Photos by Jed Lazzeri

On February 15, 2022, our top-seeded girls’ basketball team faced off against Portledge in the semifinals of the PSAA tournament. After beating the Panthers twice during the regular season by double-digits, hopes were high for a return to the championship game. Instead, the Panthers came out hot, and the Bears never recovered in a 35-44 loss. Spirits were low that night, and we couldn’t have known it at the time, but it would be our last PSAA loss for the next two years.

In the intervening 731 days, the Bears have reeled off 24 consecutive PSAA wins (six at Portledge’s expense), a pair of regular season titles, and their first two PSAA postseason crowns. Friday afternoon was the culmination of that special two-year run as the top-seeded Bears met #2 Portledge in the PSAA Championship. It was the third match-up between the league’s top teams in 17 days, yet Portledge retained some mystery as their top scorer, Kennedy Abrahams, returned to the lineup from an injury to face The Brook for the first time.

This year Stony Brook University’s Pritchard Gymnasium was chosen for the site of both the girls’ and boys’ PSAA finals. With the Bears playing in both games right across the railroad tracks, the school day ended early, and hundreds of students and faculty walked from campus to the university for a memorable community event. With five minutes to go before the game, the stands were only lightly populated until the Blue & White cavalry streamed into the arena and filled one entire side of the stands. The show of force was so impressive that several Portledge girls stopped their warm-up and actually covered their mouths in disbelief. The stage was set for the championship battle.

It could have been the crowd, the pressure, or the familiarity, but whatever the reason, both teams looked shaky in the first quarter. Cassandra Rohan scored the game’s first points 2:16 in with a putback. She doubled the lead on another putback before Portledge banked in a 3-pointer. Jocelyn McCrain answered with a trifecta of her own to push the lead to 7-3, but a pair of Panther layups evened the score at 7-7. The Bears missed numerous layups in the period, but still grabbed a narrow 9-7 lead after one when Rohan hit a short jumper with 3 seconds on the clock.

Portledge opened the second quarter scoring to take their first lead at 10-9. It was the first of four lead changes early in the frame as both teams desperately fought for early momentum. Meaghan Doherty responded with a 3-pointer to take a 12-10 lead, but Portledge answered with another 3-pointer to grab back the advantage. Rohan’s putback gave the Bears a 14-13 lead they would not give back, but Portledge’s tenacious rebounding and aggressive perimeter defense never allowed the Bears to completely pull away.

Following Rohan’s bucket, Abby Smith used a spin move to finish a layup and a McCrain steal led to a fast break layup for Doherty as the Bears took their largest lead at 18-13. The crowd, sensing an opportunity for the Bears to take control, roared a “De-Fence!” chant, but Portledge showed poise in a key moment and silenced the crowd, if only momentarily, with an and-1 to pull within 16-18. From that point on, the Bears closed the half with a 13-5 run to finally build a cushion they would maintain for the rest of the game.

It cannot be overstated how important Rohan was in the first half, and during the 13-5 stretch in particular when she scored 10 of the Bears’ points. When our offense wasn’t clicking, when layups and floaters weren’t falling, Rohan flat-out carried us. Rohan began the surge with a drop-step layup. After Portledge hit a 3-pointer to close within 1, she answered with another layup to give the Brook a 22-19 edge. Doherty followed with her second 3-pointer. From there, Rohan hit a jumper, registered her fourth putback of the half, and dropped in a layup to give The Brook a 31-21 lead at the half. Rohan’s 18 points and her tenacity on the glass were indispensable.

Who else but Rohan opened the second half scoring with another putback as she continued to dominate the offensive boards. The bucket extended the Bear run to 15-5 before Portledge hit two free throws. Payton Martin followed with a 3-pointer that gave the Bears their largest lead to that point. Portledge, however, refused to go quietly, responding with a 7-2 run that was only interrupted by a Rohan layup, to close within 30-38. They continued to outwork the Bears for key offensive rebounds that provided important second-chance points. With the result still very much in doubt in the closing minute of the third, the Bears responded like champions.

Rohan hit a layup and drew a foul to begin an 8-0 run. She missed the free throw, but Smith grabbed the offensive rebound, which turned into a corner 3-pointer from Martin with 30 seconds left that sent a charge through the crowd. Portledge misfired on their ensuing possession which Rohan rebounded with eight seconds left. The outlet pass went to McCrain then Doherty, who coolly let fly a 30-footer that found nothing but net as the Bears took a 46-30 lead entering the fourth.

Despite trailing by 16 with eight minutes to play, Portledge continued to fight. They opened the frame with a 3-point play to sustain hopes of a comeback, but Doherty answered with her fourth 3-pointer to temper that belief. Following another Portledge offensive rebound and bucket, Doherty hit a jumper, and Smith finished another spin move with a layup to build their largest lead at 53-35. From there, the only thing that mattered was the time, and as the final seconds ticked away, the Blue & White faithful rained down cheers on a special group of young ladies as they closed out the 57-39 victory.

Not only did the win give the Bears a second straight PSAA title and a 16th postseason championship in their history, but it tied the program record for wins in a season with 21, matching the 2006-07 squad that went 21-3. The 2024 Bears will look to re-write history as they take their 21-2 record into the NYSAIS Tournament this week.

Rohan scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a memorable postseason performance that earned her Championship MVP honors. Doherty, who remains the top private school scorer on Long Island and #7 overall with 21.3 ppg, scored 18 and hit four 3-pointers that leaves her just one behind the Long Island lead with 68. Following the game she was named PSAA regular season MVP, joining Beth Felix and Niamh Scanlon as the third Bear to win the award. Martin added 8 points and 6 rebounds, and her 2 three-pointers came at critical times. Smith, who following the game was named All-PSAA along with Doherty and Rohan, scored 4 points, dished 5 assists, and showed impressive poise in the biggest game of her young career. McCrain scored 3, grabbed 11 rebounds, and proved once again to be the Bears’ Swiss Army Knife with her defense, rebounding, and facilitating, making the plays you need to make to win a championship.

The Bears now move on to the NYSAIS playoffs, where they earned their highest-ever seed at #4. They will host #5 Columbia Prep on Wednesday at 5:00pm in the quarterfinals in Swanson Gymnasium.

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