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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Dobbs Ferry had just worked its way back from a nine-point deficit to even the score with Albertus Magnus midway through the second quarter on Saturday.
The top-seeded Eagles were playing without leading scorer and rebounder, Eric Paschall, because of a suspension from two questionable technical foul calls in their semifinal win. Despite his involuntary absence, the Eagles were riding a momentum wave, but the Falcons immediately halted it.
Second-seeded Albertus Magnus went on a run the remainder of the first half and continued it into the second half in a 66-48 win over the top seed in the Section 1 Class B Boys Basketball Championship final at the Westchester County Center.
The Falcons, now 20-2, advance to a regional semifinal against the Section 9 champion on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Mount St. Marys College in Newburgh. All-tournament selection Jack Sullivan led the Falcons with a game-high 22 points and pick Joe McGuinness had 14 points. Tournament most valuable player Tyler Sayre added 12 points.
Eric was definitely a loss, but we are not going to make any excuses, said senior Eddie Ritch, who had 12 points and was selected to the all-tournament team. We are a very good team and we gave it 110 percent effort all four quarters. We just got beat by a better team today.
Albertus Magnus led, 18-12, after one and extended to 21-12 30 seconds in on a Sullivan three. Dobbs Ferry stormed back with nine consecutive points, capped by a Nick Kost layup, from Thomas Fleming (13 points) with 4:25 remaining. After an Albertus Magnus time out, the teams traded baskets, but it was the Falcons who answered the Eagles surge with one of their own.
In the final three minutes and five seconds, the Falcons scored the last eight points, then opened the second half with the first six, in 70 seconds, to grab a 38-23 lead.
It seemed like every time we had a run, they had one, Ritch said. We all had faith in each other and we were not going to back down. We just could not pull it off.
Ritch was instrumental in leading the Eagles to one of their finest seasons in program history, finishing with a 19-2 record. Even though Ritch graduates in June, he will always remember this basketball season.
We had a great season, said Ritch, who will now prepare for baseball season. This will be one of my favorite seasons. I couldnt have asked for anything better.
Ritch credited his teammates and said next year, the Eagles will be a very good team once again.
Albertus Magnus 18 14 17 17 -- 66 Dobbs Ferry 12 11 6 19 -- 48
Albertus Magnus (66) -- Arnell Dandridge 3-0-6, Pat McGuiness 4-5-14, Jack Sullivan 9-1-22, Tom McConnell 5-0-10, Tyler Sayre 5-2-12, James McEntee 0-0-0, Ryan Smith 0-0-0, Matt Dale 0-0-0, Brian McFadden 1-0-2, Owen Lorenz 0-0-0, Andrew Schweitzer 0-0-0. Totals: 27-8-66. Dobbs Ferry (48) -- Eddie Ritch 4-0-12, Spencer Avalos 2-0-4, John Yozzo-Scaperrotta 1-2-4, Thomas Fleming 5-2-13, Danny Crowe 2-0-4, Matt Latainer 0-0-0, Nick Kost 3-0-7, Ivan Miskovic 0-0-0, Darien Bica 0-0-0, George Roca 1-0-2, Kenyon Roberts 1-0-2. Totals: 19-4-48. 3-point goals -- AM: Sullivan 3, McGuinness; DF: Ritch 4, Kost, Fleming.
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