The Milford boys basketball team nearly squandered all of a 16-point second half lead, but regrouped to beat Hunter-Tannersville, 62-52, in a Section Four Class D semifinal at SUNY Delhi Tuesday night.

With the victory, the Wildcats, 19-2, advance to play undefeated and top seeded Davenport, 22-0, in the Class D championship game at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Binghamton's Broome County Arena.

The irony of Milford's sectional run is that this was supposed to be the year the Milford boys soccer team won a sectional title. But that team, also coached by basketball coach Frank Spurchise, lost their first sectional contest last fall after an undefeated regular season. Four of the basketball team's starters—Philip Schultes, Kurt Lutz, Kyle Hogan and Steve Kerr—were integral players on the soccer team as well.

"I told those four in the lockerroom after the game that this was what we thought was going to happen in soccer, but to have it happen in basketball is a little sweeter because it's more unexpected," Spurchise said. "For us to be 19-2 and to have the season we had is totally unexpected, but it speaks a lot to these kids. They play well together and they work hard for each other."

The Wildcats and Spurchise are going to need all of that chemistry and hard work in Saturday's championship game against Davenport, who have annihilated two opponents, including a 75-34 win over Franklin Tuesday, on the way to the title game.

"It's a huge challenge and we're going to have to play a near perfect game to beat them," Spurchise said. "They're quick, and they all can shoot and they have probably the best coach in the area in Lee Fisher. But we're playing our best basketball too and we're going to show up and play our game."

On Tuesday against Hunter, Milford led wire-to-wire, with senior guard Hogan scoring 11 of his 22 points, including 3 three-point shots, to give the Wildcats a 19-12 lead after one quarter.

Milford continued to build the lead through the second quarter and most of the third, taking their biggest lead of the game, 45-29, when senior forward Philip Schultes scored with about two minutes remaining in the third quarter.

But H-T scored the final six points of the quarter to close within 10 points, and continued their comeback in the final period behind the shooting of point guard Greg Mudge.

Mudge hit three three-point shots, his final one from the top of the key to cut the lead to four, 54-50, with 4:15 remaining.

But Hogan hit a baseline jumper, and Scott Richards and Kurt Lutz added two foul shots each to stretch the lead back to eight, 60-52.

"We always seemed to find the right person at the right time to end their runs at us," Spurchise said. "I think our defense had them rattled and frustrated for most of the game, and that was the key to the win."

Schultes added 15 points and Lutz 12 for Milford, while Mudge and Will Clark each scored 13 points for H-T, which finished its season at 18-4.

Milford advanced to the semifinal game with a 50-38 victory over Downsville in Milford on Friday night.

The game was similar to the semifinal game in that the Wildcats built a 15-point third quarter lead, 39-24, only to have Downsville go on a 12-0 run and cut the lead to three, 39-36, with six minutes remaining in the game.

As they did against Hunter, Milford was clutch at the foul line down the stretch, hitting 9-11 foul shots in the final quarter to seal the win. Leading 41-38, Schultes drew a key charge that turned the momentum back Milford's way.

Schultes had 12 points in the game, while junior guard Ron Alston had seven points and 10 rebounds.

Richards had 11 of his 13 points in the second quarter as the Wildcats built a 10-point halftime lead.

"I don't think the Tri-Valley gets a lot of respect from the Delaware League, so to beat two Delaware teams on this run has been nice," Spurchise said.

Note: Milford is hoping history can repeat itself on Saturday afternoon. The last time the Milford boys basketball team advanced to the Class D final was 1999, when they defeated top seed and undefeated Hunter-Tannersville.