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LONG ISLAND'S HOME COURT ADVANTAGE!
1. LuHi (22-2)
2. Amityville (27-2)
3. Hills East (23-4)
4. Uniondale (21-2)
5. St. Anthony's (19-8)
6. Garden City (22-1)
7. Chaminade (20-6)
8. Deer Park (20-3)
9. Bellport (20-2)
10. Floral Park (20-3)
11. Holy Trinity (17-8)
12. LWA (20-6)
13. Knox (25-3)
14. Sewanhaka (19-3)
15. Brentwood (16-7)
16. Baldwin (15-7)
FINAL 2017-18
SWEET 16
COACHES POLL
"THE TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT"
- Martin Luther King Jr.
OUR 2018 CHAMPIONS
NYSPHSAA/STATE
CLASS A: Amityville
NYSAIS/STATE
CLASS AA: LuHi
CLASS B: LWA
LONG ISLAND
CLASS AA: HHH East
CLASS A: Amityville
CLASS B: Center Moriches
CLASS C: Greenport
CLASS D: Bridgehampton
NSCHSAA: St. Anthony's
PSAA: Knox
NASSAU/Section 8
CLASS AA: Uniondale
CLASS A: Garden City
CLASS B: Malverne
CLASS C: East Rockaway
SUFFOLK/Section 11
OVERALL: Amityville
CLASS AA: HHH East
CLASS A: Amityville
CLASS B: Center Moriches
CLASS C: Greenport
CLASS D: Bridgehampton
3 MILLION VISITORS!
Kupchak Hornets GM
Former First Team All-Long Island player Mitch Kupchak from Brentwood has been hired as the new President of Basketball Operations and General Manager of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. He will lead the organization’s day-to-day basketball operations for Hornets owner and fellow Tar Heel Michael Jordan. “In every role and in every stop during his tenure in the NBA, Mitch Kupchak has brought the highest levels of success to his teams. He’s a proven winner,” Jordan said. “Having won championships as both a player and an executive, we have confidence that Mitch is the right person to lead our basketball operations, build a winning culture and bring sustained success to our organization, for our fans and for the city of Charlotte.” Kupchak returns to the state where he was ACC Player of the year while attending the University of North Carolina and has jersey #21 retired there in his honor. His longtime NBA career includes 10 NBA Championships - three as a player and seven as an executive with the Los Angeles Lakers.
COMMISSION ON COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The NCAA commissioned a report looking for solutions to the growing recruiting scandal hitting men's basketball, and the results have been released. MORE FULL REPORT
Related Stories: Sporting News,
LONG ISLAND'S
Bob Herzog Retires!
Our good friend from Newsday is hanging it up after 42 years! We have had the great pleasure of sharing the sidelines with him for the past 10, and enjoyed every minute of it! He will be sorely missed! STORY
PLAYOFFS
SECTION 11 CLASS AA ELITE 8
#2 Longwood 64
Connetquot 48
Connetquot had an early lead and played with great passion, but top seeded Longwood drew even at the first quarter buzzer, led by 3 at the half, and steadily pulled away from there. Isaiah Whitty led the Lions with 19 points and 8 rebounds and he and his brother Elijah are typically Longwood’s leading scorers, but Jordan Manderson has become an important part of the equation, regularly knocking down threes and handing out assists, and he had 16 points and 6 assists in this one. Tae'von Bazemore led Connetquot with 19 points. 2/16
#3 Brentwood 88
Commack 54
Brentwood was not about to give the Cougars, who had battled them twice during the regular season, any hope this time, jumping out early and dominating them from whistle to whistle. Bryce Harris led the way with 25 points and 15 rebounds, Jordan Riley had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Romello Wright 18 points, and Kenny Lazo added nine points, seven rebounds and six assists. Aidan Keenan led Commack with 23 points.
#5 Bellport 79
#8 Deer Park 65
Jarell White is a lesson to every big man that complains that his teammates never get him the ball. Yes, he is effective when they do, but his gift is rebounding. He goes after every rebound with a vengeance, and scores most of his points on put-backs and free throws, to the tune of 30+ ppg. How do you defend that? Deer Park joins the list of teams that haven’t figured it out. The Falcons gave the Clippers a heck of a battle, closing the gap a number of times led by Malik Edmead, who finished with 29 points, but whenever a shot was off target, it was White’s ball and he racked up 35 points, 30 - yes 30 rebounds, and 6 assists. We know what happens to one man teams, though, and he has a good supporting cast as well. Devon Balfour added 16 points and 12 rebounds, and he is just one of the Clippers capable of scoring in double digits. That makes them a very formidable playoff team. 2/16
Hills East 66
#10 North Babylon 51
If you didn’t know who the favorite was in this game, you would have guessed it was the defending champions, who completely dominated the game, particularly on the defensive end. Shane Dean led the way with 18 points, 8 assists and 3 steals, Max Caspi finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds, and sophomore Dante Green had his best game of the season, adding 16 points of his own, punctuated by two highlight reel dunks. Bradley Celestin had 13 points for North Bab. 2/16
Section 11 Class A
Final Four
Wyandanch 71
Miller Place 66
Miller Place looked to be on their way to a wire to wire victory, but Wyandanch staged a second half rally and took their first lead with 1:15 remaining on the back of 21 second half points from Marcus Haywood. Dionte Jordan's steal and basket in the final seconds iced it. Jordan finished with 20 points and 8 assists and Darnell Evans with 13 points and 8 steals, while Thomas Cirrito and Tim Hirdt led Miller Place with 18 each. 2/15 BOX SCORE
Kings Park 70
Mt. Sinai 44
The Kingsmen exploded out of the gate, building a 24-10 first quarter lead, and never looked back. Matthew Wolf set the tone, beating the Mustangs down the court for 6 quick points, Andrew Bianco dominated the paint from start to finish, Jack Garside skillfully ran the show, and he, Alex Graci and Brendan Kehoe knocked down big threes to snuff out any thought of a rally. 2/15 BOX SCORE
Section 11 Class A
Section 11 Class C
Championship
Greenport 82
Southold 52
The Porters are one of the best Class C teams in New York State, and this was the first step in their quest for a State Championship. STORY 2/13
Section 11 Class D
Championship
Bridgehampton 61
Shelter Island 49
The teams split during the regular season, but the Bees took care of business in the title game.
STORY 2/13
Class B Semifinals
Mattituck 71
Southampton 66
In their last meeting, Southampton registered a 29 point win, but Xavier Allen led a second half rally that carried the Tuckers to an upset of the #2 seed. Allen finished with 30 points, Trevor Poole added 15 points and Luke Woods 12, and he and Allen went a combined 11 for 12 from the free throw line to hold off the Mariners down the stretch. 2/14
Class AA Sweet 16
#2 Longwood 73
Comsewogue 52
16th seed Consewogue made a game of it in the first half, trailing by only 1 as the second half got underway, but the Lions put them away with a 19-6 third quarter. Ke'Andre Penceal had his best game of the season, finishing with 19 points, Elijah Whitty had 15 and both Jordan Manderson and Isaiah Whitty added 14. Jaden Martinez and Milan Johnson both finished with 16 points for Comsewogue. 2/14
#3 Brentwood 87
Ward Melville 63
What’s most impressive about Brentwood is that they have someone at every position capable of having a big game, and super sophomore Jordan Riley carried the load in this one, racking up 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, and four blocks. Bryce Harris also had a big game, contributing 19 points and 10 rebounds, and so did Alan Houston, who added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Robert Soto led Ward Melville with a game high 22 points. 2/14
#5 Bellport 81
Central Islip 53
The Clippers are on a roll and so is Jarell White. They reeled off their 11th straight win and White finished with 35 points and 15 rebounds to lead the way. Once again, he had help. Devon Balfour had 13 points and 13 rebounds and Jaylen Trent 11 points and 6 assists. Ty-Shon Pannell led CI with 26 points. 2/14
#8 Deer Park 63
Smithtown West 60
We had this one pegged as a good matchup, and it was. The Bulls led by 9 at the half, holding Deer Park to 7 second quarter points, but Jordan Rios erupted for 24 points second half points to lead the Falcons to the come from behind win. He finished with 27, knocking down 7 three pointers, and Malik Edmead added 17. Matt Behrens led Smithtown with 24 points. 2/14
#10 North Babylon 50
Bay Shore 37
North babylon is another team that has a number of players capable of having big games, and bradley Bradley Celestin led their balanced attack this time with 11 points and 7 rebounds, but it was their suffocating defense that made the difference, holding the Marauders 21 points below their season average. Kevin Blanchet added 10 points and Dylan Diaz 9 points and 4 steals. Latrell Watlington led Bay shore with 8 points. 2/14
Commack 69
Riverhead 53
What happens when two teams “you don’t want to play in the playoffs” meet? It was all Commack in this one, with the Cougars building a big early lead. Aidan Keenan had his best game of the season, finishing with 29 points, Brendyn Cheng added 15 points and 6 assists, and Spencer Molloy tallied 9 points and 12 rebounds. Cristian Pace led Riverhead with 15 points. 2/14
Connetquot 53
Northport 47
These two team duked it out during the regular season, splitting two good games, and game three was more of the same. It was tied at the half, tied after three quarters, and the Thunderbirds pulled away down the stretch. Sean Andersen had a good game, finishing with 15 points and 17 rebounds, and Tae'von Bazemore added 13 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Pat Healy had 16 points for Northport. 2/14
Hills East 57
Walt Whitman 40
The Thunderbirds lost at home to Whitman during the regular season, but they played without forward Max Caspi, who scored 24 points and pulled down 16 rebounds in this one to lead Hills East to victory. Dante Green added 12 points while Mike Aloisi led Whitman, also with 12. 2/14
Class A Quarterfinals
Wyandanch 87
John Glenn 82
Wyandanch survived a 47 point explosion by Josh Fenner, rallying and holding on for the win behind 21 points from Dionte Jordan and 20 from Marcus Haywood. 2/13
Mt. Sinai 58
Hills West 54
The host Colts took a hard fought 3 point lead at halftime, and the lead was 4 after three quarters, but the Mustangs came from behind, led by Nick Hurowitz, who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, Nick Pintabona, who added 17 points, and Ryan McNeely, who hit two big free throws with 11 seconds remaining, his only points of the game. Jordan Rader paced Hills with 15 points. 2/13
Kings Park 66
Harborfields 57
Trailing by 6 at the half, the Kings Park offense put 43 second half points on the board to rally past the Tornadoes. Jack Garside led the way with 20 points and 6 assists and Andrew Bianco finished with 17 points and 14 rebounds 2/13
Miller Place 57
Amityville 47
The Panthers had given up a big early lead, but a technical foul call, resulting in a pivotal 5 point swing, put Miller Place back in front and the hosts and #1 seeds went on to eliminate the defending champion Warriors.
MORE 2/12
1st Round Class A Results
Harborfields 64
Sayville 61
Sayville rallied, cutting the margin to 3 with 21 seconds remaining, but the Harborfields defense held. BOX SCORE
Amityville 63
East Islip 53
It was close at the half, but the Warriors built an early second half lead and held onto it. BOX SCORE
John Glenn 81
West Babylon 72
Trailing at the half, the Knights exploded for 29 third quarter points and went on for the win. BOX SCORE
Mt. Sinai 63
Islip 53
Mt. Sinai struggled to score in the first half but rang up 47 second half points to rally past Islip. BOX SCORE
CLASS A FIRST ROUND
SECTION 11 SEEDS
CLASS AA (Bracket)
1 Longwood
2 Brentwood
3 Bellport
4 North Babylon
5 Hills East
6 Deer Park
7 Commack
8 Connetquot
9 Northport
10 Riverhead
11 Smithtown West
12 Walt Whitman
13 Bay Shore
14 Central Islip
15 Ward Melville
16 Comsewogue
CLASS A (Bracket)
1 Miller Place
2 Kings Park
3 Hills West
4 Wyandanch
5 John Glenn
6 Mt. Sinai
7 Harborfields
8 Amityville
9 East Islip
10 Sayville
11 Islip
12 West Babylon
CLASS B (Bracket)
1 Center Moriches
2 Southampton
3 Mattituck
CLASS C (Bracket)
1 Greenport
2 Southold
3 Pierson
CLASS D (Bracket)
1 Bridgehampton
2 Shelter Island
Ward Melville 60
Sachem East 45
Trailing at halftime, the host Patriots dominated the second half to claim the last Section 11 playoff spot. Ray Grabowski led the way with 14 points and Robert Soto added 10. Liam Sheehy led all scorers with 15 points for Sachem East. 2/7
Miller Place 74
Mt. Sinai 57
Capturing their first league championship since 1995, the Panthers are making a bid to become the #1 seed in the Section 11 Class A playoffs, closing out the season with 7 straight wins and finishing 17-3 overall. Thomas Cirrito led the way with 28 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals and Matt Frank added 16 points. Ryan McNeely had 15 points for Mt. Sinai. 2/7
Riverhead 66
Hills East 63
The Thunderbirds built an early lead, but host Riverhead chipped away at it, and an Albert Daniels layup gave them the lead with 26 seconds remaining and two Zy'Aire Pittman free throws providing the final margin.
Quashiem Miller had a big game for the Blue Waves, finishing with 24 points and 14 rebounds and so did Robert Tyre, who added 15 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Shamar Moore-Hough, who has come on strong this season, led Hills with 22 points. 2/7
Port Washington 82
Westbury 50
The Pirates jumped back onto the radar after handing Baldwin their only loss of the season. They have now reeled off 9 straight wins heading into the playoffs and have a firm grip on second place in Nassau AA2, one game behind the Bruins. John Bellini led 5 players in double figures with 21 points. 2/6
West Babylon 66
Islip 52
WB picked up a big road win over playoff bound Islip, their 4th win in their last 5 games, earning themselves a playoff spot in their final regular season game. Justin Scotto led the way with 18 points, Dante Terry finished with 14 and Rasheed Austin added 13. Joe Juengerkes led all scorers with 26 points for Islip. 2/6
Manhasset 71
Sewanhaka 58
Sewanhaka took an early lead, but the Indians solved the riddle of their stingy defense and went on to snap their 6 game winning streak. They were led by Chris Themelis with 19 points, John Mastando with 18, and Louis Perfetto with 15 points and 6 assists. Joseph Hicks led all scorers with 25 points for Sewanhaka. The teams are now tied for second in Nassau A2, a game behind first place Elmont and two games ahead of fourth place Jericho. 2/6
Smithtown West 59
Northport 55
Impressive road win for the Bulls, putting them in the playoffs. Jarious Bernard scored the go-ahead basket and Matt Behrens iced it with two free throws. 2/5
Bay Shore 75
Riverhead 56
The Marauders won three straight to secure a playoff spot, breaking playoff bound Riverhead's three game streak. Malachi Coleman has been a consistant force all season and finished with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals and Aaron Davis added 13 points and 11 rebounds. 2/5
Comsewogue 52
West Islip 39
When you need one win in your last two games to make the playoffs and play two teams with losing records to close out the season, it feels great to get that first one, and that's what the Warrios did, and in convincing fashion. Jaden Martinez had a big game with 17 points and 12 rebounds, Mike McGuire finished with 14 points, and Aleks Djordjevic scored 7 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. 2/5
Outside Looking In
SUFFOLK/SECTION 11
The following Suffolk teams can still qualify for the playoffs. League records displayed. Must have a .500 record to qualify. NASSAU TOMORROW
Mattituck (5-6)
Games left: 1 - 2/6 vs Babylon (2-8)
Ward Melville (7-8)
Games left: 1 - 2/7 vs Sachem E (5-9)
West Babylon (7-8)
Games left: 1 - 2/6 @ Islip (9-5)
Amityville 76
East Hampton 52
Don't look past the defending champions! They have won 7 of their last 9 and their only two losses were very close games to league leaders Miller Place and Mt. Sinai. Team Long Island selection Divaahd Lucas continued his strong play, finishing with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists in this one. 2/4
Jericho 71
Carey 54
Wavering on the edge of playoffs after losing to fellow contender Bellmore on the road, the Jayhawks reeled off three straight wins to clinch a spot for the first time in 5 years. Team Long Island selection Brandon Weiss had another big game, finishing with 23 points and knocking down 3 three pointers to give him 53 on the season, but what’s different about this Jericho team compared to earlier in the season is that he has help. Yaewon You hit some big shots and finished with 12 points and undersized big man Aaron Jaffe was surprisingly effective, getting his bigger opponents in foul trouble with an assortment of post moves and going 6 for 6 at the line. All told, 10 of his teammates got into the scorebook. 2/2 MORE LATER
Southampton 78
Central Islip 63
Overshadowed by #15 Center Moriches and 16-1 Greenport this season, this game is a reminder that Southampton is almost always good and that the top east end teams can play with anybody. The Mariners broke open a game tied after three quarters, reeling off 28 fourth quarter points on the road. Sincere Faggins and Marquise Trent combined for 19 of those points and both finished with 22 and Marcus Trent added 17. Ty-Shon Pannell led all scorers with 33 for CI. 1/31
East Hampton 56
Mount Sinai 55
The Bonackers defended their home court, knocking down 11 three pointers - 6 by Malachi Miller - to dim the Mustangs' League 5 title hopes. Jeremy Vizcaino hit the game winning layup with 11 seconds remaining. Nick Hurowitz led Mt. Siinai with 16 points. 1/30
DID YOU KNOW?
Hills West's Tobias Harris, Danny Green from St. Mary's, and OSNA's Cheick Diallo give Long Island three players in the NBA. That is more than 13 US states and more than China, Greece, Italy, Lithuania or Russia!
Wyandanch 83
Mt. Sinai 78
In a terrific Suffolk League 5 showdown, Wyandanch held off a late Mt. Sinai run to capture their 9th straight victory and move within a half game of league leader Miller Place.
Dionte Jordan was the difference, hitting some big shots down the stretch and finishing with 28 points despite some first half foul trouble. He got help from Marcus Haywood, who had 16 points, and from Jawon Green and Matt Lattimer, who both had 10. Ryan McNeely, along with Nick Hurowitz, led the Mustang rally and finished with 23 points while Hurowitz finished with 18. Both of these teams will be right in the mix in the Section 11 Class A playoffs this season. A big brawl broke out after the game as fans were filing out of the gym that did not seem to involve the Mt. Sinai team or its fans, and it lasted for quite awhile and drought dozens of police cars to the school. Nobody seemed to get seriously injured. MORE DETAILED COVERAGE LATER. 1/28
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Lynbrook 75
Valley Stream South 64
The atmosphere in the Lynbrook gym for this Nassau Conference A4 first place showdown was incredible - best I've experienced this season, and the two teams did not disappoint, going at each other at a great pace with playoff-like intensity until the hosts pulled away down the stretch for the win. STORY 1/25
Hills East 64
Northport 50
A big win for the defending champions, giving them a sweep of the season series and first place in Suffolk League 2. STORY 1/25
Suffolk CC 89
BMCC 82
Bellport’s Jaye Bookhart scored 43 points, going 7-11 from the three point line to lead Suffolk Community College to a come from behind victory over Borough of Manhattan Community College (17-3). The Sharks remain a perfect 15-0 and ranked #1 in the country.
FIRST EVER COMPREHENSIVE
NEW YORK STATE
RANKINGS
Large School Rankings
CLASSES AA and A
Small School Rankings
CLASSES B,C, and D
ONLY ON
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Kings Park 62
Hills West 58
These teams played two great league games, with the Kingsmen coming out on top in both to firm up first place in Suffolk League 4. The Colts had a nice early lead on their home court, which they held until halftime, but Kings Park drew even in the third quarter and it was a battle from there, with Brendan Kehoe's three pointer putting KP up by 4 with 1:13 remaining. Jack Garside led the Kingsmen with 20 points and 5 assists and Kehoe and Andrew Bianco both finished with 13. Brent Bland was high man for Hills with 15. 1/18
Miller Place 60
Amityville 59
The Panthers swept the season series from the Warriors, winning by 6 back in December. I'm guessing that hasn't happened in a very long time - maybe in the Will Brown era? Thomas Cirrito had big games in both, and finished with 27 points in this one, including two big free throws in the final seconds. Tim Hirdt added 13 points and Tom Nealis 8 points and 14 rebounds. Team Long Island selection Divaahd Lucas finished with 20 points for Amityville. 1/18
Northport 66
Riverhead 58
The Tigers stormed from behind for the win in the first matchup of the season at Riverhead and climbed out of a small early hole at home in this one to take control down the stretch. Sean Walsh had a big game with 29 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists and Ian Melamerson did too with 14 points, 21 rebounds and 6 blocks while Cristian Pace led Riverhead with 16. Northport started the season in the Sweet 16, but were stunned in their opener by a North Babylon team that we now know is one of the best teams on Long Island, and just when it looked like they had regrouped, they lost two games over the Christmas break, but the junior dominated team looks like it’s back on track now. Riverhead is the kind of team you don't want to face in the playoffs. 1/17 FULL GAME STORY
Jericho 64
Manhasset 61
The Jayhawks pulled off the big upset of the day, and on the road too, handing Manhasset only their second loss of the season. Their first was to 9th ranked Elmont at the buzzer. It was Jericho's 5th win in their last 6 games and improved their record to 7-4 overall. Aaron Jaffe had his best game of the season, scoring 22 points and coming up big in the fourth quarter, and Team Long Island selection Brandon Weiss, who has six 20+ games under his belt, did too, knocking down two big free throws in the final seconds and finishing with 21. Steven Gerschwer added 13. John Mastando was high man for Manhasset with 16. 1/16
Lynbrook 80
Lawrence 49
The Owls are playing great basketball right now and took their 7th straight, roughing up a solid Lawrence team on their home court. Their average margin of victory is 19 ppg so far this season. It was a special night for Rylan Blondo, who finished with 38 points, including the 1000th of his career. He was good last season, but has improved dramaticly this year . Keaton Goldsby is pretty good too, with 21 of the Tornadoes 49 points. 1/6
Wyandanch 76
Miller Place 74
The Warriors started the season slowly, going 2-5, including a 24 point loss at Miller Place, but they reeled off their sixth straight win, not only avenging the loss with a thrilling come from behind victory, but taking over first place in Suffolk League 5, a half game ahead of both Miller Place and Mt. Sinai and 2 games ahead of defending champion Amityville. Marcus Haywood sparked the rally, scoring 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, Dionte Jordan, one of Long Island's leading scorers, matched him with 19 points, and Matt Lattimer added 14 points. Thomas Cirrito led all scorers with 28 points for Miller Place. Wyandach hosts Hempstead Saturday at 3 PM in the Wyandanch Classic. 1/15
ENJOY FULL COVERAGE OF THE GARY CHARLES SHOWCASE HERE 1/13
Kings Park 58
Harborfields 57
When everybody in the building knows who’s going to take the shot, and his defender is all over him, but he makes a great move and gets off an off-balance game-winning shot, you know you’ve just witnessed one of those special moments in high school basketball. That’s how this big Suffolk League 4 showdown ended. Harborfields had done a terrific job of shutting down the Kings Park jump shooters, and the only alternative for the Kingsmen was to take it to the hole, and Andrew Bianco and Jack Garside did that all game long, collecting enough baskets (11) and free throws (20) to keep it close. But when Bianco fouled out, all eyes were on Garside. With the clock ticking down from the 18 second mark, he started from behind the left elbow and drove left, and when his defender cut him off, he spun back to his right, ducked under the defenders outstretched arms and lauched an off balance shot from the elbow that sailed through the net for a 57-56 Kings Park lead. The hometown crowd erupted, but it still wasn’t over. Harborfields had time to set up one last play, and the tension mounted as the Tornadoes looked for an open shooter. Suddenly they found one on the right baseline, but like an NFL free safety, Nicholas Svolos stepped in front of the intended receiver and picked off the pass to secure the big come from behind victory. Garside led all scorers with 22 points and Bianco was right behind him with 21. Michael McDermott led Harborfields with 15. 1/12
#13 Malverne 58
Cold Spring Harbor 54
This was a game that everybody was looking forward to and it lived up to all the hype, with the 13th ranked Mules holding off the unbeaten Seahawks in a dog fight. Super sophomore Michael Warren had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, Lovens Ulysse had 19 points and 8 rebounds, and Jayden Seraphin hit both ends of a 1-and-1 to ice it, while Thomas Milana led the balanced CSH attack with 17 points. Rematch is 2/5 at Malverne. 1/11
Valley Stream South 70
Floral Park 38
The Falcon's made a big push towards Sweet 16 status, rolling over a good Floral Park team that was 8-2 coming into the game and was playing at home. Leading by 1, VSS exploded with a 22-9 second quarter and never looked back. Corey Powell had another big game, finishing with 28 points and 10 rebounds, and so did Elijah Johnson, who added 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Aaron Davis, who racked up 13 points and 12 assists. Big time scorers cannot be denied, though. The Knight's Jayson Delgado, one of Long Island's leading scorers, got his points, scoring 23. 1/8
Hills East 57
Connetquot 49
It was a battle between two teams that were just short of the Sweet 16, and the Thunderbirds got the leg up, defeating their league rivals on the road. Two players that played important supporting roles on last season's New York State Finalists have really stepped up this season. Shane Dean racked up 22 points, and Max Caspi added 13 points, 8 rebounds, 7 steals, and 4 blocks, and between the two of them, lead another serious contender, something not too many people expected. Sean Andersen had 15 points for Connetquot. 1/7
Freeport 59
Syosset 57
Freeport teams always seem to start the season slowly and then come on as the season progresses. This year's edition held form, losing their first two games, albeit to good teams, but are 7-2 since, rallying to beat the Braves behind 27 points from Tailique Jackson - 24 of them in the second half. Tah-jae Jones added 15 points and Darren Fergus 13. Drew Breslow was high man for Syosset with 16 points. 1/5
BONUS GIRLS COVERAGE!
Hills East 49
Northport 40
Soon after completing the best season in Hills East girl's history (21-3, League 3 Champs and Suffolk Finalists), coach Adam Cirnigliaro began looking at next year’s roster. Four talented seniors would be gone. The opportunity was immediately obvious for this young coach and his 2018-19 Thunderbirds. “ I knew we had a lot of work to do, and I’m lucky .... because these girls love to show up at practice everyday. We have a different team this year but one that is relishing the opportunity to prove themselves on the court against very good opponents.” The Northport starting five is tall and talented. They can pass it, shoot it, and defend.
This appeared to be a twelve round bout from the tap , both squads digging in on defense, guarding their yards like loyal and loud canines. The game remained scoreless until 4:09 when Northport’s Danielle Pavinelli scored the game’s first points with a 3. East’s Sophia Tawil (11pts/8rbs/8ast.) followed with a 2 . Northport’s Hannah Stockman ( 11pts.) scored. Tawil hit a 3. The back & forth slugfest was ON and would continue throughout the game. When the Tiger’s Alexa Gentile drove the baseline for a bucket “and 1”, the first ended in an 8 ALL tie.
Northport’s Rich Castellano and HHHE’s Adam Cirnigliaro would administrate this early January contest with an eye on championship implications. Few minutes were shared. Both “benches” were enthusiastic, engaged, and ready. By our count, 34 fouls were assessed as the officials tried to keep the peace.
Neither team backed down.
On the first possession of the second quarter, the Thunderbird’s McKayla Jones ( 12pts/7rbs.) demonstrated her ability to affect a game with her signature defensive intensity. Jones beat the Northport point guard to her spots and her backcourt teammate, Alyssa Studdert ( is she 5’1 ? ) hounded Stockman in the post.
The home team took a 20-17 lead to the locker room at the half .
Northport came out shooting, scoring on their first three possessions in the third on made field goals by Kelly McLaughlin, Shea Cronin, and Kerry Dennin. Tbird Tamara Graham broke through the Nport “D” for a right-handed layup giving her team a 26-23 advantage with 5:16 left in the third. Tawil penetrated the lane delivering two beautiful assists. East led 34-30 after three quarters. In the fourth, a Cronin 3 put her Tigers within 1,, 36-35 with less than 7 minutes to play.
Then, with 4:10 left, Graham drove to the paint and kicked a timely pass to the right corner. Jones’ 3 gave East their largest margin 43-35. It proved to be the game winning shot. Studdert swished 4 free throws to seal the deal. Hills East holds serve, winning this skirmish by late decision. Rematch at Northport 1/25/19 6pm. Kaylee Stein had 14pts/11rbs. for Hills East. 1/2
- Tom Rottkamp
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LONG ISLAND'S
LEADING SCORERS
Zaire Baines/Portledge 33.6
Jarell White/Bellport 31.4
Jayson Delgado/Floral Park 27.8
Pierce Prendergast/BBP 27.7
Rylan Blondo/Lynbrook 26.7
Ty-Shon Pannell/Central Islip 26.0
JP Harding/Bridgehampton 25.3
Keaton Goldsby/Lawrence 25.1
Thomas Cirrito/Miller Place 24.8
Mike Sixsmith/Holy Trinity 24.3
John Glenn 74
Hills West 57
Glenn's last two opponents are both very good teams, and the Knights rolled over both. Returning All-Long Island sophomore Josh Fenner continued his outstanding play, scoring 22 points and adding 7 rebounds and 8 assists. Daysean Johnson had a big game too, finishing with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Cedrick Gordon led West with 16 points. 12/29
Kellenberg 48
Syosset 34
**********************
Kellenberg 56
Island Trees 34
The Firebirds are putting it all together and should be a serious NSCHSAA contender once again this season. The South Side Classic Finals matchup with Syosset was a good one on paper, but the Firebird defense dominated, holding Syosset to 12 first half points. Nick Spinoso sparked the offense with 13 points and 15 rebounds, Daniel Wilson added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Sean Lachman finished with 11 points and 5 assists. Robert Kula led all scorers with 17 for Syosset. In the first round, Nick Spinoso led the way with 22 points and 15 rebounds and Sean Lachman finished with 20 points. Anthony Ferrufino led Island Trees with 14. 12/27-28
Syosset 56
South Side 55
With these two top basketball programs, you can guarantee a close and well played game just about any year. This one, ironicly, was decided on a missed free throw as time expired. Robert Kula led Syosset with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals, Rob Berland had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Cyriac Puthussery added 12 points as well. South Side's Eamon McGowan led South Side with a game high 18 points. 12/27
Cold Spring Harbor 58
Glen Cove 43
What can you say? CSH is 9-0! Nick Suter led the way with 17 points, Jack Vavassis had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Aidan Adomaites 5 points and 11 rebounds. Jared Jackson led Glen Cove with 17. The Ospreys are one of only four unbeaten teams remaining in Nassau County. 12/27
************
Bonus Girls Coverage!
COMING SOON!
Our First Ever
Girl's Sweet 16!
It's about time! We were lucky enough to be there when Baldwin won a Federation State Championship last season, and it inspired us to take our first steps towards launching complete Girls Basketball coverage, so we're starting off with a few selected games this year. If you can help point us in the right direction by suggesting future games between top teams, or even better, if you'd enjoy covering a game or twofor us, LET US KNOW!
North Babylon 71 SJB 61
THE NB HOLIDAY SHOWCASE
Two of Long Island's legenday girls high school programs faced off, and although a shorthanded SJB team put up a heck of a fight, the Bulldogs showed why they are a contender once again, riding a 19 point first half explosion by Samantha Muller, on her way to 26 points, to victory. Raiana Brown was big too, adding 18. Allie Ponzio led SJB with 18. 12/22
Syosset 49 Sachem E 35
Unbeaten Syosset broke open a close game in the second half of a big intersectional contest. Rachel Mahler led the way with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Lilah Grubman registered and incredible 8 blocked shots. Hannah Ruberto led East's balanced attack witrh 10 points. 10/22
Uniondale 55 Bay Shore 53
Yasmine Jones-Smith stole the ball, rebounded a missed shot and scored the game-winning basket as time expired to give Uniondale the dramatic win! Abby Babatunde was the high scorer with 20 points, adding 8 rebounds and 4 steals, while Kapri Bradshaw finished with 12 points and 3 assists. Maje Barry and Daja Farmer both had 14 points for Bay Shore. 10/22
Island Trees 70 OLMA 47
Proudly displaying their red & white school colors, the Island Trees girls remind us of that powerhouse NCAA team! No,, NOT UCONN Women’s .... but rather, The Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Trees, led by Head coach Bobby Kaible and his assistant Anthony Rizzo are one of the best coached teams in Nassau, boys or girls. So far, in 7 wins they are out scoring opponents 72-55. In The South,, they yell out : “ ROLL TIDE”!! In Levittown,, the cry is : “YEA DAWGS”!! In fact, amongst their loud supporters are the guys from the IT boys team. Pretty cool ! Many of the boys games we’ve seen this year across the County are like high school dances from the ‘50s .... the first few minutes of games are a “warm up”,, with coy, slow moving moments, just figuring things out. Not necessary for the Lady Bulldogs. Their offense begins on the far end of the floor with an intense, ball-pressuring defense. They hard contest, box out, and sprint to spots in transition. Junior forward Brianna Fitzgerald (18 points) was impressive with powerful, straight line drives to consecutive righty finishes in the home team’s 25-9 opening quarter. When Mercy caught on, collapsing the lane , the IT kids ran their sets with urgency, kicking out deftly for easily made 3s!!
Mercy seemed ready to withstand the home team’s initial knock out punch when they switched sophomore shooting guard RileyJones Rottkamp (9pts./6ast.) to the point. She shredded the IT extended press with Tom Brady-like one handed strikes to fellow sophs Kaitlin Anderson (15pts.) and Lauren Goldberg (10pts.) for easy scores. Unfortunately, what looked to be a competitive comeback was upended when Goldberg went to the bench moments later with her second foul. Now entering his 9th year, Coach Kaible and his crew seek a three-peat as Conference Champions (45-12 since 2015 ). They will be challenged by strong Conference A-5 opponents, Locust Valley (5-2) and Mineola (6-1 ).
Lady Dawgs senior, Cathryn Kramer, was strong inside with 19pts/15 rbs. and senior guard Julia Minifo added 15 points (4 threes) in tonight’s dominant performance. Looking ahead: 2/1/18 Mineola at IT 4:30pm, 2/7/18 Locust Valley at IT 6:30pm 12/19
12/21 Boys Highlights
CS Harbor 63 Oyster Bay 44
The Ospreys have cruised through a challenging December schedule unscathed, not only winning but winning convinvingly. They improved to 8-0 behind 21 points and 7 rebounds from Nick Suter and 19 points and 16 rebounds from Aidan Adomaites. Khalil Williams had 11 for the Baymen.
12/20 Highlights
VS South 72 Lynbrook 56
Impressive win for the Falcons! Lynbrook was knocking on the door of the Sweet 16, and I'm sure South will be now! Their two losses have been in triple overtime at Uniondale and by 3 at home against unbeaten Cold Spring Harbor, another team knocking on the door! A decisive 27-14 third quarter was the difference in this one. Corey Powell had a breakout game, finishing with 31 points and 10 rebounds and Aaron Davis always puts up good numbers, finishing with 16 points and 14 assists. Elijah Johnson had a monster game on the boards, pulling down 15. James Montgomery led Lynbrook, who suffered their first loss, with 17 points.
Northport 68 Bay Shore 46
Statement win by the Tigers over the unbeaten Marauders! Looking back, that big comeback win over Riverhead got preseason ranked Northport back on track after an unimpressive start.
Sean Walsh erupted for 37 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists to lead the way, knocking down 8 threes in the process, and Ian Melamerson added 8 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Malachi Coleman led the balanced Bay Shore attack with 12.
Portledge 64 McClancy 62
The Portlage team continues to improve, picking up a nice win over a solid Class B CHSAA team. No mystery who led the way! Zaire Baines finished with 30 points and Jamire Primer 18 points and 10 rebounds. Aazayah Ross was big, controlling the paint with 14 rebounds and an incredible 11 blocked shots.
12/19 Highlights
Center Moriches 71
Southampton 65
What has always been a fierce rivalry was made even more intense this season when Micah Snowden, who finished the game with a triple-double, racking up 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists, transferred from Southampton to Center Moriches this summer, seemingly shifting the balance of power to the Red Devils. Yet despite his outstanding performance, the rivalry prevailed and it was yet again another exciting game between two good teams. In the early going, CM, who has played a brutal schedule so far and was only 1-4 coming into it, had the upper hand and led the unbeaten and foul plagued Mariners by 10 at intermission, but Southampton closed the gap in the third quarter behind a boisterous crowd and the three point shooting of Kristian Wheeler, who had 5 on the day, and got within 5 before a Snowden putback and free throw stopped the run and the Red Devils held on from there for the big win. Tyiquon Nix had another big game for CM with 18 points, 4 assists and 5 steals and Sean Braithwaite added 13 points and 5 assists while Marcus Trent had 14 for Southampton and Dakota Smith 11.
12/18 Highlights
Manhasset 63 GN North 54
The Indian's impoved to 5-0 but won't be seriously tested until a 1/5 matchup with Elmont. Thomas Santella led them in this one with 18 points, John Mastando had 11 and Cole Zaffiro 10. Kyle Kamali finished with a game-high 26 for North. 12/18
12/17 Highlights
Miller Place 62 E Hampton 28
A late score prevented the Panthers from getting the recognition they deserved after knocking off defending State Champion Amityville last week, and they took it out the Bonackers, blistering them with a 24-6 first quarter and then a 23-6 third quarter to improve to 6-1 on the season.
Thomas Cirrito led the balanced attack with 15 points and 5 steals, Justin Leichter had 12 points, Tim Hirdt 10, and Tom Nealis chipped in 8 points and 16 rebounds.
12/15-16 Highlights
St. Mary's Sweeps
The Gaels headed upstate for a tournament in Rochester and came away as champions, defeating University Prep 80-60 behind Player Of The Game Kawar Singh, who dominated the paint with 15 rebounds and 5 blocks, and Jovayne Walters, who finished with 23 points. They went on to beat host Bishop Kearney 70-64 for the title behind Kyle Jackson, who earned MVP honors by scoring or assisting on 24 of the Gael's 34 second half points. He led a balaced attack that also featured Sal Saputo with 16 points, Jon Mayers with 14 points on four three-pointers, and Jovayne Walters with 13 points. 12/16
John Glenn 80 Maspeth 54
Maspeth from the PSAL was 8-1 coming into the game and Glenn 4-1. Returning All-Long Island sophomore Josh Fenner was the difference, scoring 17 first quarter points on his way to 30. Kyle Szokoli added 12 points and 10 rebounds. 12/15
VS South 73 Hempstead 34
Wow! A 29-8 first quarter and it was over. Twelve Rebels made it into the scorebook, led by Corey Powell, who had 18 points and 8 rebounds and Elijah Johnson, who had 11 points, 13 rebounds and 4 steals. 12/15
12/14 Highlights
Farmingdale 66 GN South 48
Good news for Daler fans. Returning All-Long Island sophomore Marvel Chambers is rounding back into shape after an injury that ended his season last year. He scored 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds and Luis Smikle Jr. added 20 points and 6 assists in a convincing win over GNS. David Sabvehroo, Long Island' s leading three point shooter last season, had a game high 24 points, including 7 threes for the Rebels.
Bay Shore 68 W. Floyd 46
Atre the Marauders back? They improved to 4-0 with a strong performance at home. Isaiah Baker led the way with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists and Malachi Coleman added 16 points. Shawn Drake had 12 for Floyd.
12/13 Highlights
Syosset 51 Great Neck N 45
Its a rare year when Syosset doesn't start the season unranked and then force itself into the Sweet 16 the old fashioned way - by winning games. That's the way they are headed once again after Robert Kula led a second half rally to improve their record to 4-1. He finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Rob Berland added 16 points. North's balanced attack was led by Kyle Kamali with 11.
12/11 Highlights
Lynbrook 71 Sewanhaka 67
The Owls passed another tough test, defeating another Class A contender, and Long Island All-Star Rylan Blondo had a big game, finishing with 37 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals.
BBP 73 East Hampton 72
Bayport-Blue Point is in a rebuilding mode, and Team Long Island selection Pierce Prendergast is leading the way. He carried them in this one with an incredible stat line: 44 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks and 7 assists, and he hit the game-winning free throws with 1.7 seconds left too! Malachi Miller led a solid East Hampton team with 29 points.
12/10 Highlights
Kellenberg 72 Long Beach 51
It looks like Kellenberg is ready to compete in the NSCHSAA this season after decisively snapping Long Beach's 5 game winning streak. They've got a big-time player in Nick Spinoso, who had 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assists in this one, a reliable scorer in Sean Lackman, who is averaging 18 ppg, and Sean Boll is running the point with skill, registering 10 points and 8 assists against the previously undefeated Mariners.
Baines Gets 1000!
14 year old Portledge HS freshman Zaire Baines, who scored 677 points as an 8th grader on varsity, recorded the 1000th point of his career in a 79-58 Portledge win over Staten Island Academy!
12/8 Highlights
Calhoun 55 St. Dominic 39
The Colts opened some eyes with a convincing win over the Bayhawks, who came into the game 3-0. It was tight for thee quarters, but Calhoun put together a 19-6 fourth quarter to put it away. Team Long Island selection Corey Jones led the way with 19 points and Thomas Casimano added 10 while Darien Matthews led Doms with 10.
Greenport 81 Central Islip 76
The Porters bounced back nicely after a tough defeat at the hands of #5 St. Anthony's, holding off traditional Class AA power Central Islip on the road behind 33 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists from Ahkee Anderson and 20 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists from Jude Swann. Team Long Island selection Ty-Shon Pannell let CI with 27 points.
Long Beach 53 Syosset 48
The Mariners improved to 5-0 with a win over always tough Syosset. Jayden Barwicki led the way with 13 points and 5 rebounds and Lashawn Hankins was right behind with 12 points and 3 steals. Rob Berland had a game high 21 points, including 6 three-pointers, for Syosset.
Kellenberg 57 Garden City 42
The Firebirds picked up a nice win over the defending Section 8 Class A Champions. Sean Lachman led the way with 5 three-pointers and 27 points, while Nick Spinoso controlled the paint, finishing with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks. James Cashwell was high man for the Trojans with 19 points.
12/7 Highlights
Molloy 60 St. Mary's 55
St. Mary's has some talented youngsters and the program is on the right track, and they were on the road and tied at the half, but they came up just short against the Stanners in what would have been a signature win. Jovayne Walters had a big game with 19 points and 17 rebounds and Nick Cham added 12 points. 12/7
N. Babylon 60 Commack 45
The second impressive win in a row for the Bulldogs, who rolled past Northport in their last game and are now 3-0. They feature tough D (opponents average just 47 PPG), and have a balanced attack led so far by Frank Toney, who has been their leading scorer in 2 of the 3 and is averaging 16 ppg. 12/7
12/6 Highlights
Hills East 73 BBP 46
New York State Class AA Finalist Hills East graduated four starters, but it looks like key contributor Max Caspi, who scored 20 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, and lone returning starter Shane Dean, who finished with 17 points and 8 assists, might have the T-Birds back in the mix this year. Team Long Island selection Pierce Prendergast led Bayport-Blue Point with 18 points. 12/6.
Long Beach 55 Wantagh 48
The Mariners are off to a 4-0 start after beating a good Warriors team in the Championship Game of the Wantagh tournament. Lashawn Hankins is a big part of that, with games of 20, 18, and 19 points so far this season, and he's had a lot of help from Gerard Burns and Jayden Barwicki. 12/6
The Battle Of Great Neck
They know how to play a rivalry game in Great Neck! Great Neck North and Great Neck South went back and forth from the tip-off to the final buzzer in a playoff like atmosphere until Gio Nouriely stole the ball and found Matt Yazdan for the game winning layup in a 48-47 Great Neck North victory. Yazdan led the Blazers with 17 points and Sean McAward had 10 points and 11 rebounds while Jason Lee and David Sabzehroo, who was Long Island's leading three point shooter last season, led South with 18 points a piece. 12/5
Lynbrook Rocks Kings Park
Nassau Class A contender Lynbrook showed what they're capable of, racing off to a big lead and holding off Suffolk contender Kings Park 81-60. The Owls boast Long Island All-Star Rylan Blondo, who finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, and Nassau County All-Star John Donaldson, who added 18 points and 7 rebounds. Jack Garside and Nick Svolas led the Kingsmen with 15 points a piece. 12/5
12/4 Highlights
Malverne 66 Hempstead 43
Wow! Long Island Class B is stacked this season, and another contender just entered the ring! Returning All-Long Island Freshman Michael Warren led the way with 19 points and Jayden Seraphin added 11 points and 10 rebounds. Both were on Malverne's undefeated JV team of 2016-17.
Hills West 95 E. Meadow 66
The Colts have moved down to Class A this season and announced their arrival with a flourish, impoving to 2-0 with a win against Class AA East Meadow. Jaylen Seay finished with 21 points, Bryce Bland had 14 points and 10 assists, and Brent Bland 20 points and 6 rebounds.
12/3 Highlights
Knox 73 Portledge 72
Two private schools that are upgrading their basketball programs and are the preseason favorites in the PSAA met in what turned out to be a classic back and forth match-up, with Knox coming away with a dramatic win on their home court. Marrel Laze led the balanced Knox attack with 18 points while Zaire Baines led all scorers with 37 for Portledge.
Bridgehampton 74 Babylon 47
It's early, but the Killer Bees look primed for another run at a state championship, rolling over this year's version of the consistently good Babylon program. Returning All-New York State selection JP Harding led the way with 25 points and 11 rebounds, Nae'jon Ward added 15 points and 11 assists, and William Walker chipped in 13 points and 10 rebounds. Peter Szouchy led Babylon with 19 points.
Floral Park 78 Roslyn 65
Long Island All-Star Jayson Delgado, who was the third gun on last season's Section 8 finalists, has stepped into a leadership role this season at Floral Park and responded by scoring 19 of his 30 points in the decisive third quarter, adding 7 assists. Michael Matich had a big game too, scoring 22 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. Jacob Levy led Roslyn with 21 points.
SECTION 11 ROUNDUP
Section 11 Class AA contender Brentwood showed off their depth, defeating Copiague 73-52 in the season opener for both teams. The Indians played without Long Island All-Star and Team Long Island selection Bryce Harris and fellow returning All-Long Island sophomore Kenny Lazo, but returning All-Long Island freshman Jordan Riley led the way with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists, and Romello Wright added 15 points and 7 assists. Another All-Long Island player, 8th Grade phenom Malachi Moore, led Copiague with 15 points..... Two teams to keep an eye on this season - Connetquot and Sachem East - faced off in the opener for both teams, and Connetquot prevailed 71-64. Tae'von Bazmore led the Thunderbirds with 21 points and Sean Andersen added a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Chris Boothe led all scorers with 28 points for Sachem East. 11/30
PRIVATE SCHOOL ROUNDUP
Portledge avenged last season's loss to Stony Brook by an impressive 77-53 score. The Bears have left Section 11 for the PSAA and this was their first game in their new league. Portledge's Zaire Baines and Jahmir Primer continued their breathtaking early season pace, with Baines scoring 32 points and Primer adding 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. 11/30
Oyster Bay Edges GNS
Two Section 8 contenders met in the first round of Oyster Bay's annual tournament, and the Class B Baymen advanced past Class A Great Neck South 54-51 behind a dominating performance from Public School All-Star Khalil Williams, who finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks. 11/28
Basketball Royalty!
Long Island basketball royalty descended on Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset to help celebrate the amazing 50th anniversary of Gus Alfieri's highly acclaimed All American Basketball Camp. Coach Alfieri (left), began his career as a star player at St. John's University before going on to coach at St. Anthony's, where he led the program to state championships and national prominence. He is joined by two of his most accomplished proteges - current NBA Head Coach Ken Atkinson of the Brooklyn Nets (center), who played for Coach Alfieri in high school and was a camp regular before going on to a terrific career at Richmond and in overseas pro leagues, and Rich Wrase, most recently a scout for the NBA's Los Angles Lakers and also a former camper who starred at Half Hollow Hills High School before going on to coach Westhampton to a high school state championship and Suffolk Community College to two junior college national championships. Coach Atkinson, who credits Coach Alfieri with inspiring him to be a coach, delivered an outstanding presentation on finishing techniques to an eagar and appreciative group of campers, but the highlight of the day had to be the lunchtime gathering of former players and coaches, who along with Coach Alfieri, traded one fascinating war story after another about camp legends like Dr. J, Bobby Knight, Lou Carnesecca, Rollie Massimino, Jimmy Valvano, Mike Krzyzewski, Hubie Brown and others, and also about those memorable championship seasons at St. Anthony's and their historic games against LuHi, New York City and upstate powerhouses, and their Catholic League rivals. A truly unforgettable day!
CYO Honors Bob McKillop
Chaminade and Hofstra grad Bob McKillop, who accumulated 86 wins as the head coach at Holy Trinity, 182 wins and 5 state championships as the Head Coach at LuHi, and well over 500 wins as the head coach at Davidson, will be honored for his outstanding career at the CYO of Long Island’s 25th Annual Golf Outing on Monday, September 17th at the Hempstead Golf and Country Club. MORE
Great Coaches Clinic
Northport's Kenny Atkinson, the Head Coach of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, gave an outstanding lecture at the well attended high school coaches clinic held at the Nassau Coliseum on Saturday 8/11. He covered multiple topics, accompanied by thorough game film demonstrations, and gave us all a glimpse of what it's like to break down game film in the NBA. Really enjoyed it! Pictured above, Coach Atkinson joins fellow members of the Northport basketball community, where he grew up. From right to left, his brother Steve, the Head Coach at Half Hollow Hills West, Ted Thomas, Editor of Long Island Basketball.com, Nets Coach Kenny Atkinson, one of 8 Atkinson brothers, Tom Fitzpatrick, the just retired head coach at Walt Whitman, Andrew D'Eloia, the Head Coach at Northport, and Ryan Fitzpatrick, Coach Fitzpatrick's son and an up and coming player in the Northport School District.
Wrase To Hornets
Legendary Long Island Coach Rich Wrase, who guided Westhampton HS to a New York Federation State Championship and Suffolk Community College to a pair of Junior College National Championships, has joined the staff of the NBA's Charlotte Hornets as a scout. Last season, after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, Coach Wrase guided Team Long Island to a semifinal run at the famous NIKE/IS8 Tournament, helping set the stage for what we believe is the beginning of the next Golden Age of Long Island basketball. We are all indebted to him for that and wish him the very best of luck with the Hornets.
Tobias Traded Again!
Hills West's Tobias Harris, on an expiring contract, has been traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, the 5th team he wil play for in his 8 year NBA career! Philly has been mostly good to Long Islanders. Dr. J got his NBA title there, Long Beach grad Larry Brown had great success there during the Alan Iverson era, and Plainview's Marc Ivaroni was a role player on their 1983 Championship Team, but Sachem's Jeff Ruland had his two time NBA All-Star career come to an end there after only 5 games due to cronic injuries.
MILESTONES
COLLEGE
Northport's Greg Dunne picked up his 200th career coaching victory at SUNY Brockport STORY
Jon Patron from Harborfields became SUNY Plattsburgh's all-time leading scorer STORY
Holy Trinity's Billy Sixsmith scored his 1000th career point at Baruch. STORY
HIGH SCHOOL
LWA's Jeff Weiss picked up his 600th career victory!
Bethpage Coach Jack Davenport
posted his 250th career victory.
North Shore Coach Kevin Carpenter
posted his 100th victory.
Bellport senior Jarell White collected his 1500th career point and 1000th career rebound this season, becoming the school’s all-time leader in both categories.
Senior Sean Braithwaite became the Center Moriches all-time leading scorer, passing the record held by Jon Ward-Adams '10 of 1,498 points.
John Glenn junior Josh Fenner became the schools all-time leading scorer, breaking the record of 1061 set by Trevor Coston ‘07
LWA senior Aidan Igiehon, who is headed to Louisville, scored his 2,000th career point this season and teammate Tyler St. Furcy, who is headed to Marist, scored his 1,000th career point.
Greenport senior Jude Swann
surpassed both 1000 points and 1000 rebounds this season.
Lynbrook senior Rylan Blondo scored his 1,000th career point
Deer Park junior Malik Edmead scored his 1,000th varsity point. He is leading the Falcons in points, rebounds, assists and steals this season.
Greenport junior Ahkee Anderson
scored his 1000th career point this season, leading the Porters to an 18-1 record so far.
Chaminade junior Michael O'Connell
scored his 1000th career point this season. 2/3
Konchalski Interview
Legendary college scout Tom Konchalski, a regular at Nike/IS8 games who always makes a point of scouting Team Long Island, sat for an interesting interview. VIDEO
Tobias For Knicks?
Hills West's Tobias Harris will be a free agent after this season and is posting career best numbers so far, averaging 21.2 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while hitting 43.3 percent of his three-pointers. One thing we know - Tobias is a relentless worker and will only get better!
St. Doms AD Passes
John Corso, the Athletic Director at St. Dominc High School and a terrific guy, passed away at the age of 58 after a battle with cancer. STORY
COLLEGE UPDATE
It's been a great season for Long Island college basketball so far, with several of our teams attracting national attention while poor LIU Post limps along after losing most of their team when it was announced that this is the last year of their D2 program.
DIVISION 1
Hofstra 19-3
Stony Brook 17-4
DIVISION 2
Molloy 12-6
Adelphi 13-7
NYIT 2-16
LIU Post 0-16
DIVISION 3
Farmingdale State 11-7
Old Westbury 10-8
Five Towns 6-7
USMMA 6-11
St. Joseph's 5-13
NJCAA
Suffolk CC 16-0
Nassau CC 16-7
UNDEFEATED TEAMS
None left!
Vermont Stops SBU
How many times over the years have the Catamounts put an end to a Stony Brook winning streak? STORY
Green Suspended
LuHi's Devonte Green has been suspended from his college basketball team. STORY
LuHi's Bailey NE10 POW
LONG ISLAND TEAMS
1/2 IN THE STATE
After a string of losses by other top teams, nationally ranked LuHi, #15 in the USA Today Poll, remains firmly entrenched at #1 in New York State, and Brentwood, who is still undefeated, moves into the #2 spot in the New York State Sportswriters Association Class AA Poll. The last time two Long Island teams occupied the top two spots in the Large School Poll was 1983-4, when St. Agnes and North Babylon tied for the top spot.
NASSAU/SUFFOLK
CHALLENGE
SUFFOLK SWEEP!
#3 Brentwood 72
#9 Elmont 58
They closed out the first half on a run and it was all Brentwood in the second half. STORY
#4 Longwood 73
#5 Uniondale 55
The Lions quickly got out in front of the host Knights and stayed there. STORY
#16 Bellport 80
South Side 60
When Jerell White takes over a game, not much you can do. STORY
Center Moriches 88
Jericho 53
The Red Devils overpowered the Jayhawks. STORY
LONG ISLAND'S
LEADING SCORERS
GREAT NEW WEBSITE!
A brand new high school basketball website has been launched by the creators of the outstanding New York State Playoff Brackets website that we all go to come playoff time. The new website features scores, standings, and schedules from
EVERY SECTION IN NY STATE
including the PSAL and CHSAA. Fittingly, it is called
It is an incredible resource and they have plans to make it even more incredible, so bookmark it and enjoy!
FEMI!
I don't know if you saw it, but Saturday, Brentwood's Femi Olujobi came home to Long Island (yes, Queens is on Long Island) to lead his DePaul team over St. John's. He had 27 points and 8 rebounds! If you look back in history, just about every great St.John's team had a Long Island player that played a key role! Just saying, Coach Mullin! 1/13
Manhasset 76 Bellmore 64
It was a late score on Wednesday, and frankly, we missed it, but it bears pointing out that Marco Travaglione had 48 points in the loss, shooting 72% from the floor!
LI vs NYC
Once again, Long Island boys varsity teams are off to a commanding lead in the season series between the two regions, up by a whopping 15 games through December 31st.
Hofstra At The Buzzer!
Justin Wright-Foreman's buzzer beater gives Hofstra their 10th straight win, defeating Long Island's Bill Coen and his Northeastern squad! STORY
Nassau/Suffolk Public School All-Star Game
Suffolk County bounced back decisively from their surprisingly one sided Alzheimer's game defeat, sweeping both the Future Stars and Elite Seniors games of the Long Island Preseason Public School All-Star Doubleheader. Bellport star Jarell White led the way in the Seniors Game, erupting for 41 points to hold off a Nassau rally, and he got help from Kings Park's Brendan Kehoe, who added 21 while Commack's Spencer Malloy and Mattituck's Xavier Allen combined for 33 points to lead a second half Suffolk run that blew open a close Future Stars Game. Lynbrook's Rylan Blondo was very impressive for Nassau in the Seniors Game, finishing with 27 points from the point guard spot, and Floral Park's Jayson Delgado was right behind him with 26.
Class/Conference/League
Assignments
Public schools move up and down in size, and shift from one conference/league to another every season. Here are THIS SEASON'S ASSIGNMENTS
Long Island Falls
In Quarters
This one’s on me. From day one, I’ve been telling the kids to go all out every minute of every game because our roster is so deep and talented and I can sub them out when they get tired without missing a beat, and we’ve been playing that way every game with great success, but after a good first half, we gave up a 15 point lead early in the second half and I decided to go with just 7 kids the rest of the way. Of course, the kids continued to play their hearts out and retook the lead, but at that pace, they eventually started to run out of gas. Even so, we still had a chance to pull it out, but I didn’t call time out quickly enough when we rebounded a missed free throw trailing by 2 with time running down. There would have been plenty of time to set up a play and go for either the tie or the win, but we ended up turning the ball over and fouling instead and it was over. It's a shame, because this team was special, and with a win, we would have gotten two missing starters - LuHi’s Zed Key and Chaminade’s Michael O’Connell - back for next weekends semifinals and had a real shot at going all the way. Tough lesson. Bryce Harris, who blossomed last season at Brentwood, was big time again in this one with 19 points, but I want to make special mention of my two team leaders - Baldwin’s Rhyjon Blackwell and Deer Park’s Malik Edmead - who both had 18 points and took on one highly rated guard after another in the 6 games we played, including this one, and outplayed them all. In a tournament filled with high major commits, there was no better backcourt. Longwood’s Jarnel Rancy was also a revelation. A gifted shot blocker, rebounder and defender, he was never outmatched, and the same can be said for Westbury’s Tyreik Frazier, who shares those gifts. Like I said, this one was on me. I will post a season wrap-up in days ahead.
Long Island Advances
Second seeded Team Long Island rolled to a spot in the quarterfinals yesterday behind 23 points from Deer Park's Malik Edmead and 17 from Baldwin's Rhyjon Blackwell and will play again today (Sunday) 12:45 at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens. Once again it was their defense that keyed Long Island's dominance, with Longwood's Jarnel Rancy controlling the boards and protecting the paint and Brentwood's Bryce Harris and Chaminade's Mike O'Connell contributing strong all-around games to lead a deep and talented roster that saw good contributions from everyone that played.
IS8 Playoffs Saturday!
The Nike/IS8 playoffs begin tomorrow (Saturday), and after going 4-0 in pool play, Team Long Island has a first round matchup at 12:30 at the IS8 main gym. If they advance, they play again Sunday 12:45 at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens.
Team Long Island Wins Pool
Team Long Island held on for a another big win, finishing 4-0 in pool play heading into next week's playoff round despite playing with a depleted frontcourt. Brentwood's Bryce Harris, who missed the first three games, stepped up big time, leading the way with 17 points, Baldwin's Rhyjon Blackwell had 14, Amityville's Divaahd Lucas was also a force, adding 13 and Deer Park's Malik Edmead had 10 points and both he and Blackwell did an excellent job on the defensive end against a highly rated backcourt. We will post playoff seedings and matchups as soon as they are released.
Tough Task For Long Island
Team Long Island has a tough task ahead - they are facing a showdown Saturday 9/29 at 10 am at the IS8 main gym for first place in their pool and for a high seed in next weekend's playoffs, and they will be without three of their starters. A win would make them 11-1 in IS8 pool play over the past year.
Long Island Improves To 3-0
Shorthanded, everybody stepped up for Team Long Island and they rolled to their third straight impressive victory at NIKE/IS8, with Deer Park's Malik Edmead leading the balanced attack with 17 points. Corey Jones from Calhoun and Divaahd Lucas from Amityville both had 8 point games, and John Glenn's Josh Fenner had 7 to pace an attack that saw all 11 players on hand put points on the board. To top it off, their team defense was once again outstanding, and with Jarnel Rancy from Longwood and Tyreik Frazier from Westbury dominating the paint and rejecting more shots than I could count - Long Island won going away. Pool play wraps up next Saturday 9/29 with a 10 am first place showdown at the IS8 main gym, and the playoffs begin the weekend of 10/6, with times, locations, and match-ups to be announced.
Two Game Sweep In Opener
Team Long Island’s blistering defense generated double digit turnovers in back to back games, carrying Long Island to two dominating wins on opening day at NIKE/IS8. Long Island also thoroughly controlled the boards in both games and had 6 different players record blocked shots. Deer Park’s Malik Edmead and Baldwin’s Rhyjon Blackwell led the defensive charge, thoroughly frustrating both of our opponents and disrupting their offenses with relentless aggressiveness and quickness, LuHi’s Zed Key was unstoppable, going for 30 points and big rebound and blocked shot numbers in the more competitive second game, often finishing with thunderous dunks to lead what was an otherwise beautifully balanced attack. Westbury’s Tyreik Frazier, an athletic rebounder and shot blocker, and Blackwell, who had a fist full of assists and steals, both added 10 points in game 2, Edmead, who ran the point with great skill, had 9 and big assist and steal numbers, and Chaminade’s Michael O’Connell, who always plays aggressively, but with his head up and under control, finished with 8, while Longwood’s Jarnel Rancy was a shot blocking and rebounding machine. Every player on the roster got minutes and played well. 9/8
ROSTER/GAMES 1 AND 2
Rhyjon Blackwell, Baldwin
Malik Edmead, Deer Park
Tyreik Frazier, Westbury
Zed Key, LuHi
Divaahd Lucas, Amityville
Michael O'Connell, Chaminade
Ty-Shon Pannell, Central Islip
Tavin Phillipe - Pierre, Baldwin
Pierce Prendergast, Bayport BP
Jarnel Rancy, Longwood
Tyler St. Furcy, LWA
Jarell White, Bellport
We have been blessed with a problem most coaches only dream of - having more great players on our roster than we can possible bring to a game. You will undoubtedly see some of those players in future recaps.
EDITORS NOTE: I want to thank the Long Island basketball community for their enthusiastic support of Team Long Island. Our long term goal is to unite the community and help bring about the next Golden Age of Long Island basketball, and its beginning to feel like that's right around the corner! Thanks everyone for your encouragement. The kids feel the love!
Hofstra Team Camp
One of the big high school events of the summer season, the annual Hofstra Team Camp, featured 16 high school teams from both Long Island and New York City this year, with each team playing a total of 6 games over three days. The results bode well for the NSCHSAA, whose teams took the top three spots at the camp. Camp Champion Chaminade emerged as an early league favorite and was never seriously challenged at the camp, while Holy Trinity, the other finalist, played excellent small ball and defended well throughout. St. Anthony’s, with a young and and talented squad, defeated a good Baldwin team for third place. Both teams need time to jell and will be much better once the season gets underway. Another good small ball squad, Northport, impressed, outlasting rival Commack for 5th place. Both will challenge in Sec 11 AA.
TEAMS PARTICIPATING
Baldwin
Bayside
Calhoun
Chaminade
Commack
Deer Park
Farmingdale
Holy Trinity
Island Trees
LWA
Manhasset
Massapequa
Northport
Oceanside
Smithtown West
St. Anthony's
BCANY
Summer Hoops Festival
Suffolk Falls In Semis
In a heartbreaker, Suffolk County fell 63-61 to eventual champion Buffalo in the Semifinals of the New York State Basketball Coaches Association Summer festival, falling on a putback with 2.5 seconds remaining. The Long Island squad led by 7 at the half. Suffolk finished pool play 3-1, tied for first place with Rochester, who they beat 83-82 in overtime to earn the top seed, while Buffalo was the 2 seed in the other pool behind Mid-Hudson. Suffolk had impressive performances from Brentwood’s Zed Key, who will play at LuHi next season, Deer Park’s Malik Edmead, and Brentwood’s Bryce Harris while picking up wins over an Adirondack team led by Joe Girard III, New York State’s all-time leading scorer, who was held to just 13 points, the defending champion - Central New York - and Rochester. Nassau County did not fare as well, going 1-3.
Hoops Festival
The 8th Annual Basketball Coaches Association Of New York Summer Hoops Festival, which matches up All-Star Teams from every region of the state, begins August 3rd in Johnson City, NY. This year's festival features Joe Girard III, who averaged over 50 points per game last season at Glens Falls High School to move past Lincoln High School's Lance Stephenson and into first place on New York State's all-time scoring list with 3306 career points, and he still has his senior season in front of him! Long Island sends two teams, but has not won the event since 2011, when they entered a combined Nassau/Suffolk team. This year's Long Island rosters:
NASSAU COUNTY
1 Justin Evelyn, Uniondale
2 Keaton Goldsby, Lawrence
3 Tavin Pierre Philippe, Baldwin
4 Joseph Hicks, Sewanhaka
5 Trayvon Alexander, Friends Acad
6 Tre Riggins, Baldwin
7 Robert Acevedo, Island Trees
8 Aaron Davis, Valley Stream South
9 Raymond Foster, Uniondale
10 Corey Powell, Valley Stream South
11 RJ Meyers-Turner, Uniondale
12 Darien Matthew, St. Dominic
SUFFOLK COUNTY
1 Jordan Mosley, East Islip
2 Jarell White, Bellport
3 Sean Walsh, Northport
4 Brendan Rivera, Smithtown West
5 Ray Graboski, Ward Melville
6 Malik Edmead, Deer Park
7 Jarenel Rancy, Longwood
8 Zed Key, LuHi
9 Bryce Harris, Brentwood
Seaford AAU Champs
The Seaford Heat, led by Portledge's Zaire Baines, who averaged 31.6 ppg as an 8th grader on varsity last season - defeated Wisconsin's Ray Allen Select 59-54 to win the AAU 14U D1 Championships held at Disney World in Orlando, Fl. The Heat were also Rumble In The Bronx Champions this season. AAU Nationals ROSTER:
Zaire Baines
Dante Brooks
Aaron Davis
Kyle Dowden
Jasean Elliott
Jorden Evelyn
Chancellor McKee
Michael McQuilton
Marquis Samuels
Peter Vorillas
Jared Weekly
The Beginning Of
The End Of AAU?
PART 1 IN A SERIES
A new proposal still in its formative stages could deal a serious blow to AAU and Sneaker Company Basketball as we know it, and might very well be the beginning of the end for both competing camps. USA Basketball, the NBA, and the NCAA are all taking steps to seize control of the sport at the youth level, and one of the key provisions of the proposal, reportedly being prepared by the NBCA for submission to the NCAA Commission that was set up to look into the big recruiting and corruption scandal that hit NCAA and Travel Team basketball this past fall, is to discontinue the July Live Period, forbidding D1 coaches from attending the big events that are held annually in Orlando, Las Vegas and other locations across the country. It often costs teams thousand of dollars to attend these July events, and if there is no prospect of playing in front of D1 coaches, many teams will undoubtedly elect to take advantage of far less expensive alternatives, putting many of these events out of business. It's not a complete prohibition, though. If the proposal is adopted, it looks like the April Live Period will be retained for now.
COLLEGE UPDATE
When Brockport played Baruch on November 20th, there were an incredible 14 Long Islanders on the two rosters! Baruch’s Billy Sixsmith from Holy Trinity led the way with 17 points. BOX SCORE
BBP's George Riefenstahl, a returning First Team All-Skyline Conference player, scored a career high 37 points, pulled down 16 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots in Farmingdale State's 102-89 win over St. Joseph's of Brooklyn....
Sachem North's Mike Harris has 23 points and 7 rebounds to lead St. Joseph's to a 66-63 win over SUNY Maritime. Islip's Frank Basile added 16 point and 13 rebounds. Northport's Brendan Whelan led Maritime with 17 points and 7 assists....
North Babylon's Tyree Grimsley scored 21 points to lead Suffolk CC to a 108-71 win over Kingsborough CC. Upper Room's Steven Tynes added 19 points, 12 assists, and 6 steals and Commack's Ryan Graziano had 18 points....
James Walsh from St. Anthony's had 17 points in USMMA's 91-57 loss to Purchase. 11/21
Two Long Island Coaches Face Off!
Bob McKillop and his Davidson team (3-1) take on Bill Coen and his Northeastern team (2-2) today
(Sunday 6 PM). Northeastern and Davidson are expected to be two of the better teams in the CAA & A-10 this season. WATCH on ESPNU
Ravaged LIU Post Falls
When LIU announced they were consolidating their two sets of sports programs and would no longer play D2 basketball starting with the 2019-20 season, many of the LIU Post players left the team, so the Pioneers went into game 1 with just 7 players on their active roster. Those brave 7 took it on the chin, falling 74-43 to New Haven despite a game high 22 points from Alonzo Ortiz-Traylor. Freshman Kendell Ogilvie from LWA added 8 points and 8 rebounds and fellow freshman Liam Kunkle from North Shore had 7 points. 11 New Haven players made it into the scorebook, led by Hills West's Kian Dalyrimple, who had 12 points. Freeport's Elijah Bailey added 7. 11/14
Player Report
Kevin Little from Wyandanch had 18 points and 5 assists in U. Tennessee Martin's loss to Western Kentucky.... Baldwin's Shane Gatling started and had 12 points and 2 assists in Colorado's win over Drake....
Pride Fall On Road
Hofstra gave up a late 3 point lead for a tough 76-72 loss to Marshall of Conference USA. Justin Wright-Foreman had another big game, finishing with 34 points. STORY 11/11
Hofstra Stops NC A&T
North Carolina A&T from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which includes teams like Howard and Norfolk State, came to town with a Long Island coach - Amityville's Jay Joyner, and more Long Islanders on the roster than either Hofstra or Stony Brook. They have three former All-Long Island players in Deer Park's Aaren Edmead, Hills West's Terry Harris, and Tyrone Lyons from St. Anthony's, but despite the local talent, were still no match for the Pride, who pulled away for a convincing 92-72 victory. Justin Wright-Foreman led the way once again with 22 points and 7 assists, Eli Pemberton added 19 points, and Stafford Trueheart had 14. Harris led the Long Islanders with 10 points, Edmead had 9 and Lyons 5 for the rebuilding team that has 10 new players and had their leading scorer - Femi Olujobi from Brentwood - transfer to DePaul. I have to admit I was very conflicted coming into this game. I’m a big Hofstra fan, but both Edmead and Lyons played for me on Team Long Island and Harris and my son Ben played together in AAU. Edmead, an excellent defender, got his team off to a good start, draining a three from the top and bottling up Wright-Foreman to keep the game close. Harris showed excellent fundamentals, setting good screens, rebounding well, and scoring here and there, but the Aggies didn’t fully take advantage of Hofstra’s early struggles and once Wright-Foreman got going, they never really got back into it. Freshman Lyons showed his potential with a sweeping drive from the top through traffic and also blocked a few shots in limited playing time, but one of the three would have had to have a big scoring day to keep the Aggies in the game and that never materialized. I wouldn’t discount that from happening down the road. They are all capable, and once their rebuilding team gets more familiar with each other, they will all shine. 11/14 STORY
Big Stony Brook Road Win
Akwasi Yeboah had a game high 24 points and 11 rebounds, freshman Miles Latimer hit two big three pointers down the stretch, and the Seawolves collected an incredible 22 offensive rebounds in an 83-81 road victory over South Carolina, their first ever over an SEC team. STORY 11/9
Hofstra Pulls Away
The Pride dug themselves out of an early hole and rolled over the NEC's Mt. St. Mary 79-61 in front of a big home crowd. Justin Wright-Foreman led the way with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, Desure Buie added 18 points and 5 assists, and Eli Pemberton 18 poitns and 6 rebounds. STORY 11/9
PLAYER REPORT
North Babylon's Tyree Grimsley had 21 points and 8 rebounds to lead Suffolk CC to a win over Hostos in their opener..... Another North Babylon product, Billy Muller, had 15 points and 9 rebounds in Molloy's loss to Assumption..... Yet another North Babylon native, Devonte Green, had 15 points and 3 assists in Indiana's win over Chicago State..... Freshman Darius Young from Westbury had 17 points to lead Nassau CC over CCBC Dundalk.
Stony Brook Takes Opener
The Seawovles came roaring back from a 22 - 0 defict to defeat George Washington in overtime! STORY 11/6
Kevin Little 16 In Debut
Wyandach's Kevin Little, who played at OSNA and started his college career at Maine, scored 16 points, handed out 3 assists, and made 2 steals in his first game for D1 Tennessee-Martin. 11/6
Long Island's D1 Players
Jamal Allen/Brentwood/Missouri-KC
Kashawn Charles/Wyand./E. Illinois
Chris Coalmon/LuHi/Robert Morris
Justin Cole/Rockville Ctr/St. John's
Boubacar Diakite/OSNA/Iona
Matt DiLuccio/Rockville C./Boston Coll
Mamadou Doucore/OSNA/Rutgers
Aaren Edmead/Deer Park/NC A&T
Omar El-Sheikh/Knox/Fairfield
Shane Gatling/Baldwin/Colorado
Tykei Greene/LuHi/Manhattan
Terry Harris/HHHW/NC A&T
Michael James/Malverne/Monmouth
Lukas Jarrett/Northport/Lafayette
Donatas Kupsas/LuHi/Weber State
Savion Lewis/HHHE/Quinnipiac
Kevin Little/Wyandanch/UT Martin
Tyrone Lyons/St. Anthony’s/NC A&T
KC Ndefo/Elmont/St. Peter's
Femi Olujobi/Brentwood/DePaul
Pauly Paulicap/Elmont/Manhattan
Frankie Policelli/LuHi/Dayton
Marvin Prochet/LuHi/Niagara
Jared Rhoden/Baldwin/Seton Hall
Cheick Sy-Savane/OSNA/Gr. Canyon
Cam Wynter/Holy Trinity/Drexel
Malcolm Wynter/Harbflds/Davidson
Molloy 5th In A Row
The Molloy Lions won their 5th straight game, defeating Mercy 96-76 at home to improve to 4-0 in conference and 7-3 overall. Nick Corbett led a balanced attack with 27 points, while two former Team Long Island players, Mike Torre and Curtis Jenkins, finished with 18 and 16 points respectively. Another Team Long Island grad, Justin Caldwell, started and grabbed 6 rebounds, blocked 3 shots, and came up with 2 steals. 12/16
Stony Brook Is 8-1
The Seawolves defeated Manhattan on the road 69-62 for their 6th straight. Ironically, the two Long Islanders in the game play for Manhattan. Elmont's Pauly Paulicap had a big game, racking up 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks, while freshman Tykei Greene from LuHi, who started but got into quick foul trouble, did not score. Akwasi Yeboah continued his outstanding play for Stony Brook, finishing with a game-high 25 points and 7 rebounds. STORY
Lewis Will Redshirt
Hills East's Savion Lewis, New York State Mr. Basketball, will redshirt his freshman year at Quinnipiac after it was discovered that an incomplete his sophomore year at Hills would prevent him from being eligible to play until January at the earliest. Rather than appeal and miss a significant number of games, he has decided to redshirt and have four full years of eligibility left. The NCAA requires student-athletes to take certain core classes every year of their high school careers, and the incomplete prevented him from meeting those requirements on time.
Stony Brook Off To 6-1
The Seawolves held off Norfolk State behind 22 points and 4 assists from Jaron Cornish. Akwasi Yeboah added 16 points and 7 rebounds.
STORY 11/27
TEN YEARS AGO!
FINAL SWEET 16
1. Lutheran 19-8
2. Uniondale 20-3
3. East Hampton 23-4
4. SJB 25-3
5. Longwood 19-4
6. Baldwin 14-7
7. Bay Shore 18-4
8. South Side 18-4
9. Kellenberg 14-12
10. St. Dominic 14-10
11. North Babylon 18-7
12. Lindenhurst 16-5
13. Westbury 18-3
14. Roslyn 16-7
15. Greenport 22-4
16. Walt Whitman 16-6
10 YEARS AGO
FIRST TEAM
ALL-LONG ISLAND
George Beamon, Roslyn
Justin Brown, Uniondale
Ryan Creighton, Greenport
Josh Elbaum, SJB
Tobias Harris, Lutheran
Phil Izevbehai, John Glenn
Chris Mauldin, Baldwin
Devon McMillan, Uniondale
JJ Moore, Brentwood
Hayden Ward, East Hampton
Jordan Ward Adams, C Moriches
Ashraf Yacoubou, Lutheran
College Report
College basketball is underway and you can get local team
Suffolk CC Now 10-0!
The nationally ranked Sharks defeated Bronx CC 91-78 to improve to 10-0 on the season. Upper Room's Steven Tynes led the way with 25 points, 4 assists and 4 steals, North Babylon's Tyree Grimsley had 19 points and 8 rebounds, Copiague's Ronald Walker 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks and Sachem North's James Signer 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks. If you want to see them in action, their next home game is Saturday Dec 1st 3 PM vs Rockland at the Brentwood campus. 11/27
NCAA
UPDATED NCAA RECRUITING CALENDER HERE
What changed? In response to recommendations from the Commission on College Basketball, the NCAA made changes to the recruiting calendar to increase the role of high school programs and reduce the involvement of third parties in the recruiting process:
* New four-day recruiting period
April 29-May 2 to allow coaches to contact or evaluate recruits immediately following the April 26-28 nonscholastic events evaluation period.
* Evaluation period June 13-14 at NBPA Top 100 Camp, a new collaboration between the NCAA and NBPA.
* New evaluation periods June 21-23 and 28-30 at scholastic events approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations or a two-year college athletics governing body (i.e., NJCAA, CCCAA, NWAC).
* Evaluation period July 11-14 at NCAA-certified nonscholastic events, a reduction in evaluation periods at these events from three weekends in July to one weekend in July.
* Evaluation period July 23-28 at new youth development camps conducted by the NCAA and member schools/conferences.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE!
2/17/2019
SWEET 16
COACHES POLL
1 LuHi (21-2)
2 Longwood (21-1)
3 Brentwood (21-1)
4 Baldwin (17-1)
5 Bellport (20-2)
6 LWA (19-4)
7 Uniondale (16-3)
8 Knox (19-5)
9 Chaminade (16-7)
10 Center Moriches (16-5)
11 Hills East (18-4)
12 Holy Trinity (16-7)
13 St. Anthony's (16-7)
14 Deer Park (15-6)
15 Port Washington (15-4)
16 Farmingdale (16-3)
The First Annual
New York Holiday Invitational Concludes!
The First Annual New York Holiday Invitational concluded, and I have to say, its inevitable that a great new New York basketball tradition has been born. We were very lucky to have 6 excellent teams our first year, and even more fortunate that every game was a barn-burner. The feedback has been overwhelming and I thank everybody for that. Day 1 saw 11 time Rhode Island State Champion Bishop Hendricken hold off 11 time New York State Champion Mount Vernon 61-57 to open the Invitational with a bang, and then in the nightcap, New Jersey Regional Finalist St. Joseph's of Metuchen outlasted host and Long Island Catholic League Champion St. Anthony's 58-55. What a start! Then Day two saw Kellenberg, a last minute "Christmas Miracle" replacement, establish itself as a serious NSCHSAA contender by battling an excellent St. Joseph’s of Metuchen team right down to the wire before falling 57-50, and then the second game was another barn burner, with the host Friars ovecoming 21 time Section 9 champion Newburgh Free Academy 53-49. It was better than anyone could have hoped for - some said the best two day event they had ever witnessed! Thanks again and see you all next year! - Ted Thomas 12/30
PLAYOFFS
SECTION 8 CLASS B
FINAL FOUR
Malverne 57
East Rockaway 46
The Mules were blowing teams out earlier in the season, but league games have been much more competitive the second time through and the Rocks gave them everything they could handle in this semifinal, leading by 6 at the half before Malverne racked up a 25-5 third quarter to come from behind for the win. Sophomore sensation Michael Warren led the way with 20 points and 6 assists and Donovan Ishmael had 15 points and 14 rebounds. Chris Levins led East Rockaway with 15 points. 2/17
Cold Spring Harbor 76
Oyster Bay 64
There is nothing like the atmosphere at a playoff game between two neighboring schools, and Oyster Bay handed CSH one of their two regular season losses, so the stage was set for a barn burner, but the Seahawks built an early lead and were in control most of the way, holding off a late Baymen rally. Aidan Adomaites led host Cold Spring Harbor with 24 points, 10 of them from the free throw line, Kip Dallaris had 19 points, and Jack Vavassis added 12. Yahve Jean-Baptiste led Oyster Bay with 20 points. 2/17
SECTION 8 CLASS A
SWEET 16 RECAPS
Class A Sweet 16 Previews
Class A First Round Results
Bellmore 50
Calhoun 48
Marco Travaglione knocked down what proved to be the game winning three pointer with a minute to play as the Cougars held off a rally by the host Colts in a very hard fought game. Travaglione finished with a game high 24 points and pulled down 18 rebounds, Brandon Wexler added 11 points and 7 rebounds, and Chris Palazzotto finished with 6 points and 5 assists. Malek Graham had 16 points for Calhoun. 2/13
Locust Valley 50
Herricks 38
Locust Valley played like they were 17-3, leading almost wire to wire and building their lead with every quarter. Teddy Mangiarotti had a dominating performance, finishing with 27 points and 11 rebounds and Nick Grau led Herricks with 11 points. 2/13
Roslyn 67
Mineola 46
Keep an eye on Roslyn. They held a solid Mineola team to 9 first half points and cruised in thie one. Jon Davey and Spyro Drenis led the way with 12 points each in a game that saw 10 Roslyn players make it into the scorebook. Isaiah Alonso fought valiantly, leading all scorers with 22 for Mineola. 2/13
Mepham 67
MacArthur 63 OT
MacArthur came roaring from behind with a 31 point fourth quarter to send it into overtime, with Max Chimel drilling the game tying three pointer, but Greg Paul and Kieran Gilroy came alive in the OT, combining for 11 of Mepham’s 14 points to lead them to victory. Jack Fontanetta was Mepham’s high scorer with 19 points and Corey Lichtman added 15 while Rob Lobosco led MacArthur, also with 15 points. 2/13
Valley Stream Central 77
North Shore 52
Trailing by 4 after one quarter, VSC exploded for 26 second quarter points and never looked back. Tyler Ray had the hot hand, finishing with 26 points, Dawin Fanor added 13 points, and Jacob Tejada 12 points and 14 rebounds. Jarrett O'Day led North shore with 14 points. 2/13
Jericho 56
Clarke 29
It was Clarke’s first playoff appearance in 21 years, but they ran into a Jericho team that seems to improve with every game. Brandon Weiss led the way with 19 points and Hamza Malik added 11. Brian Sullivan was high man for Clarke with 10. 2/13
Island Trees 49
Bethpage 46
Trailing by 11 as the fourth quarter got underway, Bethpage made a final run but fell just short. It was the first playoff win for Island Trees in 17 years. Greg Avery led the way with 18 points and 7 assists and Anthony Ferrufino added 13 points and 16 rebounds. Bora Soybas led all scorers with 24 points for Bethpage. 2/13
PLAYOFF SEEDS
CLASS AA (Bracket)
1 Baldwin
2 Uniondale
3 Farmingdale
4 Port Washington
5 Freeport
6 Long Beach
7 Oceanside
8 Hicksville
CLASS A (Bracket)
1 Elmont
2 Lynbrook
3 Valley Stream South
4 Manhasset
5 South Side
6 Roosevelt
7 Floral Park
8 Sewanhaka
9 Garden City
10 Jericho
11 Locust Valley
12 Bethpage
13 Roslyn
14 Calhoun
15 Mepham
16 Valley Stream Central
17 North Shore
18 MacArthur
19 Bellmore
20 Mineola
21 Island Trees
22 Herricks
23 Clarke
CLASS B (Bracket)
1 Malverne
2 Cold Spring Harbor
3 Oyster Bay
4 East Rockaway
*******************
Clarke 45
Friends Academy 40
Clark secured their first playoff appearance in 21 years, eliminating perrenial playoff team Friends Academy. Mike Paul led the way with 14 points and Mike Sullivan, whose three pointer bumped the lead to 5, added 8 points and 15 rebounds. Alex Douglas led the Quakers with 17 points. 2/9
Mepham 60
Great Neck South 58
Mepham helped relieve the Conference 1A log jam, rallying to pick up a big road win to secure one of the two remaining playoff spots. It will go down to tiebreakers to decide the final spot. Greg Paul finished with 17 points to lead Mepham and Corey Lichtman and Richie Vaquero both had 13. David Sabvehroo led all scorers with 22 points for Great Neck South. 2/9
Outside Looking In
NASSAU/SECTION 8
I'm not sure I've ever seen anthing like what's happening in Nassau A1, with 5 teams still in contention for a playoff spot with one game to go!
Mepham 5-6
VS Central 5-6
Herricks 5-7
MacArthur 4-7
GN South 4-7
The games that will decide things:
SATURDAY 2/9/19
12:00 PM VS Central @ MacArthur
12:00 PM Mepham @ GN South
If the road teams win, they take the two spots, and if the home teams win, all 5 teams will be tied at 5-7!
Other teams that can qualify:
Valley Stream North, who has to win a tough road game at VS South (14-4)
and Clark, who is on the road at Friends and the winner of that game will qualify.
ASK THE REF!
More reader questions answered. Do you have one of your own? Then ASK THE REF!
ASK THE REF-FYI
Not a game goes by without fans, coaches and even TV announcers getting frustrated when an "OVER THE BACK" call isn't made as players are going up for a rebound. FYI - THAT'S BECAUSE THERE IS NO SUCH CALL IN THE RULEBOOK! Amazing how many people think there is! Pushing is a foul, holding is a foul, but there is no rule preventing a player from going up and over another player from behind!
Curious about a call or a rule?
JUST ASK THE REF!
D!
Best Defensive Teams
They say that defense wins championships. Which teams are best at stopping their opponents from scoring so far this season?
Nassau AA
It’s a four way tie between Baldwin, Farmingdale, Hicksville, and Port Washington, who all hold their opponents to an average of 49 PPG
Nassau A
Sewanhaka at 47 PPG - best on Long Island
Nassau B
Cold Spring Harbor 49 PPG
Suffolk AA
Longwood and North Baylon at 49 PPG
Suffolk A
East Islip 50 PPG
Suffolk B
Hampton Bays 58 PPG
Suffolk C
Pierson 54 PPG
Suffolk D
Bridgehampton 60 PPG
NSCHSAA
St. Anthony’s 48 PPG
Independant
LuHi 53 PPG
PSAA
Stony Brook 49 PPG
Sweet 16 Highlights
#1 LuHi 79
#9 Knox 63
The Crusaders broke open a tight game with a 28-10 third quarter and cruised home for the win. Jalen Celestine knocked down 7 three pointers to lead LuHi with 21 points and Tyler Stephenson-Moore had four of his own and finished with 20 while Andre Curbelo added 13 points and 12 assists. Sophomore Jaden DeJesus led Knox with 18 points. 2/15
#12 Chaminade 69
#11 Holy Trinity 62
The Titans had an impressive first half, ringing up 27 second quarter points to take a 12 point halftime lead, but an inspired Flyers squad dominated the third quarter on both ends to get back into it and then pulled away down the stretch to clinch the NSCHSAA regular season title. Michael O'Connell and Kieran Dorney were Chaminade's big guns once again, scoring 23 and 19 points respectively, but Liam Drennan had a big game too, finishing with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Mike Sixsmith led Holy Trinity with 23 points. 2/15
#15 St. Anthony's 55
St. John the Baptist 41
The Friars led pretty much wire to wire on the road, with Andre Snoddy racking up 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks and Louis Stallone 7 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Angelo Andino added 13 points, including 3 three-pointers. 2/15
KNOX PSAA CHAMPIONS
#9 Knox 76
Evangel Christian 64
Evangel Christian had beaten them soundly during the regular season, and they trailed the top seed by 10 at the half, but sophomore Jaden DeJesus led a third quarter rally with 11 third quarter points and the Falcons pulled away in the fourth quarter to capture their second straight PSAA title. DeJesus finished with a game high 21 points, Ismail Yilmaz with 19, and Joshua Grey with 18. Class C State runner-up last season, the Falcons step up to Class B this season, and along with LWA, will now represent Long Island in the NYSAIS Class B State Championships, with the winner advancing to the New York State Federation Tournament Of Champions in Glens Falls. 2/14
#15 St. Anthony's 49
St. Mary's 47
The Friars gave up a big lead, but Tristan Correa saved the day, rebounding and scoring at the buzzer.
Andre Snoddy led St. Anthony's with 17 points and 13 rebounds while Nick Cham and Kawar Singh finished with 11 for the Gaels. 2/13
#1 LuHi 53
Gill St. Bernard's, NJ 51
In the final seconds of a tie game, Gill St. Bernard lost control of the ball and LuHi's Jalen Celestine grabbed it and got it ahead to Andre Curbelo, who's driving layup found the bottom of the basket as the buzzer sounded for a thrilling 53-51 victory. Curbelo finished with a game high 24 points and Tyler Stephenson-Moore added 11. 2/9
#12 Deer Park 78
#6 North Babylon 70
The Falcons came roaring from behind on the road to claim their biggest victory of the season, with Malik Edmead, D'Andre Edwards and Jordan Rios combining for 28 of their 31 fourth quarter points. Edmead and Edwards both finished with 25 points and Jaden Perkins added 10 while Bradley Celestin led North Babylon with 24 points. 2/7
Jericho 64
#15 Elmont 52
Now with wins over 15-3 Manhasset and 13-5 Elmont - the Manhasset win on the road - the Jayhawks have to be considered serious contenders in Nassau Class A. They put four players in double figures against the heralded Spartan defense, led by Brandon Weiss and Aaron Jaffe with 19 each. 2/6
Floral Park 71
#16 Lynbrook 54
Lynbrook beat the Knights by 34 at home, but Floral Park got their revenge and their 5th straight win heading into the playoffs. Jayson Delgado led the way with 22 points, Michael Matich had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. and Deschanel Chery added 15 points. Rylan Blondo led Lynbrook with 19 points. 2/6
Cold Spring Harbor 66
#9 Malverne 65 OT
The two games between these two teams have both been great games. The Mules broke CSH's 12 game winning streak at CSH, and the Ospreys returned the favor, breaking Malverne's 12 game winning streak at Malverne. CSH did it in stunning fashion, coming from 4 down with 10 seconds left in the OT, with Aidan Adomaites knocking down the dramatic game winning free throws. He finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds and Jack Vavassis added 13 points and 18 rebounds. Michael Warren led Malverne with 24. 2/5
Freeport 68
#4 Uniondale 58
We warned you about Freeport. After starting the season 2-3, they are headed into the playoffs 11-6 and winners of four straight, capped off by this big home win over the Knights. Darren Fergus held off a Uniondale rally with 10 fourth quarter points and finished with 25 and Tailique Jackson added 20. RJ Meyers-Turner led the Knights with 14 points. 2/5
St. Anthony's 53
#7 Chaminade 46
This one's a mystery. Coach Paul must have been sending his starters a message after some lackluster performances, because the Flyers played their bench the entire game. The Friars showed mercy. 2/5
#13 Bellport 84
#12 Deer Park 66
A year ago, host Deer Park blew out Bellport in this game, but the Clippers turned the tables on them this season, led by another huge game from Jarell White, who finished with 36 points and 21 rebounds. Lorenz Aikens, who has been a very pleasant surprise for Bellport, added 14 points and Devon Balfour had another big game with 13 points and 13 rebounds. 2/5
DID YOU KNOW?
Since the year 2000, either Baldwin or Uniondale has appeared in every Section 8 large school Championship Game, and they have faced each other in 7 of them, with Baldwin leading the series 4 to 3.
Sewanhaka 52
#8 Elmont 48
Sewanhaka holds opponents to 46 ppg - best on Long Island, and they shut down the Spartans at home to move within a game of them in Nassau Conference A2. Joseph Hicks led the way with 17 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals and Spardley Jean-Baptiste added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Jonathan Maldonado led Elmont's balanced attack with 10 points. 2/2
St. Peter's 77
#6 Chaminade 60
It was a two point game at halftime, but the Eagles opened the third quarter with a run and the Flyers never really got back into it. Kieran Dorney and Michael O'Connell carried the offensive load once again. Dorney finished with 5 threes and 25 points and O'Connell added 21 points. 2/2
#1 LuHi 90
Brooklyn Collegiate 58
Yet another good team that was no match for the Crusaders. The two Long Islanders led the way in this one. Port Washington's Tyler Stephenson-Moore knocked down 5 threes and finished with 27 points and Brentwood's Zed Key - a Team Long Island selection, racked up 24 points and 11 rebounds. 2/1
#9 LWA 72
Far Rockaway 62
LWA showing what it can do, beating a good Class A school . Team Long Island selection Tyler St. Furcy led the way with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists and Aidan Igiehon had 20 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks. 2/1
#3 Longwood 67
#12 Commack 64
Commack might be at the top of the list of teams you don't want face in the playoffs. Now with 5 losses, two of them have been to #3 Longwood, two more to #2 Brentwood, and the 5th to #4 North Babylon, it will be difficult for the Cougars to get a high seed. The Lions had to rally to beat them this time, their second straight victory over a Sweet 16 team, with Jarnel Rancy's block in the final seconds preserving the big road win and improving Longwood's record to 17-1. Isaiah Whitty led 5 Lions in double figures, finishing with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists and Rancy added 12 points, 11 rebounds and 7 blocks. Kyle Murphy led all scorers with 24 for Commack. 1/31
#8 Elmont 61
Manhasset 57
The Spartans sweep the season series after two great games, rallying from behind in both to hand 10-3 Manhasset two of their three losses. STORY 1/31
#6 Chaminade 71
Kellenberg 62
The Firebirds are finally healthy and battled the Flyers to a tie through three quarters, but host Chaminade pulled away in the fourth to remain unbeaten in league play. Kieran Dorney led the way with 22 points and Team Long Island selection Michael O'Connell added 21 while Nick Spinoso led Kellenberg with 22. 1/30
#3 Longwood 71
#2 Brentwood 58
The Lions dug themselves out of a 13-1 hole and pulled away down the stretch to hand Brentwood their first loss of the season. Elijah and Isaiah Whitty combined for 41 points, 18 rebounds, and 11 assists and Team long Island's Jarnel Rancy controlled the paint, particularly during Longwood's second half run, finishing with 10 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. Another Team Long Island selection - Bryce Harris, led Brentwood with 21 points. MORE 1/29
#16 Bellport 65
#4 North Babylon 56
The Clippers had this one well in hand, building a 20 point lead on a basket and two free throws by Kimba Aikens with 6:12 to play, and a late rally by the Bulldogs, which brought them back within 8, couldn't change that. Jarell White was dominant once again, finishing with 24 points and 27 rebounds, and Devon Balfour had a nice game, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Jaylen Trent also had 11 points and added 4 steals while Aikens, who is doing a solid job of running the point, finished with 10 points and 4 assists. Dylan Diaz was impressive for North Bab, never backing down and finishing with 20 points, and Frank Toney played a big part in the rally and finished with 13. 1/29
#9 LWA 60
Staten Island Academy 40
LWA's climb up the Sweet16 ladder is made more difficult because they are a Class B program and their schedule is mostly against other Class B teams. This is one of those games. 1/28
BOX SCORE
Roosevelt 54
#7 Farmingdale 43
On paper, 7-5 Roosevelt is a slightly above average team, yet they pulled off their second big upset of the season, handing Farmingdale their only loss to anyone not named Uniondale. They beat 16th ranked Center Moriches at CM earlier in the season too. Put them down as another team you don't want to meet in the playoffs. Razir Boykin was fantastic in this one, finishing with 24 points and 20 rebounds and he had 19 points in the win over the Red Devils. 1/16
Vashon, Mo 63
#1 LuHi 59 OT
Missouri's legendary basketball program defeated Long Island's, rallying from 15 down at a showcase in Florida. Jay Celestine and Essam Mostafa both finished with 14 points and Tyler Stephenson-Moore had 12. 1/24
Knox 69
#5 Chaminade 59 OT
Chaminade controlled the game from the start, rebuilding their lead every time Knox made a run, but when sophomore Jaden DeJesus knocked down a three pointer in transition to cut it to 50-43 early in the fourth quarter, you could feel a momentum shift. Ismail Yilmaz followed him with a left baseline three to make it a 4 point game, and although Chaminade’s Michael O’Connell answered with back to back baskets, a spark had been ignited. 6’10 big man Joshua Gray caught the ball in the low post, spun to the basket and scored with a vengance, Markell Lake blazed past defenders, going coast to coast to cut it to 54-50, and then Yilmaz pulled up for another three pointer, this one from behind the left elbow, and it was suddenly a 1 point game with 3:30 to play. The Knox defenders did their part too, keeping the Flyers off the scoreboard, but O’Connell finally broke through, converting a three point play to put Chaminade up by 4. That 4 point lead held up all the way down to the 1:10 mark, when the Falcons squandered a big opportunity to close the gap, going 1 for 3 at the foul line. That made it Chaminade ball leading by 3 with the clock ticking down, and Knox had only committed 3 team fouls, so they had to keep fouling to try and create the 1 and 1 situation they needed to have any chance. Chaminade would inbound the ball after every foul, taking time off the clock, and it seemed like that’s the way it would end, but then incredibly at the 19 second mark, the Flyers could not get the ball inbounds and turned it over. Lake seized the opportunity, confidently knocking down a dramatic three pointer to send the game into overtime and it was all Knox in OT. A DeJesus three pointer from the top, a Lake fast break basket, and Gray’s emphatic dunk made 67-59 with 1:29 remaining, and then Lake added two free throws to bump the lead to 10 with 1:09 left. Game over. After a slow start, Gray finished with 22 points, Lake had 18, and DeJusus 16. O'Connell led all scorers with 28 for Chaminade. 1/23
#3 Longwood 65
Central Islip 44
Longwood might have been the most impressive team at the Nassau/Suffolk Challenge, and they took advantage of a slumping Central Islip team that has now lost 4 of their last 5 and is fighting for a playoff spot in tough Suffolk League 1. Isaiah Witty led the way with 22 points. 1/22
#16 Center Moriches 85
Southampton 68
It was a war the first time through, but CM ruled in the rematch. Micah Snowden has settled in with his new team and is consistantly putting up big numbers, finishing with 31 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists in this one. 1/22
#11 St. Anthony's 49
Scarsdale 44
The Friars stopped one of Section 1s top AA teams (10-3) behind an inspired performance from junior Andre Snoddy, who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds, and great team D (Scarsdale averages
just under 60 ppg). 1/21
#1 LuHi 60
Holy Spirt, GA 52
The Crusaders represented Long Island very well up at the Hall of Fame's Hoophall Classic in Sprinfield on Sunday, defeating a team from Georgia. Andre Curbelo led the way with 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals, Essam Mostafa added 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Tyler Stephenson-Moore and his teammates held nationally ranked prospect Anthony Edwards to 2 points! 1/20
#1 LuHi 78
#7 Chaminade 64
I wish LuHi played more Long Island teams - just two this seasson. The Flyers gave them a run for their money - leading through the first quarter buzzer and staying within striking distance most of the way. The debate over who is the better point guard between O'Connell and Curbelo was pretty much a stand-off, and so was just about everyting else except one thing - Zed. He was the difference in this one, with 18 points and 10 rebounds. 1/19
#11 St. Anthony's 63
All Hallows 51
Andre Snoody, who has emerged as a team leader this season as a junior, had perhaps his best all-around game with 17 points and 17 rebounds and Christian Daley was knocking down the threes and the Friars led pretty much wire to wire. 1/19
#7 Chaminade 62
Holy Trinity 57
The Flyers are firmimg up their grip on first place in the NSCHSAA, beating the Titans on the road for a 2 game lead. It was another good Catholic League duel, with Holy Trinity holding a 1 point halftime lead and Chaminade easing ahead in the second half and holding on for the win. Kieran Dorney is establishing himself as a big time scorer for the Flyers and had his third 20 point game. Michael O'Connell added 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists while Mike Sixsmith led all scorers with 25 points for Holy Trinity. 1/18
#5 Uniondale 45
#8 Farmingdale 41
Big rivals with highly ranked teams. What more could you ask for? The Knights came from behind on the road to win this defensive war, led by
Isaiah Joseph-Brock, who scored 13 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and had 4 assists and 2 steals, and Juwan Shuford, who finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Marvel Chambers had a game high 15 points for Farmingdale. 1/17
St. Dominic 63
#12 Kellenberg 50
Like we've said before, the Catholic League is heating up again. Both St. Dom's and St. Mary's seem to have resurrected their programs, and despite the result of this game, the Firebirds are back in the mix too. Question is, can anybody stop the Flyers? The Bayhawks achived that all important balanced attack in this one, with Will Ford leading the way with 20 points and Kobe Thomas and Ben Toussaint adding 15 and 14 respectively, and they fought their way out of a halftime difict on the road for the win, blistering the Firebirds with a 14-3 third quarter. Sean Lachman led Kellenberg with 16. 1/17
#13 Commack 74
Central Islip 72
When the season started, it looked like a rebuilding year for CI, but the Musketeers had won 5 of their last 7 coming into the game and had the Cougars on the ropes before a dramatic 19-7 rally, led by Aidan Keenan, brought Commack roaring from behind, capped off by his dramatic game winnning jumper at the buzzer. Kyle Murphy led the Cougars with 24 points and 9 rebounds, Keenan finished with 18 - 12 of them in the 4th quarter, and Spencer Malloy added 11 points. Team Long Island selection Ty-Shon Pannell led all scorers with 36 for CI. 1/15
#6 North Babylon 50
# 15 Deer Park 49
It was a classic Sweet 16 confrontation between two next door neighbors! The undefeated Bulldogs had been dominant at home, but not so much on the road, while the Falcons had struggled all season against Sweet 16 competition, going 0-3, and that included a home loss to #5 Uniondale. But the X factor at Deer Park is always the home crowd, who never fail to create a big game atmosphere, and they did it again, inspiring the Falcons to an imposing 13 point lead at the first quarter buzzer. North Bab managed to cut into it, trailing by 8 at the half, but despite the single digit lead, it still felt like the Falcons were in control. That changed in the third quarter. It started with back and forth action, but as the quarter wound down, the Bulldogs seized the momentum, closing it out on a 12-2 run to take a 40-39 lead with three quarters complete. This time, it was the Falcons turn to inspire the crowd, and they stopped the North Bab run as the final quarter began and retook the lead, but in the game's final minutes, one player took control. Trailing 49-44, NB's Frank Toney methodically scored the game's final 6 points, leading the Bulldogs to a thrilling come from behind victory and a 12-0 record, and of course, handing Deer Park and that great home crowd a devastating loss.
Toney led a balanced NB attack with 11 big points and Kareem O'Brian added 10 more, while Team Long Island selection Malik Edmead led all scorers with 18 for the Falcons. 1/14
Mt. Sinai 78
#15 Miller Place 66
Tired of being overlooked, 10-1 Mt. Sinai took down #16 Miller Place, leading almost wire to wire on their home court. Nick Hurowitz scored 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, his second 30+ game of the seasson, Nick Pintabona finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds and Avery Romelien and Paul Gomes both added 10 points. 1/12
#14 St. Anthony's 61
#7 Holy Trinity 57
The NSCHSAA might be the most balanced it has been in years, and the Friars are right in the thick of it, beating teams you expect them to lose to and losing to the teams you expect them to beat. Chaminade has to be the favorite at this point - 3-0 in league play and with some impressive non-league wins, but the way things have been going, you have to think someone is going to knock them off at some point. This game was a classic Catholic League slugfest, with the host Titans up 2 at the half, and the two teams battling back and forth down the stretch until Angelo Andino hit two three pointers to put the Friars on top and Louis Stallone iced it with a two-handed dunk. Jevon Burke and Makhai Murphy provide the senior leadership on the young team, with Burke leading the balanced attack with 13 points while Murphy added 7 points and handed out 5 assists. Stallone added a double double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Mike Sixsmith led all scorers with 28 for HT. 1/11
#10 Bellport 85
#9 Deer Park 74
Now with over 1500 career points, senior Jarell White continues to rack up points and rebounds, and his 41 points and 19 rebounds were the difference in this Sweet 16 rumble. The guard dominated Falcons had no answer for him. He got important help from Jaihad Robinson, who finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Devon Balfour, who added 13 points, and it was somehow enough to overcome another big game from Team Long Island selection Malik Edmead, who had 36 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and undoubtedly a bunch of steals. Big rematch 2/5 at Deer Park. 1/11
#5 Uniondale 49
Syosset 46
The teams have split their season series the last two years, and the rivalry continues. The Knights took the game 1 nail-biter on the road, a game that the Braves led pretty much all the way, on the strengh of a Rolando Meyers-Turner layup through traffic at the 26 second mark and then his two 1 and 1 free throws with 10 seconds remaining. He finished with a game high 22 points and Latrell Williams added 10 points and 9 rebounds. Rob Berland led the Braves with 16 points. 1/9
#7 Holy Trinity 72
St. Dominic 68
Good teams win even when they are not at their best. The Titans, the highest ranked team in the NSCHSAA right now, had to hold off the surprising Bayhawks, who got back into the game in the second half and fought the favorites right down to the wire, and on the road too. Don't forget, they already have one big upset win over St. Anthony's. A.J. Knight saved the day for Holy Trinity, finishing with 24 points and Tim Kiggins added 15. Kobe Thomas, who has been on a roll, was high scorer for St. Doms with 19, leading 5 Bayhawks in double figuers. 1/8
#4 Longwood 58
Commack 41
The Lions bounced back nicely with some home cooking, beating a very good "knocking on the door of the Sweet 16" team in the Cougars. Big man Jarnel Rancy, the Team Long Island selection that sat most of the Brentwood game in foul trouble, had one of his typical stat lines, finishing with 8 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks while Elijah Whitty was Longwood's high scorer with 18 points. Aidan Keenan led Commack with 23. 1/7
South Shore 76
#6 Chaminade 45
Ouch! The Flyers were fresh off of beating Iona Prep, who was fresh off of beating Stepinac! It looks like the defending PSAL AA Champions are looking to repeat, and I'd have to say they have a very good shot. They blew out Christ The King too, but lost a 1 point game to Thomas Jefferson on the road the other day so they're not a lock. Chaminade was all banged up from beating Iona Prep the day before, and elected to sit two players to make sure they would be available for their big league showdown with St. Anthony's this Thurrsday. 1/6.
#12 Elmont 55
Manhasset 54
Coach George Holub's Elmont teams are known for coming up with clutch wins, and they came up with another one, stopping undefeated Manhasset on the road on a dramatic 3 point buzzer beater by Jevon Santos. Santos led Elmont's balanced attach with 15 points, Jordan Lawson had 12 and Isiah Barnes 10 while Manhasset's John Mastando led all scorers with 20 points. 1/5
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The NSCHSAA has had great success over the years, but they might not have had a prouder day than Saturday, when three of their Class A teams swept three legendary New York City CHSAA Class AA programs at LuHi’s annual showcase. The biggest win of the three was Chaminade’s 48-40 win over Iona Prep - the 14th ranked Class AA team in all of New York State, but St. Anthony’s 63-50 win over Archbishop Molloy and Holy Trinity’s 60-51 win over Holy Cross were just as memorable for the players, coaches, and fans of both teams. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The next Golden Age of Long Island basketball is right around the corner!
RECAPS
#6 Chaminade
48 Iona Prep 40
Team Long Island selection Mike O'Connell led the way with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, earning MVP honors.
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#9 Holy Trinity 60
Holy Cross 51
AJ Knight led the way with 24 points and Mike Sixsmith added 23. 1/5
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#13 St. Anthony's 63
Archbishop Molloy 50
MVP Jevon Burke got the Friars off to a great start, scoring 11 of his 23 points in the first quarter and Andre Snoddy came up big too, adding 15 points and 13 rebounds. 1/5
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#3 Brentwood 72
#4 Longwood 67
Longwood came storming back from 14 down to tie it with 58 seconds remaining, but super sophomore Jordan Riley knocked down a deep left wing three pointer to keep host Brentwood undefeated and hand Longwood their first loss of the season. WATCH A REPLAY! 1/4
#8 North Babylon 62
#5 Bellport 54
Bellport rallied from 17 down to draw within 2, but the Bulldogs dug in and pulled away for a big League 3 victory in front of a raucus home crowd.
STORY 1/4
#16 Miller Place 69
Shoreham-Wading River 25
We're learning more amd more about the newest member of the Sweet 16. Clearly, defense is a big key for them. They held 4-4 SWR to 5 points in the second quarter and completely shut them out in the third, and it's the second time they have held an opponent under 30 points! Offensively, they outscore their opponents by an average of 22 points per game, led by Thomas Cirrito, who is one of Long Island's leading scorers at 24.8 ppg, but he leads a balanced attack that has 4 other players that regular score in double digits, two of which regularly record double digit rebounds. Impressive stuff! 1/3
#10 Farmingdale 68
Massapequa 50
Solid league win for the Dalers, who improved to 6-1 overall. Marvel Chambers finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, Tyrell Carson added 13 points, and LJ Smikle Jr., finished with 10. 1/3
#11 Deer Park 61
West Islip 48
The Falcons are back on track after two straight losses! Malik Edmead led the way with 23 points, D'Andre Edwards added 13 points and 8 assists, and Jordan Rios 11 points and 8 rebounds. Mark Regan le West Islip with 18 points. 1/3
St. Dominic 47
# 13 St. Anthony's 44
Day one of the NSCHSAA regular season and we already have a big upset! St. Doms built an impressive 7-3 non-league record coming into the game, but against relatively light competition, so it was hard to tell how well they would do when they stepped up to league play. Now we know! Kobe Thomas scored 25 of the Bayhawk's 47 points! The NSCHSAA is going to be fun this season! 1/2
#14 Malverne 85
Academy Charter 51
The Mules made short work of the mysterious new Section 8 team, building a 45-18 halftime lead before easing up. Ta'Shawn Hampton led four double digit scorers with 18 points, and Malverne had 11 players make it into the scorebook. We appologise to the AC players, a number of whom have put up some good numbers and deserve recognition, but we never received a roster from the school, so we don't know who they are. 1/2
#8 Uniondale 52
#9 Deer Park 51
A thrilling Sweet 16 showdown, with Rolando Meyers-Turner completing a Knights rally by knocking down 2 big free throws with time expiring for the win. He finished with 16 points and added 13 rebounds and 3 steals, Latrell Williams also had a good game, finishing with 15 points, 18 rebounds, and 3 steals while Team Long Island selection Malik Edmead led all scorers with 21 points for the Falcons. 12/29
#16 Malverne 59
Port Washington 56
Up by 11 at the half, the Mules held off a charge by the Pirates to improve to 8-1 on the season. Michael Warren led the way with 12 points and 8 assists, and Donovan Ishmael had 12 points and 12 rebounds. Marc Daly had a game high 23 points for Port. 12/29
#2 Baldwin 68
#11 Elmont 47
The Bruins were in charge right from the start, clamping down with their outstanding defense, and Team Long Island's Tavin Pierre-Philippe was unstoppable, finishing with 32 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Gus Louis had 15 for Elmont. 12/28
#13 Farmingdale 70
Floral Park 54
The Dalers haven't had a demanding schedule so far, but gave Uniondale a good fight and rolled over a good Floral Park team. Marvel Chambers is looking like his old self and finished with 19 points, and LJ Smikle Jr. has been consistantly good, finishing with 15 points and 6 assists. Jayson Delgado has been a force all season and led all scorers with 26 points for Floral Park. 12/28
#11 Elmont 75
Amityville 62
Amityville was finally back to full strenght and took a 7 point halftime lead, but the Spartans came roaring back with a 24-9 third quarter and a 51 point second half to advance to the big Championship Game showdown with #2 Baldwin. The Bruins rolled over St. Doms 85-59. Qai Kellman and Jevon Santos led the way for Elmont, scoring 21 and 17 points respectively, while Myles Goddard returned to the lineup and had 20 points for the Warriors. 12/27
John Glenn 79
#14 Connetquot 66
It's facinating how often teams that appear for the first time in the Sweet 16 lose the following week, but playing the Knights, who are serious contenders in Suffolk A, on their home court is a tough task for anybody. Josh Fenner had another big game, finishing with 26 points, 6 assists and 4 steals and Glenn was an incredible 20 of 23 from the foul line. 12/27
#16 Malverne 65
Oceanside 49
The legend grows! The Class B Mules continue to hound opponents into submission, rallying from a 5 point halftime deficit against the Class AA Sailors. Michael Warren had a big second half, scoring 12 points on his way to 16 points and 8 assists, and Donovan Ishmael also had a big game, finishing with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Brian Pod led Oceanside with 17. 12/27
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GIRLS COVERAGE
Longwood 48
Northport 45
THE NB HOLIDAY SHOWCASE
There is no current ranking system for high school girls varsity teams on Long Island that we know of, but Longwood and Northport are certainly two of the top teams in Suffolk this season, and what a battle this was !!
Coaching legend Rich Castellano’s Northport team immediately proved to be well-schooled in the art of press breaking and half court ball movement. Senior Hannah Stockman drained a “3” to give the Lady Tigers an early lead 14-12 at the 5:45 mark as the action began to heat up. Within seconds Nyia Longford answered for Longwood with a layup. It is possible that the talented Longwood senior may have the most devastating drop step on LI .... boys included!
Northport’s “supersub” Alexa Gentile came off the bench and nailed a “3” to make it 17-14 Tigers. The Lady Tigers took advantage of early foul trouble on Longwood’s Star point guard, Janelle Brown, with Danielle Pavinelli (10 pts.) swishing two free throws to give Northport their largest margin of the day at 19-14. Longwood coach Jimmy Castiglione wisely reinserted Brown and her quick layup and sure hands on the ball brought Longwood right back, leaving Northport clinging to a 23-22 at the half. Teams that thrive on defensive pressure love to tighten the vise in the second half. Longwood is that type of team. Northport turnovers led to a quick momentum shift as the Lions roared to a 30-27 lead before Hannah Stockman’s ( 16 pts.) midrange jumper broke the momentum. Things would remain tight from there, with the teams going back and forth and Longwood leading 36-34 after three quarters and action continued right down to the :30 mark, when Brown (17pts./7asst.) assisted on a Longford (23 pts.) layup that sealed the deal for the Lions. Look for Longwood in classic matchups 12/28/18 at Baldwin and 1/19/19 at home vs.Ward Melville at high noon! Northport will be challenged in their Conference AA2 play, particularly by Hills East, who they play on the road 1/2/19 and then 1/25/19 at Northport. 12/22
SWEET 16 RECAPS
#3 Brentwood 67
#9 Deer Park 54
Brentwood looked great in a Sweet 16 showdown on the road, blowing it open in the fourth quarter after a tight first three quarters. Team Long Island selection Bryce Harris had 15 points in that decisive 4th quater and finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Super Soph Jordan Riley added 19 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Alan Houston came up big too with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Another Team Long Island selection, Malik Edmead, had 25 points for Deer Park. 12/22
#1 LuHi 69
St. Raymond 52
The Crusaders captured the Slam Dunk title, brushing aside the CHSAA contender behind a big game from Essam Mostafa, who finished 18 points and took home MVP honors. Drissa Traore added 13 points and 8 rebounds, and Andre Curbelo 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists. 12/22
#1 LuHi 83
Curtis 54
The Crusaders advanced to the championship game of the Slam Dunk Tournament in Westchester, where they will take on St. Raymonds. They were hoping for a rematch with defending State Champion Stepinac, but it was not to be. 12/21 BOX
#5 Bellport 68
Comsewogue 53
All-New York State selection Jarell White continues to lead the Clippers, finishing with what is a typical statline for him: 35 points and 15 rebounds, but what's importantant come playoff time is that others step up and help carry the load, and that looks like its starting to happen. Devon Balfour added 15 points in this one and Lorenz Aikens 10, and Jaylen Trent has had some good games too, scoring and handing out assists. Jay Idzinski had 11 for the Warriors. 12/20
#2 Baldwin 68
Port Washington 62
For the second straight game, the Bruins have shown that they can come from behind against a good opponent for the win. Tavin Phillipe - Pierre and Rhyjon Blackwell were terrific as usual, but Dwight Levy might be that important 3rd scorer every good team needs, finishing with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Harris Sonnenklar had 19 for Port. 12/18
#4 Longwood 58
Ward Melville 49
A good home win for the Lions, who won their first 4 on the road. One of the Whitty brothers has been their high scorer in every game so far, and it was Isaiah in this one with a game-high 16 points Ray Grabowski paced the Patriots with 13. 12/18
Sayville 64
#15 Amityville 48
Sophomore Myles Goddard, who is averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds so far, has missed Amityville's last two games, but even at full strength, the Warriors are in for a fight in Suffolk A this season. Jesse Mas led the up and down Golden Flashes in this one with 26 points and 4 assists and Max Llewellyn added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Davaahd Lucas had 15 for the Warriors.
#1 LuHi 74
The Patrick School 52
Both teams took time getting used to the NBA sized court at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, but the Crusaders settled in and pulled away with a 28 point third quarter to defeat New Jersey's 4th ranked team. Team Long Island selection Zed Key and Egyption National Team member Essam Mostafa led the way, controling the boards and scoring 16 and 15 points respectively and Puerto Rican Team member Andre Curbelo ran the team with skill and made some spectacular plays. Alexander Rice had 20 points and Al-Amir Dawes had 14 for The Patrick School. 12/17
#8 Uniondale 55
#14 Farmingdale 43
This intense rivalry made news once again when the 4-1 Knights incredibly shut out the Dalers in the second quarter. Latrell Williams paced the Uniondale attack with 12 points and Rolando Meyers-Turner added 11. Luis Smikle Jr. led all scorers with 15 for Farmingdale, who fell to 3-1. 12/17
Bay Shore 68
#12 Hills East 58
We've been waiting for them to face a big test before we jumped on the Bay Shore bandwagon, and they picked up a big win on the road to improve to 5-0, defeating the previously unbeaten defending Long Island Champions. Aaron Davis had 18 points and 8 rebounds to lead the Marauders, Malachi Coleman 17 points and 9 rebounds, and Kervin Lowe added 10 points, while Max Caspi and Shamar Moore-Hough both had 17 points for the T Birds. 12/17
#7 Holy Trinity Sweeps
Every year in the CHSAA State Playoffs, the Long Island Champion takes on the Monsignor Martin Upstate Champion in the semifinals, with the winner earning a spot in the Finals against the NYC Champion. Why the NYC Champion always gets the bye into the finals is another issue and a subject for another article, but as a result of the annual showdown in the playoffs, the two regions have formed a good working relationship and always play each other during the regular season. This season, it was Buffalo's turn to visit Long Island, and the two regions split the 4 games, with the Titans going 2-0 with a 59-56 win over St Francis and a 68-61 win over St. Joseph's, while SJB dropped both of their games by 68-48 and 70-46 scores against the same two teams. 12/16
#2 Baldwin 72
Center Moriches 69
The Bruins had to come from behind to beat CM, and Team Long Island's Rhyjon Blackwell and Tavin Phillipe-Pierre led the way. Blackwell finished with a game-high 27 points to go with 5 rebounds and 5 steals and Phillipe-Pierre added 15 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Sean Braithwaite finished with 19 for CM 12/15
#14 St. Anthony's 58
Boys and Girl's HS 46
Young and talented teams can have their ups and downs, but the Friars might be Catholic League favorites now. 12/15
#3 Brentwood 65
#4 Chaminade 62
Neither team was at full strenght, and the Indians led pretty much wire to wire, but the game had all the drama you'd expect from a 3 vs 4 matchup and host Brentwood prevailed, surviving muliple Flyer rallies and 5 game tieing three point attempts in the final seconds. Amari Isaacs had what proved to be the winning basket, scoring on the break to make it 65-59 and Long Island's #3 ranked team survived from there. Super sophomore Jordan Riley led the way with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists and Bryce Harris added 17 points and eight rebounds. Michael O'Connell, who kept Chaminade in the game, particularly in the first half when he reeled off 10 points in the last two minutes to close the gap to 3 at intermission, finished with a game-high 24 points, Liam Drennan added 15 and Kieran Dorney 10. 12/14
Kings Park 67
#16 Hills West 65
Class A is going to be fun this season. Hills West is just one of the former AA teams that have dopped down to join a host of other good A teams, and games like this will be going on all season in both counties. Jack Garside was the hero in this one, scoring the winning basket with 28 seconds left. He finished with 14 points and 5 assists, Andrew Bianco had another big game, finishing with 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Nicholos Svolos added 16 points as well. Cendrick Gordon led all scorers with 19 for the Colts. 12/14
#9 Deer Park 63
Center Moriches 62
In a great back and forth game, returning All-New York State and Team Long Island selection Malik Edmead hit the game-winning free throws with 20 seconds left and finished with 24 points and D'Andre Edwards, who hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 59 seconds left, had 19 points. Sean Braithwaite led the Red Devils with 21. Class B Center Moriches has been playing up against Long Island's best teams and battled them all to the wire, but doesn't have a win to show for it so far. 12/11
#5 Longwood 77
Sachem East 37
The Lions flexed their muscles in this one, crushing a solid East team. Isaiah Whitty led the way with 24 points and 8 rebounds. 12/11
#15 LWA 89
Friends NYC 57
The Tigers shook off their bad loss over the weekend with another solid win over a suitable opponent. 12/10
Federal Way, WA 91
#15 LWA 49
A new high school showcase at the Barclays Center that claims to want to help rebuild New York basketball did nothing but embarrass it. First, they included two of the prep school teams that regularly syphon off our best players, then they missmatched a school from Washington State that has over 1500 students and an elite D1 prospect with tiny Class B Lawrence Woodmere Academy, a good Class B program, but a B program nonetheless. Helping New York basketball, which of course includes Long Island basketball, is a great concept, but stick to legitimate local high schools and put together matchups that will show off our local talent, which there is plenty of. STORY 12/9
#1 LI Lutheran 84
Thomas Jefferson 81
Roaring from behind with a 20-9 fourth quarter, the Crusaders opened their season on the road against one of New York City's best teams and came away with an impressive victory. Port Washington's Tyler Stephenson led the way with 26 points and both Team Long Island selection Zed Key and Canadian Jalen Celeseine finished with 16. 12/8
#4 Chaminade 71
#15 Elmont 64
A classic Sweet 16 showdown between two excellent teams at the Public/Catholic Challenge and the host Spartans won every quarter but one - a dominating 27-9 second quarter that was enough to propel the Flyers to victory. Team Long Island's Michael O'Connell continued his outstanding play, racking up 23 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists for Chaminade and TJ Long, who is also off to a great start, added 17 points and 5 assists. Gus Louis led Elmont with 19 points. 12/8
Malverne 42
#5 St. Anthony's 40
Defending Section 8 Class B Champion Malverne has been very impressive so far this season, but I don't think anyone realized just how good until they pulled off the biggest upset of the day. Returning All-Long Island Freshman Michael Warren was outstanding, keeping them in the game with a game high 19 points and 7 rebounds while he and his teammates applied their trademark suffocating pressure defense, but Ta'Shawn Hampton was the hero, knocking down a three pointer with 1:38 to play to give the Mules a 1 point lead and then a pressure packed free throw with 13 seconds left to put them up by 4, his only points of the day. 12/8
St Benedict’s, NJ 69
#10 Holy Trinity 57
The host New Jersey powerhouse got off quickly and then held off a Titans second half run for the win. Mike Sixsmith was big time once again with 25 points and A.J. Knight added 13. 12/8
#3 Brentwood 65
Ward Melville 55
The result isn’t surprising, and neither is the margin given that the Indians are still short returning All-Long Island Sophomore Kenny Lazo. Fellow returning All-Long Island Sophomore and Team Long Island selection Bryce Harris was back for this one and picked up where he left off last season, scoring 20 points and pulling down 9 rebounds, and returning All-Long Island Freshman Jordan Riley has been fantastic in both games, finishing with a game high 28 points after leading them with 17 in the opener. Ward Melville put up a good fight despite being in a bit of a rebuilding mode and will be better as the season progresses. Robert Soto had a big game for them with 20 points. 12/7
#6 Longwood 72
#13 Center Moriches 56
This was more of a measuring stick for Longwood than for CM, who is without a doubt a serious contender for a Class B State Championship, and the Lions looked as good as advertised against a strong opponent at home. The Whitty brothers led the way with a combined 34 points and Jordan Manderson added 15 while Sean Braithwaite led the Red Devils with 19 and Micah Snowden had 12. 12/7
LWA Avenges Fed Defeat
With two future D1 players and a solid supporting cast, 7th ranked LWA was odds on favorite to win last year's Federation Class B State Championship, but underrated PSAL Champion Fannie Lou Hamer upset them in the semifinals and went on to claim the title. The Tigers avenged that defeat, rolling over the defending State Champions 69-56 behind 29 points and 21 rebounds from Louisville bound Aidan Igiehon and 15 points and 8 assists from Marist commit and Team Long Island section Tyler St. Furcy. 12/6
Friars Too Much For Porters
Greenport has an excellent Class C team - one of the best in the state in fact, but they were no match for 5th ranked defending NSCHSAA Champion St. Anthony's, who rolled to a 74-45 victory. 12/6 BOX SCORE
#6 Longwood 62
Connetquot 59
It was a tight, hard fought game as expected, and the visiting Lions held off the Thunderbirds behind 23 points from Elijah Whitty and 13 from brother Isaiah Whitty. Tae'von Bazemore had 19 for Connetquot. 12/4
North Babylon 71
#12 Northport 50
A stunner, not because North Babylon doesn’t have a good team, but because it a surprise anyone could beat Northport by 21. Dylan Diaz led the balanced Bulldog attack with 14 points, and Bradley Celestin and Frank Toney both finished with 13. Pat Healy had 11 points for Northport. 12/4
Sewanhaka 47
#16 Westbury 42
Both teams had significant graduation losses, so its hard to gauge how good they will be this year, but Sewanhaka prevailed at home behind 19 points and 6 steals from Adam Rodriguez and 11 points and 5 steals from Joseph Hicks. Jordan Redd led Westbury with 17 points. 12/4
Sweet 16 Showdown
The season's first face-off between two Sweet 16 teams took place, and it was a good one, with 10th ranked Holy Trinity outlasting #13 Center Moriches 74-66 in overtime. Returning All-Long Island Sophomore Mike Sixsmith and A.J. Knight were the big guns for the Titans, scoring 27 and 24 points respectively, while the Red Devils were led by Tyiquon Nix with 19 points, transfer Micah Snowden with 18, and Sean Braithwaite with 16. 12/3
Hayes 63 Chaminade 60
We don't have any game details, but the 4th ranked Flyers fell to Cardinal Hayes, one of the favorites in CHSAA Class AA and fresh off a win over defending Class AA Federation State Champion Stepinac. Alzheimer's Game MVP Michael O'Connell paced the Flyers with 23 points and 10 rebounds and big man Liam Drennan added 14 points . 12/1
UPSTATE/DOWNSTATE
@ Uniondale High School
Some great games and impressive performances by all of the Long Island teams, even Amityville in a loss!
SECTION 8 ROUNDUP
MacArthur prevailed over Bellmore in the Final of the Jeff Shaw Memorial Tournament - an 82-76 double overtime thriller - on Hugh Kelleher's game-winning layup. Trent Knapp led the Generals with 22 points, Max Chmiel had 19, and Rob Lobosco added 15 points in the win. Brandon Wexler led Belmore with 21...... Two Nassau County All-Stars made their debut in Jericho's 67-65 win over Wantagh. Jericho's Brandon Weiss, a Team Long Island selection, led all scorers with 29 points, and Wantagh's Brandon Goldberg finished with 26..... Oyster Bay captued the title at the Tom Robinson tournament with a 69-55 win over Friends Academy. Yahve Jean Baptiste led the way with 26 points and 5 steals and All-Star Khalil Williams had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Oyster Bay. Alex Douglas had 23 points for Friends Academy..... 11/30
Flyers
Chaminade is expected to be one of Long Island's best teams this season, and they showed why in their opener, pulling away from Suffolk Class A contender Kings Park for an impressive 75-56 home win. The two teams battled right up to the halftime buzzer, with the Flyers heading into the locker room up 35-30, but Chaminade settled in with a 23 point third quarter and held off the Kingsmen from there. All-Long Island First Team candidate Michael O'Connell, a Team Long Island selection and MVP of the Alzheimer's Game, led the way with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists and TJ Long came up big too, finishing with 27 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Kings Park Public School All-Star Andrew Bianco led the Kingsmen with 25 points and fellow All-Star Brendan Kehoe added 15 - all three pointers. 11/28
Portledge Rolls Past Maspeth
A young and talented Portledge team from the PSAA had their first test of the season, taking on PSAL Class B Quarterfinalist Maspeth, who finished 27-3 last year, and they passed with flying colors, pulling away with a 25-13 fourth quarter for a 68-47 victory. Freshman Zaire Baines, Long Island’s top returning scorer, led the way with 30 points and 9 Steals, and sophomore Jahmir Primer added 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 steals. 11/26
Top 5 Returning Scorers
Zaire Baines Portledge 31.6
Jarell White Bellport 25.1
Ahkee Anderson Greenport 23.0
Josh Fenner John Glenn 22.7
Malik Edmead Deer Park 21.4
SECTION 11 CLASS B
CHAMPIONSHIP
Center Moriches 88
Mattituck 66
Give the Tuckers credit. After two blowout losses during the regular season, they showed the same kind of fight that led them to their upset win over Southampton in the semifinals, staying within striking distance of the mighty Red Devils for a half, but it was all Center Moriches in the second half as they continued their march towards Long Island and New York State Championships. The road, however, will be tough, with a formidable Nassau Champion standing in the way. Micah Snowden had an inspired game, finishing with 34 points to lead CM and David Falco added 17 while Xavier Allen led Mattituck with 23. 2/16
SUFFOLK COUNTY TOC
FIRST ROUND
Bridgehampton 87
#16 Greenport 85
A matchup between two of Long Island's biggest rivals led to the biggest upset of the postseason so far, with Class D Champion Bridgehampton defeating heavily favored Class C Champion Greenport. After leading most of the way, Bridgehampton held off a Porter rally on Nae’jon Ward's game winning basket with 1.3 seconds remaining. STORY BOX SCORE 2/16
SECTION 11 CLASS B
CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
@ William Floyd
3 PM C Moriches vs Mattituck
Mattituck surprised everyone by beating Southampton, and now they have an even taller task with the 14th ranked and top seeded Red Devils.
SECTION 11 CLASS AA
ELITE 8 PREVIEW
12 PM Deer Park @ Bellport
The Clippers swept the Falcons this season and have been very impressive down the stretch, winning 11 straight by an average of 25 points, but the Falcon’s are no pushovers, with wins over #13 Center Moriches and #10 North Babylon.
12 PM Hills East @ N Babylon
The defending champions will have their hands full with the Bulldogs, but don't discount having been there before.
12 PM Commack @ Brentwood
Brentwood had two single digit wins in the season series. Could be interesting.
2 PM Connetquot @ Longwood
Connetquot is a solid playoff team and gave the Lions everything they could handle earlier in the season, but Longwood is much better now and has won 12 in a row.
SUFFOLK COUNTY TOC
OPENING ROUND
@ William Floyd
12 PM Greenport vs Bridgehampton
A classic North Fork/South Fork matchup, but the Porters are the heavy favorites this season.
PSAA FINAL FOUR
Evangel Christian 92
Portledge 81
The teams played a 1 point game earlier in the season, but EC built a 21 point halftime lead in this one and coasted home from there. Jason Cherry led the way with 26 points while Jahmir Primer led Portledge with 30 points and 15 rebounds. 2/13
Knox 72
Martin Luther 55
Knox advanced to the championship game against #1 seed Evangel Christian. No stats were submitted. 2/13
