North Salem basketball comes up short in section final

NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - After steamrolling Keio Academy in the semifinals on March 3, North Salem’s boys basketball team faced a tall order in their quest for a section championship.

They might have been on the wrong end of the size advantage against #1 seeded Tuckahoe on March 8, but the Tigers showed no fear. 

The Westchester County Center played host to the Tiger tussle, with North Salem standing toe to toe with their larger opponents. 

“We had a difficult matchup with their big men at 6'7" & 6’3”,” explained Coach Chris Regan. “As a team that did not start a player over 5'11", this was a challenge.”

North Salem trailed late in the game but stayed within striking distance, taking possession with 4:00 left while only down by four. 

Sadly, the comeback wasn’t in the cards as Tuckahoe pulled away in the waning minutes to take a 61-47 victory. 

Junior Max Cotrone led North Salem’s scoring with 15 points, while sophomore Lucas Virzi (14 points) and junior Jameson Juan (9 points) fought tooth and nail to keep the season alive. 

After the final buzzer, Coach Regan reflected on the group that he led into battle this season.

“Overall, I am very proud of our team,” said Regan. “We played hard in every game and never backed down. It’s a group of student-athletes who really enjoy playing the game with each other as friends and classmates.  They brought an energy to practices and games that was fun to work with.”

The Tigers will now bid farewell to seniors Justin Major and Daniel Laino. 

Coach Regan also took a moment to praise the efforts of his senior captain. 

“I would like to recognize Justin for his effort, hustle, and leadership by example during this three years on the varsity team,” Regan concluded. “He was a dogged competitor who was a continuous presence on the floor.  In 25 years of coaching basketball in North Salem at all levels, I can't think of a student-athlete in the basketball program who got more out of his talent and abilities than Justin. His competitiveness and toughness will be sorely missed next year.