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3 MILLION VISITORS!
LONG ISLAND'S
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE!
WINNINGEST ACTIVE COACHES
Jeff Weiss - 606 - LWAWally Bachman - 443 - Jericho
Steve Liebertz - 408 - Great Neck South
CHAMPIONSHIPS ON THE MOVE
The 2020 NYSPHSAA State Basketball Championships have returned to Glens Falls and the 2020 New York State Federation Tournament Of Champions has moved from upstate to Fordham University this season! Both good moves! We expect big audiences for both event!
HALL OF FAME CALLS TWO FROM LI!
The New York State Basketball Hall Of Fame will welcome two of our all-time great coaches at this season's induction ceremony. Coach Carl Johnson from the legendary Bridgehampton Killer Bees program, who coached the team to four state championships and played for them in another three, and Chris Agostino - part of the incredible Agostino coaching family that boasts four varsity coaches and a list of championships and great players as long as your arm. He took Harborfields to three straight Section 11 titles, two Long Island Championships, and a New York State Championship and he continues to add to his legacy as the Athletic Director at Elmont. The ceremony will be next spring in Glens Falls. See you there!
BCANY SUMMER HOOPS FESTIVAL
An All-Star Team competition between teams from every part of New York State, Suffolk County claimed its first title ever this year, defeating Hudson Valley in the final. Brentwood's Bryce Harris had 24 points and BBP's Pierce Prendergast 15 in the title game. A Long Island team won it in 2011.
LONG ISLAND TAKING OVER BIG 10
Two LuHi kids - Andre Curbelo and Zed Key, have committed to Big 10 schools for next season. Curbelo to Illinois and Key to Ohio State. They join fellow LuHi player Devonte Green, who is in his senior year at Indiana.
SUFFOLK ROSTER
Pierce Prendergast/BBP
Milan Johnson/Comswegoue
Ahkee Anderson/Greenport
Bryce Harris/Brentwood
Divvahde Lucas/Amityville
Spencer Malloy/Commack
Jaden Kealy/Connetquot
Kenny Lazo/Brentwood
Courtney Booth/Sachem East
Tyrone Pannell/Central Islip
NASSAU ROSTER
Eamon McGowan/South Side
Isiah Barnes/Elmont
Jordan Lawson/Elmont
Alex Bauer/Long Beach
Ahmad Crowell/Manhasset
Dimitri Garrett/Oceanside
Brandon Weiss/Jericho
Preston Harts/Sewanhaka
Juwan Shuford/Uniondale
THOMAS O'CONNELL TO ST. JOHN'S
Chaminade's Thomas O'Connell, who just wrapped up a great lacrosse career at the University of Maryland, is returning to his first love and will be playing basketball for St. John's University this season as a grad student. His younger brother Michael just won his second straight Alzheimer's All-Star Classic MVP trophy!
TOP RETURNING SCORERS
Zaire Baines/Portledge 34.2
Ty-Shon Pannell/Central Islip 26.7
Malik Edmead/Deer Park 25.1
Josh Fenner/John Glenn 24.7
Ahkee Anderson/Center Moriches 23.0
Xavier Allen/Mattituck 22.3
Thomas Cirrito/Miller Place 22.3
Teddy Mangiarotti/Locust Valley 22.3
Mike Sixsmith/Holy Trinity 21.3
Brett Karkus/Hewlett 20.6
Colin Cassara/Newfield 20.0
LUHI NATIONALLY RANKED
USA Today put LuHi 9th nationally in their preseason rankings. STORY
Coming off their first New York State Federation Class AA Title ever and 8th overall, colleges continue to gobble up LuHi players. Jalen Celestine became their third high major signing, committing to Cal-Berkeley.
An early start to the school season changed the mix at the 11th Annual Thanksgiving Rumble, with competition from 3rd grade up to 7th grade, and the much anticipated 7th grade final went to Long Island's Castle program, with a convincing win over a shorthanded Next Level from NYC. The Lady Lions, also from NYC, dominated the Girls 6th Grade Division, defeating Purpose Basketball in the chip
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Rule Changes - High School 2019-2020
Every year around this time we dedicate a column to understanding any rule changes in high school basketball for the season ahead. High school rules are set by the NFHS (National Federation of High Schools) which is the governing body for high schools nationwide.
A major issue each season is the high number of differences between high school rules and rules in the colleges (NCAA) and pros (NBA). It is unfortunate that the three bodies cannot come to an agreement so everyone plays under one set of rules. We may devote a column to those differences at some point in the future, but for now, our goal is simply to focus on changes to the basic set of high school rules for the season ahead.
This year (2019-2020) the rule changes are minimal, indicating a relatively good feeling about the state of the game on the high school level.
1. Uniforms - the NFHS continues to put a lot of effort into standardizing and clarifying rules having to do with uniforms. It's an issue because there should be some allowance for individuality by the competing teams while still having players be "uniform in their uniforms." The goal is to avoid having "anything goes" situations where it looks like a pick up game at the local Y. That said, the change regarding uniforms is that they will be phasing out uniform numbers with a color that is the same or similar to the prevailing color of the jersey but with a contrasting border color. Those are still legal the next few years but will become illegal as of the 2024-25 season.
2. Headbands - starting this season, headbands may be up to 3 inches in width instead of the previous 2 inches, must encircle the entire head, have NO
extensions, worn on the forehead or crown only, and be non-abrasive and unadorned. Only ONE may be worn by each team player and all headbands must be the same color for all players on a team. Hair control devices, as used on ponytails, are not restricted in these ways. Additionally, players may fold or roll up shorts provided only one manufacturer's logo may be visible, draw strings are contained and the shorts do not expose the anatomy in objectionable ways.
3. Bench technicals - the assistant coach(es) may now legally enter the court (in addition to the head coach) in
order to help restore order during a fight. It's all about player safety.
4. Backcourt - A ball in team control of Team A in the front court that is deflected by a defensive player, which causes the ball to go into the back court, may be recovered by either team unless the offense was the last to touch the ball before it went into the back court. If the offense was last to touch the ball in its front court, only the defense can legally recover the basketball.
5. Signal (mechanics) change - On a held ball, the official will blow the whistle and first raise his extended arm to stop the clock and then, secondly, give the approved/required signal for a held ball. This change simply makes the signals to stop the clock more consistent.
- Skip Yutzler
Have a question?
RETURNING ALL-NEW YORK STATE
Ahkeee Anderson, Center Moriches*
Xavier Allen, Mattituck
Zaire Baines, Portledge
Chris Boothe, Sachem East
Henry Brooks, Pierson
Colin Cassara, Newfield
Jalen Celestine, LuHi
Thomas Cirrito, Miller Place
Marvel Chambers, Farmingdale
Malachi Coleman, Bay Shore
Andre Curbelo, LuHi
Jaden DeJesus, Knox School
Jarrett Dingle, Academy Charter
Kieran Dorney, Chaminade
Lucas Quigley-Dunning, Shelter Island
Malik Edmead, Deer Park
Josh Fenner, John Glenn
Will Ford, St. Dominic
Jack Garside, Kings Park
Zed Key, LuHi
Brett Karkus, Hewlett
Teddy Mangiarotti, Locust Valley
Ty-Shon Pannell, Central Islip
Jahmir Primer, Portledge
Mike Sixsmith, Holy Trinity
Andre Snoody, St. Anthony’s
Nick Spinosa, Kellenberg
Sean Walsh, Northport
Nae'jon Ward, Center Moriches*
Michael Warren Jr., Malverne
Brandon Weiss, Jericho
2016-17 All-Long Island Freshmen
Trayvon Alexander, Friends
Ahkee Anderson, Greenport
Marvel Chambers, Farmingdale
Malik Edmead, Deer Park
Bryce Harris, Brentwood
Zed Key, Brentwood
Kenny Lazo, Brentwood
Michael O'Connell, Chaminade
Ty-Shon Pannell, Central Islip
David Sabzehroo, Great Neck South
Jevon Santos, Elmont
Bora Soybas, Bethpage
Jake Tavroff, Oceanside
Jaylen Trent, Bellport
Nae'jon Ward, Bridgehampton
Brandon Weiss, Jericho
HOFSTRA 64 CANISIUS 57
HOFSTRA 91 HOLY CROSS 69
After dropping the last game of their otherwise successful West Coast swing, the Pride went right back on the road and picked up two good wins at the Boca Raton Beach Classic. RECAP GAME 1, RECAP GAME 2. Up next, the road trip continues with a 12/7 date at St. Bonaventure, and then on December 10th, finally home against Stony Brook for the Long Island D1 Championship Game!
Hofstra 2-0 On West Coast!
Hostra continued their west coast trip, building on their signature win over UCLA with a resounding 79-57 victory over Cal State-Fullrerton. The final stop on their trip is at San Diego on Wednesday before coming home for Thanksgiving. STORY
HOFSTRA UPSETS UCLA!
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 12/4
Uniondale 83 Bellport 52
Defending Section 8 Class AA Champion Uniondale took on Section 11 Class AA Semifinalist Bellport and dominated the Clippers from the opening tip. BOX SCORE
LuHi 74 St. Dominic 41
The LuHi staff tells us they have trouble getting Long Island teams to play them, and we can see why. A solid St. Dominic team was never in it. BOX SCORE
THANKSGIVING WEEKEND GAMES
Portledge 89 Hills East 57
The Panthers, who feature a guard dominated attack, suffocating defense, and excellent ball movement, raced out to a blistering 26-6 first quarter lead behind 9 points from Dante Brooks, 6 from Zaire Baines, and 5 from Aazayah Ross and never looked back. Baines finished with a game high 27 points and Christian Daily added 19. Xavier Lewis led the young Thunderbirds with 17.
Chaminade 83 Campus Magnet 17
The very impressive Flyers, playing without their starting point guard, completely dominated the PSAL Class AA squad from Queens.
Hills West 90 John Glenn 79
Hills West established themselves as a strong contender in Section 11 Class A with a convincing win over a good John Glenn squad. Brent Bland led the way with 26 points and Yvan Fills-Aime added 23. Glenn's All-New York State guard Josh Fenner led all scorers with 36.
St. Mary's 61 Salesian 53
The buzz is that St. Mary's will be a contender in the Long Island CHSAA this season, and they picked up a nice road win to open up. Nick Cham led the Gaels with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, Sal Saputo finished with 13 points and 3 assists, and Jovanye Walters added a double-double with 10 poinst, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
Miller Place 66 Kings Park 42
Miller Place also looks like another strong contender in Section 11 Class A, rolling over a good Kings Park team on the road with a balanced attack led by Dan Berrios, who scored 17 points, returning All-New York State player Thomas Cirrito, who had 16, Tim Hirdt, who rang up 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Matt Frank, who logged 13 points and 13 rebounds. Returning All-New York State player Jack Garside led all scorers with 21 points for Kings Park.
BIG GAMES IN NOVEMBER!
If you love high school basketball, its going to be easy to get used to a longer regular season and big games in November, and we’ve had a bunch of them, with contenders facing off and returning All-New York State players flexing their muscles.
Bay Shore 67 Central Islip 62 OT
These two contenders were in the same league for years, so a big game atmosphere and a great game was almost inevitable, and the visiting Marauders outlasted the host Musketeers in OT. Kevin Lowe hit the decisive three pointer in OT to ice it. Returning All-New York State player Malachi Coleman led Bay Shore with 25 points and 4 assists, while fellow Al-New York State performer and Team Long Island selection Ty-Shon Pannell finished with 20 points. 11/26
John Glenn 79 Harborfields 68
Two perennial Class A contenders and next door neighbors faced off, again in a big game atmosphere, and returning All-New York State player Josh Fenner exploded for 44 points, 10 rebounds and four assists to lead Glenn to the win. Looks like Joe Desimone is stepping up for the Tornadoes this season, knocking down 7 threes on his way to a career-high 30 points. 11/26
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 12/18
#3 Holy Trinity 67 #12 Portledge 56
This was the first truly classic game of the season. Two highly regarded teams - both facing their first big test - did battle, and the upstart Panthers, with 10 games already under their belts, got off first behind the hot shooting of Zaire Baines, who has unlimited range on his jump-shot. They held the lead well into the second half, but once TJ Long caught fire, he and Mike Sixmith rallied the home team to victory - pulling away down the stretch. Make no mistake - Portledge is for real and can play with anybody and so are the Titans, but you have to think Holy Trinity is anxious for someone else to step up as a scorer in big games like this - Sixsmith and Long had 27 each - 54 of Holy Trinity's 67 points. Baines finished with 21 points for Portledge, Jahmir Primer with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Dante Brooks with 11 points.
Long Beach 53 Mepham 52
When Long Beach broke Kellenberg’s 5 game winning stream, I have to confess my first thought was that the Firebirds aren’t as good as I thought. Now it’s beginning to look like more of a case of how good Long Beach is! They improved to 4-1, handing host Mepham their first loss of the season as well on a dramatic basket by Jacob Cochran with four seconds remaining. Cochran finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Jaden Barwicki added 12 points and 6 assists. Greg Paul finished with 18 points and Jack Fontanetta 16 for Mepham.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7TH
at Uniondale High School
GAME 1
Pine Bush (SEC 9 AA) 59 Elmont 48
GAME 2
St. Anthony's 54 New Paltz (SEC 9 A) 40
GAME 3
Salesian (CHSAA B) 63 Amityville 59 OT
GAME 4
NFA (SEC 9 AA) 64 Baldwin 58 OT
GAME 5
Kingston (SEC 9 AA) 70 Uniondale 68
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 12/11
LUHI 67 CHAMINADE 55
Hugo Bergstrom had a great game for the Crusaders, knocking down 6 timely threes, but Zed Key was the difference in this one, matching Bergstrom’s 18 points while dominating the boards and the paint on both ends. Matt Coletti sparked Chaminade with his high energy game, keeping them in it in the first half and finishing with 17 points, and Team Long Island selection Kieran Dorney had a big second half when the Flyers rallied and challenged for the lead. He also finished with 17.
Brentwood 70 Farmingdale 63
Brentwood’s depth was on display in this one. The Indians played without All-New York State guard Jordan Riley, who was home with the flu, and still came away with a win over a good Farmingdale team. Point guard Kenny Lazo stepped up his scoring, putting 21 points in the book to go along with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, Team Long Island selection Zatai Townsend, who missed last season with an injury, added 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, and big man Alan Houston had his best game of the season, registering 14 points and 10 rebounds. Marvel Chambers led all scorers with 33 points for Farmingdale and Luis Smikle Jr. had 17.
Kellenberg 73 East Meadow 57
The Firebirds are 4-0 and big man Nick Spinoso, a Team Long Island selection, is off to a torrid start too. He had 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 blocks in this one and is averaging 25.5 points and 16.8 rebounds per game so far. Jay Cosgrove had a good game too, finishing with 18 points and 6 assists. Devin Meyers and Nelo Williams both had 16 for East Meadow.
Calhoun 73 Hempstead 57
The Colts put an end to Hempstead’s winning streak, jumping out to an early lead and holding off the Tigers from there to improve to 3-0. Calhoun featured a balanced attack led by Chris Stokel with 16 points and Finley Sheridan with 14. Hempstead’s Donovan Leviner led all scorers with 25.
HOFSTRA DOWNS STONY BROOK
71-63 FOR LONG ISLAND D1 TITLE
It was a great back and forth game and the host Pride pulled away down the stretch to defeat rival Stony Brook and claim the title of Long Island's best college basketball team. STORY1 STORY2 11/13
SEAWOLVES ROUT MANHATTAN
Stony Brook built a 15 point first half lead and rolled to a 65-47 home win over the Jaspers. STORY There were FOUR Long Islanders in the game: Former Baldwin Bruin and Team Long Island member Tavin Pierre-Philippe had 5 points for the Seawolves, former Elmont Spartan Pauly Paulicap 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks and for the Jaspers and former LuHi Crusader Tykei Greene 5 points and 8 rebounds also for Manhattan. Another former LuHi player, Tyler Stephenson-Moore from Port Washington, played for Stony Brook but did not score.
GAMES OF SATURDAY 12/21
Hills West 54 Kings Park 51
The Colts rallied at home in a Section 11 Class A face-off! Brent Bland's two big free-throws with 3 seconds remaining provided the final margin. Jordan Colby led Hills with 29 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals and Bland added 13 points while Jack Garside had 18 points, for the Kingsmen.
C Moriches 116 Portledge 111 OT
What a game! Ahkee Anderson's two clutch free throws sent it into OT and Jordan Falco's back to back threes cliched it for the Red Devils. Zaire Baines led all scorers with 40 points for Portledge and Jaden Kealey had 31 for CM, but you have to check out the box score to see all the great performances! BOX
Baldwin 58 St. Anthony's 42
It was the battle you'd imagine through three quarters, but Isiah Walker scored 12 points in a 25 point fourth quarter to help carry the Bruins to victory. Team Long Island selection Lance Henry led all scorers with 22 points for Baldwin, and Walker stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals, and 7 blocks. Another Team Long Island selection - Andre Snoddy - led the Friars with 15 points.
St. Dominic 76 Commack 57
The Long Island Catholic Schools are back! Impressive win for the Bayhawks over a good Class AA public school team. Khalil London led the way with 25 points, Matthew Darian added 16, and Kobe Thomas 15. Spencer Malloy finished with 17 points for Commack.
GAMES OF FRIDAY 12/13
Holy Trinity 78 St. Francis, Buffalo 46
The Titans open their season with a bang!
Ward Melville 79 Southampton 55
The Patriots improve to 5-0. Smallest margin of victory 18 points over Smithtown West! BOX
St. Mary's 69 Bishop Kearney 41
Gaels make short work of the visiting Section 5 Class AA team BOX
LONG ISLAND'S
LEADING SCORERS
THROUGH 1/12/2020
Josh Fenner John Glenn 31.1
Xavier Allen Mattituck 30.3
TJ Long Holy Trinity 28.0
Jarrett Dingle Academy Charter 27.7
Zaire Baines Portledge 27.3
James Butler Sachem North 26.4
Colin Cassara Newfield 25.8
Brandon Weiss Jericho 25.1
Malik Edmead Deer Park 24.9
Gerald Saint Laurent OSNA 24.3
GAMES OF TUESDAY 12/17
#1 LuHi 63 Kamehameha, Ha 57
Ranked 9th in the country heading into a high profile event in Hawaii that features teams like Oak Hill, Archbishop Wood, and Mount Vernon, the Crusaders had to rally for the win against a better than expected local team after a horrendous night at the free throw line. I could not find a box score, but I believe they played without Cal commit Jalen Celestine once again.
#10 Ward Melville 69 #16 C. Islip 62
The first Sweet 16 face-off of the season, and the host Patriots prevailed after a dramatic back and forth game. Jack Holland, Ward Melville's leading scorer, led the way with his best game of the season so far, finishing with 31 points and 5 assists, while Team Long Island's Ty-Shon Pannell had 24 for the Musketeers. The Patriots remain unbeaten at 6-0 while C.I. falls to 4-2.
GAMES OF SATURDAY 12/14
Center Moriches 92 Deer Park 57
All you can say is wow! Emond Frazier led a balanced attack with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
LuHi 84 Thomas Jefferson 60
Another good win playing without Cal commit Jalen Celestine, who is due back in a week or two. Andre Curbello led a balanced attack with 16 points.
Holy Trinity 55 St. Joseph's 52
Good win on the road against one of Buffalo's top teams. Mike Sixsmith, who picked up his 1000th career point, and TJ Long led the way with 18 points each. Coach Joe Conefry' picked up his 200th career win!
St. Anthony's 47 Malverne 41
Malverne is a tough match-up for anybody and a strong Class B contender, but the Friars prevailed in a battle between two outstanding defenses. Sophomore Jalyke Gaines was the deciding factor, coming off the bench to score 15 points.
Uniondale 75 Copiague 43
Dominating win for the Knights over a good Copiague team, featuring Uniondale's trademark defense and the other mark of a good team - a balanced attack led by Jayden Freeman with 16 points. Fab freshman Malachi Moore led all scorers with 21 points for Copiague.
Chaminade 76 Elmont 53
Convincing win for the Flyers, who are better than expected this year. Big game for Kieran Dorney with 32 points and 8 rebounds.
Long Beach 55 Kellenberg 51
A bit of a shocker - breaking Kellenberg's 5 game winning streak. Jaden Barwicki sealed the deal for the Marines, going 3-for-4 from the free-throw line in the final minute and finishing with 18 points and 8 rebounds. The Firebirds did play without starter John Kwiakowski - a strong rebounder that averages about 6 PPG.
Mepham 63 Wantagh 60
Two good to Section 8 Class A teams and Mepham remains undefeated at 4-0 after holding off a late Warrior run. Mekhi Beckett led the way with 20 points and Jack Fontanetta added 16.
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF MINOR LEAGUE BASKETBALL
The Long Island Nets are coming off a very good season which saw them reach the G-League Finals for the first time, yet this season, they started the season 1-8 and guess what? It's no surprise! Why? The primary purpose of a minor league team is to develop major league talent, and after a season like last year, Long Island's best players were in demand and left for NBA tryouts and overseas pro leagues. That left this year's roster WITHOUT A SINGLE PLAYER FROM LAST SEASON! It takes time to develop the team work and chemistry a good team has, so this year's team may yet prove to be a contender, but it almost impossible for minor league clubs to build on past success, and they and their fans have to learn to enjoy the fruits of their labors as their players go on to bigger and better things. 12/3
11/22-23 KINGS PARK TOURNAMENT
Great match-up between two good teams in the Championship Game of the Kings Park Chamber Of Commerce Tournament, with the host Kingsmen rallying for a 57-54 victory over Commack.
All-Tournament Team
Spencer Malloy (Commack)
Jaden Martinez (Comsewogue)
Adrian Brooks (Huntington)
Matt Wolf (King Park)
MVP-Jack Garside (Kings Park)
It was year two of our great new high school basketball showcase - once again the can't miss basketball event of the holidays! Participant's in this year's showcase had over 40 State Championships between them!
RESULTS DAY 1
Bishop Hendricken 68 Mount Vernon 57
Brentwood 71 Chaminade 62
St. Anthony's 78 Thurgood Marshall 60
St. Mary's 72 Nazareth 48
RESULTS DAY 2
Curtis 77 Nazareth 37
Holy Trinity 82 Mount Vernon 72
St. Anthony’s 51 Trinity Catholic, CT 35
Chaminade 80 Thurgood Marshall 63
GAMES OF FRIDAY 12/20
Commack 80 Riverhead 48
In a big Suffolk League 2 match-up, Commack trailed 17-10 at the first quarter buzzer, but went on a blistering 20-0 second quarter run and never looked back. Team Long Island selection Spencer Molloy was a force, finishing with 30 points and 13 rebounds and Tom Abbott and Travis Newman both had 14 points for the Cougars. Adrian Johnson had 22 of Riverhead's 48 points.
Jericho 81 South Side 64
The Jayhawks are passing every test with flying colors, improving to 5-0 on the season. Brandon Weiss led the way once again, scoring 28 points to pace a balanced attack that had 4 players in double figures. Jake Murphy finished with 24 points for South Side.
Friends Academy 51 Locust Valley 40
In a Nassau Conference 5 showdown, the Quakers picked up a big road win led by three 10 point scorers - CJ Williams, Alex Douglas and Billy Daal. Williams added 11 assists. Luke Paniagua was high man for LV with 11 points.
GAMES OF MONDAY 12/16
#12 Portledge 57 OSNA 54
With the retirement Rev. Ronald Seltzer, who averaged over 20 wins per season in his 28 years as Head Coach, OSNA is heading in a new direction and has joined the PSAA, entering a strong division formed this season that also includes Portledge, Knox, and Stony Brook. How good are they? It looks like they are pretty good, but the Panthers held serve on their home court, utilizing a balanced attack led by Dante Brooks, who finished with 17 points, Jahmir Primer, who added 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Zaire Baines, who had 15 points. OSNA's Gerald St. Laurent led all scorers with 22.
Sayville 66 #14 Miller Place 61
The Golden Flashes let everyone know they too should be included in discussions about Long Island's best Class A teams. P.J. Kloska held off the Panther's with four big free throws down the stretch and finished with 23 points, Kalani Antoine added 14, and Aidan Arnesen had 12 points and 15 rebounds. Miller Place's Thomas Cirrito led all scorers with 26.
Kings Park 52 Harborfields 42
Two good Section 11 Class A teams faced off, and Kings Park is beginning to look like one of the best! The Kingsmen picked up a tough road win led by Matthew Wolf, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Jack Garside, who had 14 points and 5 assists. Joe DeSimone finished with 12 points for the Green Tornadoes.
Port Washington 62 Calhoun 53
Very often, when a strong senior dominated team graduates most of its starters (the Vikings advanced to last years Section 8 Class AA Championship Game), the program enters a rebuilding mode. It looks like Port Washington's will be brief! They improved to 5-2, defeating the previously unbeaten Colts on the road.
GAMES OF TUESDAY 12/10
Central Islip 71 Deer Park 67 2OT
It looked like the Falcons had it won in regulation, rallying to take the lead, but Larry Fuller sent it to OT with two free throws and then Davien Atkinson's layup in the second OT proved to be the game-winner. Deer Park drops to 1-2 while CI improves to 3-1. BOX
Copiague 61 Riverhead 52
Fantastic freshman Malachi Moore finished with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists to help hand Riverhead its first loss of the season. The Blue Wave opened the season with 4 straight wins. Copiague improves to 4-1 - their only loss on the road at Central Islip. BOX
Smithtown West 61 Elmont 59
Anther Agostino family rivalry game, and it was a good one! Coach Mike's team held off AD Chris' team for a big intersectional win. BOX
Jericho 62 Wantagh 53
Two Class A contenders met, and the visiting Jayhawks picked up a convincing win, remaining unbeaten and handing Wantagh their first loss. BOX
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Know the answers to the questions we get asked all the time! ASK THE REF!
GAMES OF SATURDAY 12/28
#5 Baldwin 61 St. Dominic 58
The Bayhawks opened some eyes, building a 16 point halftime lead, but the Bruins came storming back!
#6 Holy Trinity 71 #10 Farmingdale 45
In a warm-up for their big game against Mount Vernon Monday at St. Anthony's, the Titans pounded the host Dalers
#7 Northport 75 Hills West 69
The visiting Colts were 8-1 coming into it, and every time the Tigers looked like they were going to put them away, they rallied, but Northport survived the test to improve to 8-1.
#16 Jericho 86 W. Whitman 83 4OT
This team is shaping up to be the best Jayhawk team in many years, and they prevailed in a road marathon to improve to 7-0
Port Washington 68 Malverne 61
The defending Section 8 Class AA finalists looked to be in a rebuilding year, but are now 7-2 after a big road win over a very good Malverne team.
GAMES OF FRIDAY 12/27
#16 Jericho 69 #9 Ward Melville 68
Team Long Island’s Brandon Weiss curled to the basket from the right wing and scored with 20 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Jayhawks the lead and then Jordan Miller's dramatic steal as the Patriots raced down the court iced the big Sweet 16 win. Weiss finished with 24 points, Phillip Priolo added 14 - 8 of them in the fourth quarter - and Yaewon You had 11 in what would have to be considered a signature victory for unbeaten Jericho. Giancarlo Serratore had his best game of the season, finishing with a game high 25 for the Patriots, who fall to 7-2. Jericho is now 6-0.
St. Dominic 52 Elmont 49
Two teams looking to establish themselves faced off in a terrific back and forth game, and after a dramatic third quarter rally by the the Spartans, the Bayhawks regrouped and rallied for the win behind Khalil London, who had a game high 25 points, and Will Ford, who finished with 11. Gus Louis led Elmont with 15 points.
#5 Baldwin 80 Bay Shore 54
People were asking how we could rank Baldwin so high in our first poll when they were 0-1. Now you know! Three straight one sided wins and this is a good Bay Shore team with wins over Central Islip and Commack.
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 1/8
#7 Northport 80 #12 Smithtown W 75
An instant classic between two ranked 10-1 teams going at it for first place in Suffolk League 3! After a great game in a playoff like atmosphere, it looked like host Northport had things well in hand, but the Bulls staged a stunning rally in regulation, coming from 8 down with less than a minute to play to tie it on a clutch 3 pointer by Matt Behrens at the buzzer. The Tigers regained their composure, and after a tight OT, Northport's Pat Healy tied it up again on a drive, sending the game to a second OT, where senior Sean Walsh stepped up to lead the Tigers to the big home win, knocking down clutch shots and free throws down the stretch to put the game away. Can't wait for the rematch! Healy led Northport with 30 points, Walsh had 20, and sophomore forward Nick Watts added 14 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Sam Frank had 23 and Behrens 22 for the Bulls.
Long Beach 70 Calhoun 57
Everybody has been wondering if Long Beach is for real after their big win over Kellenberg, but a light schedule makes it tough to tell. This will help: Calhoun was 6-1 coming into this game and the visiting Marines put them away with a 25-14 fourth quarter to improve to 7-1 overall. In the ultimate in balanced attacks, Jaden Barwicki, Alex Bauer, Jacob Cochran, and Evan Michaels all finished with 16 points for Long Beach. Finley Sheridan led Calhoun with 18.
GAMES OF MONDAY 12/23
Riverhead 72 Ward Melville 71
Just as Riverhead was sliding off our radar after a one sided loss to Commack on the road, they come home and knock off undefeated and 9th ranked Ward Melville to improve to 7-2 on the season! It was a good, back and forth game, with the teams exchanging the lead several times, but Te'Andre Pope gave the Blues Wave the lead for good with a big three-pointer at the 1:01 mark of the fourth quarter and they held off the Patriots from there. Riverhead featured a balanced attack, with TayShaun Hawkins and Adrian Johnson leading the way with 17 points each, while Pope and Albert Daniels both added 15. Ward Melville’s Jack Holland led all scorers with 27 points.
GAMES OF TUESDAY 12/3
Center Moriches 89 Miller Place 82
CM held off a late rally. STORY
Deer Park 71 Longwood 59
Deer Park confirmed their contender status. STORY
Northport 58 North Babylon 45
Watch out for Northport this season! STORY
GAMES OF SATURDAY 1/4
Boys & Girls 65 #1 Brentwood 64
Hopefully, the Indians got a stinker out of their systems - they were not a good team today. They played one on one basketball, nobody hit their shots, and they committed more turnovers than I could count. Very ugly game, but keep an eye out for B&G’s Khalil Brantley - a special player. He’s a junior, single-handedly led the Kangaroo comeback, and hit the long distance game winner at the buzzer. You’ll be seeing him at the next level.
#2 LuHi 91 St. Ray's (CHSAA AA) 64
The Crusaders actually didn’t play that well and still overwhelmed one of NYC’s top teams. They committed a bunch of turnovers, but big games from Drissa Traore and Zed Key inside more than made up for it. Both teams were missing D1 recruits - Cal bound Jalen Celestine is still out for LuHi and Gary Grant missed the game for the Ravens, but St. Ray’s doesn’t have the depth to compensate.
#5 Baldwin 57 Port Washington 45
Port Washington tormented Baldwin last season, upsetting them twice - once in a big Section 8 playoff semifinal matchup, so this one meant a lot to the Bruins and a 27-8 third quarter was the difference after a tight first half. Kamani Jones had a season high 21 points to lead the way for the Bruins.
#6 Holy Trinity 73 Iona Prep 70
Nobody has been able to stop the deadly duo of Mike Sixsmith and TJ Long, who combined for 39 in this one. They make the Titans a solid favorite in the Catholic League this season, but Holy Trinity has now given up big leads in their last two games and that’s a concern going forward. DETAILS LATER
Archb. Molloy 69 #8 Chaminade 67 The Flyers battled wire to wire against the legendary NYC program, but fell to 5-4. Future opponents beware - Chaminade is never out of a game and will knock off more than a few teams this season. They are without a doubt a dangerous opponent now and will be in the playoffs as well. Dorney deservedly draws most of the attention from the defense and almost always gets his points - he had 17 in this one, and that attention helps get open looks for his teammates, who are more than capable of knocking down shots and can create for themselves as well. Matt Coletti and Jason Leyden both finished with 14 points. DETAILS LATER
Mt. St. Michaels 44 St. Anthony's 41
Even though Mount is a 7-2 CHSAA Class AA team, this one had the feel of an upset. The Friars led early and their dominant defense controlled the tempo and kept it close the whole way, and like so many of those kind of games, last minute turnovers and missed opportunities decided it. Andre Snoddy, who has successfully made the transition from forward to guard, led St. Anthony’s with 18 points with his very effective inside-out game, and big man Louis Stallone, who is a great passer out of the high post and can knock down shots, finished with 14.
BIG GAMES THIS WEEK
Friday 1/17/20
5:00 PM Jericho (10-0) @ Roslyn (9-3)
7:15 PM Wheatley (9-2) @ Acad. Charter (5-1)
7:30 PM St. Mary's (8-2) @ Chaminade (6-6)
Saturday 1/18/20
12:00 PM Amityville (8-2) @ Miller Place (10-2)
12:00 PM Mepham (7-3) @ Calhoun (7-3)
12:00 PM Sewanhaka (7-3) @ Carey (7-4)
1:00 PM Elmont (5-5) @ Manhasset (8-2)
1:00 PM Southampton (7-3) @ Mattituck (12-0)
LUHI INVITATIONAL
12:00 PM Farmingdale (7-2) vs Chaminade (6-6)
1:45 PM Northport (12-1) vs Baldwin (6-2)
3:30 PM GIRLS Longwood (11-1) vs LuHi
5:15 PM Trinity Catholic, CT (3-2) vs LuHi (13-2)
NYC VS LI CLASSIC @ John Adams
2:00 PM Roslyn (9-3) vs John Adams (13-6)
Sunday 1/19/20
NASSAU/SUFFOLK CHALLENGE
11:00 AM Sewanhaka (7-3) vs Bellport (5-6)
1:00 PM South Side (7-3) vs Longwood (3-9)
3:00 PM Baldwin (6-2) vs Brentwood (10-1)
5:00 PM Elmont (5-5) vs Center Moriches (10-0)
7:00 PM Uniondale (9-1) vs Hills East (6-6)
GAMES OF TUESDAY 1/7
#15 St Mary's 79 #5 Holy Trinity 54
Even though both teams are ranked in the Sweet 16, this was still a stunning score. The Gaels were on the road, led pretty much wire to wire, and won by 25 points?!?! And both Long and Sixsmith played! Wow! Jovayne Walters led a balanced St. Mary's attack, which featured 5 players in double figures, with 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 blocks. A big win for a once dominant program that has gone 9 years without a title. BOX
Academy Charter 65 Malverne 63
Last year was their first year in Section 8, and they made it all the way to the Long Island Class D Championship Game before losing to perennial champion Bridgehampton. This year, they have moved up to Class B and it looks like they will be contenders there as well after beating the mighty Mules, who have been one of Long Island's best Class B programs for as long as we can remember. That makes them 5-1, with wins over Cold Spring Harbor and the PSAL's James Monroe. The game was tight and back and forth the whole way, and featured a great battle between two of Long Island's best players - Michael Warren of Malverne and Jarrett Dingle of AC, and while Warren won the battle 25-21, Dingle won the war.
GAMES OF FRIDAY 1/10
#2 C. Moriches 81 Southampton 69
In one of those great rivalry games in a loud, packed gym, the host Mariners took a 27-22 second quarter lead and were within 5 after a stirring fourth quarter rally led by an inspired Sincere Faggins, but the Red Devils responded with a 15-5 run and were not seriously threatened after that. Ahkee Anderson led CM with 26 points and 9 assists and Emond Frazier added 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Faggins and Dakota Smith led Southampton with 18 points and Artemi Gavalas added 12, including some big fourth quarter 3 pointers..
Mattituck 84 Hampton Bays 55
The Tuckers continued their march towards their inevitable confrontation with #2 ranked and undefeated Center Moriches, improving to 12-0 with a very impressive win over a good Hampton Bays squad, who were 9-2 themselves coming into the game. Returning All-New York State guard Xavier Allen led the way with 27 points and 10 rebounds, Rashad Lawson had a big game too, finishing with 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Luke Woods completed the imposing three pronged attack with 22 points of his own. Lucas Brown led Hampton Bays with 18 points.
REMAINING UNDEFEATED TEAMS
Center Moriches 11-0
How tough is it to go an entire season undefeated? No Long Island team has done it since 1998, when Rich Wrase's legendary Westhampton team finished 29-0, capturing the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions title with a 62-51 win over Wadleigh of the PSAL - who also came into the game undefeated. They beat CHSAA Champion St. Mary's (22-4) in the semifinals! Before that, it was the 23-0 1976 Babylon team! ALL OF LI's UNDEFEATED TEAMS
GAMES OF THURSDAY 1/2
Deer Park 44 North Babylon 42
Its been a tough year for the Falcons, who were 2 and 6 coming into this game against the 7-2 Bulldogs and playing without returning All-New York State guard Malik Edmead, who is out with a leg injury, but the tide may be turning for them. Edmead's 8th grade little brother, who some say might be the best yet of the very talented Edmead brothers, finished with a game high 14 points and another youngster - freshman Anthony Daley - hit the big shot - a three pointer from the top with 3 seconds left - to give the Falcons the dramatic home victory and put them at 2-0 and alone in first place in Suffolk League 4. Mark Cordero added 9 points and 11 rebounds. Takel Jackson and Jordan Guice both finished with 10 points for North Babylon.
GAMES OF SUNDAY 12/29
#1 Brentwood 71 #8 Chaminade 62
The featured game at Day 1 of the New York Holiday Invitational did not disappoint. Although the Indian led most of the way, it was a good tight game and the emphatic back to back second half dunks by Jordan Reilly and a big half by Alan Houston, who scored 12 of his 19 points after intermission to go with his 10 rebounds, were the difference. Kieran Dorney finished with a game high 24 for the Flyers. DETAILS LATER
St. Anthony's 78 Thurgood Marsh 60
The PSAL AA team was 7-1 coming into the game and fresh off a win over Boys & Girls High, but the Friars dominated. DETAILS LATER
St.Mary's 72 Nazareth 48
Nazareth jumped out to a 14-4 lead, but it was all St. Mary's after that.
DETAILS LATER
GAMES OF MONDAY 12/30
#6 Holy Trinity 82 Mount Vernon 72
The Titans exploded out of the gate behind the precision passing and shooting of Mike Sixsmith and TJ Long, building a 20 point halftime lead, but the 11 time New York State Champion Knights made some halftime adjustments, pounding the ball inside to exploit their height advantage, and came storming back. They couldn't contain Sixsmith, however, who scored 12 of his game high 32 points in the fourth quarter to stall the run and lead Holy Trinity to the signature victory. Long had a big game too, finishing with 26 points, including 6 threes, and Trevor Rhorer had 16 points. DETAILS LATER
#8 Chaminade 80 Thurg Marshall 63
Team Long Island selection Kieran Dorney was on his game once again, pouring in 18 of his 22 points in the decisive first half, sparkplug Matt Coletti had 16 second half points on his way to a game high 24 and Brandon Pizzingrillo a season high 14 to lead the Flyers to a convincing win over the defending PSAL Class AA Manhattan Borough Champions. DETAILS LATER
#15 St. Anthony's 51 Trinity Cath 35
The Friar's showed off their defensive prowess, handily defeating the 7 time Connecticut State Champions. Team Long Island's Andre Snoddy led a balanced attack with 16 points and Louis Stallone and Jack Garvey finished with 10 points each. DETAILS LATER
1/12/2020
SWEET 16
COACHES POLL
1. LuHi (13-2)
2. Center Moriches (10-0)
3. Uniondale (9-1)
4. Brentwood (10-1)
5. St. Mary’s (8-2)
6. Holy Trinity (10-2)
7. Northport (12-1)
8. Baldwin (6-2)
9. St. Anthony's (9-3)
10. LWA (10-0)
11. Chaminade (6-6)
12. Smithtown West (10-2)
13. Amityville (8-2)
14. Jericho (10-0)
15. Farmingdale (7-2)
16. Portledge (12-3)
GAMES OF TUESDAY 1/14
#9 St. Anthony's 64 #5 St. Mary's 52
Its shaping up to be an exciting season in the Catholic League! Just about every team has some big non-league wins and it looks like we can look forward to great games in league play! Like old times! This was an important road win for the Friars and their league leading defense, which is holding opponents to an average of 48 PPG.
Hills East 60 #12 Smithtown W 57
One of the best things about this job is watching kids you’ve been following since grade school come into their own and begin to have an impact on the varsity level. Hills East - one of Long Island’s top programs in recent years, is rebuilding and took their lumps earlier in the season, but their youngsters are starting to assert themselves and the Thunderbirds have now won four straight, including an impressive win over Bay Shore (8-6) and now this eye opening road win over the 12th ranked Bulls. Three of their impressive youngster's played big roles - freshman Dante Green finished with 16 points and 9 rebounds, fellow freshman Frank Wilson had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks, and sophomore point guard Xavier Lewis efficiently ran the show, finished with 9 points and hit two clutch free throws in the final seconds to ice it. Michael Behrens led West with 26.
#2 Cent. Moriches 102 Mattituck 68
If there were any doubters left, the Red Devils took care of them after their big win over Chaminade this past Sunday and this demolition of previously unbeaten Mattituck. I’m still not sure if they are better than last year’s team, but they just might be! CM once again showed great balance, with 5 players in double figures led by Ahkee Anderson, who had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists and Jaden Kealey, who had 17 points and 12 rebounds. You have to give a special shout-out to Xavier Allen of Mattituck, who scored 41 points in the losing effort.
Wheatley 70 Malverne 57
Where did Wheatley come from? They improved to 10-2 after going 3-16 last year and took out a very good Malverne team coming off a big win against highly regarded Portledge. Jason Koty led the balanced attack with a season high 21 points and added 8 rebounds and 4 assists and James O’Connell, who had 21 in a win against Cold Spring Harbor, finished with 13 points and 4 assists. Jayden Seraphin led Malverne with 19. The Wildcats are one of Long Island’s best defensive teams, holding opponents to and average of 46 ppg.
2019-20 SEASON: WE'RE OFF!
The high school season is off and running, with two Section 11 games at the Islip Tournament featured. In game one, Matt Behrens hit an amazing 19 free throws to lead Smithtown West over Walt Whitman 75-63, West coach Mike Agostino's 100th career victory. Host Islip took it on the chin in the nightcap, falling to Pat-Med 76-51. Joe Harrison was red hot with 6 threes for the Raiders in the first half and the Buccaneers never recovered from the onslaught. Portledge kicked things off for the private schools on Wednesday, defeating Browning from NYC 87-67 behind 28 points from L.I.'s leading returning scorer, Zaire Baines. 11/22
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 1/15
Hewlett 67 #14 Jericho 54
Hewlett was considered a serious contender in preseason, with All-New York State sharpshooter Brett Karkus returning and a good supporting cast, but Karkus missed a number of games and played others when he wasn’t 100%, so they had a modest 5-6 record coming into this game. He is back now and led the Bulldogs with 17 points, young phenom Ryan Weiss added 15 points, and Darren Spencer 8 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks as Hewlett rallied from a 3rd quarter deficit to defeat the 14th ranked and previously unbeaten Jayhawks going away. Brandon Weiss led all scorers with 27 points for Jericho.
Elmont 50 Sewanhaka 31
Elmont has played a brutal schedule and has taken some tough non-league losses, but they are tied for first in Nassau Conference A2 now, improving to 5-0 in league play after going on a 40-19 run over the final three quarters. Gus Louis had a big game with 23 points, and so did Jevon Santos, who finished with 10 points and 12 assists. Nobody reached double figures for Sewahkaka. They have a first place showdown with defending Long Island Champion Manhasset this Saturday, 1 PM at Manhasset.
Valley Stream South 56 Friends 54
VSS started off slowly this season, losing their first two games, but since point guard Nick Trail has returned to the line-up, they have gone 8-1, including this big first place showdown with Friends Academy. Chidi Obichire put together an impressive statline with 19 points and 20 rebounds, Emil Williams added 14 points, and Trail finished with 9 points and 11 assists. Billy Daal led Friends with 16 points.
