Leading off today: Albany police are investigating a fight in the Times Union Center between two spectators during a basketball playoff game between CBA and Albany High.

   Police said one man was stabbed in the back, resulting in a five-inch cut, and another in the chest at about 8:45 p.m., The Times Union reported. Both men were treated at the scene, taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital and released.

   Police said the men did not cooperate with the investigation and would not reveal the identity of the assailant.

   A buzzer-beater ... or was it? McQuaid senior Phil DiPasquale fired home a 60-footer at the buzzer to carry the Knights past Irondequoit 60-57 in the Section 5 Class AA2 basketball semifinals at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester.

   The play began with seven-tenths of a second left after Dan Brady made two free throws to tie the game for Irondequoit. The Knights' Tyler Sankes inbounded to DiPasquale, who made a half-turn upcourt, dribbled once and fired.

   The ball appeared to leave DiPasquale's hands an instant before the horn sounded, but repeated looks at the TV replays confirm the unlikelihood that he could have executed the play in less than a second.

   "Based on when the horn sounded it was very close," Irondequoit coach Chris Cardon told the Democrat and Chronicle. "I don't know if you can take a dribble and then a shot in seven-tenths of a second."

   But the on-court officials signaled that the shot counted and left the floor immediately.

   Brian Parker scored 15 points for McQuaid. Irondequoit's Chris Culver led all scorers with 20 points.

   The decisive play was a hot topic in Section 5 all day today, complete with misguided calls by fans to have the teams play an overtime to settle the controversy. Readers posting on message boards suggested that the officials should have relied upon TV replays, ignoring some relevant points:

   (1) No reputable media organization wants to be caught up in helping to determine the outcome of a game.

   (2) There was no courtside replay equipment available; the footage was captured with hand-held cameras sporting relatively small viewfinders and playback screens.

   (3) There is no provision in the rulebook for utilizing video equipment to verify or refute calls. Earlier this year, the NYSPHSAA did adopt National Federation rule 2-2-1 for state championship contests. That rule says officials are permitted to use a replay monitor to determine whether a buzzer shot in the fourth quarter or overtime should be counted.

Winter season bonus links Boys hoops: Road to Glens Falls, your all-purpose destination Boys hoops: NYSPHSAA brackets Girls hoops: NYSPHSAA brackets coming soon Boys hockey: NYSPHSAA brackets - D-I | D-II Wrestling: Final NYSPHSAA results - D-I | D-II

   Trying times for coach: Mary Louis basketball coach Joe Lewinger learned Thursday that one of his daughters, 4-year-old Madison, has been diagnosed with a relapse two years after being treated for kidney cancer.

   Christ The King beat Mary Louis 53-47 last night in the Brooklyn/Queens Division I girls final. Lewinger was on the bench but left much of the coaching to assistant Kevin White. Lewinger attended the game at the urging of his wife Maura.

   "As a parent of a daughter who is 13 years old, your heart goes out for him," Royals coach Bob Mackey told The New York Daily News. "I can't even imagine what his wife and him are going through."

   "Basketball really isn't a priority right now," Lewinger said. "I told Kevin that I sometimes zone out during games. It's hard to keep your mind on it, but this was such an exciting game, you get into it. ...But then you go back to hoping that you can save your daughter."

   Keeping current: New York State Sportswriters Association member Steve Grandin has compiled recent results and upcoming pairings from boys basketball sectional tournaments across New York as well as for the PSAL, CHSAA and AIS.

   For planning purposes, you can also check out the brackets for the NYSPHSAA boys tournament. I'll start plugging in teams that have already qualified in the next day or two.

   Leftovers: Cornwall's 55-33 boys basketball victory over Port Jervis on Monday was triumph No. 300 for Tom Howe, who is 300-176 in 23 seasons. It was also the farewell for Ron Semerano after 17 seasons coaching girls teams and 15 with the boys.

   Junior forward Josh Koerner scored a first-period hat trick and tallied again six seconds onto the second period Monday as Burke Catholic beat James I. O'Neill in the Section 9 Division II hockey final to improve to 25 goals and 52 points for the season.

   O'Neill played without senior center Marco Spisso (30 goals and 15 assists this winter), who opted to play in a club-team game instead. "I don't know and I don't care," coach Ryan Armstrong told The Times Herald-Record when asked what club team Spisso plays for. "I don't want to badmouth the kid. He made a decision. I think we still did well without him."