While keeping tabs on how UConn signee Saniya Chong's Ossining team was faring during the postseason, a familiar name appeared in the bracket - none other than Cicero-North Syracuse.

With Breanna Stewart leading the way, the Northstars are the defending New York Class AA champions but when Stewart graduated and headed off the UConn, I'm sure there were more than a few people figuring that was the end of Cicero-North Syracuse's dominance.

Well, think again. The Northstars are in their third Class AA Final Four and will play Gates Chili in tomorrow's semifinal.

"I thought they were really good because we brought a lot back," Stewart said. "We lost some people, me and Brittany Paul and some other people, but I thought they were going to be able to make a pretty good run if they wanted to and if they figured everything out."

Obviously, things are being done a little different manner for Cicero-North Syracuse without Stewart putting up gaudy statistics.

Sarah Bowles is the Northstars leading scorer averaging 13.7 points per game which is nearly half as many as Stewart averaged during the 2011-12 season when she led the Northstars to its second consecutive Class AA state title. Abbey Timpano is the only other double-digit scorer but there are six other players who have scored between 104-140 points to lead Cicero-North Syracuse to a 19-3 record heading until tomorrow's semifinals.

So much for the prevailing notion that Cicero-North Syracuse was merely the Breanna Stewart show.

"It shows that it just wasn't just me on that team, there were other people who helped out,' Stewart said. "Coach (Eric) Smith is doing an unbelievable job running the program, going to the state semifinals for the third time in a now, what else can you ask for?"

Ossining meets Sachem East at 6:15 p.m. in tomorrow's first semifinal at Hudson Valley Community College followed by the Cicero-North Syracuse/Gates Chili game. The winners meet on Saturday at 8:45 p.m. in the Class AA championship game.

Another game this weekend that has caught my eye is the CIF Open Division Southern Section championship game as UConn Class of 2015 recruiting target Katie Lou Samuelson, who is averaging 19.6 points per game, leads Mater Dei against Class of 2014 recruiting target Jordin Canada's Windward squad on Saturday at 6 p.m. (9 p.m. here in Connecticut) at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif. with the winner advancing to play the North Champion on Mar. 23.

Also, UConn Class of 2014 recruiting target Kathryn Westbeld leads her Fairmont of Kettering squad into the Ohio Division I Final Four this weekend. Westbeld, a 6-foot-2 forward, is averaging 14.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.7 blocked shots. On Friday Fairmont plays Toledo's Notre Dame Academy. With a win Fairmont would play either Twinsburg or Olentangy out of Lewis Center in Saturday's state championship game.

BERUBE UP FOR NATIONAL AWARD
Carla Berube, a key member of UConn's first national championship squad, was named the WBCA's Division III Region 1 Coach of the Year making her one of 11 finalists for the Division III National Coach of the Year.

Berube just completed her 11th season at Tufts, leading the Jumbos to within two games of the Final Four. She has a career record of 212-75.

Tufts posted a 25-3 record with two of the losses coming to Amherst including a 47-42 defeat in the Division III