C. Moriches falls in 'B' regional final

Behind Alexis Martens' 20 points, Irvington defeated Center Moriches, 58-51, in the Class B Southeast Regional girls basketball final at SUNY-New Paltz on Friday.

Center Moriches led 29-22 at the half, but Irvington (23-1) mounted a strong second-half rally. The team outscored the Red Devils 17-11 in the third quarter, then 19-11 in the fourth.

Irvington led by three points with 1:30 remaining and Brittany Lai (16 points) hit two free throws to make it a 55-50 cushion.

"It was an unbelievable season for us," said Center Moriches coach Rich Alifano, whose team finished 22-3. "It's a little disappointing, but Irvington is ranked 12th in the tri-state area."

Amber Davis, who played with a sprained ankle, had 18 points and five rebounds for the Red Devils.

Senior Loren Smith scored a career-high 12 points, Takia Plummer had 10 points, and Kelsey Glanzman added seven points and 11 rebounds.

Alifano praised his team's effort, noting that Davis "played like a warrior," that Glanzman was "a beast on the boards," and he credited Plummer for going "toe to toe with Lai.

"I felt like we were a Final Four team and I think we showed it," he said. "I think this game could've been the state final. Their coach told us we're the best team they've played and I think we were the two best teams in the class."