Will Conley of Shenendehowa takes a shot against Albany in the Section 2 Class AAA quarterfinal game at McDonough Complex in Troy on Sunday. (Stephen Weaver)James AllenMon, March 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC·4 min readTROY - Despite struggling down the stretch to conclude its regular season schedule, the Shenendehowa boys' basketball team did not deviate from its identity. On Sunday afternoon, it would have been easy for third-seeded Shenendehowa to get disheveled while watching Albany senior guard Sincere Allah drain deep 3-pointers.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementScrappy defense, sharing the ball and hitting clutch shots have defined Shenendehowa's season to date, and all those elements came into play late in registering a 65-62 Class AAA quarterfinal victory over the sixth-seeded Falcons at Hudson Valley Community College.
Shen coach Paul Yattaw was thrilled with his squad gutting it out in a game where Allah kept putting the No. 3 seed in perilous spots with some superior shot-making. Allah led all scorers with 28 points, including six 3-pointers.
"It is hard when you've got a guy on the other team who is making plays," Yattaw said of Allah. "We're double-teaming him. He was the focus of our defense and he just made plays."
Jake Osborne of Shenendehowa takes a shot against Albany during the Section 2 Class AAA quarterfinal game at McDonough Complex in Troy on Sunday. (Stephen Weaver)Shenendehowa made plays as well down the stretch, including drives for scores by Will Conley and Nick Romano, plus 6-for-6 accuracy from the foul line over the final 90 seconds. Yattaw's charges managed to get quality looks by making the extra pass and then making another pass to get a more open look.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"We kept our resolve," Yattaw said. "We talked about the mental aspect of the game. They are going to be runs. You just have to keep your composure."
Up next for Shenendehowa (17-4) is a semifinal contest Thursday evening at Harding Mazzotti Arena in Glens Falls against second-seeded Shaker (17-4), winners of the 2025 state championship. The Blue Bison advanced by beating Schenectady 76-50.
Shenendehowa dropped its last two games against Guilderland and Amsterdam before sectionals, and nearly lost three straight in what ended up being a 61-58 win over Schenectady. Sunday, Shen got tested and emerged with a well-earned victory.
"We wanted to hunt good shots," said Shenendehowa senior guard Jacob Stewart, who paced his team with 22 points. "We did that well."
Sincere Allah of Albany finds an opening for a shot against Shenendehowa during the Section 2 Class AAA quarterfinal game at McDonough Complex in Troy on Sunday. (Stephen Weaver)Albany (9-12), which played Sunday without starter Richard Wright, needed Allah's scoring exploits to overcome eight lead changes over the first 17 minutes. The Falcons watched a 32-20 lead swing to a 40-32 Shen lead as Conley and Stewart each drained 3-pointers. Albany would fight back to draw within one point five times, the last coming at 61-60.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSeveral of Allah's 3-pointers were from deep and often near the end of the shot clock.
"You really can't do anything about that," Stewart said of Allah's shooting performance. "We played good defense for 35 seconds and he was throwing up shots and making them. Obviously, we just had to stand up as a team. We did that."
The trio of Stewart, Conley and Romano combined to tally 59 points.
Shaker removed any drama from its contest against Schenectady as the Blue Bison, behind veteran stars Bless Demand, Melvin Brown, Marcelin Mukendi and Anthony Tleiji each taking turns scoring, opened up a 28-10 cushion after one quarter and cruised from there.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementUnfortunately for the Blue Bison, Tleiji suffered a right ankle injury and was being attended to by a trainer after the game. It is just the latest in a string of injuries Shaker has dealt with all season.
"One of the things I have been telling people is that when you win a state championship, a lot of things go into it," Shaker coach Aric Kucel said. "You have to have the right group, the right chemistry, talent and there is some luck involved, like not being injured. This year, we haven't been able to do that. We are a little snake bitten. We hope that he will be OK."
Mukendi led the way for Shaker with 22 points, followed by Brown (15 points), Tleiji (14 points) and Demand (eight points). The win marked the fifth straight for the Blue Bison.
This article originally published at Shenendehowa hangs on, Shaker cruises in Class AAA boys' basketball quarterfinals.
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