Sports
Irvington Girls onto Finals in Slam Dunk Tourney (VIDEO)
A combination of size and speed propel the Bulldogs past the Jamestown Red Raiders
The Irvington Bulldogs girls basketball team played their opening game in the 13th Annual Slam Dunk Tournament at the Westchester County Center against the Jamestown Red Raiders Wednesday afternoon.
In the end, the Bulldogs’ size and quickness were too much for the Raiders. Irvington pulled out to a huge halftime lead and cruised through the second half on their way to a 69-49 win.
“Tomorrow we have Mount Vernon in the finals and they are going to be some tough competition,” said Irvington Head Coach Gina Maher. “We had a few lapses today and we can’t do that and get away with it.”
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Brittany Lai was all over the ball in the first half. Lai handled the ball easily and never looked startled. Whether dishing the rock or spinning up the lane, Lai was getting herself and her teammates into ideal scoring positions.
Martins also was all over the glass on her way to a first half double-double including five offensive rebounds. Martins had a nose for the ball, boxed out well and was able to finish around the basket. The tenacity shown by Martins on the glass and the job Lai did handling the ball and running the offense propelled the Bulldogs to a 39-22 halftime lead.
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“[Martins and Lai] know each other so well from playing together over the years,” said Maher. “They just know where to look and where the other one is going to be on the floor. When the rest of the team is involved, like they were today, we are at our best.”
Despite trailing big after the half, it was the third quarter that was the Red Raiders’ undoing. Jamestown fell into the trap of trying to get the entire lead back all at once. There was still half of the game to be played but the Red Raiders were shooting three pointers early in their possessions and that really played into the Bulldogs' hands.
Off each Jamestown miss, Irvington pushed the ball up court and did an excellent job of getting points in transition. The Bulldogs built on their lead and put the game away before the start of the fourth.
“Coach Maher has us focus on one thing at a time and our next goal is to win this tournament,” said Martins. “We played great today and need to keep playing as a team if we want to bring that goal home.”
Irvington will face off against Mount Vernon 2 p.m. Thursday at the County Center.
