Tuckahoe Boys Enter Regionals with Gold Ball

TUCKAHOE, N.Y. -- The Tuckahoe Tigers boys basketball team won its second straight Section 1 Class C basketball championship and Gold Ball trophy Saturday with an 80-58 win against Children’s Village, earning its fourth Section 1 Championship in the last seven years.

Tuckahoe, unbeaten at 21-0, advanced to the state regional semifinals, where it will meet Section 9 champion Pine Plains in a rematch of last year’s semifinal, won by Tuckahoe, 91-64. The two teams spent much of the season ranked No. 1 and No.2 in the state in Class C with the Tigers currently ranked in the top spot and Pine Plains currently number eight.

Tuckahoe, coached by Al Visconti, will look to push the pace and play fast, while Pine Plains will try to slow the game down and use its size advantage. The game is at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Westchester County Center.

The Tigers were in charge of the Section 1 title game from the start, taking a 24-11 edge into the second quarter. Seniors Justin Nolan and Sky Williams led the way for Tuckahoe, combining for 22 of the Tigers 24 points in the quarter. The Tigers continued their explosive offense in the second quarter and outscored the Hawks, 19-7, including a 15-0 run.

Tuckahoe took a 43-18 lead into the locker room at halftime. Children’s Village outscored Tuckahoe by one point in the third quarter and after three quarters the score was 64-40 in favor of Tuckahoe. The fourth quarter was similar to the third, and Children’s Village outscored Tuckahoe 18-16.

Williams, the Tigers’ all-time leading scorer, who was named the tournament Most Valuable Player for the second straight year, finished with a game-high 27 points and eight rebounds. Nolan complemented Williams with a 25-point, seven-rebound and four-assist performance.

Roger Owens led Children’s Village with 11 points and Kadeem Padgett added 10. Nolan, Owens, and Padgett were named to the All-Tournament team.

Ian Sacks is a senior srudent and the Tuckahoe boys’ basketball statistician and scorekeeper

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