Tappan Zee Wins Battle Of Unbeatens At Pearl River (VIDEO)

The Tappan Zee girls basketball team took control with a 9-0 run midway through the fourth quarter Wednesday night and held on to win, 50-47, at Pearl River in a battle of previously-unbeaten girls basketball rivals.

Pearl River senior Christa Scognamiglio hit a free throw with 4:38 to go in the game cut Tappan Zee’s lead down to one point, but the Dutchmen then used baskets from four different players to give them their largest lead of the game.

“We know with that 10-point lead we can’t stop, we need to keep pushing it,” said Tappan Zee’s Val DiMuro, who scored the first basket of the run. “We were happy we got that much of a lead in the fourth quarter, but we didn’t think the game was over."

While the Pirates (9-1) did mount a comeback, even cutting the deficit to just one with 13 seconds to go, the Dutchmen (12-0) held on for the victory.

“It was just a great high school game,” said Pearl River Coach Lorraine Moylan.

The near comeback started with Scognamiglio hitting lay-up, drawing a foul and converting the free throw to bring Tappan Zee’s lead down to seven. Tappan Zee’s Kristin McLaughlin hit a free throw to bring the lead back up to eight, and then Pearl River junior point guard Marissa Scognamiglio hit a three, leading to a Tappan Zee timeout.

“One of the reasons I called that timeout was to settle the girls down and let them understand that listen, you have the lead right now. You have to play like you’re ahead not like you’re behind,” said Tappan Zee Coach Tom Cromer. “We want to play fast, but I tell them all the time, 'I don’t want you to be in a hurry.' And we were getting in a hurry a little bit.”

Christa Scognamiglio took a rebound the full length of the court and laid one in to cut the lead down to one with about 14 seconds to go. Eventually, Tappan Zee led 50-47 with about 11 seconds to go.

Pearl River was without any timeouts, so off a missed throw they raced downcourt and got the ball to Marissa Scognamiglio, who missed a quick three with a defender on her. The Pirates got the rebound, but missed the second chance opportunity as time ran out.

It was a physical, yet fast-paced game, with a lot of bumping around the hoop as well as a lot of fastbreaks. The challenge was not just physical for Tappan Zee, which lost twice to Pearl River in close games last season.

“The gameplan was to match their physicality and play fundamental basketball, to box out, to make sure we’re strong with the ball, don’t let up passes in the full court,” Cromer said. “Just playing good solid fundamental basketball is all I wanted the girls to worry about. I didn’t want them to get all concerned with Pearl River. I wanted them to understand that Pearl River is as worried about you just as much as we’re concerned about them.”

Christa Scognamiglio had a game-high 20 for Pearl River, followed by Allison Cook and Amanda DeCourcey, who both had 10.

For Tappan Zee, Regina Argenzio finished with a team-high 13 points, followed by McLaughlin’s 11 and DeMuro’s eight.

Pearl River will play next 4:15 p.m. Friday at Albertus Magnus.

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