The Mamaroneck Tigers may not have learned any important lessons about themselves in their first-round game against Port Chester on Friday night, but at this stage in the game, the only thing that matters is surviving and advancing. The No. 3 Tigers did just that as they overwhelmed an outgunned Rams team, cruising to a 94-30 win in front of a raucous home crowd.
Mamaroneck head coach Tyrone Carver admitted that, while the game might not have served to give the Tigers much in the way of late-game, high-pressure scenarios, he was pleased with the way his squad maintained its focus through four quarters of play.
“It was really just about execution on our end,” he said. “Making sure we were doing the little things right and taking care of the things we had to take care of.”
Mamaroneck had no shortage of stars on the evening, led by a terrific performance from Ethan Glassman, who finished with a game-high 29 points—just one fewer point than was scored by the entire Port Chester team. Freshman Will Plunkett added a double-double, notching 12 points and 10 rebounds.
According to Carver, Plunkett and fellow freshman Brandon Burrell have made great strides this year alongside upperclassmen stars like Glassman and Aidan Roy and have been a big part of the success enjoyed by the Tigers.
“These guys have been starters from day one, and they haven’t really played like freshman,” said Carver. “They’ve been solid contributors since the start of the year.”
With their first-round game behind them, the Tigers will need one more victory to secure a berth at the Westchester County Center. They will face a familiar foe in the Class AA quarterfinals, however, as they get set for a third meeting with league rival Scarsdale—a No. 6 seed—on Friday, Feb. 24.
The Tigers and Raiders split the regular season series, with Scarsdale earning a 61-55 win on Jan.13 and Mamaroneck returning the favor with a 62-51 win on Feb. 7. Despite the high stakes of the quarterfinal tilt, Carver is confident that his team will be ready to go when they step back out on the court this week.
“It’s always our desire to make sure we’re playing our best basketball going into the postseason and I definitely feel like we’re playing our best basketball right now,” said Carver.
“Our goal isn’t just to win one game, our goal is ultimately to compete to win a championship.”
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