On Saturday afternoon, as Mamaroneck was looking to put away Long Island Champ Bay Shore in the Class AAA Regional Finals, Brandon Burrell crossed up a Marauders defender, drained a three-pointer over his fallen opponent, then hustled back down the floor and stopped a fast-break attempt with nifty steal.
That 15-second stretch tells you everything you need to know about Burrell’s impact on the Tigers, said head coach Tyrone Carver Jr.
“That’s just Brandon being Brandon,” he laughed.
Burrell’s stellar senior campaign continued against Bay Shore, as the Harvard-bound guard netted 22-points—becoming Mamaroneck’s all-time leading scorer in the process—to lead the Tigers to a 56-40 win and send his team to the first New York State Final Four in program history.
The Tigers controlled this one from the outset, jumping out to a 21-7 first quarter lead against a big Bay Shore squad that seemingly couldn’t match Mamaroneck’s energy. Carver explained the importance of setting the tone early, especially against a team the a decided size advantage down low.
“We talked about getting off to a good start, we know they are a good team and they’ve been getting off to good starts in the last two games,” said Carver. “And that’s what we came out and did today.”
Offensively, the Tigers were led by Burrell’s 22 points, but junior guard Jonah Walsh turned in another big game—after nailing is three-pointers in the Tigers’ regional semifinal game against Kingston on Wednesday, racking up 16 points in the win.
Walsh said that he chalks his recent success from the field up to his coaches’ insistence that he trust his own abilities.
“It comes down to confidence; I definitely felt the confidence spilling over from last game,” said Walsh. “My coach is confident and gives me the green light to shoot, so I just have to give myself the green light too.”
“Jonah has been humongous for us, he’s playing to his potential,” added Carver. “We’ve always believed in him and now he’s playing his best basketball at the most important time.”
Carver also credited Will Plunkett, Owen Reese and Jake Reese for their commitment to help defense down low, noting that the Tigers were able to mitigate their size disadvantage with timely switches and aggressive play.
“We talked about making it difficult for them, we wanted to make their big take contested shots without fouling, and make him work for everything he got,” said Carver.
With the win, the Tigers now find themselves in the New York State Class AAA Semifinals, where they will take on Section 2 Christian Brothers Academy on March 20 at the Vision Veterans Arena in Binghamton on Friday afternoon.
Walsh said the this journey—which saw Mamaroneck win its first Section 1 last week—has been surreal for all involved.
“Before the season started, all we talked about for the most part was winning the gold ball, we’d never been there,” said Walsh. “But we’re doing a really good job, we have some time to regroup, and we’re just getting it done.”
