Albany Academy handles business in sectional opener

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The Albany Academy girls basketball team looked pretty much how you'd expect the reigning state semifinalists to look in their 2024 sectional debut: totally dominant.

After a 16-3 regular season, the Bears rolled into the Class B sectional tournament as the top-seeded team for the second straight year. Their quest to defend their title began Wednesday night with a 76-28 win in the quarterfinal round over eighth-seeded Watervliet.

Head coach Brian Capitula's suffocating brand of defense was on full display from the start, leading to a number of transition buckets for Academy, which roared out to a 31-7 advantage after the first quarter - 10 of those points were scored by sophomore Alex Leonard.

The Cannoneers responded well in the second quarter, outscoring Academy 14-12. But the Bears' defensive pressure ramped back up in the second half, holding Watervliet to just seven points in the final 16 minutes of game action.

Leonard led the way offensively for Academy with 17 points. She was followed in the scoring column by captains Morgan Vien and Bella Vincent, who turned in 14 and 11, respectively.

Albany Academy (17-3) turns its attention now to a semifinal matchup with fourth-seeded Stillwater Sunday at Hudson Valley Community College. Opening tip is tentatively slated for 7:30 p.m.; it'll be the final of six games held at HVCC that day.

Watervliet's season comes to a close, finishing with a 10-9 overall record.