Rye Neck Boys Hoops Gets No Break and Doesn't Want One

Winter Break may be upon the local school systems but the Rye Neck Boys Basketball team is getting no break. And they don’t want one.

The Panthers improved their record to 18-3 this 21-22 season by winning Round 1 of the NY Section 1 Class B playoffs in convincing fashion 51-33 over Pleasantville.

Playing before a “blackout” home crowd that was fired up, Rye Neck scored the first basket on an acrobatic drive to the hoop by junior Ronan West. They would never relinquish the lead.

All season, the hometown Panthers use multiple ways to score but their defense is what generates the wins. They’ve held opponents to just over 42 points per game on the season and Pleasantville was fortunate to eclipse 30. Rye Neck’s defense kept Pleasantville under wraps all game, forcing them into contested 3’s that rarely went in. The mix of fast hands from the guards and long limbs in the paint meant Pleasantville rarely look comfortable. 6’5” senor James Paul and 6’3” junior RJ Hutt used their length to swat shots and grab rebounds the shorter opponent could only hope to reach.

With the game 26-18 at halftime, RN pushed their lead with just about every possession in the 2nd half. Hutt began to assert himself against shorter defenders while senior Ryan Cantu made timely buckets on a mix of jumpers and drives to prevent Pleasantville from mounting any momentum. Coach Mike Denman emphasized to his team to get to the paint rather than rely on deep shots, and the strategy paid off as Rye Neck took only 2 three-pointers in the 2nd half, opting instead to drive where their height and strength paid off. RN had all the energy and juice, and no matter how much trash talking was happening on the floor, the they were not giving an inch in this game.

In the end, RN simply stifled Pleasantville, controlling the game’s pace. Hutt dropped in 16 points to go with 14 boards and 6 assists, as he showcased his all-around game. Cantu contributed 9 points, while West had 8, all in the 1st half. Beyond the main point-producers, RN’s frontline bodies of Paul, junior Luke West and sophomore Zefi Zyngier kept up the pressure, banging away for rebounds and layups that showed the whole gym the depth of the team. When Paul swatted a Pleasantville layup attempt into the far wall, the home crowd exploded in howls and cheers.

Next up for this squad is a Round 2 matchup at #4 seed Edgemont Friday 2/25 at 5:30. Edgemont beat Rye Neck on a buzzer-beater back in the 2nd game of the season in a wild affair. Will revenge be served by the Panthers? We’ll know by Friday night.

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