BALLSTON SPA — For the second year in a row, Ballston Spa was knocked out of the Section II Class AA tournament by Christian Brothers Academy.
The No. 6 Scotties (11-8) trailed 18-11 after the first quarter and were never able to close the gap on the No. 3 Brothers (13-6), who advanced to play Guilderland, Saturday at Hudson Valley Community College.
UAlbany bound senior Greig Stire and teammate Daniel Owens led the way for the Brothers with 20 points apiece.
The game marks an end to the high school careers of big man Andre Edgerton, who finished with a team-high 16, and Jeremy Mendrick.
Mendrick and Edgerton are two of seven seniors, including Clifford Stevens and Andrew Gentile, who will be leaving. The group and coach John Lea helped turn the program around from one that was consistently below .500 to one that totaled eight wins in 2012-13 and 11 this season.
Mendrick averaged 15.8 points per game and poured in 36 three-point field goals this season. His 2014 highlight may have come when he dropped a season-high 30 points in a 63-60 win over Shaker on February 7.
