Old Tappan outlast Ramapo in classic matchup

DEMAREST — Taking over as the No. 1 option on a team that is a perennial powerhouse, one that has won Group 3 state championships twice in the last decade, takes a lot of preparation in all aspects of the game. Junior Sienna Drullinsky has been putting in the hours to become that for Northern Valley/Old Tappan and she is blossoming into the role, even off the court.

After scoring 12 of her team-high 17 points in the second half and using her length and positioning to affect the game on the defensive end in a 48-44 win over old rival Ramapo in the quarterfinals of the Bergen County Tournament on Saturday at Northern Valley/Demarest High School, she stood in front of the microphones in the postgame and showed off how far she has come in that arena, too.

She talked about how her role has increased this season and how she has gotten to the point to where she can talk about how her role has increased while a stranger holds a recorder close her face.

“The Giordano girls [Layla and Maya graduated] and they scored most of our points last year. They are a lot to replace and a lot of people probably didn’t think we were going to win. But we showed up and did really good,” said Drullinsky, who has obviously upped her media game. “I practice. I have practiced my interviews because I get so nervous talking to people. I told my mom about it and sometimes she just throws me questions.”

There were a lot of questions for Old Tappan this year with the graduation losses, but that is high school sports. While the “Survive & Advance” cliché gets thrown around so much during these tournament times, at NVOT it is really, “Thrive & Replace.” So many good players have come and gone through program in the time that it has been headed by Brian J. Dunn, who has over 500 career victories, it would figure that a down season would have to be mixed in every now and again.

It never seems to happen and the Golden Knights just keep on passing the torch from one group to the next. Drullinsky’s rise this season is a case in point.

“She is like all of our kids. She is a work in progress and she is getting used to what she can do. She is working on confidence and understanding how much she can do on the floor,” said Dunn. “She is very athletic and very talented with her length and I think she has started to realize the things she can bring every night.”

Showing the parity of Bergen County girls hoops this season as opposed to its counterpart on the boys side, the quarterfinals were competitive from the first tip at noon to the last of the four-game set. The first three games won by Demarest, Teaneck and Old Tappan were all one-possession games in the four quarter and the fact that two storied programs and two consistent winners like NVOT and Ramapo were matched in the quarterfinals in the 4/5 is further testament to the county’s depth this year.

It was a rock fight just like it was the last time these two teams met in last season’s North 1, Group 3 state sectional semifinal when Old Tappan held on for a three-point win as Ramapo’s last-second heave barely missed.

This is not the new style of basketball where first-opportunity 3s are encouraged or where defense is suggested but optional. Old Tappan/Ramapo means there are no free trips through the painted area, no dribbling exhibitions at the top of the key and a whole-lotta hard-nosed man-to-man.

Old Tappan held a slim 19-17 at the intermission and, although Ramapo never trailed by more than five points for the entirety of the second half, it held just one brief lead after the break, 20-19, when Kacie Gmiterek hit a 3-pointer to open the third quarter scoring. Four straight points by Old Tappan’s Mia Derrico gave the Knights the lead right back.

There were ties at 23, 25 and 33 when Camden Epstein canned a buzzer beating 3-pointer at the third period horn, but Old Tappan used 1:01 of game clock on the first possession of the fourth quarter, finished it with two made free throws from Derrico and took the lead for good. Drullinsky’s driving layup on the Knights’ next possession made it 37-33.

The defense did the rest as Old Tappan held Ramapo to just two fourth quarter field goals.

“Coach Dunn does not make our practices easy. It’s not like we go out on the floor, be happy and get a pat on the back. That is not how you get better,” said Derrico, a junior guard. “It all starts in practice and that is how we all fuel each other.”

Junior Camden Epstein led Ramapo with 22 points and senior Kacie Gmiterek scored all 9 of her points from behind the arc. Grace Saxton added 5 points, freshman Isla Fry had 4 and Toni Pernetti and Arianna Furnari split the other four points for Ramapo, which fell to 17-5 on the season.

“It came down to the team that made less mistakes and we made too many. We gave up too many second chance points and we had some turnovers at key times,” said Ramapo head coach Sandy Gordon, whose team could very well see Old Tappan in the North 1, Group 3 state sectional playoffs. “It’s any given day. It’s what team shows up, which makes the less mistakes and hits shots. We just didn’t make enough tonight.”

Drullinsky (17 points), Derrico (13 points) and Sadie Murphy (10 points), who hit 3 of 4 from the foul line in the final 25 seconds to close out the game, all finished in double figures for Old Tappan (13-5). Joley Giordano, Nina Caunedo, Alexa Caunedo and Alivia Badurina evenly split the other 8 points for the Knights, who are heading to the Bergen County semifinals for the third straight season.

Next up is top-seeded and 8-time defending champion Saddle River Day, which knocked off upstart Glen Rock, 54-42. The Final 4 will be played on Saturday at Fair Lawn High School.

“We’ve been there three years in a row now, we’ve played that game and our kids have seen what that looks like,” said Dunn. “We will be fine on that stage. It is why we play tough teams all year; to get ready from those games. We have to take care of the ball, knock down some shots because we are going to be playing a loaded team.”