Rye’s good fortune ran out on Saturday as Byram Hills took down the Garnets 47-44 in the finals of the Section 1 Class A championship at the Westchester County Center.
Rye played an exceptional first half building a 27-19 lead behind strong offensive play from Jake Kessner and Patrick McQuire. But Rye’s offense stalled in the third quarter and the Garnets headed into the final eight minutes clinging to a 32-30 lead.
With a gold ball on the line, both teams traded baskets in the final stanza. Byram Hills’ Tyson Repa made numerous three-point shots to give the Bobcats the lead. Rye had one last opportunity to force overtime but missed a three-pointer as time expired – and a fantastic Garnets season came to an abrupt ending.
In order to advance to the finals, Rye defeated the Hen Hud Sailors in the semifinals 64-58 on Feb. 26. In a game closely contested throughout, Rye led by three at the half and built an eight-point lead after three quarters. Rye’s depth, a trademark of the team all season, was on full display as eight players made it into the scoring column. Reserve Henry Shoemaker had his best game of the season scoring 16 points. Reserve Patrick Mcquire added 10 points and Jake Kessner netted 12 points. It took a total team effort to overcome a 30-point performance by Hen Hud senior Gino Warmack.
The Garnets concluded the season with a 18-6 record. Despite losing in the finals, the future of the program looks bright as the core group of Kessner, Carson Miller, Shoemaker and McQuire all return next season as they continue their pursuit of a gold ball and a section championship.