BOYS’ BASKETBALL — After an intense battle, the Blue Devils held off Irvington at home on Tuesday (Dec. 19), 59-55, although the game was not always as close as the final score.
Haldane scored the first 14 points and led by 19 points with 3:24 left in the first half before the Bulldogs cut the lead to 10 before the buzzer. In the third quarter, the momentum flipped to Irvington’s favor. The visitors couldn’t miss a shot and, by the start of the fourth quarter, the Blue Devil lead was down to three points.
Less than 30 seconds later, the score was tied at 50, and it appeared Haldane might be on the verge of a collapse. But Michael Murray and Matt Nachamkin hit big baskets to keep the game close; after Irvington drained a three-pointer with 1:30 left, the Blue Devils were up by two. Clutch free throws by Ross Esposito and Fallou Faye, along with misfires by Irvington, led to the win.
Nachamkin and Esposito led Haldane with 14 points each, followed by Faye with 10 and Murray with 9. On Thursday (Dec. 21), the Blue Devils (3-1) traveled to Valhalla. They will host Chester at 1 p.m. on Dec. 29.
Video by Jeff McDaniel
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL — In the first round of a tournament at Croton-Harmon High School on Dec. 14, Haldane defeated Rye Neck, 54-41, for its fourth win of the season. With 2:10 left in the first quarter, down 11-6, the Blue Devils went on a 15-1 run behind eight straight points from Marisa Peters.
Haldane had a 13-point lead with 2:11 to go in the half when the Panthers enjoyed a 9-0 run of their own to cut the deficit to four points at halftime. The Blue Devils proceeded to an 11-3 run to start the second half, building a 39-27 lead, and the Panthers never got closer than five points.
Peters led Haldane with 19 points, followed by Camilla McDaniel (15), Kayla Ruggiero (12) and Elaina Johanson (8).
In the title game, the Blue Devils faced a taller and stronger foe in Croton-Harmon, and fell, 47-20. Peters was named to the All-Tournament Team.
“We have to be able to match the other teams’ intensity, for as long as it takes to get the results that we’re looking for,” said Coach Charles Martinez.
The next game for the Blue Devils (4-4) will be at home on Jan. 3 against the Barack Obama School of Justice (formerly Palisade Prep) of Yonkers.
WINTER TRACK — Haldane competed in the Coach Saint Invitational on Dec. 15 at The Armory in New York City. The top finishers for the boys were Milo Pearsall, who was 29th of 153 runners in the 55-meter dash in 6.95, and Aleksander Noormae, who finished 15th of 28 competitors in the 500 meters in 1:14.99.
For the girls, Ashley Sousa was 25th of 87 runners in the 1,500 meters in 5:31.56 and 25th of 87 runners in the mile at 5:51.37. Haldane will compete on Wednesday (Dec. 27) in the Pearl River Holiday Festival at Rockland Community College.
