Ardsley girls basketball team one win away from historic state title

NEW YORK - The Ardsley High School girls basketball team is making history with their first-ever appearance in the New York State Final Four. After defeating Williamsville South, they are now one win away from securing the school’s first state championship.

What we know:

Ardsley High School’s girls basketball team advanced to the New York State Class A championship game after defeating Williamsville South, 47-35. 

This is program’s first-ever appearance in the state Final Four, and now the Panthers are just one win away from capturing the school’s first-ever state basketball title.

The final will be held Saturday night at 7:45 p.m. in Troy, New York.

The backstory:

The Panthers earned their Final Four berth after a commanding win over Johnson City in the Class A regional final. 

Senior forward Iva Corluka, who has committed to play for St. Bonaventure, said, "It’s a really big deal. We’ve been trying to win the section for as long as we can remember. So to be able to make it to the state Final Four is really cool."

What they're saying:

The team has built its identity on its strong chemistry and having a defense-first mentality.

"We come into every game focused on our defense, and I think that’s what makes us stand out. Our goal is to try and hold them to the least amount of points as possible, and then we just make sure that translates into our offense," Corluka said.

"We got our guy, Eva’s dad, we got him putting up the videos and we go through all their games. Even from the beginning of the season we pick out clips and Nick shows us clips," Levy said. "We either have film, which we had yesterday as a team, and you go home and you watch kind of like your girl or whatever it is. And that’s just the preparation."

evy added that the team’s bond off the court is what drives their success on the court.

"Our greatest strength is honestly our defense, but it’s also the connections we have on and off the court," she said. "When we go out for team dinners, when we do movie nights or whatever it is, it’s that trust."

Local perspective:

Coach Nick Resavy, who has been with many of the players since they were in fourth and fifth grade, said this group is particularly meaningful to him.

"I’ve coached girls for eight years now, starting when they were in fourth and fifth grade. And this is kind of the group that made me fall in love with coaching youth basketball. So for them to be the girls that are doing it, it’s pretty special."

By the numbers:

• Ardsley Panthers’ current season record: 23-3
• Result of most recent game: 47-35 win over Williamsville South
• Date and time of state championship game: Saturday, 7:45 p.m.