The friendship between Melanie Daley and Chris Rotiroti started on the sun baked, beat up blacktops of Hillside Elementary School in Hastings, two then little kids developing a natural feel for the game. The connection and above their class athleticism was evident back then too, as they would routinely work the rundown court at recess.
Always competitive and exemplifying noticeable potential even in those early stages of their lives, few could compete with the boy-girl tandem which seemed to take these games a bit more serious than most.
The friendship grew as they played for their respective teams in the St. Matthews CYO program of the local church. Under the late and legendary Eugene Tunney Maher, St. Matthew’s developed into a feeder program for Hastings and cultivated a raw skill set in many of the town’s youth.
Last year, as the two came of age as junior leaders during memorable milestone seasons for both boys and girls basketball programs, Rotiroti and Daley reached a pinnacle which some could have foreseen even back during those recess open court runs.
With his workmanlike game and hounding pressure defense and ability to playmake as a traditional dish first point guard, Rotiroti led Hastings High to a Section 1 title for the first time since 1999.
Engineering a balanced scoring attack and serving as that calming influence point guard, Rotiroti orchestrated the play that drove the Yellow Jackets to a Section 1 title.
With all the pressure in the world weighing down on the County Center, Rotiroti whizzed a pass to a cutting Liam Hopwood. The since graduated forward converted the game winning bucket, lifting Hastings to a win over favorited Valhalla.
With her instinctive scoring and deadly mid range game and constant active hands on defense, Daley helped pioneer the Hastings girls to a County Center berth.
With her athleticism and advanced skill set as a bigger 5-foot-10 point guard, she steadily evolved into one of the most hotly pursued recruits in the small program’s history.
She wound up committing to Northwestern, choosing the academically enriched program over mid major suitors such as Virginia Tech, VCU, and Rhode Island. She accumulated 40 Division 1 offers before solidifying the process with a commitment to Northwestern.
As veteran senior leaders with proven big game production and poise, the two inherit some ownership of their respective teams this year.
At a tiny and tight knit community at Hastings, it’s rare to find two All State guards in both programs. It’s the byproduct of a brother-sister like relationship that the two say is very much intact until this very day.
“I think I am definitely a better 3-point shooter than (Daley), but she probably has me beat with her mid range game,” Chris Rotiroti said.
“I always knew she was going to be a special player. She would play every sport with us back then and we knew she just had that edge to her.”
The seasoned, veteran savvy is evident in both of their games. Rotiroti is a strong bodied guard who can deliver that pinpoint assist and break a press and hit that timely shot when the pressure is ratcheted up and crunch time sets in.
Daley brings length, athleticism, and crafty ambidextrous finishing ability through traffic.
They are both battle tested seniors, both the foundation for the Hastings girls and boys program.
Both are tasked with making everyone around them better and taking game changing matters into their own hands. Hastings has churned out several talented players over the past 22 years.
Never before, however, has their been two highly decorated point guards of this caliber on both the boys and girls side.
Chris got his teeth cut playing for the aforementioned St. Matthew’s program and led Hastings in scoring as a freshman and sophomore on varsity.
After being the focal point early on, however, he transitioned to the point guard role and developed as a creator and stout on ball defender. The switch involved engineering offense and feeding high scoring junior Josh Thigpen, sophomore shooter Rob Kennedy and other sources while simultaneously scoring vital and high pressure buckets.
“What I learned is basketball is more than just scoring,” Rotiroti said. “After Emmit Fuchs graduated, I realized that I could adapt as the primary ball handler and run the offense. It’s a role that I enjoy and one which entails a lot of leadership. Coach (Bob) Delle Bovi expects to lead and part of that role is to keep everyone level headed and focused and make sure we are not getting too high on what we did last year.”
Daley’s game flourished while playing under Nick Volchok and the Empire State Blue Flames AAU.
Volchok, instrumental in grooming a torrent of local Westchester area talent, cited Daley’s ability to finish above and around players and her deadly mid range pull up as bedrock assets of her scoring creativity.
For Rotiroti, ending a 21-year Section 1 championship drought and leaving his own mark in the Hastings record books was unique. He said the local and town support throughout a storybook, 23-win season was something he never could have envisioned.
“Seeing that many people support us was crazy,” he said. “The alumni and guys from previous years all came back during our run. The environment at the County Center game was seriously intense.”
