Rockland's finest: Tappan Zee puts the whammy on Irondequoit, locks up a state title
GLENS FALLS – Ball. Ball. Ball. Ball.
Tappan Zee enthusiastically announced its presence on every single possession, getting stop after stop after stop all the way to a NYSPHSAA Class A state championship. The Dutchmen wore down and wore out Irondequoit, posting a typical 49-36 victory Saturday at Cool Insuring Arena to claim the coveted title.
It was a just reward.
“The first (Section 1) state champion in Rockland County is Tappan Zee. Is that insane? This group of five-foot assassins did it,” said Dutchmen coach George Gaine, who preached the value of defense out of necessity. “It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever been a part of.”
NYSPHSAA semifinals:Tappan Zee hounds New Hartford, advances to state Class A championship
Preview:Meet the North Rockland, Tappan Zee and Haldane final four teams
It was the payoff this team earned by committing to a style of play that isn’t always popular.
“This is something I’ve never felt before,” Tappan Zee senior Jack Maloney said. “I’m honestly in shock right now. I can’t even put this into words. It’s ridiculous, the greatest moment of my life so far.”
How good was the defense?
Tappan Zee gave up a mere 14 points after halftime. The Dutchmen wrestled the lead away for good, 25-24, when Maloney connected on a deep 3 with 3:50 to go in the third quarter. Sean Berrigan added to the lead when he powered in for a layup the next time down.
It was a 15-0 run before the Eagles figured out how to score again.
“The feeling you get is awesome,” Berrigan said. “It’s like everything you’ve spent the last five or six months working for is paying off. And the connections you build, the relationships you have with each other, that all makes it better.”
What it means
Defense still wins championships.
"They knew they had to play D. They knew it was our calling card," Gaine said. "That's a really good Irondequoit team. We tried to slow this one down and to hold them to 36 points shows who these kids are. And for them to do it, not in a small gym on a Tuesday, not in our home gym on a Thursday, to do what they did here in the state championship is mind boggling. I am so impressed by them."
Player of the game
Berrigan was impressive, finishing time and time again on isolation plays. He was 7 for 10 from the field, totaling 20 points and six rebounds.
By the numbers
Tappan Zee (26-2): Maloney wound up with 18 points and five rebounds. ... Tommy Linehan added 11 points. ... Nobody else scored for the Dutchmen, who went 10 for 17 from the field in the second half.
Irondequoit (22-5): Xavier Gissendanner finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. ... Ryan Heath added seven points and five rebounds. ... The Eagles went 4 for 22 from the field in the second half, grabbed just four offensive rebounds and were limited to one second-chance point.
They said it
"It’s the connection we have off the court," Maloney said of what drives this group. "We’re always doing stuff together. We’ve built a bond that’s not going anywhere. We’re friends for life there’s no question about it."
"We live in a day and age where kids are OK with scoring 28 in a loss," Gaine said. "These kids said, ‘I’ll score 10, but I want to win.’ They are throwbacks and that’s a credit to their families. They play with a blue collar chip on their shoulder and they let me coach them."
"We put all our trust in coach," Berrigan said. "He sets up the right game plan. He has been here before and knows how to get us the win, so we trust everything he does."
Up next
Tappan Zee isn't handing in the uniforms yet. The Dutchmen are on to the New York State Federation Tournament and will face NYSAIS champion Albany Academy at 11 a.m. Saturday at a site outside Albany to be determined.
Mike Dougherty covers basketball for The Journal News and lohud.com. He can be reached at mdougher@lohud.com or via Twitter @lohudhoopsmbd.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NYSPHSAA Class A boys basketball, Tappan Zee wins state championship
