We are the champions, my friends!
Shonyae Edmonds had 21 points and nine rebounds as Albany High beat Shenendehowa for the Section 2 Class AA title Saturday night, 58-52 at Hudson Valley Community College.
After trailing 5-0 early, the Falcons (18-6) took the lead midway through the first quarter on 3-pointers by Cassidy Foley and Me'Challe Cancer. They led the rest of the night on the way to their first Class AA title since 2013.
You can read more about the game in Sunday's Times Union. You also can visit our Facebook page to check out photos from the game, with additional pictures from the sideline and bench found here.
Limited by foul trouble in the first half, Edmonds had two points and two rebounds at the break as the Falcons led 21-16 on the strength of a tenacious team defensive effort.
The junior was unstoppable inside in the second half, pouring in 19 points, including a clutch 9-for-9 performance at the foul line. Edmonds was named the tournament MVP, and also was joined by Cancer and ninth-grader Azera Gates on the all-tournament team.
Cancer, a junior, finished with nine points. B'unique Anderson, a senior, had a terrific all-around game with seven points, five rebounds and five assists. Gates grabbed nine rebounds to go with three steals and four points -- all on important free throws down the stretch.
The third-seeded Falcons dominated the boards against the taller, top-seeded Plainsmen (21-3). Albany High held a commanding 37-18 rebounding advantage. That included 17 on the offensive end -- five by Edmonds and four each by the starting backcourt duo of Anderson and Gates.
The Falcons entered the game ranked No. 24 in the state after knocking off No. 22 Shaker in Thursday's semifinals. Shen entered ranked No. 8 in the state. The win avenged the Falcons' 49-45 loss to Shen in December, as well as losses to the Plainsmen in the 2014 and 2016 sectional finals.
Next up for Albany High in the state tournament is Section 3 champion Cicero-North Syracuse (16-5), currently ranked No. 17 in the state. The game will be played Saturday, March 12 at Hudson Valley. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
