THE VIEW FROM CENTERCOURT | Western New York Boys High School Basketball

Top games of the week ending 2/19/12

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centercourt42

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Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week.

 

Monday, February 13th

Emerson @ MST Seneca – 6 pm

Frontier @ Orchard Park – 7:30 pm

East Aurora @ Depew – 7:30 pm

 

Tuesday, February 14th

Newfane @ Akron – 6:30 pm

CSAT @ Wilson – 6:30 pm

Archbishop Walsh @ St. Mary's – 7:30 pm

Clymer @ Panama – 7:30 pm

Salamanca @ Randolph – 7:30 pm

 

Wednesday, February 15th

Amherst @ Pioneer – 6:30 pm

Lackawanna @ Tonawanda – 6:30 pm

Kenmore West @ Kenmore East – 7 pm

Orchard Park @ Williamsville North – 7:30 pm

 

Thursday, February 16th

McKinley @ Riverside – 6 pm

OTC/MEC @ MST Seneca – 6 pm

I-Prep @ City Honors – 6 pm

CSAT @ Newfane – 6:30 pm

Canisius @ Bishop Timon/St. Jude – 7:30 pm

Williamsville South @ Williamsville East – 7:30 pm

Silver Creek @ Fredonia – 7:30 pm

 

Friday, February 17th

St. Mary's @ Newfane – 7 pm

Sherman @ Clymer – 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, February 18th

St. Joe's @ Canisius – 3 pm

 

Game of the Week – St. Joe's @ Canisius on Saturday, February 18th

- For the first two months of the season, the  big debate among WNY basketball fans was who should be ranked #1 – Canisius or Niagara Falls?  Then just when we had seen enough to give the Crusaders that distinction by a slight edge, St. Joe's beats Aquinas and Canisius within a week – debate over…for now.

In the first meeting between these two, an exciting contest gave way to a Marauder run to open the fourth quarter that put the game away.  Canisius hopes this season plays out exactly like it did a year ago – spot Joe's the first one, then take the next two and be crowned as the winners of the Manhattan Cup.

Assuming the Marauders can take care of business against St. Francis and Nichols this week, they will be unbeaten in the MMA entering Saturday's rivalry tilt.  That would create a must win situation for Canisius, with a visit to Timon on Thursday looming for the Crusaders.  If Timon could pull off the upset on Canisius, it would be the second league loss for them and the only stakes for Saturday's game would be pride. 

However, if Canisius can win out, including against St. Joe's, the two would once again be co-champs of the MMA.  That would force a coin toss determine the top seed for the Manhattan Cup playoffs for a third straight season.

However this week shakes out, we will get our first matchup of the season between the #1 and #2 ranked large schools on Saturday.  I can't think of a better way to end the regular season.

 

-centercourt

 

 

 

4 responses to “Top games of the week ending 2/19/12”

  1. Lucky13 Avatar
    Lucky13

    Anybody who wants to but hasn’t yet seen Jamestown ‘up here’ before the playoffs, last chance tonight at Lancaster.

    Reply
  2. Sam Avatar
    Sam

    Mr. Centercourt what were your thoughts on the big games last night? Do you think the game tomorrow can top either game last night? Who do you think wins tomorrow?

    Reply
  3. centercourt Avatar
    centercourt

    Sam –
    I was at the Canisius/Timon game and it was one of the best times I’ve had this season. Probably the second best game I’ve seen this year – that AQ/BK double OT thriller is tough to top. It seemed to me like the classic example of one team (Canisius) believing they could pull it out and the other team (Timon) thinking here we go again.
    Once that game headed to OT it felt like the Crusaders’ to lose. Matt Hart’s 3-pointer in overtime was the dagger, and I think any neutral fans like myself, felt for the Tigers staff and players, particularly Jim Palano, after losing on such a special night.
    On one hand I was shocked to hear about St. Francis beating the Marauders. Then again, the league hadn’t seen a serious upset in awhile, so they were due. St. Joe’s has gotten up for its most important games recently, but showed against teams like Walsh, Niagara Catholic, and now St. Francis, a tendency to play down, which finally cost them.
    I think given the high stakes of today’s game (One vs. Two, WNY’s biggest rivalry, regular season finale, league title & seeding at stake) it could very well top Thursday’s games. The atmosphere alone will have it close to what Thursday had to offer. I’ll predict the two teams feed off of Thursday and with the Crusaders making some big shots down the stretch.

    Reply
  4. Sam Avatar
    Sam

    Thank you Mr. Centercourt. I really love this web site. The only thing that would make it better if there were more people who have your great sense of the game without the bias so many show in their writing.
    It has been quite a season and there porbably couldn’t be a better way to wrap it up with the rivalry game today.

    Reply

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