Boys basketball: Tappan Zee stays unbeaten with 59-42 win over rival Pearl River
ORANGEBURG — In a normal season, it's never easy being undefeated, but there hasn't really been anything normal about the last couple of years during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tappan Zee has had its share of adversity with the pandemic, especially this winter. At its lowest point of preseason practices, the Dutchmen were limited to just four players, while the rest of the team was in quarantine. There were other bouts with sickness, added quarantines and injuries along the way.
Despite the obstacles, Tappan Zee made its way past the first 11 opponents on its schedule without a single blemish. Thursday night marked the latest entry in the Dutchmen's perfect start, a 59-42 win over Pearl River.
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"At the end of the day, isn't the whole high school and sports experience about adversity?" Tappan Zee coach George Gaine said. "I think it's important that through sports, guys can leave here, and maybe they gather something from athletics so that when they do hit adversity — whether it's what we're dealing with now, something in school, or life, they'll be a little bit better to get through it because of the experience."
While it's been an abnormal couple of years, the Dutchmen boys basketball team remains true to its identity: a defensive-minded approach, complemented by its attention to detail and team-first attitude.
"We pride ourselves on defense for the entire season now," Tappan Zee guard Sean Berrigan said. "But it all starts in practice for us. From the first guy to the last guy, we all like to push ourselves in practice. Everyone's getting better. That's how we've been successful.
"We just like to take it day by day, cherish all we have together because we don't know when it's gonna end. We like to play our hardest every day, no matter who's out there.
On Thursday, Tappan Zee faced Pearl River. It was a hard-fought battle, with the Dutchmen clinging onto a 28-25 halftime lead. After the break, the Dutchmen raised the intensity on the defensive end, and it got timely scoring surges to pull away from the Pirates to keep the undefeated streak going.
"Defensively, they were able to push out on us and take away things from us," Pearl River coach Jerry Houston Jr. said. "They make scoring scoring really hard. Points are at a premium. We, especially late, struggled to get good looks. As a result of that, they put some points on the board, and it became tough to keep pace."
Tappan Zee will look to build on its winning momentum. Although it has been difficult, Gaine knows the challenges haven't been unique to just the Dutchmen.
"I think nobody's ever really going to be at full strength this year, and they're never going to tell you," Gaine said. "I give everybody credit. They're just going to keep playing games and just live in the moment."
Turning point
After a closely-contested first half of basketball, Tappan Zee used a 9-0 run midway through the third quarter to push its lead into double figures for the first time in the game. Although the Pirates didn't go away easily, the scoring run gave Tappan Zee much-needed separation, before pulling away for good in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game
Sean Berrigan, Tappan Zee: The junior guard was everywhere on the floor, scoring at all three levels, tracking down rebounds, dishing out assists and providing tenacious defense. He racked up a game-high 23 points, with seven rebounds and six assists in the winning effort.
"We ask a lot out of him," Gaine said. "The way he shot, the way he defended, the way he leads — I feel completely blessed to be around him every day in practice. The qualities he has are some rare qualities that you don't see all the time."
By the numbers
Tappan Zee (11-0) — Collin Cunney had 12 points. Jack Maloney added 10 points and four assists. Mike Mooney chipped in eight points and five boards.
Pearl River (7-4) — Aiden McCahey paced the Pirates with 13 points. Thomas Bertussi had 11 points. John Ranaghan had seven points, while Kieran Bellew added six points and six boards.
Quotable
"Being there right across town, it's nice to beat them," Berrigan said of the Tappan Zee-Pearl River rivalry. "We're their rivals, but we like to think our rivalry is the next best team in the section. It's great to beat them, but I can't wait to see the rest of the season."
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Tappan Zee boys basketball stays unbeaten with win over Pearl River
