As you know, all was quiet on the girls basketball front until Friday and Saturday. I know this because my fiancee and I actually spent a couple evenings together. (Perish the thought…)

The teams of the week, in my estimation, were probably Scarsdale and Edgemont, which, if I had to guess, probably added a little juice to the atmosphere at the Candlelight.

Despite the teams winning four of their five games, no one player stood too far above her teammates. Darian Cotto scored it (15 PPG), but Julia Schweitzer did some serious board work (21 vs. Eastchester). Scarsdale played more classic ‘08 Raiders’ ball, but it’s tough to nominate players of the week with the stat “frustrated opponents into X-number of bad shots.”

So, with that said, although we give a nod in both their directions, I moved on to a player who had an impressive week outside the Scarsdale confines.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK, Week 9: Kristin Schmidt, Suffern — The 6-foot-1 sophomore turned in a pair of dominant performances in wins over Lincoln and Ramapo. She averaged 20 PPG, 13 RPG, and 5 BPG in the two games.

If you check the stats on “Varsity Central,”:http://www.lohud.com/vc Schmidt’s production had slipped in the five previous games (12 points and 6 RB per), so she earns the nod as much for her improvement as she does for her output.

Runners-up: Tori Jarosz, Lakeland (29 points, seven boards, nine blocks vs. Mahopac; 19 points vs. Scarsdale); Porsha Postell, Woodlands (35 points, six boards and six assists vs. Pelham, including point No. 1,000)

— A quick final thought on Mount Vernon, which lost its first game of the season on Saturday at JFK in the Bronx, 61-59.

The Knights played the host, which beat Lakeland in last year’s Class A state Federation semifinals. They fell way behind at the half by 18 but responded late. Their comeback was spurred by Sade King, the mini 8th-grader at PG. She made a 3 in the final minutes to cut her team’s deficit to 59-57, then Nadia Duncan tied the score. MV had one final opportunity to tie or win with a second left but couldn’t get a shot off.

Mount Vernon outscored JFK 17-8 in the fourth quarter, but it was obviously just a little bit too little too late. Taylor Palmer led the way with 18 points, helping the Knights overcome subpar games from its two stars.

To anyone wondering why you didn’t see the game in Sunday’s paper: It didn’t start until after 10. Patrice Moore said it ended around midnight, which, I’m sure you can imagine, is much too late to publish the result. Moore felt her team struggled at first against JFK’s defense and overall quickness. The Knights clearly adjusted, and you’d imagine the experience will serve them well.

I wish I would’ve seen it so I could add more first-hand info, but unfortunately I was busy with my tail between my legs after Joe Lombardi had commandeered the blog.

— Busy week ahead. You’ll find me at either New Ro-Ursuline or MV-White Plains on Tuesday; Briarcliff-JFK or Haldane-North Salem on Wednesday; and OLV-Maria Regina on Friday. Jake has his fair share of games as well, beginning with Magnus-Nanuet today.

What are the best games of the week ahead? Well, against my better wishes I resisted the following game but will include it here for comedic value:

Sunday, Feb. 3: New York Giants (13-6) vs. New England Patriots (18-0), at Glendale, Arizona

Obviously, Super Bowl XVII is a big one, but here are five others I’ll watch out for this week:

Monday, Jan. 28: Albertus Magnus at Nanuet, 4:30 p.m. — The Golden Knights have one more shot to earn a measure of confidence against Magnus heading into the Class B playoffs. Was last Sunday’s 27-point loss a fluke, or an indicator that the Falcons are heading into the postseason soaring?

Tuesday, Jan. 29: Mount Vernon at White Plains, 4:15 p.m. — Always a noteworthy game, and I’m sure the Knights, who lost their first game on Saturday to JFK of the Bronx, will be eager to return to action.

Tuesday, Jan. 29: New Rochelle at Ursuline, 4:15 p.m. — This is the rematch of one of the season’s tightest finishes. New Ro has struggled in league play lately, and Ursuline hopes it can make that continue for a game.

Thursday, Jan. 31: Our Lady of Lourdes at JJEF, 6 p.m. — After struggling against out-of-area competition in December, JJEF has a chance to basically wrap up the League I-C title. If the Patriots can win, it will complete the first phase of a heck of a comeback story.

Friday, Feb. 1: Our Lady of Victory at Maria Regina, 7:45 p.m. — Big rivalry game late night on Friday. Normally, I wouldn’t have to worry too much about deadline covering a game this late, but these teams have a wee bit of history playing deep into overtime(s). Cross your fingers for me…

Others of note: Very busy week, so here’s a nod to… Edgemont at Woodlands, Briarcliff at Edgemont and Haldane at North Salem on Wednesday; Irvington at Nanuet on Friday; and a pair of rivalry games, Carmel at Mahopac and Lakeland at Panas, on Saturday.

RICHARD MCHUGH made an excellent point recently. He asked that I rank the top four in each class, thereby giving an ever-changing rundown of the top 4 in each class. The idea is that it looks ahead to the four squads who will make the County Center, although it won’t work that way in reality because of seeding.

Still, I thought it was worthwhile, as you can see below:

Class AA —
1. Mount Vernon
2. Ursuline
3. Horace Greeley
4. Ossining

Class A —
1. Beacon
2. Pearl River
3. Brewster
4. Tappan Zee

Class B —
1. Albertus Magnus
2. Briarcliff
3. Nanuet
4. Irvington

Class C/D —
1. Haldane
2. Blind Brook
3. Tuckahoe
4. Hamilton

Catholic/Private —
1. Maria Regina
2. Hackley
3. Holy Child
4. OLV

Well folks, if you “listened to this week’s podcast,”:http://sixthman.lohudblogs.com/2008/01/22/podcast-jan-24/ you know that — after some prodding by me — Josh and I gave our predictions on the Mahopac tournament.

To Josh’s credit, he picked a Lakeland-Scarsdale final.

However, he projected Lakeland winning. I went with Scarsdale.

We just got word that Scarsdale won 38-34.

Under terms of our agreement, if I was indeed right (which would also mean Josh would be wrong I might add), I would get to take over the blog — for tonight.

Perhaps out of embarrassment (although he really shouldn’t be — we all get picks wrong from time to time), Josh is about to vacate the office.

But I will be here for a while, so feel free to post your thoughts on Scarsdale-Lakeland or anything else.

I just returned from Last Licks in Scarsdale where I was on assignment to interview former Giant great Y.A. Tittle about the Giants chances in the Super Bowl.

Some of you old timers are probably jealous. Admittedly, I was still 16 years from being born when Y.A. played his last game for the Giants in 1964 (in fact, my Mom wasn’t even 18), but I still enjoyed it. I marvel sometimes at older athletes, who, even at the advanced age of 81, still can look like an athlete: big hands, broad shoulders, etc.

All in all, this has not been a bad week for me. On Wednesday, I went to Rockefeller Center as Brian Leetch, Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Adam Graves and others met the media in anticipation of Thursday’s ceremony to retire Leetch’s No. 2. Messier is 47 — about the same age as a lot of the dads and coaches who read this blog — but let me tell you guys: You and Mess have absolutely nothing in common. No offense, I’m sure many of you still keep yourselves in good shape, but there’s a guy you wouldn’t want to stand next to at the gym.

OK, enough of that. On to basketball…

After last week’s grab bag of the bizarre, I returned this week with a meaty collection of notebooks in Westchester and Putnam. And since I’ve already allowed my verbosity to get the best of me, here’s a look at this weekend’s links:

NOTEBOOKS —

In the North, “Haldane is off to a tremendous start under new coach Kenny Haskins.”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/SPORTS02/801260363/1110 Brittany Shields, who knows a thing or two about having new basketball coaches (she’s now had four during her varsity career), said Haskins has helped the Blue Devils push the tempo, but he’s also adapted his ways since the start of the season. … Also, Kennedy — a team I was very impressed with early this season — has another prime opportunity this week.

In Central, “I turned my attention to Rye.”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/SPORTS02/801260340/1110 The Garnets have won five of six and nearly knocked off Woodlands last week in regulation and OT. They have four freshmen, including leading scorer Lillian McCabe, and, while the present isn’t too shabby, the future looks bright indeed. … I also have another injury update on Shereen Lightbourne of Hamilton and news on the possible debut of one of Section 1’s youngest (and biggest) players.

In the South, “Tuckahoe has a chance to make it back to the County Center.”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/SPORTS02/801260344/1110 Things didn’t work out last night against Haldane, which beat the Tigers by 31, but that doesn’t change the fact that this young team has an opportunity to end a frustrating streak of playoff setbacks.

In Rockland, Sixth Man contributor Jake “The Snake” Thomases provides us with an opus on Clarkstown North. Just kidding, but seriously, “he does tell us that the Rams are in search of consistency.”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080126/SPORTS02/801260343/1110 The notebook also includes the power rankings in Rockland.

ALSO —
One more thing to mention, which I’ve wanted to ask…

Jake and I had a great debate a week or so ago, and I’ve raised the topic to others: If you set Mount Vernon aside, which group would have a better overall record in a round-robin tournament between the top 5 Section 1 teams in Westchester/Putnam and the top 5 in Rockland??? Obviously, there are many, many more schools on this side of the river, but that’s my point: Despite an overwhelming disadvantage, I think Rockland would be a lot closer than you think. Here’s how I’d seed them:

Westchester/Putnam:
1. Ursuline
2. Briarcliff
3. Greeley
4. Ossining
5. ??? (Irvington, White Plains, Scarsdale, Haldane)

Rockland:
1. Magnus
2. Nanuet
3. Pearl River
4. North Rockland
5. Tappan Zee

Two questions:
A) Who would be your fifth team in Westchester/Putnam?
B) Give us an idea how you think the teams would finish?

I’d go…
Ursuline 4-1
Albertus Magnus 4-1
Greeley 3-2
Briarcliff 3-2
Nanuet 3-2
Ossining 3-2
Pearl River 2-3
North Rockland 2-3
(5th team in Westchester) 1-4
Tappan Zee 0-5

Westchester/Putnam: 14-11
Rockland: 11-14

What do you think?

Spring Valley can’t catch a break against Tappan Zee. Last season the Tigers stormed back to take a late lead against this team but fell in OT. Today they played great D, held TZ to five third-quarter points, only to see their work evaporate in the fourth. They lost 45-36.

All those jump shots that clanged off the rim for three quarters started falling. Theresa Pagnani, normally a post player, started it by stepping out for a long J. By the time Megan Curran sank a miracle baseline heave with two seconds on the shot clock and her body more off balance than my alcoholic uncle Ned, you knew TZ wasn’t losing this game. Pagnani had 15 points and Jacqueline Pollack, who did most of the ballhandling in the fourth, had 11. TZ had only three turnovers in the final quarter — only one when the game was still in doubt.

Shakiera Dumas scored 11 for Spring Valley. This was my first time seeing her as the feature offensive player. She impressed me with an ability to create off the dribble, though she let TZ’s defense deny her the ball in the fourth. As her coach said, she’s still learning to be the man. Last season she deferred so much to Tareka Cesar and Tiffany Williams, and probably expected to do the same for Cesar this season. With Cesar out indefinitely for personal reasons, she and Brittney Edwards have to carry the load.

This win was important for TZ’s League II-South title chances. Both came in undefeated. If both win out in the league (and Nyack may have something to say about that) Spring Valley will have to beat TZ in Spring Valley on the last day of the season to even share the title. If it doesn’t, TZ will have gone 16-0 in the league over two seasons.

By the way, does anyone know what TZ’s mascot is supposed to be?

It didn’t take long this afternoon at Woodlands. That’s for sure.

Needing just three points, Porsha Postell hit a 3-pointer 14 seconds in to score points No. 998, 999 and 1,000. They gave her balloons and a ball, then followed it up with a postgame ceremony that honored her as the fourth player in program history to reach the mark.

Postell was humble afterward. She was a little embarrassed by all the attention and a lot flattered. She had aunts and uncles that had driven from as far as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland to see her play. One uncle gave her a handmade personalized jacket. Her mom gave her a basketball to commemorate the performance. And tons of family, friends and classmates surrounded her for the postgame ceremony. She was too shy to grab the mic, but it was a nice touch that Postell gave a plaque to AD Rich Silverstein and coach Siobhan McDermott to thank them.

Postell had a great first quarter, scoring 13 points. She finished with 35 for the game, as well as six boards and six assists. Woodlands also got an excellent performance from Monique Tilford, who had 21 points and seven rebounds, and, like Postell, overcame cramps in the second half as Pelham pulled close.

Adriana Figueroa led the way for Pelicans with a season-high 15 points. Overall, her team made a ton of shots and actually took a lead in the third quarter, 43-42, but Woodlands had just too much offense. I talked to Pelham coach John Osterhoudt afterward and he said his team was better prepared mentally for what it was going to face; it just didn’t have the ammo to withstand that final run in the fourth.

The Falcons (12-2) now find themselves one victory over Edgemont from basically wrapping up the League III-B title outright. If they can do it, and earn a top 3 or 4 seed in the process, they have a great chance to get to the County Center.

OTHER RESULTS —

Lakeland 49, Mahopac 33: In the first round of the Mahopac tournament, Tori Jarosz had 27 points, nine blocks, and seven rebounds for the Hornets. Jessie Kavana had eight points for Mahopac, which played with Gillian Felix. It looks like she was hampered though, as she finished with only three points.

Haldane 55, Tuckahoe 21: At Tuckahoe, Liz Milner scored 17 points for the Blue Devils. Brittany Shields added 15 points. Katrina Blackman had 12 points for the Tigers. … I wrote about both teams for tomorrow, which sounds good on one hand and pretty bad on the other. I think Tuckahoe coach Joe Arcidacono hoped for a more competitive game.

Our Lady of Lourdes 55, Carmel 51: At Our Lady of Lourdes, Ashley Ruiz had 19 points, four steals, and four assists for the Rams. Teammate Meghan Murphy added 16 points. … Oh so close for Carmel. This would’ve been a major victory for the Rams…major. I’d love to hear details if anyone has them.

White Plains 37, New Rochelle 28: At White Plains, Angelei Aguirre led the Tigers with 12 points. Shelby Fields added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Alyse LaPadula scored 10 points for the Huguenots. … Doesn’t sound like the prettiest game, but a win’s a win. Fields’ double-double is a nice sign.

If I get the John Jay-Scarsdale result from the Mahopac tourney, I’ll update it. Former girls hoops beat writer Jane McManus will cover tomorrow’s championship, which should be a nice game.

If you didn’t have an opportunity to see last night’s Varsity Central Extra, I suggest you head over to our videos page.

“Here’s the link.”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=RNN

We had no phone calls and I’m not quite sure why. From discussions I’ve had with players and fans, there appears to be interest. That just doesn’t translate consistently on the phones and with e-mails. As I said yesterday, the more interest, the more hoops on TV. The less interest, the less TV. Simple as that.

Let’s set that aside for now and move on to this week’s Top 10, which is largely unchanged from a week ago because of the lack of action. The only really significant competition since then was the Nanuet tournament, plus Tuesday’s Ursuline-Scarsdale game. One or two of you criticized me for tossing the Raiders on the bubble…if I had the maturity of a 7-year-old, I’d be sticking my tongue out right about now.

Top 10, Week 9 —

1. MOUNT VERNON (13-0): So far, the Knights have gone wire-to-wire in the top spot. They face White Plains on Tuesday and Ursuline the following Monday.

2. URSULINE (11-4): I don’t know what I would’ve done had the Koalas lost to Scarsdale on Tuesday, but I know it would’ve probably drawn the ire of some of you. Good thing I never had to find out.

3. ALBERTUS MAGNUS (12-1): It is increasingly hard to argue that this is not a top 5 team. Last week may’ve been the best week turned in, pound-for-pound, by any team all season.

4. BRIARCLIFF (15-1): Finally, all this time later, I plan to catch the Bears on Wednesday vs. Kennedy. I haven’t seen them since their season-opening win vs. Ossining.

5. MARIA REGINA (11-4): The athletic department forbids its teams from practicing or playing during midterms, so the Tigers have had a week off. They return to practice this afternoon and have a busy week ahead.

6. HORACE GREELEY (11-3): This is about where the Quakers belong, although they could argue for a move ahead of Maria, a team they beat in December. Fair…but in December I had never been on live TV, nor worn makeup. Oh, how things change.

7. NANUET (12-2): I may have gotten a little ahead of myself after last week’s effusive praise. The Golden Knights are still a contender to reach the County Center in B, but they may be a year away from challenging for the gold ball.

8. OSSINING (10-5): If it can beat Haldane on Feb. 8, in its season finale, Ossining should finish 15-5 overall and 14-3 vs. Section 1 opponents. That would likely slot them behind Mount Vernon and Ursuline in Class AA, but the No. 3 and 4 seeds would remain well within reach. Not bad for a once-struggling squad.

9. BEACON (15-2): The vibe out of Beacon is a confident one. I understand why. BUT, the Bulldogs may enter the Class A playoffs not having beaten a winning team in 2008. At this stage, that makes it difficult to gauge what their future holds.

10. IRVINGTON (11-3): Can’t believe I didn’t notice this last week, but Irvington’s inclusion at No. 10 gives League III-C more Top 10 clubs than League I-A. It doesn’t mean anything, but it is worth noting.

On the bubble: White Plains (7-6), Scarsdale (6-6), John Jay-EF (10-5), Our Lady of Lourdes (DK), Haldane (13-1), Pearl River (7-6), North Rockland (7-6).

— I’ll be at Pelham-Woodlands this afternoon and will check in later. Porsha Postell is just three points from 1,000 for her career.

— Thanks again to Juice51, “who passed along the newest state rankings.”:http://www.thedailystar.com/localsports/local_story_024040104.html Mount Vernon remains No. 2 in Class AA, behind only Amsterdam of Section 2.

I’m in the office early today, suit in tow, and I’m taking care of a few things before tonight’s show.

I have a couple different items on the list, so here goes:

1. Umm, watch the show: You know the drill, 6:30-7 tonight on RNN, Varsity Central Extra, Kevin, Ben, and your favorite sportswriter. Tune in to RNN at Channel 6 or 19 in Westchester, 20 in Putnam and 19 in Rockland.

Remember: the more calls, the more successful the show, the more opportunities for local basketball on TV. I cannot stress this enough. … I expect lots of calls tonight considering there are almost no games this afternoon, so check in at 1-888-RNN-CHAT to have your voice heard.

2. Bianca Kowgios: The Maria Regina junior will be featured in tonight’s Locker Room Chat.

I sat down with Kowgios on Tuesday and she told us about her team’s strong start, how she developed a nasty crossover, and what Maria’s chances are to win a city championship.

3. Beware of premature math: Here’s the reason why the point system makes premature calculations deceptive…

Right now, Nanuet and Briarcliff are tied for second. Do you know that even if Nanuet beats Magnus (a team it already lost to twice), it will probably still finish behind Briarcliff? The Bears have games against Yorktown and Byram Hills and wins in those games would earn them enough bonus points to put them over the top for the No. 2 seed.

In fact, assuming all teams win out in their other games, here’s how the top 3 would rank:
If Nanuet beats Magnus — T1. Briarcliff and Magnus, 4.167, 3. Nanuet 4.05
If Magnus beats Nanuet — 1. Magnus 4.389, 2. Briarcliff 4.167, 3. Nanuet 3.85

But of course if Woodlands were to beat Nanuet, then…who knows?

That said, I’m not discouraging you from calculating the seeds yourself. I think it’s fun. I enjoy doing it myself. But I just wanted to put it into perspective. … I hope no one is offended.

4. Poll questions: I don’t think enough of you are voting in our poll questions at the “Varsity Tipoff page.”:http://lohud.com/girlshoops Perhaps that’s my fault for not alerting you — even though the Tipoff page should be your No. 1A destination every day — so here’s my effort to rectify that.

The most recent poll asked: Given the opportunity, which Section 1 team would have the best chance to beat Mount Vernon?

The vote was close:
1. Albertus Magnus, 31.4%
2. Briarcliff, 19.8%
T3. Beacon, 17.4%
T3. Ursuline, 17.4%
5. Greeley, 14.0%

The problem was only 121 people voted and the vote lasted more than a week. So…my point…let’s pick it up people! (That, by the way, is my absolute best impression of a coach.)

This week’s poll should be posted later in the day.

Only two games tonight, and we covered both of them. Alex Myers watched Edgemont put three players in double figures and beat Byram Hills 50-45. My game, Suffern at Lincoln, wasn’t quite as close.

As expected, the Mounties pounded the Lancers inside early and often on the way to a 50-15 win. At 1-8, Lincoln shouldn’t be expected to hang with the 8-6 Mounties. Although their coach, Dave Jenick, pointed out a girl in the stands who’s on JV that he says will be great next year when he calls her up.

Kristin Schmidt, Suffern’s 6-1 soph center, did most of the damage even though she only played about half the game. She scored 22 easily, tossing in a bunch of blocks and rebounds. It made me wonder why she’s “only” averaging 14 ppg (which is still top 10 in the county but not as much as she’s capable of). Coach Ryan Phelps said she’s been a little quiet in bigger games. He thinks she puts too much pressure on herself to carry the team and ends up psyching herself out. When I got back to the office I checked it out and sure enough, her numbers are much lower against certain teams. There are reasons, of course, like the fact that those teams play better defense and are more likely to double team her.

It sounds like Phelps is working on getting Schmidt more relaxed so she can play her game every night. She’s under a tremendous amount of pressure for a 15-year-old. As a sophomore she’s already been named captain, been the team’s offensive and defensive focus, lost a teammate she had great chemistry with, and broken in incredibly young castmates. I love watching her play and think she’s a star in the making. I’d be great to see her putting up 20 points against a North Rockland.