Putnam Valley Girls Top Dover in Beacon Tourney

PUTNAM VALLEY—The Putnam Valley High girls basketball team went into Walter Panas and left with a 44-35 victory on Monday. Saturday the Tigers faced Dover in the consolation game of the Beacon tournament, winning 60-35, and last Thursday Put Valley lost, 40-39, to Tuxedo in the tournament opener.

BASKETBALL
PUTNAM VALLEY 60
Dover 35
PUTNAM VALLEY 44
Walter Panas 35
PUTNAM VALLEY 39
Tuxedo 40

Right: Putnam Valley’s Amanda DeChent does some heavy lifting under the basket against Tuxedo. Monday against Panas, Putnam Valley won a tough game on the road.

Carey Berry of Putnam Valley fires up a shot in win over Tuxedo. “It started off ugly,” said Coach Kelly Thompson. “Some fouls and a ton of turnovers, but we played a much better second half.”

The Tigers went into the half down by three, they went into the fourth quarter up by five. Their defense held Panas to a single field goal in the third.

Amanda DeChent lead the team in scoring with 18 points; she hit four threes and six free throws. Dana Tatnell added five rebounds to go with her 11 points, seven of them came in the fourth quarter. Janie Jacques and Anna Jeszeck each had 10 for Panas.

Saturday the Tigers saw their offense explode for 37 second-half points as they took down Dover in convincing fashion.

“We still didn’t shoot well in the first half,” said Thompson. “We were much better in the second, even our bench came in and shot well. DeChent has shot well recently and is looking confident. Hopefully she can keep it up.”

The Tigers’ Erin McCrudden drives to the basket. Dechent had 19, Carey Berry added nine and Natalie Gallo had eight off the bench.

In the opening round of the Beacon tourney, Tuxedo handed Putnam Valley a disappointing one-point loss. Offense was PV’s Achilles heel in this game - they went 16-of-70 from the field and only shot 33 percent from the free throw line.

DeChent and Tatnell each had 10 points, Berry added nine. Mary O’Toole had 13 for Tuxedo.

“We outplayed them almost all game,” said Thompson. “In the last minute we had at least five chances, but couldn’t get the ball in the basket. The effort was there, the defense was there, too. Shooting will come to us, it just usually comes last.”

Monday the Tigers have a home
Right: PV’s Dana Tatnell shoots as defense closes last week at Beacon tournament. SKIP PEARLMAN