BINGHAMTON — The Saratoga Racers saw their postseason dreams dashed last Saturday, falling to the Binghamton Bulldogs 127 to 101 in the semifinals of the American Basketball Association (ABA) Eastern Conference White Division playoffs.

The game was competitive after the first quarter, with Saratoga trailing by only 4. But the Bulldogs ran away with the contest in the second stanza, outscoring the Racers 40 to 21. The lead proved to be insurmountable. 

John Ryals led all Saratoga scorers with 23 points, while big man Shaheem Sanders added 17. 

Binghamton advanced to face Buffalo in the White Division championship, but fell to the No. 1 seed eXtreme by only 1 point, 99 to 98.

Saratoga ended its inaugural season with a 13-7 record.

“We didn’t get the result we wanted last night, but what a season,” said Racers Owner Keith Harrington in a Facebook post. “To finish the season ranked #19 in the country and in the White Division Semifinals exceeded expectations.”

Harrington added that the team would be back “bigger and better” next season.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga Racers standouts Tobias Holmes and John Ryals were both named to the All-ABA Second Team last week, while teammate RJ Rosa received honorable mention.

The All-ABA distinctions are given to players selected from more than 150 ABA teams scattered throughout the country.

Both Ryals and Holmes are former ABA All-Stars, while this season was Rosa’s first in the league. All three players have routinely led Saratoga in scoring throughout the year.

The Racers finished their regular season on Feb. 23 with a 13-6 record. They’ll next face the Binghamton Bulldogs on the road in a single-elimination playoff game on March 8. 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Section 2 boys basketball postseason got underway last week with Ballston Spa, Saratoga Central Catholic, and Schuylerville all taking the court.

In Class C boys action, the No. 3 seed Spa Catholic Saints walloped No. 14 Lake George, 85 to 28. In that game, Bryce Peterson led all Saints scorers with 16 points, while David Redgrave chipped in 11 and Jasyn Thompson added 10. With the victory, Spa Catholic advanced to the quarterfinal round to face No. 6 Hoosic Valley. In that matchup, they again won easily, 53 to 24, and advanced once again to the semifinals/final four. Against Hoosic, Tyler Hicks led all scorers with 15 points, while Thompson and Ronan Rowe added 11 and 9 points, respectively. The Saints knocked down 11 three-pointers in the contest.

In the Class B first round, No. 15 Schuylerville defeated No. 18 Bishop Gibbons, 65 to 40, advancing to the second round to play a tough game against the No. 2 seed Mechanicville. The Black Horses put up a valiant effort (leading by 8 points at halftime) but were ultimately unsuccessful, falling to Mechanicville 70 to 59. Ollie Bolduc led Schuylerville with 25 points and Adam DeGregory added 12 in the loss. 

In Class AA, the No. 9 seed Ballston Spa Scotties fell to No. 8 Queensbury, 66 to 45. Queensbury controlled the early part of the contest, but B-Spa battled back in the closing minutes of the first half and into the third quarter. Ultimately, however, Queensbury’s lead proved insurmountable. 

“This year’s team was a fun group to watch and always played hard from tipoff to final buzzer,” said Ballston Spa Mayor Frank Rossi after the loss. “Thank you to the seniors for their contributions to the basketball program, and I hope the underclassmen will follow in the leadership shoes of the seniors by practicing hard in the offseason.”

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Skidmore College’s highly decorated riding team will officially transition to a coed program beginning this fall.

The change aligns Skidmore’s program with the broader equestrian community, where men and women compete together in most formats, including the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) and the Olympics.

“The equestrian sport community at large operates as a coed discipline, with men and women competing equally at the highest levels,” said Skidmore College Athletic Director Gail Cummings-Danson in a statement. “Aligning Skidmore’s program with this standard enhances its reputation and prepares students for broader competition while also creating an athletic environment that values talent, dedication, teamwork, and belonging.”

“We are very excited to welcome men to the Skidmore riding team as we transition to coed,” said head coach Belinda Colgan. “Allowing the opportunity for both men and women to compete together equally is unique in collegiate sports, and we are excited for this next chapter of Skidmore Riding.”

The College said that the move to coed will contribute to an even stronger and more dynamic team.

Skidmore’s riding program has earned nine IHSA national team titles since 1990, most recently in 2023. No other team has won more national championships.

ITHACA — The four-day 2025 Liberty League Swimming and Diving Championship was a successful event for Skidmore College, which earned a total of 30 podium finishes, broke 19 school records, and captured an individual conference championship.

On day one (Feb. 19), Skidmore kicked off the meet with senior Nicolas Sodi earning a runner-up finish to highlight five individual and two relay podium finishes, in addition to four new program records being set. With Sodi securing a silver finish in the 500 free on the men’s side, the women saw four records fall in the 500 free, 200 IM, 100 back, and the 400 medley relay.

On day two, Ryan Delfico defended his title in the 400 IM A-Final, cruising through the first two strokes to stay in contention, before making his move in the breaststroke portion of the race to take the lead and hold on for a back-to-back conference championship victory with the fastest time of 4:03.19. The senior’s victory highlighted another eventful finals session from the Thoroughbreds, who placed five individual podium finishes alongside two relay podium finishes, while also breaking program records in the men’s 200 free, women’s 400 IM, women’s 100 fly, and women’s 200 free relay.

The Thoroughbreds wrapped up day three of the meet with four individual and four relay podium finishes, in addition to four new program records being set: the men’s 200 fly and 800 free, and the women’s 200-medley relay and 100 breast.

On the final day of the meet, Skidmore earned a silver finish in the men’s 200 back, as well as a runner-up placement in the women’s 1650 free. The men also reset the record books in the 200 back, 200 breast, and 400 free relay. The women broke school records in the 1000 free, 1650 free, 100 free, and 400 free relay.

Overall, the men’s team finished the meet in fifth place after scoring 850 points, while the women finished fourth with 857 points.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The Saratoga Racers wrapped up their inaugural season with a win on Sunday, beating the New Hampshire Kingz 130 to 122 at home. The American Basketball Association (ABA) squad will now enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference White Division. The 13-6 Saratoga also finished the year with their highest-ever national ranking at #19.

“On the court, we definitely exceeded our expectations,” said Racers owner Keith Harrington.

Harrington said early concerns with the team’s performance made him wonder if the Racers could actually beat anyone in the ABA. But tweaks to the team’s roster, coupled with some superior leadership from Coach Bob Catherwood, set the Racers straight.

Saratoga launched into its first season with a lineup that included ABA All-Stars John Ryals and Tobias Holmes, as well as ABA rookies like sharpshooter RJ Rosa and rebound machine Shaheem Sanders. Throughout the year, Holmes and Rosa piled points on the board while Sanders racked up one double-double after another. 

The Racers started the season 4-2, earning their first national ranking at #24 in November. They followed that up with three straight wins, improving to a 6-2 record and attracting the attention of Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford, who Harrington called a “friend” of the team. According to Harrington, Mr. Mayor soon became a constant presence in the Saratoga Central Catholic stands.

In January, Saratoga vanquished the Bennington Martens in an intense rivalry game that was broadcast live on YouTube by NYVT Media. Ryals, an ex-Marten, netted a whopping 46 points and 20 rebounds in the contest. The victory improved the team’s record to 8-3. By the end of the month, the Racers had secured a spot in the playoffs.

Although Saratoga’s performance cooled slightly in the closing weeks (after beating Bennington, they went 5-3), they concluded regular season play with the win against the Kingz. In that game, Rosa led all Saratoga shooters with 34 points. Ryals added 23, and Sanders had yet another double-double with 16 points and 10 boards.

Now, the Racers will receive a bye in the first round of the postseason, then head to Binghamton to face the No. 2 seed Bulldogs. Harrington said a group of fans were organizing a road trip to attend the game, proving that Saratoga was building grassroots support.

“We’re going in to win,” Harringston said of the Racers’ playoff ambitions. “We can win the White Division.”

To do so, the team will have to defeat Binghamton, who beat the Racers earlier in the season. If Saratoga can capture the White Division, they’ll then compete in the Eastern Conference Final Four. Should they eke out more victories, they’ll head to St. Louis for the ABA Final Four. In other words, Saratoga is six wins away from being crowned ABA national champions.

For a new team, the Racers fared indisputably well on the court. But basketball is also a business, and Harrington said that despite solid attendance numbers (of three ABA teams in the Capital Region, Saratoga had the most spectators), the team still finished in the red. But, Harrington said, a “winning product” and growing fanbase could propel the Racers to greater financial success down the road.

For now, Saratoga is focused on their first-ever postseason performance. Tip-off at the Bulldog Sports Complex is at 7:05 pm on March 8.