It’s impressive enough that the Rye girls basketball team surged into the Sectional semifinals with a 27-point home win. But even the lopsided final score, 47-20, doesn’t do justice to the stifling defense the Garnets played in Thursday’s Section 1 Class AA quarterfinal matchup against Yorktown.
The Huskers didn’t reach double figures until midway through the third quarter, and trailed by 31 entering the fourth quarter, when Rye emptied its bench in the last home game of the season.
Next up is a trip to Westchester County Center, where the second-seeded Rye girls (19-3) will play No. 3 seed Tappan Zee (15-7), which beat Clarkstown South 71-56 on Thursday. The semifinal is set for 3 p.m. Tuesday.
“Reaching the semifinals at the County Center is incredibly exciting, but our work isn’t done yet,” said Rye coach Margo Hackett. “The girls will be ready to compete on Tuesday.”
That was clearly the case in the Garnets’ first two postseason games, both wins of 20-plus points. The outcome of Thursday’s game was decided early, as the Garnets made six of their first nine shots, and forced five first-quarter turnovers, including four steals, for a quick 15-3 lead.
Yorktown hit a corner 3 to start the second quarter, then Rye responded with 18 straight points. The Huskers didn’t score again until drawing a foul at the buzzer before halftime and sinking both free throws to make it 33-8.
“Our defense has been a staple for us all season,” Hackett said. “We rely on our athletes to up the tempo in the press and force turnovers. Our defense has led to most of our success this season.”
Among the first-quarter flurry were back-to-back 3-pointers by eighth-grader Charlotte Storz, who led Rye with 15 points. Junior Phoebe Greto joined her in double figures with 11 points. Seniors Molly Kennedy and Kathleen Denvir added seven and six points.
“Charlotte has really stepped up offensively for us this season,” Hackett said. “Paige Tepedino and Phoebe Greto have been our reliable leaders throughout, and we’ll continue to lean on them as we push through the playoffs.”
If Rye beats Tappan Zee on Tuesday, the girls will advance to the Sectional championship on Saturday, March 8. That matchup will be against top-seeded Panas (21-1), which handed Rye one of its three losses in the regular season, or No. 4 Mahopac (15-7), a team Rye beat on the road to win the Mahopac tournament title on Dec. 28.
