A 20-day layoff wasn’t enough to slow down the Tuckahoe girls basketball team on Tuesday, as the top-seeded Tigers cruised to a Class C semifinal win over No. 4 Keio at the Westchester County Center. Shaking off the effects of inactivity, the young Tiger team jumped out to a quick lead against the Unicorns and never looked back, topping Keio 45-25 and earning the right to play defending champion Haldane for the Section I crown on Saturday afternoon.
Tuckahoe coach Andy Colasuonno said he wasn’t quite sure what to expect on Tuesday, given the relative inexperience of his squad. But it didn’t take long for the girls to rise to the occasion as Tuckahoe surged out to a 22-7 lead midway through the second quarter.
“We have four freshmen, three or four sophomores and none of our players had ever played at the County Center before,” Colasuonno said. “I thought there might be some intimidation, but they came out and played the way I knew they could today.”
Key to Tuckahoe’s success was their ability to control the offensive glass and convert on second-chance points. Sabrina Rocco led the Tigers with 11 points, but Tuckahoe also got big performances from Sophia Colasacco, who scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Olivia Mondrone, who put up eight and 10.
“I knew that if we crashed the boards like I knew we could with our size advantage, we could compete,” Colasuonno said. “We did that and we came out on top.”
Tuckahoe was also able to disrupt Keio’s offensive rhythm, especially after the Unicorns’ guard Akari Ishii picked up three first-half fouls that forced the star playmaker to the bench.
“They seem to go as [Ishii] goes, and when she came out of the game, we were able to get up, press them and force some turnovers,” he said. “And I think that led to our momentum, too.”
With the win, Tuckahoe earned the right to challenge six-time defending Class C champion Haldane for the sectional crown on March 7. No. 2 Haldane won their semifinal round matchup against Leffell School in impressive fashion, beating the Lions 63-20.
“Haldane is the defending champs six times in a row so we have a lot of work to do,” Colasuonno said. “But I think this group is ready for the challenge.”
