Photo by Richard A. Ross, sportsinsightsny.com Tri-Valley’s Jakki Pugh controls the opening tip against Eldred’s Sage Owens in a non-league game won by the Lady Bears 59-31 on January 14. Eldred clinched the Division VI title with an 8-0 league record and Tri-Valley was guaranteed at least a share of the Division V title with a 7-0 record coming into its February 22 rematch with Tuxedo, which they beat on the road earlier.

Sectionals

Invitations to the ball

8 Sullivan County teams make it to the Section 9 tournament

By RICHARD A. ROSS

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY—It’s every team’s goal at the outset of the basketball season to make it to sectionals where anything can happen in the electrifying limelight of postseason play. A Section 9 championship is an enormous prize unto itself, a gateway into state-round play and a chance to vie for the holy grail of high schools sports, a state championship.

This year’s reduced schedule of 18 games required nine wins or more to reach the .500 mark to qualify. Other ways into the tournament included a .500 record in league play or garnering a positive number of points allotted for wins or losses determined by the relative size of the schools they came against.

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Winter Honor Roll

Other winter athletes distinguish themselves with fine performances

By RICHARD A. ROSS

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY—Basketball enjoys much of the limelight as the winter season comes to an end, but track, cheerleading and skiing have also produced sterling performances by Sullivan County kids. Pictured herein are a few examples of such.

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