New Rochelle and Mt. Vernon will meet again in Section 1 Class AAA boys basketball final
A classic matchup awaits.
Mount Vernon will square off against New Rochelle at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday in the Section 1 Class AAA championship game at the Westchester County Center.
The Knights advanced without a lot of drama Wednesday, pulling away from White Plains late. The Huguenots let a lead get away down the stretch then survived Mamaroneck in overtime. The Knights last won a sectional crown in 2022 and went on to win a state title. The Huguenots are looking for their first championship since 2013.
New Rochelle beat Mount Vernon twice during the regular season, 64-60 on the road and 49-35 at home. This is probably a more confident Knights team, however, with the defense giving up 39.5 points a game in the playoffs.
Here are the recaps from the semifinal games:
New Rochelle 52, Mamaroneck 50 OT
A comfortable lead was gone. A memorable season was on the brink.
Tensions were high.
New Rochelle had a dozen chances to implode or at least point a finger, but somehow came together and survived what easily could’ve been a bitter end. The Huguenots made just enough plays to hold off Mamaroneck in a Section 1 Class AAA semifinal, moving on with a 52-50 overtime victory.
“That was very, very scary, but we were able to keep our composure at the end,” Malik Gasper said. “We knew if we stayed together, no matter how many turnovers we had, we’d be able to win this game.”
In the fourth quarter, New Rochelle had seven miscues against the Tigers’ press. Kas Mirza converted an offensive rebound from under the board with 29.7 seconds to go to force overtime.
Gasper had the Huguenots in front early in overtime and they were answering each rally. Izaiah Augustine made a pair of free throws with 6.6 seconds to make it a 52-48 advantage. That should've done it.
After playing a little defense, Augustine began to celebrate too early and was caught hanging on the rim with 1.2 second remaining.
Brandon Burrell shot the free throws after the technical foul and made it a one-possession game. Mamaroneck got the ball in to Will Plunkett, who got a good look from 3, but Gasper used all of his wingspan to make a partial block at the buzzer.
“That was one of the main things we talked about before the game, staying together,” New Rochelle coach Rasaun Young said. “It’s going to get loud. They’re going to make their runs. We cannot start blaming each other. We did that in all three games we lost this year. We had to keep our composure and it was tough at times, but we didn’t cave.”
Section 1: The addition of Class AAA has basketball contenders playing waiting games
What it means
The Huguenots will be in the gym for the next three days reworking the press break and getting up free throws. After surviving a disastrous fourth quarter, New Rochelle isn’t likely to buckle if there’s a bumpy stretch in the final.
Mamaroneck is going to have a big hole in the lineup when Cosmo Hardinson graduates, but the Tigers had five sophomores on the court Wednesday and will likely be right back next season.
Player of the game
He went 5 for 16 from the free throw line, but Malik Gasper also had 17 rebounds and eight blocks.
Box score
No. 2 Mamaroneck (19-3): Cosmo Hardinson 16P; Will Plunkett 13P; Brandon Burrell 11P; T.J. Gomes 4P; Jared Rabina 3P; Jacob Fisher 3P.
No. 3 New Rochelle (19-3): Malik Gasper 15P; Kas Mirza 15P; Sean Thomas 5P; Matthew Sainvil 5P; Izaiah Augustine 4P; Nico Ruiz 3P; Kevin Conroy 3P; Lee Hester 2P.
Quotable
“We calmed down, got together and talked about what we were going to do,” Huguenots forward Kas Mirza said. “Then we broke the press and got layups and finished the game. We lost to them twice during the regular season, so we knew we had to come out here and beat them in the playoffs.”
“The free throws were an emotional roller coaster,” said Gasper, who changed up his routine with 18.6 seconds to play and dropped two. “It was bad at the beginning and I was getting mad, but coach grabbed me told me to keep my head up, it wasn’t over.”
Mount Vernon 61, White Plains 48
Look who’s back.
There were some doubts following a 7-5 start, but another gold ball is within reach. Mount Vernon took White Plains by force, posting a 61-48 win over the No. 1 seed in a Section 1 Class AAA semifinal.
Shots were contested. Whistles were questioned. Momentum changed hands numerous times before the Knights began to create separation with late third period 3s from Nate Edwards and Tavien Tyler.
“We separated on defense,” Tyler said. “We’re really big on defensive stops. Our defense motivates our offense and always will.”
The Tigers survived early foul trouble and continually battled through contact, getting within 42-38 on a three-point play by Nicky Triolo in the opening minute of the fourth, but Mount Vernon answered with a 9-0 run to slam the door.
Finding enough points to stay ahead of quality opponents was a struggle at times, but the Knights now have three or four player supplementing Tyler’s contributions.
“It was tough early on,” Mount Vernon coach Bob Cimmino said. “We weren’t clicking at all and our scoring wasn’t anywhere near up to standards and I was wondering where we were going to get some points from. Most teams will obviously double team Tay, but our defense is able to kick us alive. Nate came on and Kia (Harvey) can make some plays. And I was pretty proud of the little (Kaiden) Tyler brother who hit a big 3 at the end of the first half.”
What it means
Defense is paramount on this court with so much room to operate, and Mount Vernon is covering every inch. And the Knights were hyper aggressive. They run eight deep and used 24 fouls to disrupt White Plains.
New Rochelle better show up ready for the pressure on Sunday.
Player of the game
Tyler has mastered the art of initiating the play, drifting away from the play and showing up in open space for demoralizing jumpers from distance. He is the heart and soul of this group.
Box score
No. 5 Mount Vernon (14-6): Tavien Tyler 22P; Nate Edwards 10P; Hadi Adeyi 6P; Justin Muhammad 6P; Kai Harvey 4P; Will Robinson 4P; Kaiden Tyler 3P; Gerald Jato 2P; B.J. Robinson 2P; Bryce McCurdy 1P; DayDay Staggers 1P.
No. 1 White Plains (20-2): Logan McCormick 13P; Miles Johnson 13P; Luke Brooks 9P; Daniel Herzner 4P; Nick Triolo 3P; Jake Lobrosciano 2P; Travon DuBois 2P; Ricardo Marcano 2P.
Quotable
“We’re big on changing the scouting report,” Tavien Tyler said. “Since they all know me and the attraction is on me, I’m going to make sure everybody else gets attention, also.”
“They look to Tayvien,” Cimmino said of his team’s response to high-pressure moments. “He handles it fairly well. He accepts the burden and can relax a little bit when Kai helps out or when Nate is playing well.”
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: lohud Section 1 Class AAA boys basketball semifinal recaps
