Week #10 is synonymous with playoff mania! The fifth grade division begins the first round of their division's single elimination playoff tournament to crown a new league champion, while the fourth grade division match-ups are guaranteed to have the cheap seats hollering all day long! Longtime league spectators have characterized the fifth grade Roslyn Booster playoff tournament in such colorful terms as a day at the non-stop roadraces, and must see nail-biters for the hoop diehards. The real bottom line for today's line-up is that this is serious basketball "racheted up a bunch of notches when players and coaches focus on the reality that each game from here on in is a win you play or sit you lose proposition. Players taking their pre-game warm up shots could be heard describing the task in front of them as playing for all the marbles. The gym filled up early with the regulars hoping to claim their special spots in the cheap seats, while first timers and out-of-town relatives were being given the obligatory two minute courtside tours. The unusually large crowd today was also attributable to the fact that Week #10 is Booster Hoopster Picture Day. It seemed like every player had at least three relatives who felt the need to be official observers at the photography booth while their pride and joys posed for official solo and team photos. Where else but in Roslyn Booster Basketball do, or can parents, pose with their players, parents pose with their spouses, parents pose with the other parents from their children's team, parents pose with their neighbors, parents pose with their children's coaches. Teams hustled back to their respective benches, coaches called out last minute game instructions, parents shouted last minute good luck messages, first timers shielded their ears from the steady stream of "music" coming from the front row baby carriages, and players positioned themselves for the opening tap.

The results from Week #10:

5th Grade Division

Harvard (20) vs. Brown (18) - This first game of the fifth grade division playoffs pitted the league's regular season first place finisher against a team that was creasting just at the right time. Brown came prepared with a renewed pass-pass-shoot team philosophy, and a commitment to in your face defense. Brown jumped out to a one point halftime lead courtesy of "ferocious boardwork by forwards Alex Lewisohn, Hallie Dunn and Nissa Ostroff-Moskowitz, stick to them defense by Taylor Breen and "in the paint" scoring from day Abby Levtow and Amy Halpern. Harvard's coaches used the halftime break to tweak their game plan, and came out in an up-tempo push-it, push it offense led by M&M guards Morgan Finestone and Morgan Kuriloff. Harvard's forwards Jessica Thaler, Robin Singer and Kelsey Osborne reclaimed their defensive glass which was made easier by tough pressing halfcourt defense applied by Katie Ross, Jenny Forrest and Sarah Tazari. Brown rebounded with timely scoring in the paint from Rachel Abeles and a breakaway steal and layup from Danielle Efros to tie the score with less than one minute left in the game. Harvard's coaches diagrammed a final play and guard Morgan Kuriloff came through with what proved to be the winning basket in the paint. Brown drove the ball up court in its last two possessions looking for the "elusive tying basket" but Harvard's defense held steady resulting in a Harvard 20-18 victory.

Cornell (22) vs. Columbia (33) - Looking back this game was actually two games in one - the first half was all defense and the second half was all offense. Cornell took the first half lead thanks to tough on the ball defense by Alexis Shaw and Bari Pelton and unquestioned control of the glass by Rachel Shipper and Alyssa Zauderer. Columbia responding to their coaches pleas, bounced back late in the first half with defensive specialists Jodi Katz, Liandra Aptekar and Mili Mehta shutting down the passing lanes, and forwards Samantha Krieger and Jaclyn Kozak reclaiming their own defensive glass. The second half seemed to rejuvenate both teams as run, run, run was the second half mantra. Cornell's four corner offense kicked in with sprints through the paint scoring by guards Natasha Port, Keely Lang and Jessica Singer which gave Cornell what turned out to be an insurmountable 10 point lead. Columbia's Morgan Carella responded by going into offensive overdrive scoring nine points in the second half in a valiant attempt to single-handedly bring her team back. But Cornell was not to be denied, and used a final offensive spurt in the eighth segment to seal the game and a 22-12 victory.

Penn (29) vs. Dartmouth (14) - Two evenly matched teams on paper but a combination of one team peaking at just the right time, and the other team missing several key players made all the difference. Penn set the tone early with team rebounding by front court players Maddie Friedman, Tracey Kitaeff and Lauren Kober providing scoring opportunities for teammates Allison Frey and Jaclyn Keller. Dartmouth battled back with Ali Somerstein and Lauren Borowick digging in on defense, and Laura Ilowite and Chelsea Taitelman responding to their coaches' exhortations finish, finish with several impressive drives to the hoop. Penn took a three point into halftime and used pressure defense by Blair Lipkin and Tracey Kitaeff to once again set the second half tempo. Feeding off their defensive energy, Penn used a second half offensive explosion courtesy of Remi Kent (two baskets), Jaclyn Keller (two baskets), and Marissa Ball (five baskets) to put this game away. Dartmouth made several defensive stands in the second half courtesy of strong rebounding by Hallie Bendell which led to baskets by Lizzie Greenwald and Elyssa Goldberg but too little too late...Penn closed out this game with a final basket on their way to a well deserved 29-14 victory.

Yale (16) vs. Princeton (7) - Yale came charging out of the blocks with scoring from front court players Bari Resnick and Sara Sincoff, get out of my way rebounding by Amy Greenfield and Jenny Paulenoff and their own brand of danny glove defense by defensive specialists Samantha Arnowitz, Amanda Ryman and Dara Bernstein. Princeton tried desperately to refocus their offensive game play, "but it seemed like there was a closed lid on top of the rim." Princeton still toughed out the first half thanks to fine rebounding by Victoria Neu, Raquel Goldsmith and Anastasia Andrisova, and pressure on the ball by Alexa Kreisberg, Erica Goldstick and Melissa Oken to hold Yale's halftime lead to single digits. Yale started the second half with an offensive flurry just like it did the first half with Alexandra Foukalis and Jenny Nauheim sharing the scoring duties. Princeton's dribbling duo backcourt of Julie Glantz and Jessyca Shapiro reached down deep for some magic and they were able to score several acrobatic baskets to bring Yale's final margin of victory down to single digits 16-7.

Final Standings

Harvard 7-2-0

Dartmouth 5-3-1

Yale* 5-4-0

Columbia* 5-4-0

Cornell* 4-5-0

Princeton* 4-5-0

Penn 3-5-1

Brown 2-7-0

* = Order in standings based on head-to-head matchups between teams tied at 4-4-0.