Freshman guard Caleb Scrime dropped a career-high 18 points on Saturday, including a pair of late threes that helped ACPHS advance to the 2020 HVIAC Championship Game over Five Town's College 80-76. Albany will face off against the Berkeley College in that final game, after the Knights won a tight one over SUNY ESF.

In a game with seven lead changes, it was Albany who jumped out to a 11-point lead after Scrime scored seven straight points midway through the first half. ACPHS took an eight-point lead into the break, but watched it evaporate just six minutes into tht second half. At the 9:01 mark of the second half, Five Towns' Kyree Sawyer hit a layup that put the Panthers down 60-52, but they weren't done yet. 

Albany took their time and chipped away, eventually tying the score at 67 following a three from senior guard Naythan Beltran. Sawyer once again put the Sound up with a layup, but that's when Scrime went to work. He nailed a three at the 1:48 mark to give the Panthers a lead they wouldn't lose. Beltran and Five Towns' guard Damani Merritt traded buckets in the next minute before Scrime hit another huge trey off of a pass from senior center Evan Georgio. ACPHS hit their free-throws down the stretch, punching their ticket to the title game.

Multiple Panthers stepped up big in this one, including Beltran and Georgio who could have been playing their final game for the college. Beltran scored a team-high 22 points on 8-21 shooting, adding six rebounds and five assists. Georgio, in 32 minutes of action, recorded his first 20-point game ever on an efficient 8-13 shooting. The standout center also grabbed 10 rebounds and chipped in a block and a steal. Senior forward Edward Ahanmisi scored 11 points and grabbed 12 boards while his classmate John Ambert continued his stellar play with nine points, 11 rebounds and six helpers. 

Tomorrow, ACPHS will look to right the wrongs of earlier in the year, when Berkeley came to Albany and beat the Panthers 71-50. Their chance comes tomorrow at 3:30 PM, where they will be looking for their first HVIAC title ever. Live stats and video for the game can be found at HVIAC.net