NCN SPORTS BLOG

Briarcliff vs. Putnam Valley, Round 3: Judgment Day

by TOM FORDE, NCN SPORTS REPORTER
This stands to be the best game of the entire girls’ basketball season. It has all the build-up of a heavyweight championship fight in the talent both teams bring to the table, and the established rivalry between the two league foes. Tuesday, February 27 marks the third time the Bears and Tigers will square off this season. Each team won by 14 points on their home court in the previous two meetings. 

This game was destined to happen; it’s only fitting these two teams have to go through one another to have a shot at the Class B championship Saturday, March 3. The County Center lights will be shining bright Tuesday night. One of these local powers will walk off the court for the last time this year, while the other will be four quarters from the gold ball. Here is how I see this marquee matchup …

For Briarcliff to Win …
The Bears will need to pressure the ball and cause turnovers early and often. If they are able to do this then they should have no problem utilizing their fast break offense that has been their bread and butter all season. When in a set offense Briarcliff will need to establish a presence in the post with Shelby Coon controlling the paint and Maggie Blair working the baseline. If they force the Tigers to respect their interior offense Angela and Taylor Pescetti should have open looks from three point land, where they are money from.

For Putnam Valley to Win …
Just by the number five seed next to their name the Tigers will be underdogs but they have proved already that they can beat Briarcliff. Their championship dreams will hinge upon the performance of Christine Kemp and Kim Kastuk. Both are dynamic scorers but also provide that intangible energy that sparks their teammates. Kemp is in my opinion the best all-around player in Class B. She has rare court vision, an eye for the hoop, and a killer instinct. She also has great energy and passion for the game which is evident when every second she is on the court. Kastuk, who was missing in the last Briarcliff game due to illness, is a huge piece of the Putnam Valley championship puzzle. The senior guard has a great first step driving to the hoop and an outside shot to compliment it. If these two senior stars and the likes of Nicole Scott bring the game to Briarcliff and attack the lane then Briarcliff will surrender points or get into foul trouble. The aggressor will win this contest.

Prediction:
I have covered both of these teams extensively throughout the season and have great respect for both. Briarcliff and Putnam Valley are both class programs with wonderful athletes who play with sportsmanship and passion every game. Sadly only one can move on and I am going to go with the underdog in this one. I think that Putnam Valley is an underrated and quite brilliant team. Class B will not see another player like Christine Kemp for a long time and I see her and Kastuk having big games as the Tigers move on and take the title next Saturday (3/3). So I’m taking Putnam Valley in a thriller. But whoever wins this one will be a classic.

Say It Ain’t “O”ver
This past Wednesday (2/21) the Ossining girl’s basketball team knew it would be in for a battle the moment Scarsdale entered their gymnasium and that is precisely what they got. For 32 minutes the Lady “O” gave all they had and hung with the Raiders until the bitter end. That is until Scarsdale’s Christine Yankou caught fire from deep, scoring five of her six three point field goals and 20 of her 23 points in the second half. The outside scoring onslaught was t much for coach Dan Ricci’s squad as Ossining’s season came to a tearful end.

It was not the way they wanted the season to end but Ossining opened a lot of eyes this season and put all of Class AA on notice for next year. Coming from a 5-5 record at Christmas to taking Scarsdale to the limit in the Section 1 quarterfinals is a huge step in the right direction. The Lady “O” will be returning a good amount of their roster and an abundance of talent to make a serious run next season.

Star post player and leading scorer Brittany Garrett, brilliant ball handler and stellar point guard Kelsey Vallach, along with young up and coming stars Alex Venuto and Hayley Awerdick give Ossining all the makings of a champion contender next season. It didn’t work out they way they wanted it to this season but the future is very bright for Dan Ricci’s girls. They were fighters to the end this season and a pleasure to cover.

Back to the Scene of the County Center Crime for Lakeland
It has been talked about since this time last year and talked about far too much if you ask me. Lakeland went into the County Center last year with great hopes and confidence and were unceremoniously and unexpectedly bounced by Our Lady of Lourdes. They were justifiably shocked and disappointed but that was then and this is now. The only people who seem to want to talk about the past are the press and I know from following Steve Fallo’s Hornets all season that the past has no bearing on this team or their present. With that being said Lakeland is now two steps away from the cherished gold ball and the Section 1 Class A crown and Lourdes or ghosts of last year are no where in sight. The first obstacle the Hornets must overcome is fourth seeded Ardsley. While Ardsley is obviously a solid team to have made it to the final four there are just certain teams that have that “it” factor and that is what Lakeland has. They are as dominant a team as I have ever seen on the high school level and are extremely well disciplined. As good as the Hornets are in all phases of the game they refuse to overlook or disrespect any opponent. The next game is always the most important to Lakeland and that is how they will treat the Ardsley game on Friday (3/2).

Here’s how I see this one breaking down…

How to Beat Ardsley …
There is nothing that I can write here that Lakeland doesn’t already know. Telling the Hornets how to win basketball games would be like giving financial advice to a billionaire. Nonetheless, I think all Lakeland has to do is play their game and attack Ardsley with a suffocating press on defense and by pushing the ball up court quickly to tire the Panthers out and keep them on their toes. Ardsley doesn’t have any prolific scorers on offense but rather a well balanced roster that all chips in as they edge out opponents. Shut down one or two of their top offensive players and that should be all she wrote. I would target Danielle Franciosa and Ivana Monserrate to pressure and make the rest of the roster beat you. For Lakeland they can outscore any team at any time with both Sarah Benischek and Amy Voelkel averaging 15 and 13 points per game respectively. Even their third leading scorer Rose Fazio (9.8 ppg) averages the same amount of points as Ardsley’s leading scorer in Franciosa. This Lakeland team is not only frightening on offense but are also the most dominant defensive team in all of Section 1 holding opponents to just over 30 points per game on average. Nothing is holding the Fab Five of Lakeland back this year as they blaze through Ardsley and get their hands on the gold ball come Sunday (3/4). And when they raise that trophy in triumph everyone can forget about the past and show full appreciation to one of the greatest seasons in Lakeland’s or any other school’s athletic history.