GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Time to run it back. For the second straight season, the Christian Brothers Academy and Green Tech Charter basketball teams will meet in the Sec. II, Class AA championship game.

Just over a month ago, a rematch between the Brothers and the Soaring Eagles for another section title seemed unlikely. On Jan. 28, the two teams had records of 7-6 and 7-7, respectively – modest marks, but certainly not indicative of two championship-bound teams.

But it’s all about who gets hot at the end of the season, and right now CBA and Green Tech are two of the hottest teams in the section. The Brothers are now winners of eight straight games, and the Eagles nine after victories in Thursday night’s semifinal round at Cool Insuring Arena.

CBA, owners of the two-seed in the section, took the court first against three-seeded Saratoga Springs. The Blue Streaks had no answer for the Brothers’ combination of junior Oreo Odutayo and eighth grader JJ Osinski, who combined for 36 points to propel CBA to a 56-43 victory.

The Brothers jumped on ‘Toga early, starting the game on a 10-2 run over the first 3:34 of action. The margin would stay at eight points by the end of the quarter, with CBA maintaining a 15-7 advantage.

The Blue Streaks started to slowly close the gap in the second frame. Senior Hutton Snyder dropped in a runner in the lane at the 3:09 mark, and ‘Toga trailed by just four points at 19-15.

But it had no answer for Odutayo in the post. On the next trip down the floor, he converted an old-fashioned, three-point play, extending the Brothers’ lead back out to seven points. They’d carry a 25-19 edge into the locker room at halftime.

It was in the third quarter when CBA really started to create some separation. The Brothers’ advantage reached double digits for the first time with 3:26 remaining in the quarter when Osinski scored a lay-up on a baseline drive.

Odutayo rattled off another four answered points in quick succession to cap a 10-0 CBA run that garnered the Brothers a 35-21 lead. They outscored ‘Toga 15-6 in the third, heading into the final stanza up 45-30.

The Blue Streaks managed their best offensive quarter of the night in the fourth, racking up 18 points. But the hole they found themselves in after three quarters was too much to overcome, and CBA punched its’ ticket to the title game with the 56-43 win.

Odutayo led all scorers with 21 points, and Osinki contributed 15. Junior forward Andrew Stallmer led the scoring effort for ‘Toga, notching 16 points on 7-9 shooting.

As the Brothers waited to see who they’d be matched up against in the final, fans at Cool Insuring Arena were treated to the best game of the night, and possibly sectionals thus far, as fifth-seeded Green Tech fought off a valiant comeback effort from the top seed in the section, Ballston Spa.

It took the Eagles all of 3:22 to race out to a double-digit lead. Sophomore guard Haisi Mayben was the beneficiary of a shooter’s roll on a corner three, and in the blink of an eye, Tech led 14-4.

But they weren’t done there. The Eagles’ lead remained at 10 points by the end of the first quarter – 19-9 – and quickly grew to 19 after a 12-3 run to start the second quarter, capped off by an Anthony McCray fast-break lay-up.

The Scotties were on the ropes, and in desperate need of a spark, so its’ senior leader delivered. Guard Nicholas Verdile, fresh off a 36-point performance in the quarterfinal round against Colonie, punctuated a 12-2 Ballston Spa spurt with a three-pointer from the right wing, trimming the deficit back to single digits.

Green Tech held a 37-27 advantage at the halftime break, but Ballston Spa continued to chip away out of the locker room.

A 14-8 third quarter in favor of the Scotties got the lead down to four points. And after a left-handed lay-up from Spa’s Nico Savini to open up the scoring in the fourth, the Scotties trailed by just one possession with still 7:21 remaining.

And just :33 seconds later, senior Benjamin Phillips poured in a corner three-pointer, and Ballston Spa had its’ first lead of the game at 46-45.

Green Tech remained composed, though, and countered with a 7-0 run over the ensuing 1:37 to reclaim a 52-46 edge.

The Eagles grew that lead out to nine points after sophomore U’Mier Graham converted a lay-up through contact, and they seemingly had the game all but wrapped up with just 2:24 remaining.

But Ballston Spa didn’t see it that way. It quickly responded with an 8-0 burst over the ensuing 62 seconds; Verdile drilled a triple from the right wing after Savini intercepted a pass from Mayben, and once again, the Scotties were within one possession at 59-58.

After drawing a foul with just under 30 ticks left on the clock, Tech’s Ramere Brown headed to the free-throw line with a chance to extend the lead. But Brown missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Spa had an opportunity to steal the lead back.

Head coach Benjamin Eldridge elected to take the clock down, and hold for the final shot. The Scotties got the ball in the right man’s hands – Verdile took a pass from senior Mike Miller in the near corner off a screen from Savini, and hoisted the potential game-winning shot. But it sailed long, and with just :01 left on the clock, Ballston Spa did not have enough time to get off another shot, and Green Tech survived with a 59-58 win.

Mayben continued his sectional tear, leading all Eagles with 18 points; he’s now averaging 20 points per game in the postseason. Sophomore forward Olivan Owens and junior forward Henry Perkins joined him in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Verdile put forth a spectacular, 28-point outing. He shot 7-17 from the floor, connecting on four of his nine looks from beyond the arc. Miller added 14, and led the Scotties with seven rebounds.

CBA and Green Tech will have a two-day turnaround before squaring off for the AA crown Saturday at 5:15 p.m. from Cool Insuring Arena. The game was originally scheduled to tip off at 4:15, but was pushed back because of an impending winter storm. The Eagles won last year’s matchup 63-54.

Saratoga Springs wraps up the season with a 17-6 record, and Ballston Spa finishes 19-2.