End of the game, Mount Vernon moves on to the championship 65-47
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- March
- 1
MOre after the interviews…
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Rosie Crean has been a monster, socring 15 points in the second half, but Mount Vernon has been able to keep the Koalas a safe distance away.
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OK, things just started to get a little closer, as Ursuline finished the quarter on a 10-4 run. The Koalas started to slow down Mercer, who had just two free throws in that quarter.
Rosie Crean has nine point to end the third quarter, including a big And 1. I’ll be back with a final.
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As you read in my previous post, Kwinnyata Mercer was lighting it up for Mount Vernon. Well, she played even better in the second quarter and already has 17 points on 7 of 9 shooting. Overall, the Knights are 15 for 26 and have forced 18 Ursuline turnovers.
I’ll tell you again, this would be amazing if Mount Vernon advances to the championship, but it sure looks like a strong possibility.
Ursuline is having serious trouble beating Mount Vernon’s press. Even when it does, the Knights are swarming the ball in the half court and forcing the issue. If the Koalas don’t figure out a way to take care of the ball, Mount Vernon will move on.
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OK, great first quarter by Kwinnyata Mercer and Nadia Duncan, who have led Mount Vernon to a slim lead after 1. It looks like they’ll have to keep it up. So far, Tricia Liller has done her thing guarding Lynasia Frazier but Mercer and Duncan have been there to bail their team out.
Mercer has 12 and Rosie Crean has six for Ursuline.
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Pregame: Great scene at midcourt before the game as Beth Wooters and Patrice Wallace-Moore talked for about 10 minutes as their respective teams warmed up. I had been talking to Ossining coach Dan Ricci at the time near the press table and Wooters and Wallace-Moore both gestured over to Ricci like they were going to belly-flop at center court.
If you remember, Ricci did just that three years ago after beating the Knights in OT for the championship.
OK, we’re in the middle of introductions. I’ll be back with several updates throughtout the game. I know the Mount Vernon girls hope they play better than the boys, who were nearly upset by North Rockland.
More to come…
This entry was posted
on Thursday, March 1st, 2007 at 1:56 pm by Josh Thomson. 
| 
Josh Thomson has done some of everything since joining The Journal News in March 2003. He began working for the Gannett weeklies during the winter of 2002 as a freelance writer. He joined the daily staff soon after and has since covered various high school and pro sports. Away from sportswriting, Josh lives in Westchester and spends his free time either with his fiancee, Sarah, or expertly managing his various championship-winning fantasy sports teams. He's visited 21 major-league baseball stadiums and insists that Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are the best by far. Josh graduated from Carmel High School in 1998, then went to Boston University, where, in 2002, he received a degree in communications with a minor in history.
It would be great to have both girls and boys win championshps.
Good Luck LADY KNIGHTS!
Basketball… Its what we do….It aint nutthin but a KNIGHT THANG BABY!
I’d love to see Ricci do another belly flop, opps no he can’t his team lost.
BTW, two of the most hated coaches in the section by fans, Ricci and Wooters. Maybe good coaches and , maybe decent people off the court,
but on the court, the two most inappropraiate coaches we’ve ever seen. The yelling, the screaming, the stomping, the antics, the whining. HORRIBLE FOR THE KIDS TO SEE ALL OF THIS. GET OVER YOURSELVES AND COACH YOUR KIDS, thats all. Do nothing else.
SO MANY REFEREES HAVE RICCI ON THIER NON-PREFERRED LIST THAT I’M SUPPRISED HE CAN GET TWO REFS TO DO HIS GAMES.
Mount Vernon dictated the style of play through out the game. The Knights never allowed Ursuline to get into the flow, or develop a rhythm. Ursuline would have had the advantage in a half court game where they could post up the smaller Knights, but Mount Vernon would have no part of that. They harassed the Koalas for 90 feet, and never allowing them to get into a comfort zone. Nadia Duncan is listed at 5’ 10 but plays like 6’4. Mercer is deadly from the perimeter and has the ability to take it to the hole. Their young guards create kayos from one end of the court to the other. This team is the real deal.
Great Game MV! Relentless play, tough defense, extremely well coached team. They play with a lot of guts, they have the drive to win!
White Plains watch out – 2007 YEAR OF THE UPSETS!
Hey throw in that clown from Haldane….ever seen him..pumping his chest??? WOW are you kidding me…IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU…
I agree with you Hey!
Hey everyone, let’s calm down with the coach bashing. Ricci and Wooters are two of the best coaches in Section 1 – and we’re not just talking girls basketball here. There’s no reason to come on here and bash these people. I don’t think either of them is making the game about themselves, they are just passionate.
Coach Ricci is by far not about himself. My daughter was on empires with him and he is all about the kids. I have observed him for 9 years. He takes his kids everywhere. Goes to see them play in college its not about him you have no clue to who coach Ricci is as a person. So get your facts straight. bball fan you would be lucky if your kid had him as a coach.
i agree. coach ricci is a great guy, one of the best coaches ive ever played for. no need to trash the coaches. additionally, his coaching style is energetic, lively, and effective.
Hey and bballfan they have a name for you and that name is WANNABEE. You are probably the typical CYO dad that thinks because you got your fifth grade team to the championship game that you have a clue. I’m here to tell you that you don’t. Did you ever stop to think that what these coaches do inspires their kids to play harder. Is it coincidental that these coaches are successful year in and year out? That you see these coaches at County Center year in and year out? The “clown” from Haldane has taken two different teams in two different classes to the final four. He’s coaching at County Center while you are sitting home playing with yourself while you type your funny little quips. How many of you taken to the final four? Not in kiddie land but in real big people basketball. At 2:00p on Saturday the “clown” will be beating his chest and playing for a gold ball. What will you be doing besides sitting in the stands and bemoaning the fact that no one ever saw your coaching genius? “I coulda been a contender ma!!” You know what the difference is between you and Coach Wooters and Coach Desiderio? They didn’t have to buy their ticket to get into County Center and you did.
Good luck in this weeks big grudge match with Cunningham Hardware I hear they have a 3”9 big man that will give you fits…
That is hysterical Haldane Rocks! and quite accurate too! I have seen Coach D at the County Center the last couple of days and it didn’t seem like the girls coming up to him congratulating him and wishing him luck had a problem with him. I saw kids from Scarsdale, Briarcliff, Valhalla and other schools wishing him and his team luck and more importantly I heard him asking about them and wishing them luck as well. He didn’t seem like it was about him. I have seen Coach Ricci there every day with lots of people and kids coming up to him and exchanging pleasantries. He sure didn’t seem like it was about him. Get a clue and if you can’t find one go buy one.
I did not say anything about the off the court things about RICCI nor his intensity or his coaching ability.
When the ball goes up and he is on the sideline coaching, HE IS A DISGRACE TO THE GAME.
AS I SAID BEFORE, he has trouble getting two refs for his games because everyone has him on thier non-preferred list. No one wants to deal with his antics, shouting, and stopping up and down the sidelines.
On the court during the game, HE SHOWS NO CLASS. He show intensity and have a lot of passion but he is a detrement to section 1.
WHEN THE FANS SEE HIM ACTING LIKE THIS, THEY FEEL ITS OK FOR THEM TO ACT THE SAME WAY AND THATS WHEN THING GET OUT OF HAND. He is a bad example for the athletes, fans, and anyone associated with section 1 girls bball.
I knew Coach Ricci was powerful but I didn’t realize he was powerful enough to incite mayhem and riots? Maybe we should send him to Iraq to clean things up over there!
who said anything about mayhem and riots????
who said anything about mayhem and riots????
“WHEN THE FANS SEE HIM ACTING LIKE THIS, THEY FEEL ITS OK FOR THEM TO ACT THE SAME WAY AND THATS WHEN THING GET OUT OF HAND.”
I hear that Coach Ricci is the ringleader of the “Barbie Bandits”! The authorities should have put him in charge of crowd control at the Peekskill/Port Chester game last night! Those hooligans wouldn’t have started any fights with Sheriff Ricci in da house!!
Hey bballfan I was watching ESPN this morning and they said that Chico’s Bail Bonds just made a big trade. They picked up Johnny Jordan a 2”11 swingman who tore up the 2nd grade Iron League last year! You better watch out or you won’t get that trophy you are shooting for this year! If that’s not bad enough AP is reporting that Coach Ricci has been banned from Section I and his next job will be Coaching against you next year! You better get that CYO hardware before Captain Mayhem comes to town!!
bball fan…95% of everything Ricci says is directed at his team, and almost all of it is positive. He just happens to have a big voice. The No. 1 thing you hear from him during a game is the word “BANG,” which he says anytime one of his players has an open look at a 3. I hardly think this is the type of thing that forces the crowd to get out of hand.
Ossining HS has the best environment for girls basketball in Section 1. Other than the occasional malfunctioning shot clock, I’ve never seen anything unruly happen at a game there. Sorry.
Hey bballfan ???? You had an opportunity tonight to approach both Coach Ricci and my self to express you opion.
I’m sure you were at the county center and so were we. We do not hide behind a screen name. Every time we respond we have used our names. Can’t say the same for you. Can’t you put your name after your opinions or are you a coward. Looking foward to your cowardess response.
Just watch him today…Does he pound his chest and point to the sky…OR show some class and respect towards the other team….Just watch…
It is pretty clear that the people (1 or 2 of you cowards out there) who knock Coach Ricci have a personal agenda. You are most likely a parent (or a player) whose kid got cut from Empires. He ia all about the kids and not just Ossining’s kids. Just ask anyone of the girls who have played for him. He always supports them, goes to their college games and goes out of his way to promote girls basketball in Section 1. He has alot of energy and doesnt show up another team’s players.