With two games to cover in back-to-back time slots, this was probably my busiest day at the County Center so far, which also made it the quickest. I felt like I spent most of my time with my head buried in the computer. No socializing. No breaks. And worst of all, no food. For the second time in four nights, I’m starving.

At the moment, I’m sitting here right now in the near-empty building, listening to the lights buzzing in the rafters, and it feels like I just arrived here this afternoon before the White Plains boys game. I think there was some basketball played today, but it is somewhat of a blur.

Here’s what I can tell you: Unfortunately, both girls games lacked any sort of gripping drama, as both White Plains and Lakeland, the top two teams in our Top 10, earned double-digit wins. Neither team trailed the entire game after jumping ahead to a 10-0 lead.

By no means, however, can you compare Scarsdale’s chances to those of Ardsley. The Panthers trailed 25-11 at the half and lost 56-22 as Lakeland displayed its brand of physical man-to-man defense. The Hornets were too big and moved the ball too well. A poor day shooting was nothing but a minor hiccup for them. “Let the hype for Lakeland-Pearl River officially begin.”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070302/UPDATE/703020489/-1/SPORTS0274

Scarsdale, on the other hand, had its opportunities and just never quite came all the way back. The Raiders shot 21.5% from the field, including 2 for 16 in the first quarter. They struggled for a few reasons, No. 1 among them being that White Plains is too good. In fact, “as you’ll read in my story,”:http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070302/UPDATE/703020480/-1/SPORTS0274 that’s the first thing Scarsdale coach Luke Vaccaro said to me after the game.

The game was a repeat of the first two, won by 17 and 20 points by White Plains, it was just played in a bigger gym and with a much bigger crowd. The Tigers sunk back into a 2-3 zone and patiently watched Scarsdale shoot itself into a hole. The defense makes the Raiders uncomfortable and you can see it in their body language. They didn’t seem to confidently release many shots all game.

Early on, Liz Flooks started things for White Plains. She beat the Raiders back on defense, hit layups and drew free throws, which she almost always hits. Of the first 10 points White Plains scored to go ahead, all of them were in transition or a secondary fastbreak. Ultimately, the Tigers scored 20 points in the first quarter to take a 20-7 lead.

The start set a tone for the game to come, that this wouldn’t be any different than last two times. Sue Adams told me afterward that she considered making adjustments during the week but decided it wasn’t necessary. Clearly, she was right.

White Plains held its early lead throughout, even when Angelei Aguirre and Liz Flooks found some foul trouble in the second, third and fourth quarters. Kim Adams was the reason why. She had 28 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, and continues to win even more fans. The last month or so I have been besieged by people telling me how much she has improved since last season and I couldn’t agree more.

In the second half Scarsdale cut its deficit to eight three times on a variety of baskets by Jackie Alemany (25 points, 17 rebounds, four steals) – a 3, a layup and a free throw – but never sliced it any further. Adams kept making plays, the biggest of them a 3-point play in the fourth quarter, and the Raiders admittedly ran out of gas.

Afterward, Flooks (16 points, seven rebounds) and Adams talked about their team’s leadership and experience. And just think about it: For those two and Angelei Aguirre, Sunday will be their ninth game at the County Center, which rivals just about anyone. The Tigers may need that factor on their side because Mount Vernon played them tough during the regular season, including a near-upset. We’ll see what happens.

I don’t have much to add on Lakeland-Ardsley. It was that type of game the Hornets like to play, where they physically humble their opponent. Tori Jarosz, a 6-foot-2 freshman, had 18 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks off the bench, and was probably the brightest spot for Lakeland (if that’s even a proper phrase), which also had big efforts from Amy Voelkel (12 points, nine rebounds, five blocks, six steals) and Rosemarie Fazio (16 points, six steals, 8 of 8 free throws).

I won’t predict the championship yet, but I think Pearl River will have an awful lot of trouble with the Hornets size. The Pirates must press, press and press some more, in the hope of creating a crazy, back-and-forth.

Hey, Pearl River, take your advice from White Plains. Making the opponent uncomfortable can be effective. More than once, too.

Star of the day: Kim Adams, White Plains – This is an easy one. The senior guard scored 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting, and had nine boards and five assists. She hit 3’s, drove to the basket, played point guard when Aguirre was out with foul trouble, and played solid D. She proved once again that she’s one of the most versatile – if not THE most versatile – player in Section 1.