Things to take away from Tuesday's basketball action ...

1. If revenge is a dish best served cold, the cold weather in Erie County on Tuesday night was a perfect setting.

The Mercyhurst Prep boys exercised their demons from last season with a 60-43 defeat of defending District 10 champion North East. The Lakers' big man Josh Chojnacki is a force underneath the hoop, and if teams can't stop him they will foul him. Chojnacki made 16 trips to the foul line and connected on 9 free throws.

2. Out in Edinboro, there was a second battle of District 10 champions in less than a week. Class AAAA champion McDowell avenged a 60-57 loss to Class AAA champion General McLane on Friday with a 53-32 win on Tuesday.

The Trojans and Lancers still seem to be searching for an identity in the early part of the season. McDowell has two wins but none against Class AAAA opponents.
The Lancers have two losses but they were to a AAAA team and a high-powered AAA team (Hickory), so how much can you take from their 1-2 record?

3. There are a few surprises when looking at the boys basketball standings so far this season. In Region 6, East is on top of the heap with an unbeaten 3-0 record, but hasn't started region play yet. The Warriors picked up a 65-36 win over Class A Villa Maria on Tuesday as Gil Rogers reached the 1,000 career-point mark.

4. Class AAA boys will be the most competitive class this season by far. East, Girard, Warren, Corry, Harbor Creek, Meadville, Hickory, and Oil City are still unbeaten. That list doesn't even include powerhouses Franklin, General McLane and Sharon who will all have a say in February.

5. You can't forget about the southern teams, but it seems like Class AA will be decided up north. Mercyhurst Prep is 3-0 while Northwestern and Seneca each picked up their third wins on Tuesday.

Matt Brozewicz has been outstanding for the Bobcats. He turned in a 27-point effort Tuesday in a 71-41 rout of Iroquois.

6. No one should sleep on Northwestern apparently. The Wildcats had no problems with Union City. The Bears were thought of as one of the sleeper teams in AA this season. Northwestern won 69-52 at Union City on Tuesday behind 19 points from Jake Alward and 17 points from Kyle Maio.

7. Fairview is only 1-2 in AA, but the Tigers lost to two teams above them in classification so they should be tough in region play. Chris Glecos scored 18 points Tuesday in a Tiger 59-32 win over Eisenhower, and is approaching 1,000 career points.

8. Region 3 is almost the old FCVC, and Titusville, Conneaut Lake and Cochranton all got off on the right foot with region wins on Tuesday. Zac Culbertson was lights out for the Cardinals with 22 points, while Jon Proano led the Rockets with 17 points. We'll have to see if any of these Class A teams can handle Kennedy Catholic.

9. Kyle Randall had a 19-point night for Kennedy Catholic, but the Golden Eagles fell on a buzzer beater to Warren JFK 61-60.

10. The best team in Region 1 right now record-wise is Jamestown (2-0) after winning its Veverka Tip-Off Tournament over the weekend. The Muskies won't play a region game until January but will face a big test against Conneaut Valley, a playoff team a year ago, on Friday.

11. The McDowell girls are on a huge roll this season. The Trojans picked up their third win Tuesday with a 80-55 win over Class AAA Slippery Rock. The Rockets aren't exactly a doormat in girls hoops. Canisius-bound Allison Braun led McDowell with 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Lindsey Oberacker had 18 points and 16 boards.

12. The Franklin girls moved to 3-0 on Tuesday with a 64-18 win against Central Tech. Natalie Hager had 15 points for the Knights, who will travel to Paul Goll Gymnasium on Saturday night for a showdown with McDowell.

Tuesday had plenty of action, but there will be some top games on Thursday. Cathedral Prep and General McLane will clash in boys action, while one of the most anticipated girls match-ups will take place at Penn State Behrend's Junker Center. Girard and Villa Maria will meet for the first of 4 possible games this season at 7:30 p.m. The showcased match-up will be between 1,000-point scorer Raegan Moore of Girard against Notre Dame-bound Kayla McBride of Villa Maria.

-- Tom Reisenweber