OK, it’s safe to say Kevin and I are absolutely exhausted after six long days here at the County Center. I definitely started to get punchy, “that was until the controversial ending to the Class A boys championship game.”:http://kickoff.lohudblogs.com

first off, it looks like the comments are up and running. I’d love to hear what everyone has to say about what was obviously an eventful week.

Secondly, I had a tremendous time this week. I met and hung out (you know who you are) with an incredible number of people I’d never really known much about before and it made this the best County Center week BY FAR of the three I’ve been a part of. So thank you.

As you can imagine, I am tired and hungry AGAIN and my girlfriend is awaiting my return to her side. So let’s get on to the recap…

WHITE PLAINS 66, MOUNT VERNON 56: This was about the score I expected but not nearly the way I expected it to happen.

For much of the first half, Mount Vernon looked like the better team, or at worst White Plains’ equal, and everyone I spoke to courtside was stunned. Even I asked in a post, could an upset be possible? But with the Tigers three leaders in their ninth game in this building, the upset was not in the card. Kim Adams caught fire in the second half and Liz Flooks did a tremendous job denying Kwinnyata Mercer the ball once White Plains switched to a man-to-man defense after it fell behind 21-15 midway through the second quarter. And in and around everything Adams, the MVP, and Flooks did in victory, Angelei Aguirre played one of the best games of her career. She had 17 points, 10 boards and four assists and was a constant presence on both ends.

“That’s Angelei Aguirre,” Sue Adams said afterward. “That’s exactly what we need from her.”

Much of the postgame talk centered around whether or not White Plains could win after losing all it lost from the two teams that advanced to the Class AA state championship game. The coach, Adams and Flooks all said no one thought they could win the section again. I don’t know that that is entirely true. I think many people may have wondered if they were capable, and it turned out that they were exactly that. By the end, the Tigers won their league title; went unbeaten against the other three tournament semifinalists (6-0); and beat two of their League I-A foes twice at the County Center.

I think the amazing part was not that White Plains won again, but HOW it won. It was a challenge but it doesn’t seem like it when you look back, and I think that’s the most impressive thing of all.

As for the Knights, they will be back. Nadia Duncan matured tremendously this week and proved she is one of the best players in the section. She had 23 points and 13 rebounds vs. Ursuline and was well on her way to another double-double when she encountered foul trouble in the second, third and fourth quarters.

And don’t forget Kwinnyata Mercer – far and away the most improved player this season – and the eighth graders, Lynasia Frazier and Carece Moore, who were major contributors to a finalist before they even left junior high. Frazier was there all season running the point, but it was the emergence of Moore, who battled injuries during the regular season, that seemed to round Mount Vernon into a team that upset Ursuline and North Rockland in the playoffs.

For White Plains, it’s on to Tuesday’s Class AA state regional semifinals. The Tigers face Section 4 champion Union-Endicott here at 6 p.m.

Here’s the all-tournament team:
Kim Adams, White Plains (MVP)
Liz Flooks, White Plains
Kwinnyata Mercer, Mount Vernon
Nadia Duncan, Mount Vernon
Rosie Crean, Ursuline
Jackie Alemany, Scarsdale

LAKELAND 49, PEARL RIVER 41: This was the one we’d waited for all season and it was decided in the final two minutes, just like you’d have hoped.

After a long, defensive game filled with trips to the free throw line and turnovers, Amy Voelkel made a basket off a pass from Rosemarie Fazio. Voelkel’s layup seemed to sit in the sky for a moment before falling through the hoop, and it turned the very quiet and calm senior emotional. She said afterward she’s been waiting until the Hornets won to explode, and that appeared to be the case. Not only did Voelkel, the MVP, scream after putting the Hornets ahead 44-41 with two minutes left, she was as excited as I’ve ever seen her on a basketball court when the buzzer finally sounded.

Emotions were everywhere following the game. Voelkel was excited after winning her third championship in as many sports. Sarah Benischek – who actually noticed the eerieness of the scoreboard reading exactly the same through three quarters as it did during last year’s crushing loss to Our Lady of Lourdes – was reflective. And Steve Fallo, who was the coach when the program won its only other championships in 1988 and 1989, momentarily broke down in tears.

Fallo was choked up when talking about Fazio, who was so sick tonight she left the bench in the first half to get some Advil.

“She played so hard,” Fallo said.

So did Pearl River, which forced a remarkable 27 Lakeland turnovers and made this anyone’s game until the final minute. Coach Lorraine Moylan said she couldn’t have asked for anything more from her players, who were smaller at nearly every position and were outrebounded 33-21. The Pirates had big baskets and defensive plays late in the game from Ellen Woolgar and Kelly Mulligan – the type of moments that help win championships – but they just couldn’t quite overcome Lakeland in the final moments.

Lakeland plays its state regional semifinal on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at SUNY New Paltz.

Here’s a look at the all-tournament team:
Amy Voelkel, Lakeland (MVP)
Sarah Benischek, Lakeland
Rosemarie Fazio, Lakeland
Kerri Confrey, Pearl River
Kaitlyn O’Keefe, Pearl River
Kara Tancredi, Beacon

OK, that is all for now. I’ll be back tomorrow with some final thoughts from the tournament and some of my favorite photos from throughout the week. Again, I thank everyone for helping me have such a good time this week…