Rye senior guard Rocklan Boisseau didn’t have time to be tired after an exciting 54-49 win over Harrison on Feb. 14. A mere 20 hours later, he and his fellow Garnets were playing No. 1-ranked Tappan Zee.
“Energy,” said Boisseau after Rye’s 47-38 victory Feb. 15 over the Flying Dutchmen. “That’s all I talked about with my teammates this morning before the game. We knew these guys were good, but we really needed this one.”
If you sense playoff hunger in those words, you are mighty perceptive. Against a Tappan Zee team (18-2) whose only loss of the season was back on Jan. 17 at Byram Hills, the Garnets (14-6) sent a direct message to all of Class AA in Section 1: they can beat anybody.
“Rocklan is a gamer,” coach Tom Proudian said of Boisseau, his hard-charging, tough-rebounding senior. “Many times this season that kid has set a tone of toughness for this team. These boys play so unselfishly. Even when we don’t shoot that well, like against Harrison, we find a way to push through.”
Tappan Zee was uncharacteristically on their heels from the tipoff. Rye jumped out to a 15-2 lead, and the Dutchmen never fully recovered. With the Garnets leading 25-17 at the half, Tappan Zee had an answer for Rye’s defense in the second half. They fought their way back to tie the low-scoring game at 38 with 4:19 left to play, but that was as close as they got.
Not only did Tappan Zee never lead in this one, they couldn’t stop “Monsieur Agitation” (Mr. Hustle in French) Boisseau from grabbing four game-altering second-half rebounds. The senior also led Rye in points with 11, all in the second half. Senior Jake Kessner and junior Carson Miller each added nine.
Bottom line: Rye will be an extremely difficult opponent for any challenger in the playoffs.
RYE 54, HARRISON 49 – Momentum in sports is such an interesting concept. You can’t see it, but if you’re in the gym, you can feel it.
In physics, it’s this: momentum (p) = mass (m) x velocity (v).
In high school basketball, it’s this: defensive pressure + untimely turnovers – unlucky missed shots + made monster 3-point basket = victory on Senior Night. A simple formula really.
Harrison (11-8) had all the momentum, taking a 27-16 at the half. It was by far Rye’s lowest-scoring half of the season. In the third quarter, that momentum thing showed up. The Garnets chipped away and took their first lead with 5:07 remaining on a 3-pointer from junior Henry Shoemaker right in front of Rye’s student section.
Kessner led Rye with 15 points, Shoemaker scored 11, and senior Patrick McGuire roared off the bench to score six points and contribute his strongest minutes of the season.
The shot of the night – and one for the season highlight reel – came with 36 seconds left in the game. Rye trailed Harrison 49-48. Kessner pulled up from the top of the key, just outside the arc, with Harrison senior Drew Haines in his face, and buried a 3-pointer to nudge Rye ahead 51-49. After a few free throws late, that was ball game.
Momentum.
