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White Plains season no longer over, headed to Federation girls basketball tournament

nancy haggerty, rockland/westchester journal news
·4 min read

When the final buzzer sounded late Saturday night at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, the White Plains girls varsity basketball team's season was officially over.

Or so it seemed.

The Section 1 Class AA champion fell in the New York State Public High School AA championship game 49-41 to Section 5 Webster Schroeder.

As the New York State Public High School Class AA winner, 25-1 Webster Schroeder was expected to compete in this weekend's state Federation tournament, which includes NYSPHSAA winners, state private/independent schools and New York City public schools.

But on Monday, Webster Schroeder withdrew.

As a result, Class AA runner-up White Plains' season will continue.

White Plains's Rider-bound senior Aliya McIver, shown here in action during the Tigers' 57-46 win over Liverpool in the girls Class AA state semifinal March 17, 2023 at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, thought her high school career was over the following night with a loss to Webster Schroeder. But McIver and her teammates will play at least one more game, competing in the state Federation tournament.

It will play state AA Catholic High School Athletic Association champion St. Mary's (of Manhasset, Long Island) Saturday at 3 p.m. at Shaker High School in Latham.

The winner will play for the AA Federation championship at Shaker Sunday at 2 p.m. against the winner of Saturday's Long Island Lutheran-vs.-South Shore High game. (Long Island Lutheran is an independent school and South Shore is a New York City Public School Athletic League school, located in Brooklyn.)

St. Mary's beat Buffalo-based Nichols School 66-49 Saturday to repeat as state CHSAA champion.

Webster Schroeder athletic director Shawn Strege said Monday his school opted not to play in the Fed because multiple players and coaches would have been unavailable.

"We wouldn't have given the same quality of play as we exhibited last week and this past season," he said.

"We didn't know much about it (the Federation tournament) until Tuesday. Most of the entire team plays spring sports," Strege explained. "They were honored and thrilled (to have won the state public school title) and wanted to move on and focus (on spring sports) and their academics."

Strege, whose school is located 15 miles from Rochester, offered a thumbs up assessment of White Plains, calling the team great and saying he was "incredibly impressed" with its "young, athletic" roster.

Tigers' season ends:White Plains never finds rhythm, falls short in Class AA state final

One win away:White Plains tops Liverpool in state semis, now one win away from a coveted state title

History is made:Panas downs Canandaigua, continues dream season with first-ever state title

But that roster includes six seniors, who, until Tiger coach Benj Carter told his team Monday afternoon about Webster Schroeder's decision, had thought their high school hoops careers were over.

Included was Division-I, Rider University-bound senior guard Aliya McIver, who then emphasized to her team that it could play a lot better than it had Saturday.

"Aliya said to the team that we have to stop beating ourselves and in our four losses, that's exactly what we did — beat ourselves," related Carter, who, following Saturday's loss, had described his team as having been undercut by nerves.

Carter, who noted White Plains athletic director Matt Cameron gave the okay for his team to replace Webster Schroeder, said his players acknowledged they could have played better.

"They understood that their mental (state) was off and that they still had a chance to win, despite the crucial mistakes late in the fourth quarter and a ton of (missed) wide-open jump shots and close-range layups," Carter said.

"I really think this time they'll be in control of their emotions and get back on their 'A' game," he said.

"They are super excited to get the second opportunity," Carter said.

White Plains' addition means Section 1 will have two girls teams in the state Federation tourney.

Panas, which beat Section 5 Canandaigua 61-51 for the state public school Class A title, will play Staten Island-based CHSAA champion St. Joseph's by the Sea at 5 p.m. Saturday at Guilderland High School in Guilderland Center.

The winner of that game will play for the girls Federation Class A title at that school at noon Sunday against the winner of Saturday's Brooklyn High School for Law and Technology-vs.-Staten Island Academy.

Brooklyn is a PSAL school and Staten Island is an independent school.

Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, basketball, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Webster Schroeder withdraws, White Plains to play in Federation tournament