With just one game left in the regular season, Rye High School’s girls’ basketball team has an 8-11 record, the result of a five-game losing streak the past two weeks.
It began Jan. 24 as Rye succumbed to Nyack High 49-31. The Garnets struggled offensively, with only four players on the squad scoring. Sophomore Phoebe Greto led the team with 16 points.
Two days later, in front of a packed gym at Rye High School, the Garnets played with energy and vigor throughout, but were soundly defeated 64-43 by a much more talented Harrison team. Sophomore Paige Tepedino led the Garnets with 15 points.
The team next traveled to Ardsley, where they again struggled offensively. The game ended in a 66-43 loss for Rye, with Greto and Tepedino scoring 14 and 10 points, respectively, in the losing effort.
In a Feb. 2 game at home against Pelham, the Garnets led by five points at halftime but ultimately lost 46-41 in a game that was close throughout. As with the Harrison game, Rye played with intensity and determination but came up short at the end. Tepedino led the team with 16 points.
Then, this past Tuesday, Rye took on the defending New York state champions, Walter Pannas, at Rye High, where those attending were treated to an outstanding game of high school basketball. The young Garnets played their best game of the season and stayed close to the state champs for all four quarters before succumbing by a score of 66-61. Greto had 19 points, eighth-grader Stella Maresca had her best game of the year with 14 points, and Tepedino contributed 13.
Throughout this tough stretch, Rye has played some very tough competitors: Harrison, for example, is ranked third in Class AA, Ardsley is second in Class A and Walter Panas is third in Class A. Collectively, those three teams are 55-10 on the season – a winning rate of 84.7 percent.
Rye concludes its regular season Feb. 9, on the road against Edgemont, and plays its first state Section 1 playoff game Feb. 16, on the road against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
