Niskayuna Basketball Off to a Hot Start

The winter sports season is now in full swing for both boys and girls basketball, and they have both had much success to open up the year. The boys basketball team has started off on a six game win streak heading into winter break. In addition, the girls team has a 5-1 record to open up the season.

The boys team has seen much improvement, and through their hard work and preparation in the offseason, they have taken their game to the next level. With wins over Saratoga in the season opener, Schenectady, Newburgh Free Academy, Guilderland, Hudson Falls, and Burnt Hills, the team has not lost a game to open up the year. They were able to first capture a huge road win in a tough battle against Saratoga, winning 53-44. Led by Ethan Gilson with 15 points and 10 rebounds in a double-double, Niskayuna was able to set the tone for their next games. But, simply looking at the final score does not always tell the full story, and this is certainly the case with Nisky’s 50-47 win against Schenectady. On paper, it may seem like a close fought game throughout the match, but in fact, it was a game full of highs and lows for the Silver Warriors. Down by as much as 19 points in the 3rd quarter, Niskayuna was able to cut down the lead bit by bit and gain the advantage over the Patriots. Gilson, who scored 11 points in the comeback victory, hit a big 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give the Silver Warriors the lead. But, they were led by Sophomore Daniel Smalls, who scored 15 points to go along with 5 assists and 5 rebounds. Ryan Spain and Jordan Ronan were able to secure many crucial rebounds and turnovers, as Spain had 4 rebounds and 2 steals, while Ronan had 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Next up for the Silver Warriors was Newburgh Free Academy from Section IX, and they were able to secure a win at the Armory, 64-45. Daniel Smalls and Gavin Olsen each had great games, with 20 points and 19 points, respectively. Against Guilderland, Niskayuna had a great defensive effort in a 48-37 win. Before facing Burnt Hills, the team traveled up to Hudson Valley Community College for the Coaches vs. Cancer Event against Hudson Falls. Gavin Olsen had 10 points and 7 rebounds, and his younger brother Brady Olsen scored 16 points and 8 rebounds, which helped to secure yet another win, this time by a score of 52-41. In their final game before the winter break, Niskayuna went out and did what they had previously done: getting a team win and playing well at both ends of the court. The team has had many contributors all season. Daniel Smalls, Ethan Gilson, and Gavin Olsen have been the teams’ best scorers, but without the efforts of the team around them they would not be 6-0. Basketball is a team game, and Nisky has shown it at every level this season.

The girls’ basketball team has also seen their fair share of success in the early portion of the season, starting off the season with a 5-1 record. They were able to win their first four games of the season before falling to Guilderland 52-39. They were able to regroup after that loss and grab a win in a low scoring affair against Burnt Hills, 36-26, which was led by Natalie Birmingham with 8 points. Their four straight wins that started the season were against Glens Falls, Queensbury, Saratoga, and Schenectady. The team won games decided by single digits against Glens Falls and Queensbury, winning 52-43 and 41-34, respectively. They came away with a huge win against Saratoga by a score of 48-34, just before blowing out Schenectady 75-24. Ten players scored for Niskayuna in that game, and they were led by Natalie Birmingham with 16 points, Skye Linyear with 14 points, Olivia O’Meally with 11 points, and Ashley Mogavero finishing with 10. 

With Sectionals never too far away to start thinking about, getting off to a good start is important. Setting the tone for a great season starts with winning your opening games, and both the boys and girls teams have done just that. Best of luck to both teams, and hopefully, the future has more victories in store for both of these squads.