Hoops: Scarsdale Rallies but Falls to Tigers

The Scarsdale Raiders lost to the White Plains Tigers in a bruising defensive basketball game Thursday night. 

Both teams battled foul trouble throughout the game and White Plains was able to shut down the Raiders throughout most of the second half en route to a 64-56 victory in Scarsdale.

"For about 30 minutes we played fine," said Scarsdale Head Coach John Feld.  "We played hard, we played strong, we played intense and not the smartest we've ever played but we are getting there."

It was a roller coaster game for the Raiders as they were able to control the tempo at times and unable to find any rhythm at others. Scarsdale played particularly well in the second quarter, opening with an 8-0 run and finishing with a late basket that put the Raiders ahead by a point at halftime.

But in the second half the full-court defensive pressure by White Plains was too much for the Raiders to handle. White Plains pressured Scarsdale from one end of the floor to the other, resulting in a handful of turnovers that led to transition baskets.

"Our ball handling and handling pressure isn't our top talent," said Scarsdale Senior David Bougard. "We had a lot of trouble getting the ball over the half court line, once we got there it was pressure, pressure, pressure. It kills us every single time."

White Plains held Scarsdale to only seven points in the third quarter, building a 44-42 lead.

"I think their defense wore us out a little bit," said Feld. "Give them credit; they are a very good defensive team, very good defensive team. They're very well-coached."

Scarsdale did make a late run at White Plains in the fourth quarter. After a key three-point basket by White Plains guard Nick Cutsumpas with 2:19 remaining, the game appeared to be out of reach.  But the Raiders made a push in the final two minutes.  A traditional three-point play by Henry Hirsch, who finished with a team high 18 points, started a rally that brought the game to within four.

But the Tigers brushed off any hopes of a Scarsdale comeback by hitting four consecutive free throws down the stretch to end the rally, holding on for a hard fought victory that pushed their record to 6-2.

The loss is Scarsdale's second in a row and drops their overall record to 5-4. They will now look to turn things around when they host Lincoln High School on Monday night.

"It's not always about playing hard, it's about finishing," said Bougard after the game. "This was supposed to be one of our statement games but we kind of let it slip from us again."