Basketball: Four state playoff games postponed due to host's coronavirus concern

The boys and girls state basketball tournaments were scheduled to begin Tuesday, but several local champions will be forced to wait — if they play again at all.

Four New York State Public High School Athletic Association state playoff games were postponed hours before tip-off Tuesday afternoon when the host sites withdrew, according to the official Twitter account for Section 9 Athletics, @SectionIXSports. Regional semifinal doubleheaders had been scheduled for Tuesday at SUNY New Paltz and Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh.

They became the latest sporting events postponed in recent days. SUNY New Paltz athletic director Stu Robinson said the decision was made due to concern over the spread of coronavirus. As of Tuesday afternoon, the state had 174 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Of those, 108 are in Westchester County, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office.

Section 9 executive director Greg Ransom also said Wednesday's Class B regional games between the Hastings and Marlboro boys and Putnam Valley and Marlboro girls will not be played at Mount Saint Mary. The college said on its website Tuesday that classes will be taught online through at least March 27.

Ransom also told the Middletown Times-Herald Record that tournament organizers have discussed various solutions, including playing the games in empty gyms.

"I can't tell you what's going to happen yet because I don't know," Ransom said. "We are looking at alternatives of playing games at home sites, no spectators and all that kind of stuff. At this point, I really can't give you any information because nothing has been solidified at all."

As of Tuesday afternoon, the six postponed games had yet to be rescheduled for a different date or a new venue.

"It's a possibility none of them get played," Ransom said.

That, Marlboro boys coach Mike Koehler said, would be "really unfortunate."

"But from an administrative standpoint, they have to look at the big picture and do what needs to be done," he said. "But I'd feel awful for all the kids involved, not just ours, so I hope it doesn't come to that. But we also can’t lose sight of the fact we have bigger things to worry about, possibly."

Horace Greeley and Newburgh boys were slated to play at 4 p.m. Tuesday at SUNY New Paltz in the boys Class AA regional with the Ursuline and Monroe-Woodbury girls teams to follow at 6 p.m. in the Class AA girls game. The Haldane and Millbrook girls and Hamilton and Pine Plains boys were scheduled to compete in Class C regionals at 5 and 7 p.m., respectively, at Mount Saint Mary.

SUNY New Paltz had been the original site for games between the Section 1 and 9 Class AA champions. However, the Class C regional games were moved to Mount Saint Mary, a Section 9 site, after Section 1's host site, Horace Greeley High School, withdrew Monday over coronavirus concerns.

Horace Greeley had also been the original site for the Putnam Valley-Marlboro girls regional game.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Class D state regional semifinal between Section 1's Children's Village and Section 4 champion Marathon was still scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Windsor High School outside of Binghamton.

"It’s frustrating because all the work we’ve put in during the season to lead up to these next couple weeks might go for nothing, considering the thoughts of cancellations," said Erin Fox, a member of the Millbrook girls basketball team. "As a senior, too, it’s sad because this is my last ride in high school basketball and I might not get to finish it out."

NYSPHSAA executive director said no changes have been made to the upcoming hockey, bowling and basketball state tournaments. 

"I continue to closely monitor the coronavirus situation impacting NYS," Zayas said on his Twitter account, @RobertZayasNY. "At this time there are no changes to the upcoming ⁦@NYSPHSAA⁩ State Championships. Updated information will be provided as it becomes available."

Ursuline was one of three high schools in Westchester County that will close for two weeks due to coronavirus. However, coach Beth Wooters said the team "will be able to play on" despite the school being closed.

Ursuline is within a one-mile radius of the Young Israel of New Rochelle synagogue, where one of the nation's largest outbreaks of coronavirus began. Cuomo said Tuesday large gatherings in the containment area must shut down through March 25.

The possibility of games being played in closed gymnasiums, without spectators, also has been discussed. Johns Hopkins University hosted an NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament game on Friday in an empty gym, and other colleges have plans to the do the same.

"It’s a completely different atmosphere than one we’re normally put into it," Fox said of what an empty-gym game would be like. "I like having a crowd there and I feel that our team feeds of that. Without it, the game would seem very scrimmage-like and weird."

That awkwardness, Koehler said, is something his players would have to "get over quickly," should that be the decision administrators make.

"As a player, it would be tough," he said, adding that the issue was discussed with his team during Tuesday afternoon practice. "But, people there or not, it's a big game and you’ve have to shake off that awkwardness."

Josh Thomson is the Local Sports Editor for The Journal News and Poughkeepsie Journal. He can be reached by e-mail at jthomson@lohud.com, on Twitter at @lohudinsider, and on Instagram at @lohudinsider.

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