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Ossining Girls Basketball Team Takes Fifth Straight Sectional Championship

OSSINING, N.Y. -- The Ossining girls basketball team has done it again.

Ossining girls celebrate their fifth straight gold ball.

Ossining girls celebrate their fifth straight gold ball.

Photo Credit: Skip Pearlman
Ossining teammates celebrate after beating Lourdes.

Ossining teammates celebrate after beating Lourdes.

Photo Credit: Sam Barron

The team won the Section 1 Class AA championship, defeating Lourdes 78-61 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains on Monday. It is the fifth year in a row Ossining has won the title and the seventh year in a row it has made the finals.

Jalay Knowles had 25 points, including 17 in the third quarter, and was named most valuable player of the tournament. Knowles is second all-time in scoring for Ossining behind Saniya Chong, who plays at Connecticut.

Shadeen Samuels had 22 points and was named to the all-tournament team.

Ossining has won 61 straight games against Section 1 opponents, having not lost a Section One game in 1,488 days.

The Pride got off to a slow start, trailing 34-26 at halftime, despite being heavily favored. But Ossining went on a blistering third-quarter run, scoring 32 points, to take control of the game. 

"We got in foul trouble," Ricci said. "Our kids showed great resiliency and came out on fire in the second half.  Gabby Ferrao started the second half after not playing in the first half and she shut down their top player."

The win is the 401st of coach Ricci's varsity career. He achieved his 400th win on Thursday, when Ossining defeated North Rockland in the sectional semis.

Ossining next plays at Marist College against a to-be-determined opponent in the state regional finals on March 13 at 8 p.m. 

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