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MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. – The Mount Vernon boys' basketball team figured on the third seed and that is what it received for the Section 1 Class AA Boys' Basketball Championships.
The defending champion Knights begin defense of their title Friday when they host arch rival and 14th-seeded White Plains at 4:30 p.m. in a first-round game.
“We play a lot of games outside of New York, but we wanted to make sure we were in the top four so we could have two home games,” senior and point guard Josh Doughty said.
Mount Vernon comes into the game with a 16-1 record and riding a 13-game winning streak. The Knights’ loss came Dec. 22 to Bishop Loughlin.
Even though the Knights are seeded behind No. 1 Spring Valley and No. 2 North Rockland, they are not using it as motivation. Instead, Mount Vernon is focusing on what it needs to do each game in order to advance.
“We’re fueled up because it’s the playoffs,” Doughty said. “We know, if we want to be a great team, we have to start grinding because our season can be over right before our eyes.”
Mount Vernon swept the regular-season set with White Plains, including a 74-61 triumph to close out the schedule. White Plains earned a third meeting with Mount Vernon after a 70-53 win against Yorktown in an out-bracket game.
“We know we have to play better because our last couple of games weren't that good,” Doughty said. “We know they've been playing good lately so we have to lace them up, be hungry and play as a team.”
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