Tigers' Season Ends with Regional Final Loss

Tuckahoe’s quest for a New York State Class C boys basketball title fell short Saturday afternoon when the team from Friends Academy eeked out a 49-44 victory to advance to the semifinal, eliminating Tuckahoe in a game played at Farmingdale State College.

The Tigers (19-4) lost the defensive struggle to the same team that defeated them in the 2008 regional final. Friends Academy (15-6) of Section 8 advanced to the state semifinals and will play International Prep of Section 6 at the Glens Falls Civic Center Friday.

Sky Williams scored a team-high 18 points, but Friends’ leading scorer Marc Godlis was the game changer, scoring 25 of his team’s 49 points.

The teams were deadlocked in a close contest through the first half—tied 26-26 at halftime—until the Friends’ defense held the normally high-scoring Tigers to just three points in the decisive third quarter. Friends took a 45-39 lead into the fourth quarter and held off the Tigers’ late run.

Jason Feuer scored seven points, Alex Melendez six and Shyheim Nixon and Justin Nolan each scored five points for the Tigers, who had averaged more than 65 points per game through the season.

The game was played with very few fouls—the Tigers made four three throws to Friends’ three.

Tuckahoe completed a remarkable turnaround from last season's 3-16 record, winning the Section 1 Class C tournment with a victory over Haldane last week.