In golf, they say you can’t birdie all 18 holes unless you birdie the first.
In Section 1 playoff basketball, you can’t make it to Westchester County Center unless you win your first-round game.
Rye’s boys and girls basketball teams did just that Saturday.
The Rye boys beat Lakeland 55-33. Sophomore Ben Hudson led Rye with 15 points, while junior Carson Miller added 10 points, and senior Rocklan Boisseau scored nine.
Hudson drained three 3-pointers in the first quarter, as Rye jumped out to a 15-10 lead after one. After a well-played first half from both sides, Rye earned some breathing room in the third quarter, outscoring the Hornets 18-4.
“We worked hard this past week,” said coach Tom Proudian. “We’ve been preparing for this postseason tournament all year long. We rested (junior Henry) Shoemaker today, but he’ll be ready to go Thursday.”
As the No. 3 seed in Section 1 Class AA, the Garnets (15-6) will host No. 6 Nyack (14-7) on Thursday. The winner will advance to play at Westchester County Center on March 4.
The Rye girls beat Somers 48-23. Junior Paige Tepedino led Rye with 15 points. Tough Rye Middle School eighth-grader Charlotte Storz had a particularly strong game on both sides of the ball, scoring 13 points, and junior Phoebe Greto added nine. Freshman point guard Stella Maresca looked beyond-her-years comfortable running the offense and protecting the ball.
As the No. 2 seed, the Garnets (18-3) will host No. 10 Yorktown (13-8) on Thursday. The winner will advance to play at Westchester County Center on March 4.
