After a lights-out playoff run, Rye’s season came to an end Saturday afternoon in a 63-54 Class AA state semifinal loss to Amsterdam.
The final margin was nine points, but this game was mostly decided by halftime. The chief decision-maker on the court was Amsterdam senior sharpshooter Aundray Fowler, who finished with 29 points for the Rams (23-2). Each of his eight made 3-pointers was more crushing than the one before, and each one was nothing but net.
Rye (21-6) was ahead 9-8 after one period, but the lead was gone midway through the second quarter, and sadly, never returned. The Garnets trailed by 12 at the half, 18 at the end of the third quarter, and by 21 with just under four minutes to play.
It was not Rye’s day, but it was an unforgettable season.
“This season was a tremendously satisfying and gratifying journey for this team,” said Rye coach Tom Proudian. “We really got the most out of ourselves and went on a terrific run in the postseason. This whole thing could have ended a long time ago at several points, but these kids just kept playing and winning. What a group of kids this is.”
Way back on Dec. 12, Rye played its season-opener, fresh off claiming a state football championship, and lost 51-38 to Byram Hills.
“I know these kids. They’re competitors,” Proudian said immediately after that game. “We’re gonna be fine. And by the way, we don’t want to play our best basketball in December. We want to do that in late February and possibly into March.”
Rye most assuredly did just that, advancing to the program’s first state semifinal appearance since 1989.
The Garnets entered the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the section, before rattling off six straight playoff wins to claim Section 1 and regional championships. The team played its best basketball of the season over the past couple of weeks, eliminating five teams in a row with better records before coming up short against the Rams.
In the final basketball game for a talented senior core led by Carson Miller and Henry Shoemaker, the Garnets didn’t give up easily. Rye cut the deficit to six points in the third quarter, threatening to knock off yet another opponent with a gaudy record, but Amsterdam answered with a run of its own to push the lead to 20.
Nearly half of Rye’s points came in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Rams 26-17 in the final eight minutes, but it was too little too late.
“The last two days here in Binghamton have been such a great experience for all of us,” Proudian said. “We all hate to lose, but unfortunately that’s part of competition. Only one team wins. I’m definitely hurting, mostly for the seniors in this locker room who I will no longer have the privilege to coach. All 16 boys on this team gave me everything they had all year, and I will miss coaching this group dearly.”
