Mixed Results for Raiders at Opening Season Basketball Tournament

Michael Callahan takes a jump shot early in the game.Scarsdale hosted the 11th Annual Kari Pizzitola Holiday Basketball Tournament on December 5 and 7.  The turnout was strong for all the games and the hosting Raiders boys and girls teams began their seasons with two hard fought games each.

After losses in the opening round on December 5, both teams played in the consolation round on Saturday afternoon December 7.  The boys took on the Gaels from All Hallows HS and the girls hosted John Jay Cross River High School. 

The boys played first – and, saw a defensive-oriented first quarter end with All Hallows leading 8-7.  Neither team could get much going on the offensive side of the ball.  In the second quarter the Gaels applied substantial pressure on the Raiders ball handlers and put a full court press on.  This combined with a domination on the boards led to All Hallows taking an 8 point lead midway through the second quarter.  Things got worse for the Raiders as Scarsdale Co-Captain Jayshen Saigal picked up his third foul after back to back charging calls – and was called to the bench for the rest of the half with only four points.  Scarsdale then went over the foul limit, and the Gaels were near perfect from the foul line.  When the whistle sounded at the end of the half, the Raiders were on the wrong end of a 29-18 score. 

As flustered as the Raiders were in the second quarter, they came out of the locker room for the second half looking like an entirely new team.  Coach Joe Amelio said “We (coaches) just told the team that we weren’t happy with the effort the team was putting up and told the seniors to figure it out.  We then left the team in the locker room and told them to figure it out.  They (the team) came onto the bench all saying, “we believe”.  

After a quick basket by All Hallows to open the second half extended the lead to 13, the Raiders began an incredible run.  Amelio put the team into a 2-3 defensive zone, which sparked several turnovers.  Jayshen Saigal then returned to form – going coast to coast on two steals and hitting a mid-range jumper.  Point guard Matthew Lipsay also got going and the Raiders cut the lead in half to 31-25 at the five minute mark of the third quarter.  Moments later, Dennis Alter drew a charge on the Gaels productive point guard Lenin Garcia – sending Garcia to the bench.  Alter then took a pass from Lipsay moments later and hit a 3 point shot.  The Raiders then continued their run: tying the score at 33 with two minutes left in the quarter and, with Saigal pouring in 12 points for the quarter taking a 39-36 lead after three quarters.  The Raiders more then doubled their output for the entire first half during the quarter and held the Gaels to only seven points.  

Coach Amelio talks to his troops during a time out.The fourth quarter saw All Hallows fight to regain the lead.  The Raiders defense came up strong again – with forwards Michael Callahan and Alter holding strong and contributing with several key rebounds on the defensive end.  Amelio’s defensive strategy – which he said he  devised after seeing the Gael’s go 1-9 from outside in the first quarter, continued to work.  The hard defense allowed All Hallows go to the foul line – especially center Devin Diaz who was near perfect from the line.  With Scarsdale clinging to a two-point lead halfway through the final quarter, Lipsay ,who finished with 12 points for the game and eight in the fourth quarter, hit back to back jumpers – giving the Raiders a six point lead. The teams traded baskets until a late three by All Hallows guard Julian Baquero brought the lead to three – but the Gaels would not come any closer as Saigal hit two late free throws after breaking the Gael’s press.  Scarsdale wounded up with a convincing 55-48 come from behind win.  Saigal finished with 22 points and Alter added 10.  Amelio was pleased with the result and said, “this win gives us momentum going into a tough week against Spring Valley and White Plains.”

Kayla Maroney drives against John Jay.The girls’ team was almost a mirror image of their male counterparts.  The team took on John Jay in the second match of the afternoon.  The first quarter saw the Raiders march out to a solid 20-11 lead.  Co-Captains Kayla Maroney and Meghan Quirk, along with sophomore forward Moira Conlan, shot the lights out and combined for all 20 Raider points.  John Jay Center Kendall Miller provided the only John Jay offense early on with several long-range shots.   

The second quarter saw the beginning of the John Jay rise.  Scarsdale went ice cold from the outside and had several turnovers during theCo- Captain Lipsay defending the All Hallows point guard. quarter – while John Jay chipped away at the lead and at the half the Raiders were left clinging to a 1-point lead: 25-24 – getting outscored 13-5 in the second quarter. 

The second half saw more of the same, John Jay’s Miller was almost unstoppable – scoring from multiple locations and several impressive drives.  She led all scorers with 21 points.  The Raiders couldn’t get their offense going – only scoring 15 points in the entire second half despite dominating the boards on both ends.  The score at the end of three quarters had Scarsdale trailing by six after it only put up six points in the entire third quarter.  Despite substantial hustle by the Raiders until the end, Scarsdale couldn’t reverse its offensive woes or stop Miller and John Jay prevailed 50-40.   

Photos by Jon Thaler - see more here: