The Amsterdam High School boys varsity basketball team won the Section 2 Class AA championship Sunday with a 58-56 victory over Niskayuna at Harding Mazzotti Arena in Glens Falls.
The title marks Amsterdam’s first sectional championship since 1995 and comes after the Rams reached the finals in both 2018 and 2023.
Senior guard Aundray Fowler led Amsterdam with 26 points, including 19 in the second half. Pegasus Santana added 11 points, all in the first half, helping the Rams take a 27-26 lead into halftime.
The game featured 16 lead changes and ties before Amsterdam took the lead for good when CJ Miller scored on a layup with four minutes remaining.
The Rams extended their advantage to six points after Fowler made two free throws with 2:09 left in the game. Niskayuna later cut the lead to one point with 51.6 seconds remaining, but Amsterdam held on during the final possessions to secure the win.
After a missed free throw in the closing seconds, the ball went out of bounds, giving the Rams possession with seven seconds remaining. Fowler secured the inbound pass and allowed the final seconds to run down as Amsterdam celebrated the program’s first sectional title in 31 years.
Santana also contributed defensively by helping limit Niskayuna’s leading scorer during key stretches of the game.
With the victory, Amsterdam advances to the state regional round and will face the Section 3 representative at 5 p.m. Saturday at Hudson Valley Community College.