Pearl River Girls Basketball Beats Nanuet With Late Surge

Pearl River junior forward Emma Daly saw something familiar happening in the fourth quarter of Friday's home game against Nanuet and she did not want to allow a repeat performance. The Golden Knights went on a 9-0 run to tie the game in the fourth period, similar to the run that was the turning point in a Pearl River loss last week against Tappan Zee. 

"All I kept thinking about was the TZ game, when the same thing happened to us," Daly said. "I didn't want that to happen again, so we all stepped up our game."

The Pirates did not allow another point, closing out the game with a 12-0 run over the final 3:08 of the game for a 60-48 Pearl River victory.

"Just intensity," Pearl River Head Coach Dan Lauture said. "I do think the girls were waiting for a moment where I actually blew my lid and really get on the. I think they saw how much I wanted this one. More importantly, they buckled down. They said we are tired of 8losing at home. They got some stops and rebounded. They just buckled down and played defense. It was all about them just executing."

Daly sparked the run with by grabbing an offensive rebound and scoring while drawing a foul. She made the free throw to put the Pirates up, 51-48, and they never lost the lead again. Daly scored five of her 20 points during the 12-0 run. Senior Jessie Neugebauer contributed six of her 13 points during that stretch.

"That’s where we have an advantage of having someone like Emma and a guard as big as Jessie, who had a couple of big buckets down the stretch," Lauture said. "Our defense has got to key our offense. It can’t be the other way around. I really do think, with us buckling down and them not being able to get what they wanted to get. We were able to capitalize. (We were) just aggressive and playing physical for once."

Pearl River (7-3) also got 10 points from Sam Alicandri and eight from Jenna Scanlon while winning at home for the first time this season. 

Nanuet sophomore Alexa Amalbert made five 3-point shots and finished with a game-high 23 points. Senior Ashley Mayo provided a spark late with six of her nine points in the fourth quarter. Senior Christina Maher and sophomore Alana Prosapio each added eight for the Golden Knights. 

"(Amalbert) caught fire," Lauture said. "I felt Erin Woods did a good job on (Mayo) and (Amalbert)."

Lauture said he did make one defensive adjustment which also helped in the final minutes.

"One strategic thing that we did defensively is we were trapping ball screens," Lauture said. "That was our key during that stretch. Girls were coming off ball screens and into the lane. We just said we’ve got to make whoever is handling the ball give it up and we doubled hard. "

He talked more about attitude than strategy that allowed Pearl River to clamp down defensively in a way it hadn't in previous home losses against Tappan Zee and North Rockland. 

"You think of Tappan Zee and North Rockland, they did whatever they wanted and got into the lane," Lauture said. "They (Nanuet) had a stretch where that’s what they were doing and I think the girls were fed up with it and just played defense the way it should be played. It’s all about who wants it more. Can I stay in front of my girl?"