Boys Basketball

Inside the Quarterfinals: Top 4 advance to Class B boys and girls semis

PutValley2There were no real surprises in the Seciton 1 boys and girls basketball tournaments. On the girls side, the top four seeds moved to the next round in resounding fashion. The four highest seeds in the boys bracket advanced with relative ease.

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SCOREBOARD: Section 1 Boys and Girls Basketball Results, Schedules (KDJMedia)

BRACKET CENTRAL: Section 1 Boys and Girls Basketball Brackets (PDF and Interactive)

Here’s a look back on Wednesday’s Class B quarterfinals:

BRIARCLIFF 80, NORTH SALEM 34

We didn’t see this coming, mainly because we didn’t expect to see North Salem star Kendrick Tchoua going. Literally, Tchoua left the school.

Fresh off a dominant 36-point, 16-rebound performance against Woodlands in the opening round, the 6-foot-6 junior star — a serious candidate for Mr. Basketball in Section 1 and first-team All-LHBCA — moved back to Maryland, according to North Salem coach Henry Sassone. With him went any chance of the Tigers competing for a title and, on Wednesday, contesting Briarcliff.

“The guys were ready regardless of any circumstance the game presented us with,” said Briarcliff coach Cody Moffett, who was admittedly disappointed when he learned before tip-off that Tchoua was not playing in the game for North Salem. “Our schedule this year was indicative of that. It forces us to have a focus on that task at hand.”

The task for the Bears wasn’t all that difficult, evidenced by the 49-10 lead they took into the half.

Miles Jones led Briarcliff with 20 points, five assists and three steals. Jack Ryan registered 14 points, six rebound and three steals and Tajon Tribble scored 11 points and Jackson Ginsberg added 10.

Briarcliff has now won 10 straight games since losing to Spring Valley on Jan. 20. In that stretch, the Bears have held opponents to under 40 points in each of the last 7. The high during the 10-game winning streak was 50 in a victory over Clarkstown North, which is still alive in the Class AA quarterfinals.

“We consistently talk about improving as a team,” Moffett said. “Every game has a challenge whether your opponent is strong or not”

Next: No. 3 Briarcliff takes on No. 2 Irvington in the Class B semifinals on Monday at 4:45 p.m. at the Westchester County Center


BLIND BROOK 49, DOBBS FERRY 40

You can read a full recap of this game here as Jake DiGiansante and Co. guided the Trojans back to the County Center. But essentially, Blind Brook packed in its zone, relentlessly clogged holes and chased shooters and Dobbs Ferry progressively fewer and fewer open shots as the night went on.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Blind Brook is an interesting team when you match them up with the other three left in the Class B playoffs. They can play a level of defense that the other three haven’t quite seen, especially not in the past few weeks.

The Trojans have to get through Put Valley, which beat them on their home floor a month ago. This matchup at the County Center should be interesting.

Next: No. 1 Putnam Valley vs. No. 4 Blind Brook at the Westchester County Center on Monday at 8:15 p.m.


IRVINGTON 64, VALHALLA 52

As expected, the eighth-seeded Vikings gave Irvington all it could handle but the second-seeded Bulldogs responded repeatedly.

Irvington shook off a slow start where it trailed after the first quarter to go up eight at the half. And as Valhalla made its runs in the second half, Colby Martins picked up the Bulldogs when needed.

Martins scored 29 of his 31 points in the second half. The junior guard was sensational.

Chris Friedlander added 14 points, five assists and five rebounds. Sidney Thybulle grabbed 13 rebounds to go along with eight points and six blocks.

“At times we played excellent,” Irvington coach Scott Brennen said. “We were a little sluggish at times in the first quarter. In a quarterfinal game, you don’t have a lot of guys with experience at this stage of the tournament. But in the second and third quarters, we got some momentum. We couldn’t run and hide.”

Valhalla, off an emotional overtime win against Hastings in the first round, went with a Diamond-and-1 defense on Martins and really disrupted the Bulldogs’ flow.

“Colby took the game over in the first half,” Brennen said. “In the second half they went to a triangle-and-2 and we countered with some pick and rolls. We got into the lane and made some shots. Colby took over the basketball game.”

Next: No. 3 Briarcliff takes on No. 2 Irvington in the Class B semifinals on Monday at 4:45 p.m. at the Westchester County Center


PUTNAM VALLEY 54, WESTLAKE 44

Westlake probably hung around in this game longer than many might have expected. But at this stage, the end result is all that matters for the top-seeded Tigers.

Darnel Shillingford had 23 points and nine rebounds and T.J. Brescia added 18 points in the win. Terrence O’Brien scored 17 for Westlake.

Putnam Valley has now reached the County Center in five of the past six years. The program is still searching for its first ever Gold Ball.

Check out a full game replay of Putnam Valley’s win over Westlake here

Next: No. 1 Putnam Valley vs. No. 4 Blind Brook at the Westchester County Center on Monday at 8:15 p.m.

Follow the Section 1 Basketball Tournament on KDJMedia.com and on Twitter: @KDJMedia1

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