Lady Dukes finish 3rd in Feller tournament

By Mike Zummo
Posted 12/4/19

The Marlboro girls’ basketball team was determined not to finish with a last-place showing in the Corinne Feller Memorial Tournament at Valley Central High School on Saturday.

After losing …

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Lady Dukes finish 3rd in Feller tournament

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The Marlboro girls’ basketball team was determined not to finish with a last-place showing in the Corinne Feller Memorial Tournament at Valley Central High School on Saturday.

After losing to John S. Burke Catholic the previous week in the opening round, the Dukes settled for third place with a 56-52 win over the Middletown Middie Bears on Saturday.
“Losing to Burke, we really wanted to come back and at least get third place,” said Elizabeth Lofaro, who was named to the all-tournament team for Marlboro. “In the locker room, we were really hyped up and wanted to get the win today.”
It wasn’t easy, even after Marlboro took a 34-15 lead after the first half.

The Middie Bears came roaring back and put the Dukes into survival mode as they outscored Marlboro, 37-22, in the second half.

“It was really nerve wracking because I don’t think we thought it was going to be really close, but Middletown’s a really great team and they came back in the second half and really caught up to us,” Lofaro said. “But I think we played really well as a team.”

By the end of the third quarter, Middletown (0-2) had closed Marlboro’s lead to 10 points and managed to close the gap to five points on a layup by Aleena Skyers, who was named to the all-tournament team for Middletown.

Then with 1:22 remaining, Lofaro grabbed a steal and hit a layup to restore the Dukes’ 7-point lead.

“I think we really picked up our intensity,” Lofaro said.
Skyers hit a free throw and then a basket by Middletown’s Kiarra Kennedy pulled Middletown to within four points.

“We want to come back in the sectional finals again, so we thought that was going to be the start here in this tournament. We really picked up our intensity in practice and focused on getting this win tonight.”

It’s also a win against one of the biggest schools the Dukes will play all year, as there are no Class AA teams in the Mid-Hudson Athletic League.

“Playing harder teams is only going to help us in the long run,” Lofaro said. “Kiarra Kennedy is a really great player and we shut her down. Playing an AA school gets us ready for what we have in the Bs this year.”

In the championship game, Valley Central defeated Burke, 56-24. Valley Central’s Mackenzie Ross was named the most outstanding player and Madeline Feller was named to the all-tournament team.

Brenna and Caileigh Costello were named to the all-tournament team for Burke.