Bronxville Girls Headed to the Final Four

It’s a short trip from Bronxville to the White Plains County Center on the Bronx River Parkway, but it takes some doing to earn a spot in the Section 1 tournament Final Four, played annually at Westchester’s palace of area high school basketball.

The Bronxville girls’ basketball team, not known for its success in post-season play over the decades, is enjoying its best season in years—a 16-game winning streak after losing their first three games of the 2010-2011 season—to reach the Class B Final Four.

A thrilling 46-44 come-from-behind overtime victory over perennially strong Dobbs Ferry in the Feb. 23 quarterfinal game gave the third-seeded Broncos their first-ever invitation to the County Center, where they will face the No. 2 Briarcliff Bears on Tuesday, March 1 in a 6:30 p.m. tipoff. No. 1 Irvington will meet No. 4 Woodlands in the other semifinal.

Led by coach Donny Lucas’s stifling defense and a strong and balanced group of athletes who have excelled in other varsity sports, the Broncos are captained by Michaela Donohoe and Kirsten Noonan. But this Broncos squad does not feature one or two girls—it’s all about team.

“As for the team, we are very excited about our success so far,” said Grace Devlin, who leads a balanced offense with eight points per game. “It's been an amazing ride and one that we're very proud of. In past years, Bronxville has been considered the 'easy team' and our previous records couldn't contend the statement, but I think that now we have really proven ourselves to be a formidable opponent.”

 Noonan said Lucas’s practices have helped motivate and inspire success.

“I couldn't ask for a better coaching staff,” Noonan said. “Of course our practices are challenging, but we all have a good time as well. It's not like practice is two hours of boot camp. We know when to be serious, but we are also allowed to have some fun. And I think that is really important, because after all, we are playing the sport for enjoyment above all else. Technique-wise, [the coaches] have been working on new plays for us to use in upcoming games against different defenses, both man-to-man and zone. They do a copious amount of research before the games, so we know who the opponent's strongest shooters are [and] where they like to shoot.”

The Broncos have made believers out of doubters, relying on their strong defense to win games. The victory over Dobbs Ferry showed the team’s determination as they came from six points down late to earn the win.

Several of the players were members of the school’s Section 1 and New York State champion girls’ soccer team this past fall.

“I think the success that many of us on the team had in soccer does have an effect on basketball, but only to an extent,” Devlin said. “This past soccer season certainly taught us about what it takes to be champions and gave us the experience of going through the full ride. How that translates to basketball, however, is in our state of mind at practice and how we approach each challenge.”

Noonan, another of the state champion soccer players on the team, said it can be difficult to transition from one sport to another.

“Four of the girls on the basketball team were also on the state champion soccer team, myself and Grace included,” Noonan said. “As a result, we missed the first two weeks of basketball practice.  This time was crucial, as it takes us a while to get back into basketball mode. 

“Most of us don't play all year round, so preseason is a crucial time for us to get back into our rhythm. The first few games we struggled simply because we were still adjusting.  But once we settled down and got comfortable with each other, great things resulted, as we are now 16-3, going for our 17th consecutive win. As our confidence grew after our first few wins, the momentum simply carried us, and we have no intention of it stopping anytime soon!"

Bronxville, which won its Conference II-D with a perfect 10-0 record, outscored opponents 40-36 over the season, proving that defense can produce wins. Five players, led by Devlin with 8.8 points per game,  averaged 4.8 points per game or better. Noonan, who scored a team-high 16 points to lift the Broncos in the victory over Dobbs Ferry, contributed 7.8 per game and led the team in rebounding with 10 per game.

“To be successful in the upcoming semifinal, I believe the key will be defense,” Devlin said. “This year, our team defense just seemed to click and we were able to shut down many of our opponents. Our offense is not the strongest, which is why in tight games we always step it up on defense in order to come out with the win. It will certainly be the deciding factor against Briarcliff."

The Bears, also 16-3 with a powerful offense and size inside, are a tough opponent. They are led by a trio of scorers—Brianna Celaj, Brianna Reid and Heyda Kasey, who each average between 12 and 13 points per game. Briarcliff averages 62 points per game and has won eight straight games, including a 66-46 victory over Pawling in the quarterfinal.

And the spotlight of the County Center offers a new set of challenges.

“Going into the County Center will definitely be a challenge and so far we've heard about the trouble that the venue gives to shooters and the difference in noise level and such,” Devlin said. “I think the most important advice we've gotten as players, though, is to just play our game and focus on defense.”

The Bronxville roster includes Caitlin Grealy, Amy Pepe, Michaela Donohue, Danielle Kelly, Claudia Jensen, Paige Gordon, Maureen O’Reilly, Christina Dowe, Allison Cane, Claire Sargent.