A terrific 2018-19 campaign came to an end for the Tuckahoe basketball team on March 9, as the Tigers bowed out in the Class C state regional finals, falling to Long Island power Greenport 91-77 at Centereach High School. Despite a quick start, Tuckahoe fell victim to the Porters’ pressure, as the Section XI champion was able to control the tempo en route to a decisive victory.

Tuckahoe looked strong early on, heading into the second quarter of play with a 21-16 lead. But Greenport’s defensive aggressiveness began to take its toll on the Tigers, who trailed 45-40 at the half. The Porters made the most of some Tuckahoe miscues in a 9-1 run to open the second half, leading by as many as 14 points as the Section I champions’ 24 turnover proved an obstacle too big to overcome.

“We’d seen the press and we had played against a lot of teams who pressed, but ultimately, I think what happened is that we got a little fatigued,” Tuckahoe coach Ben Newman said. “You get tired, your passes aren’t as crisp, you’re not seeing them all the way through, and that’s when deflections happen.”

Greenport was paced by standout guard Jaxan Swann, who tallied 27 points and 9 rebounds, but also spearheaded the Porters’ press and finished with 5 steals on the afternoon.

“[Swann] was really the driving factor,” Newman said. “He was lightning quick, his hands were active, and I think that’s a big thing that led to the 24 turnovers.”

Tuckahoe was led by Malik Moore-Crooks—who scored 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds—and Ivan Hernandez’s 18 points, who kept the Tigers in the game after Greenport’s surge, cutting the lead to single digits in the remaining minutes of the game.

“I told them afterwards, I was completely proud of the way they kept going at it, because they easily could have folded and said ‘this game is over,’ ” Newman said. “They kept fighting, but unfortunately, the ball went in a little more for Greenport than it did for us.”

The Tigers finished the season with a 17-7 record and despite the fact that the team will lose its top two scorers in Moore-Crooks and Hernandez, Newman is confident that the success the team enjoyed this winter will pay off as the team looks to gain momentum in the offseason.

“We were getting texts from the guys the next day about getting back in the gym and working out,” Newman said. “They fell short of what they were hoping for and they didn’t want this to end but they’re ready to go again.”