Update, 4:13 p.m.: The game is underway. After a Jorge Cruz 3, North Rockland leads 11-2 and forced a Poughkeepsie TO.
Update, 4:18 p.m.: Poughkeepsie is back. The Pioneers just reeled off a 10-4 run, capped by a layup by Dayvon Whitaker. It’s 15-12 North Rockland, but the Red Raiders were just forced to call a timeout.
Update, 4:25 p.m.: Terell Smith just scored for North Rockland at the buzzer. Red Raiders lead 19-15 at the end of the first.
Update, 4:31 p.m.: Elijah McLaurin just hit a 15-footer to give Poughkeepsie its first lead, 21-20 with 3:36 to play in the half.
Update, 4:40 p.m.: HALFTIME — North Rockland leads Poughkeepsie 28-25 at halftime. Smith scored a basket in the final minute and Shane Martinez just missed another at the buzzer.
Update, 5:00 p.m.: Basheem Bennett just scored off a steal to give Poughkeepsie a 35-33 lead midway through the third quarter. Lester Anim answered with a pair of free throws to tie it 35-35 with 3:10 left. John Perez is headed to the line to try and regain the lead. Tyquan Skinner was just whistled for his third foul for Poughkepsie.
Update, 5:05 p.m.: Whitaker just hit a 3 with 1:38 to play in the quarter to put Poughkeepsie up 41-38. The next foul will give No. Rock the bonus. Smith just hit one of two to make it 41-39 with a minute to go.
Update, 5:08 p.m.: Wow. Great sequence. Jeff Jackson just hit a 3 with less than 10 seconds left to give North Rockland a one-point lead. Whitaker raced down and responded with a 3 at the buzzer, so Poughkeepsie is now up 46-44 heading into the fourth quarter. This should be a fun finish.
Update, 5:14 p.m.: A basket by Jackson cuts it to two with 6:13 left. He misses the ensuing FT, but North Rockland rebounds, railing 49-47. After a strip, N’ate Gause dunks going the other way, but Steve Carey answers with a quick layup. … Followed by a hoop from Skinner and a steal and layup by Bennett. No. Rockland calls timeout trailing 55-49. What action. This is the Red Raiders’ largest deficit all game.
Update, 5:20 p.m.: Whitaker just dunked on a breakaway. Poughkeepsie has played an excellent quarter and has taken over. It’s 59-49 with 3:40 left.
Update, 5:22 p.m.: Whitaker added a 3, Perez answers with two FTs. Still, very late for No. Rock, which trails 62-53 with 3 minutes to play.
Update, 5:28 p.m.: Wow. Poughkeepsie was up by as many at 11 with three minutes to play, but North Rockland has cut it to 66-63 with 27.8 to play and just called timeout with the ball. Poughkeepsie was called for two charges and just missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Update, 5:30 p.m.: North Rockland went for a 2 out of the timeout and missed it. Tyree Coleman grabbed the rebound. He was fouled but stepped up and made both. Poughkeepsie lead 68-63 with 20.9 to play and No. Rockland has the ball.
Update, 5:32 p.m.: Gause just fouled out. Perez at the line for two, but No. Rock is down five with 12.4 left.
Update, 5:35 p.m.: Perez made both, but Coleman responded with two more FTs. He’s at the line again up five with :00.6 left. It’s over.
Update, 5:36 p.m.: FINAL — Poughkeepsie wins 71-65. Coleman gos 5 for 6 in the final 30 seconds. The Pioneers beat North Rockland for the second year in a row and will play the winner of the next game.
21 Comments
so what are the chances of getting in for the NR-MV game?
keep those updates coming. it is all we have because of jen simmons
what’s the crowd like?? any room for next game?
I doubt it.
Pok wins 71-65. No Rock played WELL. It just wasnt enough. Only 3 players scored for Pk in the first half. The ench stepped it up and I think POok had 5 or 6 players in or close to double figures. No Rock had control early, but Pok came alive in the 3rd and 4th Periods. 3rd trip to the championship in a row. I hope they dont become the Bufallo Bills of Section 1.
OK here we go again POK, in all the other games this decade I thought MV was the better team but this year I think you might have more talent but MV has the history and I think it will be a great game I would be very suprised if either team got blown out. Close game whoever steps up at the end will get the chip. I thought Mclauren and Skinner played real well today,Gause not so much and Whitaker is Whitaker he’s the quiet assassin. This MV team in my opinion is the weakest in the last decade but they have Jabarie and some scrappers so see u wed and good luck to both teams lets hope the refs dont get in the way.
PK played the worst I’ve seen them in the last 5 games, so credit the No Rock D. No Rock was hot early but once PK zeroed in, they took over. With all the talk about Torres, I thought he’d be the best player on the floor. Instead it was Whitaker and Gause for PK, and Jackson (#23) played real well for No Rock. Once Whitaker moved over to the 2 he got into more of a rhythm and hit some big 3’s. He also had some ridiculous passes and of course the dunk on the breakaway. Congrats Coach Laffin and the Pioneers. See you Wednesday!!!!!
With all the talent on the floor, I have to say that Coleman was THE MAN tonight, hitting those clutch free throws to clinch it for PK. Nice work, Tyree. Foul shots haven’t exactly been PK’s strong suit in the past, so it was nice to see Coleman and Gause light it up from the line tonight. That’ll be the difference again in the MV game since I think it’ll be within 10 points this time.
No chance for Pok. Let’s not get away from the fact that Hinds cannot be stopped.
ahhh! thank you Knights i was hoping you guys were not gonna be like mvfan71, being all nice! we thrive on being told we have no chance, the underdog role. keep it coming! should be a good one wed!
Knights,
And Whitaker can?
POUGHKEEPSIE WILL BE THE MORE TALENTED TEAM ON THE FLOOR EASILY….EVEN WITH HINDS BE THE BEST TALENT ON THE FLOOR….BUT THATS IRRELEVANT BECAUSE CIMMINO WILL OUT COACH LAFFIN LIKE HE DOES EVERYTIME THE TEAMS MEET…CIMMINO IS A GREAT COACH LAFFIN IS JUST A PRODUCT OF HIS PLAYERS
After three days with no power, it’s good to be back. And, it looks like I came back at the right time…
I was at the game; it was good for Poughkeepsie to get significant contributions from players other than Gause and Whitaker. Props are due to Elijah McLaurin, Basheem Bennett, and (of course) Tyree Coleman for stepping up to meet the challenge… Anyway, here’s a couple of articles from the Hudson Valley Sports Report and the Poughkeepsie Journal:
http://hudsonvalleysportsreport.com/default.aspx
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20100301/SPORTS0105/3010320/1002/SPORTS/Poughkeepsie-back-to-Class-AA-final
To “Knights”: All I have to say is that most people thought that Tappan Zee had no chance against Peekskill, and we know how that turned out. See you Wednesday…
ripdumaine
1st time i got flamed for being nice LOL but I meant what I said and we will see U wed
mvfan71 i respect your opinion, you know that was for the north rock,lancers 10541kid etc… i hope we come to play, if we do its gonna be a classic. whitaker vs hinds will be fun to watch! see u wed good luck, but go Power Kingdom!!
KEVIN1967, I have to disagree. Cimmino is the best coach hands down but if he is the best then I’d say Laffin is #2 in AA. He has beaten New Ro, WP and Peekskill (A) consistently. Pok has great talent but is a really small AA school. We are 3x’s the size there fore 3x’s the number of kids to choose from. They always have five kids that can really play. The difference has always been that the 6-10 guys on Mt. Vernon would probably start for Pok. Never an inside presence with the bulk of my boys. Great guards, great athletes but never true big man to bang with the Mitchell’s and Jones’. I think the jinx of Mt. Vernon will cause Pok to be too excited and lose again. Kevin, where do you coach? I know Cimmino has a great respect for the Pok Coach. I also do not agree with Pok being more talented. Yes they have a great one two punch but I would hardly say their 4-5 guys are more talented. In fact I think the 5 position for Pok is horrible. Bulky, short, and horrible.
Bottom line – Hinds = Big East Whitaker = MAAC
Jeff P, this aint Peekskill sir… We are Mt. Vernon!
KNIGHTS….LAFFIN IS NOT A TERRIBLE COACH BUT HE DOES NOT MOTIVATE HIS TEAM AT ALL..NOT SAYING PK FEEDS INTO THE CROWD BUT THEY PLAY FOR THERE CITY NOT THERE COACH….LAST YEAR PK BEAT THE DEFENDING STATE CHAMPS NFA IN FRONT OF HUGE CROWD OF PK FANS..PK ALSO BEAT NEW RO…NEW RO AND NFA BOTH BEAT MT.VERNON NOT SAYING THAT MEANS SOMETHING THAT PK LOST TO MV BUT TO LOSE BY 30 CIMMINO HAS LAFFIN HEART…THEN FOLLOWING THIS YEARS LOSS TO NFA POUGHKEEPSIE ALMOST LOSSED TO BEACON A TEAM THEY BEAT BY 31 EARLIER IN THE YEAR THATS A LACK OF MOTIVATION
Knights..I’m a former Pok player..and I TOTALLY AGREE with your response to KEV1967..the Pok teams almost never have ENOUGH SIZE to beat MV..In fact, the only team that did was year when Pok had Charles Spencer & Yamar Diene (sp?)..and that was the closest game, Pok played against MV at the County Center..and they still lost !...
Good points about previous Pok teams not having enough size for MV. MV has been blessed with more size than any local team that I can remember – K. Jones, Clarke, Allen and Dinham, Mitchell, going back further Greg Jenkins, Collin Watson (though a swingman, still 6’7”), Kris Ibezim, Newton Gayle, etc, etc.
Knights,
I think anyone would have to consider Spencer Mayfield at worst the 2nd best coach in AA. He has two state titles, both with teams that were not filled with major stars. His first state title had literally one great player (Jermaine Young) and a bunch of solid role players. His second state title team was undersized though very athletic and played great D. On a side note, one of the stars from the second state title team, Larry Warren, was tragically killed a few years later. If MV wasn’t around, White Plains could’ve possibly added another state title or two since. Laffin seems like a good guy and cares for his players, but he’s got a ways to go before he’s on the same coaching level as Mayfield.