It’s late at night and I just got back to my apartment. Truthfully, the blog was not my first move — the refrigerator was — but I’ll tell you this: If any of you ever become a sportswriter, you’ll soon learn there’s never anything to eat when you get home. It’s late and you’re hungry so you’ll eat anything, but fun-sized containers of JellO are not very filling. I’m starving.

Anyway, since most of my readers go to bed at a normal hour (like before 1 a.m.) and I do not, it’s really not going to work if I recap things at night. You’ll probably all be in bed by the time I get home no matter what. Instead, I’ll post like this each late night/early morning, and give you a chance to check out what happened the previous day and night, then follow it with a look ahead to the upcoming action.

So here are a few leftover thoughts, as I rue not making a late-night trip to the Candlelight or City Lights Diner…

Star of the Day: Brittany Shields, Haldane — As you’ve either read, or as you will read in a bit, the junior missed the second quarter with a severe ankle injury but came back to score 21 of her 25 points in the second half of Haldane’s 43-38 win over Dobbs Ferry. She also had 10 boards, and left people shaking their heads in awe. This was an easy choice.

Here’s a recap…

PUTNAM VALLEY 43, BRIARCLIFF 29 — Both teams came out hot early, draining a few shots and playing with passion as they fed off what were great, great crowds. But the adrenaline quickly ran out and this turned into a defensive game for the final three quarters.

In my postgame interviews, as you’d expect, players and coaches from both sides had a different take on what happened to the Bears’ offense. Briarcliff felt like it had opportunties and just didn’t convert them, while Putnam Valley felt it turned up the defense. Honestly, as it is with almost all things sports, it was a little of both. But no matter what, the Tigers took advantage of the give-and-take.

When you read my game story, don’t forget the part about Katie Geyer. It was her fourth game since moving up from the JV and she played some of the biggest minutes of the game subbing for center Jylan Mayo, who had four fouls. Geyer grabbed a couple nice rebounds and made two big baskets to take her team from a deficit to a slim lead. Christine Kemp followed with a nifty double-clutch layup (plus a free throw) early in the fourth and the Putnam Valley crowd really took it to another level. The Tigers rode the emotion from then on, and, as we have already discussed, ended the game in a mob at center court.

Putnam Valley’s crowd, with its blue-and-white face paint and custom-made T-shirts, had a bunch of chants directed toward Briarcliff in the final couple minutes. One was “O-ver-ra-ted,” which we hear quite often at games. This time it wasn’t quite fair. The Bears had earned themselves the top seed — if not that, then at least a top-two seed — but they were outplayed by a team that was right there with them, regardless of what the record said.

I thought Kemp had the defining quote of the game when she said: “If we played 10 times, we’d win five and they’d win five. It depends on who’s night it was. I guess tonight was our night.â€?

HALDANE 43, DOBBS FERRY 38 — This story will forever be about the hobbled dominance of Brittany Shields, who was carried from the court like her ankle had snapped in two. She was in tears — and this is a girl, we learned later, that played in the Empire State Games with a torn labrum in her shoulder — and it didn’t look good.

So, yeah, her performance — 21 of her 25 points in the second half on a tightly-taped ankle to bring Haldane back from a 22-11 halftime deficit — was amazing. (Coach Rich Desiderio told me on his way out of the County Center that he didn’t know until she came out and tested it whether or not she’d play in the second half.) But let’s not forget two other key factors:

1. The trainer, a man Brittany’s dad, Pat, called “The MVP,” and
2. The rest of the Blue Devils, who kept the score somewhat close and made plays late to aid the comeback. Emily Marsh, Brittney Fleming and Averyann Zuvic played excellent D and scored a few buckets, but I want to focus on Kylie McConville. The senior had at least five assists in the fourth quarter, feeding Shields and Zuvic for baskets on rolls to the basket, including one big one with about 30 seconds left. It was classic Haldane — someone who had been here before being able to raise her game simply because she’d been here before.

As I said earlier tonight, I’m sorry to see the Dobbs seniors graduate. I think we all need a dose of Carey Hickey every Championship Week, and her smile will be missed. Now the Eagles move on to Class B.

Off the court: PREDICTIONS REALLY BRING OUT THE HATERS — I’ll let you in to a little of what happens off the court each night, and tonight was a doozy. (Yes, I just used that word. I’m officially old.)

Ossining coach Dan Ricci, who is still sour I picked his football team to lose to Fox Lane, was among the many “well-wishers” who stopped by to chastize me for my predictions. As you all know, I picked Briarcliff and was wrong, and Ricci was among those who reminded me of it in his rather loud way. Truth be told, he would’ve picked Briarcliff, too, but I’ve learned that coaches like to keep predictions to themselves until AFTER games are over.

But that wasn’t all. I also had to contend with about half the Scarsdale girls basketball team and the Haldane student section, which briefly chanted my name during the nightcap.

Perhaps my greatest undressing of the evening came when, as if she’d been paid off by my girlfriend, Christine Yankou, the same girl who wrongly presumed she could beat me in a 3-points shootout, asked when I was going to propose to my girlfriend. Weird, I thought: That’s exactly what she always says!

Still, you know what, it was all fun (except for the chanting…awkward). I just hope everyone knows I love them and that I’m just picking the games for fun.

And if you forget that, you should maybe know that I’m now 30-5 for the playoffs. So there.

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On to the previews…

CLASS C SEMIFINALS —

No. 2 Blind Brook (16-4) vs. No. 3 Hamilton (15-5)
Where: County Center
When: 3 p.m.
Head2Head: Nope.
Key players: BLIND BROOK — Keren Mikva, Sam Levine, Diana Triglia. The Trojans’ inside trio must chip in. Karlyn Adler and Shereen Lightbourne will probably match one another, so the others need to diversify Blind Brook’s attack. HAMILTON — Shereen Lightbourne. Much like Porsha Postell of Woodlands nearly did to Put Valley, Lightbourne is capable of leading her team to an upset.
Key matchup: Hamilton vs. Blind Brook’s pressure. Whether it’s in the half court or the full court, the Red Devils must be able to handle defensive pressure. The Trojans move the ball so well that they can score quickly and easily off turnovers. Hamilton can’t afford too many.
What you need to know: Check the box score. A very comparable Hamilton team played well vs. Haldane in its semifinal last year. The Trojans, however, thought they let a chance to play for a gold ball slip away, even though were without Adler, who was injured. I assume they’ve be ready – and very weary of the upset-minded Red Devils.
Prediction: BLIND BROOK 56, HAMILTON 44. The Trojans lead almost the whole way.

CLASS B SEMIFINALS —

No. 2 Albertus Magnus (17-4) vs. No. 6 Irvington (15-7)
Where: County Center
When: Tonight, around 8:15 p.m.
Head2Head: Oh yeah. Twice in the League III-C season, with both games going to the Falcons. 42-29 at home, 47-36 at Irvington. They led both by double digits at the half.
Key players: ALBERTUS MAGNUS — Emily Brauer. The senior point needs to keep control of the pace. The Falcons are at their best at their own speed. IRVINGTON — Kaitlin Degnan. As one of only two seniors on the Bulldogs, she’ll need to provide leadership for a young group getting its first County Center taste.
Key matchup: Albertus Magnus offense vs. Irvington D. The Falcons try to lull you to sleep with their execution and ball movement. They work the shot clock and test your will. Opponents can’t afford to fall prey to that tempo.
What you need to know: Irvington, playing three freshmen in key minutes, is here ahead of schedule and may be well-served playing like it. Why? Well, because the Albertus Magnus seniors have been to the semis or beyond every year and have won a championship. They will be prepared and hungry. And don’t forget the coaches. Gina Maher, in her 30th season at Irvington, is making her first appearance at the County Center. And Joe McGuinness, a longtime Rockland basketball coach, is in his first trip as coach of the Falcons’ girls program.
Prediction: ALBERTUS MAGNUS 44, IRVINGTON 33. By imposing their will on the game, the Falcons continue their unbeaten run through Class B and move on to face Putnam Valley.