Defense, Peterson Shoot Tappan Zee Into State Semis

Tappan Zee senior Pat Peterson missed his first seven shots in Friday's Class A boys basketball regional final against Marlboro at Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh.

Then one went in and they just kept falling.

"Once I hit one, I feel very confident," Peterson said. "I know my rhythm. I know exactly what I did to make that go in, so I keep going like that. I couldn't find my touch in the first half, but in the second half I shot it really well." 

Peterson scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half as Tappan Zee pulled away for a 53-34 victory over Marlboro to advance to the state final four. 

Tappan Zee (23-0) will play the winner of Saturday's game between Scotia-Glenville and Jamesville-DeWitt in the state semifinals 10:45 a.m. Saturday, March 17 at the Glenns Falls Civic Center. The championship game will be played 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

"We're going to give it everything we've got," Peterson said. "We're not backing down from anybody.

"It was all heat in the second half (tonight). We're not going home right now."

Tappan Zee Head Coach George Gaine also gave credit for that to his team's defense, which held Marlboro to only 14 points in the second half.

"Our defense wears people down," Gaine said.

Billy O'Shea sparked the Dutchmen early and finished with 15 points, but Tappan Zee needed to get Peterson going as Marlboro (17-5) focused its defensive efforts on O'Shea. Brian McLaughlin had a quiet offensive night. Tappan Zee did get center Brendan Donahue back, but he is still slowed by a sprained ankle.

"I had to do that for my team," Peterson said. "It was the only way my team was going to win."

"I told Pat he was meant to play in this game today," Gaine said. "I've known Pat six years now and if anybody can fight through adversity, Pat can. There was no doubt in my mind. I knew Pat was going to get going eventually. I kept running plays for Pat because I knew he was going to get going."

It helped that Marlboro left him open outside the 3-point arc. Peterson hit a three late in the third quarter to give Tappan Zee the lead back for good at 29-28. He hit two more during a fourth-quarter stretch in which he scored eight consecutive points.

"I was a little shocked they were leaving me open behind the three-point line," Peterson said. "That's what I do. I shoot threes. They weren't really guarding me."

With Donahue still not 100 percent, junior forward Eric Casey continued to play a key role, scoring 10 points.

Junior Alex Smith was the only Marlboro player to score in double digits with 14 points.