slow start for both teams as it would be just an 8-4 Chiefs lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter, the defenses would still be the name of the game as the Chiefs would win the quarter 9-2 and take the 17-6 lead at halftime. When the teams returned for the third quarter the offense would come out of the locker room with them although the Chiefs would still be on top with a 15-15 quarter and take a 32-21 lead into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, it would be more of the same as the Chief's offense would be the name of the game with an 18-9 quarter. As the Saranac Chiefs would be crowned the 2023 Section VII Class B Girls Basketball champions with a 50-30 win and with the win they will advance to the New York State Public Athletic Association Tournament and will take on the Section X representative next weekend. Gallery

Ausable Valley (10) takes it over a pair of defenders from Saranac for the score. Gallery

Ausable Valley (3) rides up on the breakaway and lays it off the window for the score. It would be the semifinals of the Section VII Class B Girl's Basketball Tournament and it would feature the #3 Ausable Valley Patriots traveling to take on the #2 Plattsburgh Hornets for the right to head to next weekend's Section VII title game. The game would start off well for the upset-minded Patriots as they would have the 22-13 lead as they end the first half of the game. When the teams returned for the third quarter the Patriots would keep their hot hand going with a 13-7 quarter and take a 35-20 lead into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Patriots would finish off the upset victory with an 11-8 quarter and get the 46-28 victory. With the win, the Ausable Valley Patriots advance to the Section VII Class B Finals and will take on the winner of the Saranac Chiefs and the Beekmantown Eagles at the Clinton Community College on March 3rd. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Ava Weiss (13) with the three from the elbow over a stretched-out defender for the score. Gallery