Girls basketball: Manginelli erupts as Tuckahoe overcomes Millbrook in regional final

BEACON — Typical of a state tournament basketball team is a roster littered with upperclassmen, the "veterans" who offer experience and leadership in helping a group navigate all that comes with the postseason.

This ain't that.

Tuckahoe, instead, is comprised almost entirely of kids too young to apply for a learner's permit, including five still in middle school. In some regards, coach Silvio DiSalvatore said, that might be a good thing. Because for his team, their wide-eyed exuberance often overwhelms the nerves.

Essentially, he said, they're "too young to know they should feel nervous."

Juliana Manginelli said she didn't give a thought to the pressure while leading a dramatic comeback Thursday. It mattered little in those moments the pedigree of their opponent or even their own recent history.

"I just shot with confidence and pictured it going in each time," the eighth-grader said with a shrug. "I didn't feel nervous at all."

Well, she gave herself no reason to be.

Manginelli scored 25 of her career-high 32 points in the second half and hit eight 3-pointers, leading a comeback that culminated in Tuckahoe's 65-63 victory over Section 9's Millbrook in overtime of the Class C girls basketball regional final.

The Tigers dethroned the two-time defending state champions, a team that had throttled them in the regional rounds the previous two years en route to those titles.

"This is a huge win for us because we've never gotten this far before," said Manginelli, who was promoted to the varsity team last season but watched from the bench as Millbrook rolled to a 43-point win over her team. "We've accomplished so much and we just beat a great team in a great game."

'More rewarding': Millbrook wins sixth straight Section 9 title with new-look team

Tuckahoe earned its first trip to the state semifinals and will face Moravia or Hamilton next Thursday, 7:45 p.m. at Hudson Valley Community College.

Spending the upcoming days packing and making travel arrangements, eighth-grader Chloe Angello said, "is one of the biggest rewards of this."

Cara Doherty scored 10 points, including a put-back that gave the Tigers a 64-60 lead with 19 seconds left in overtime, and Brooke Matarazzo had 12 points and six steals.

"I'm speechless," DiSalvatore said. "We were behind most of the game, but we fought for 36 minutes, and they kept playing with confidence. That’s how it’s been all year."

Millbrook's Natalie Fox capped a sterling career with 41 points, 22 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. The 6-foot-4 senior, who is committed to William & Mary, dominated the paint and helped the Blazers control most of the first half.

3-peat: Tuckahoe tops Hamilton to win third straight section title

Tuchahoe rallied from an 11-point deficit and briefly took a one-point lead on Ava Rogliano's 3-pointer in the third, before having to again charge back from down 48-37 midway through the fourth quarter.

Manginelli's fourth 3-pointer of the period, a splash from the right corner, gave the Tigers a lead and her free throw on the ensuing possession made it 52-50 with 14 seconds left in regulation. But Fox's short jumper tied it with 9.1 seconds left, forcing overtime.

"I think it helps, them being so young," said DiSalvatore, whose team scored 33 points from behind the arc. "They've been so fired up since getting the gold ball (commemorating their Section 1 championship), this has all felt like house money to them."

Manginelli opened the overtime scoring with another three, and Angello followed with one to give Tuckahoe a 58-53 lead two minutes in. Millbrook again responded, and Fox's layup got them within two, before Doherty's put-back created the four-point cushion.

"She’s very consistent, but this was her best night as a shooter," Angello said of Manginelli, her best friend since kindergarten. "She was amazing and I’m so proud."

Manginelli added a free throw with 12 seconds remaining and Fox hit a three 10 seconds later, but time had run out for the Blazers ― in this game, and on their dynastic reign.

"As a coach, you watch guys that have way more knowledge and try to borrow ideas and things to incorporate," DiSalvatore said of Millbrook coach Adam Peek. "He’s someone I’ve watched and learned from. We have tremendous respect for their program."

Lydia Kascsak added 13 points and 11 rebounds for Millbrook (15-5). Serafina Fauci had four points, four assists and two steals, Hannah Ross scored three, and Lilly Kozera had three steals. The Blazers last week won a sixth straight Section 9 championship, overcoming the challenges of an inexperienced roster.

Several standouts graduated from those state title teams, leaving observers to wonder if Millbrook this season could even approach its high standard. But this group, in fact, came awfully close to another trip upstate.

Tuckahoe, too, had a slew of excellent players graduate after last season, leaving only one senior on its squad now. That, of course, bodes well for their future. And, with a team loaded with 13- and 14-year-olds, one can anticipate a noisy 2 ½-hour bus ride to Troy.

"That's OK," DiSalvatore said. "They’re singing, dancing, blasting music. I’m gonna let them do what they want. We're not fixing what's not broken."

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Girls basketball: Tuckahoe edges Millbrook in OT to reach state semis