Sayre Leads Albertus Magnus Past Croton to Finals

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Croton-Harmon coach William Thom had coached Albertus Magnus' big man Tyler Sayre at the Empire State Games so he knew the challenge he posed Wednesday to Croton-Harmon.

That did not stop Sayre from putting together a monstrous performance.

The senior scored 33 points and grabbed eight rebounds as No. 2 Albertus Magnus dominated No. 6 Croton-Harmon, 70-44, in the first Class B semifinal game at the Westchester County Center. The Falcons will face the winner of the Dobbs Ferry-Blind Brook match-up in the finals.

Sayre, who had 21 points and six rebounds in the first half and had outscored the entire Croton team by himself at the end of the third quarter, was a beast under the basket throughout the afternoon. Croton tried to adjust but could not stop the Falcons.

“Once we started to try to run a little box-and-one on him, we slowed him down a little but then somebody else would step up for them,” Thom said. “They’re a good team. We knew that coming in. That’s why they’re up in the top of the state rankings.”

Albertus Magnus led 37-21 at halftime and continued to build on its lead throughout the second half. Thom said he knew the game would be a challenge, but was more upset with the product his team put forth on the court.

“I don’t know if we were in awe of the place, or in awe of them, but something … . To the people that see us the first time, they look at us and see something that we really weren't all year,” Thom said. “So that was frustrating. I was trying to get them to play loose.”

The juniors and underclassmen on the roster will have a chance next year, but the seniors’ careers at Croton-Harmon are finished. But Thom said the seniors should have no regrets.

“In the beginning of the year, if anybody said we were going to be 16-5 and get to the (County) Center, I think they would have thought we were crazy,” Thom said. “I wish it would have been a little different, but when the dust settles from today and we look back, it was a hell of a year for us.”

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