ONEONTA – In a season where it won a division title, a Section IV championship, and a final four appearance in the state playoffs, one of Greene’s few blemishes on last year’s otherwise sterling campaign was a loss in the MAC girls’ basketball championship game to Harpursville.

The Trojans are back in the title game, and have an opportunity to rectify that defeat Saturday at 2 p.m. at SUNY Oneonta in rematch of last year’s final with the Hornets.

The two schools already met once this season two months to the date. Hannah Kimmel scored 19 points in the first quarter in a torrid display of shooting, and Harpursville edged Greene, 57-55.

“They’re a different team, and we’re quite a bit different too,” said Greene coach Dave Gorto. “Over there, I thought we played well defensively. Hannah just hit some incredible shots early in the game. I thought we contained her pretty well after that.”

The Trojans were still adjusting to a complete lineup when it played the Hornets the first time. Several members of the Greene squad were on the state championship field hockey team, and it took several weeks to build team chemistry. Since the loss to the Hornets, Greene (13-4) has won 10 of 12 games with one of those defeats by one point, and the other to Class B Norwich last week.

“I think we’re more balanced offensively than we were earlier this year, and I think it will come down to containing them defensively and making the most of our possessions,” Gorton said. “I think the longer floor will help us if we rebound well.”

Gorton saw how well Harpursville was defended by Oxford in recent weeks, and may incorporate some of those strategies to slow down the high-scoring Kimmel. “We may use some of (Oxford’s) philosophy,” Gorton said. “Kimmel is tough, and they have some other girls scoring for them now.”

Boys’ MAC Championship