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Haldane, Putnam Valley Force-Fed Defeat in Section 1 Hoops Championships
Bitter pill never easy to swallow
by Ray Gallagher
 | | Putnam Valley's Tara Gleason and the Tigers experienced the highs and the lows of Section 1 basketball at the Westchester County Center last week |
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In what could only be described as a bittersweet conclusion, the fabled Westchester County Center was not a kind venue to the state-ranked (No.4) Haldane Blue Devils and/or the Putnam Valley Tigers at Section 1 Girl's Basketball Championships last Saturday. After awe-inspiring semifinal performances last Tuesday, top-seeded Class C Haldane, the former 14-time defending Section 1 champion, and fifth-seeded Class B Putnam Valley, making its virgin voyage to a basketball championship, were both baffled by vexing defenses thrown at them by their opponents. Haldane (17-4) could do little if anything right against a Blind Brook (18-4) team it had defeated twice during the regular season, losing 57-39 to the second-seeded Trojans. Putnam Valley (16-8) met similar frustration during its 49-36 loss to top-seeded, state-ranked (No.13) Albertus Magnus (19-4) in a game where the Tigers cut a 15-point deficit to four midway through the fourth quarter before losing grip on a miraculous comeback attempt.
These two basketball programs may have suffered setbacks last Saturday, but don't expect to see either of them head off into a tailspin next season, as each has vowed a return trip to the big house. Haldane, though, will have to begin instantly by getting over the notion that winning Section 1 championships is its birthright, according to captain Brittany Shields, who was held to 23 points on 7-of-19 shooting, and coach Rich Desiderio, who each agreed upon one thing.
 | | Haldane's Michelle Markey battles it out for loose ball in last week's win over Dobbs Ferry in the sectional semis. |
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"We may have gotten a little complacent," each stated after Blind Brook's Karlyn Adler dropped 30 points on what some described as a porous Blue Devil defense, which was beaten off the dribble repeatedly.
Complacency in Class D is one thing, what with very few Section 1 schools putting up much of a challenge while the Blue Devils were advancing regularly into the NYSPHSAA tournament, wining four state championships along the way, the last coming in 2000. Class C, though, is something altogether different. With the level of competition jacked up to new heights, Haldane will need to work harder than ever to maintain its status as basketball royalty, which all of Section 1 was in agreement upon.
"We knew we had to play an A-plus game against them and we had to contain Shields," Blind Brook Coach Manny Martinez said. "Each one of my girls knew they had to play the game of their lives to beat a program like Haldane. A team that wins 14 in a row is not going to be easy to take out, and believe me this was anything but easy."
Easy no, but the proof was in the pudding last year when the Blue Devils failed to get past Section 9's Millbrook in the opening stage of the state tournament for the first time in 14 years. Saturday's convincing/stunning setback to Blind Brook should send a message as stern or sterner than a big ol' mule's kick.
"We have to get over ourselves," said Desiderio. "We need to be in better condition to play at this level. We need to work harder next year, which can't begin in November. It has to start right now with a strong commitment to AAU ball and off-season conditioning. That's my fault… put that on me this year. I'll have more time to stay on top of that next year. Our team defense was a step behind and that was unacceptable. It cost us dearly and we could end up in the same position next year if we don't change our approach."
Shields agreed, stating, "We were intimidated and we can't let that happen. One of my teammates summed it up best when she said the next time we have a week off for school break or whatever, and coach says we have practice at 8:30 in the morning, don't beg him to sleep in because now we know how it feels to lose. Get your butt up no matter what time it is and get to practice."
Putnam Valley, too, should continue its ascent to Class B prominence with a similarly strong off-season regiment and a commitment to AAU-type basketball this spring and summer. The Tigers had worked their way back to the County Center for the second time in three years; no small feat for a program which bounced its first ball just five years ago. Two 1,000-point scorers later, the Tigers have now cut a swath to White Plains, which they hope to follow back next year.
"I hope that Kim (Kastuk) and I have left the younger girls with a legacy of strong basketball," Putnam Valley captain Christine Kemp said after the Falcons held her to just seven points (10 below her season average). "We worked very hard to get the program to this point, and so have many others. We can't stop now. The girls can get back here next year if they make the commitment."
Commitment, or lack thereof, will determine one of two directions these two basketball programs travel. Haldane can either settle for the fact that it won't be so easy in Class C and take a fat-cat, pressure-free approach to basketball, or get back on its high horse and steed a noble Paul Revere-like Midnight Ride back to the County Center. Putnam Valley, with the loss of Kastuk and Kemp, can either accept the fact that it had a good ride for a five-year old basketball program, or it can build a Class B basketball tradition similar to the one Haldane had in Classes C and D the past 15 years.
Tigers Coach Kelly Thompson said Sunday night at the County Center that, "the program is in good shape and we should be ready to contend again; if not next year than the year after. Our coaching staff is so proud of the girls and the way they pulled this season together and got back to the County Center for the second time in three years, much less a championship game. The young girls on the team saw from Kemp and Kastuk what the level of commitment needs to be, and I expect them to be heavily involved in the offseason."
Haldane and Putnam Valley are hoping to schedule a game against one another next season, and by then we should have a gauge on where each program stands.
Judging from the look in the sorrow-filled eyes of Putnam Valley sophomore Nicole Scott and the contempt in the expression of All-NYS junior Shields, one would be silly to bet against either leading their respective teams toward good fortune…
For more photos from the Section 1 Basketball Championships please view the photo gallaries at www.yourdirectrays.com
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