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NYSPHSAA CLASS AA SEMIFINAL
The potent Brentwood offense struggled, shooting 31% from the field and going 2 of 19 from three point range, yet they trailed by only 5 with 5:01 to play and fell to Green Tech 52-44 in their State Semifinal match-up. It was a low scoring back and forth first quarter, with Green Tech leading 9-7 after a basket by Ramon Burt at the buzzer, but Marcus Hall tied it with a putback as the second quarter got underway, and Mike Almonacy’s three pointer from behind the right elbow put Brentwood up 14-11. The Eagles responded with 10 straight points on a looping drive by Jizziah Carter, three pointers by Najee Ward and David Clark, and a steal and fastbreak basket by Ward, but the Indians closed out the half well, drawing within 4 on a basket by Kameron Works. Ward opened the second half with two free throws for a 27-21 Green Tech lead, but an elbow jumper by Almonacy and a putback by Jamel Allen kept it close. The Eagles started to rebuild their lead, going up 36-27 on a looping drive by Ward with 3:12 to play in the quarter, but an elbow jumper by Almonacy made it a 6 point game with three quarters in the books. Burt scored on a nice post move, spinning left and then right for an 8 point Green Tech lead as the fourth quarter got underway, but an overly aggressive foul on a fast break basket led to 2 free throws by Allen, and then on the ensuing possession, a nice save by Hall and a basket by Femi Olujobi that cut it to 44-39 with 5:02 to play. Brentwood could not sustain the momentum, however, scoring only 5 more points the rest of the way and misfiring on shot after shot, even while the Eagles struggled from the foul line and left the door open. Almonacy got one to drop as the clock slid under the one minute mark, cutting the deficit to 50-44, and Green Tech came up empty from the line once again, but the Indians turned the ball over and Dobhere came through for Tech, knocking down two free throws with 32 seconds left for a 52-44 lead - the final score. EDITORS NOTE: Green Tech went on to win the NYSPHSAA State Championship 3/15
NYSPHSAA CLASS A SEMIFINAL
New York's #1 ranked Class A team, Scotia-Glenville, put on an impressive display, jumping out to big lead and never letting John Glenn back into it. The Tartans racked up an overwhelming 29 first quarter points en route to a dominant 81-50 victory. Scotia was running on all cylinders right from the start, with Alex Sausville scoring on a runner and Mike Palleschi and Joe Cremo getting out on fast break baskets. Before you knew it, it was 10-2 Scotia and Glenn called time, but the onslaught continued, with an underhand scoop shot by Scott Stopera, another runner by Sausville, a three pointer by Dom Lamorta, and a putback by Palleschi making it 20-2. To their credit, the Knights got up off the canvas, drawing back within 12 on a pull-up jumper and two free throws by KeAndre Augustine and a runner by Darryl Daniels, and Augustine hit a three at the buzzer to make it a 16 point game at the half, but the Tartans turned on the afterburners in the third quarter and led by 30 at the buzzer. Glenn never seriously challenged after that. Looking forward, this is a young John Glenn team that will contend again next year. EDITORS NOTE: Scotia went on to complete an undefeated 27-0 season and win the Federation Class A State Title . 3/15
Woodhouse Gets Release
Former Harborfields star Lucas Woodhouse, off to a terrific start in his college career, has asked for and been given his release by Longwood University. He has not decided where he will be next, but will probably have to sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules. Woodhouse averaged 11.5 points and 6.7 assists in his sophomore season with the D1 Lancers of the Big South Conference.
TITANS TAKE CHSAA CLASS A STATE TITLE
The Public Schools went 0-3 in their State Semifinal matchups on Friday and Saturday, but Holy Trinity came through for Long Island, pulling away for a very impressive 61-39 win over Xavier to capture the CHSAA Class A State Championship. Xavier had the early advantage, moving out to a 10-5 lead on the strength of 8 points by Ryan Kennedy, but the Titans drew even at 10 on a deep three pointer by Jack Sixsmith and a coast to coast basket by Peter Alkins. Liam Monaghan put the Knights back on top with a drive from the right wing, and Kevin Crockett’s underhand scoop shot gave them a 4 point lead, but Alkins answered with a three pointer from the right baseline that cut it to 14-13. Another Crockett drive and it was Xavier by 3 at the first quarter buzzer. James Golaszewski opened the second quarter with a three pointer from the right wing to tie it at 16, and then Mike Farella put the Titans on top with a basket and free throw, but the Knights regained the lead on Jason Pretto’s two free throws, and went up 25-23 after 4 straight free throws by Monahan. Holy Trinity responded, closing out the half with a deep three by Billy Sixsmith and two free throws by Golaszewski to take a 3 point lead into the locker room. Golaszewski added three more free throws to start the third quarter after being fouled on a three point attempt, and Jack Sixsmith went coast to coast to put the Titans up 33-25. Golaszewski continued the run with a baseline drive and reverse layup, and Alkins followed with a three point play and it was 38-25. Crockett broke the 14-0 run with a three pointer, but a steal and three point play by Farella, a basket by Bradley Eugene from underneath, and a three pointer by Farella from the right wing gave Holy Trinity a 16 point lead. It was 49-30 after Billy Sixsmith’s deep three from the right wing, and that was the score as the third quarter came to a close. Eugene opened the fourth quarter scoring with three straight baskets for a commanding 55-31 Titan lead, and although the Knights did chip a little off it, they never got closer than 17 the rest of the way. The win gives Holy Trinity its first CHSAA State Championship since 1980, and sends them off to the Federation Tournament Of Champions, where they will take on PSAL Class A Champion WHEELS. 3/15
Class D Regional Final
SHELTER ISLAND ELIMINTATED
Shelter Island ran into perrenial Class D powerhouse Coleman Catholic in their NYSPHSAA Regional Final, falling 73-46. 3/8 STORY
LI CLASS B FINAL
It was a three point shootout between Southampton and Wheatley, with Southampton in control most of the game, but they had to hold off a late Wheatley run to win the Long Island Class B Championship 61-58. Southampton came out strong and took a quick 8-0 lead on two threes by Taylor Sanders and a basket by Isaiah Johnson, but Wheatley answered back with back-to-back threes by Kevin Martins and Joshua Hyon to cut it to 8-6. Southampton responded, ending the 1st quarter strong with another three from Taylor and two baskets from Lyle Smith to take a 19-13 lead. Wheatley’s Sam Field started off the second quarter by going 2-2 from the foul line, but Sanders answered back with his fourth three of the half to make it 22-15, and Mariners continued with their hot shooting, with two threes from Nitauke Williams and three baskets by Shaundell Fishburne. Joshuaa Hyon kept Wheatley in the game by scoring 6 of the teams 8 points, and at the end of the half Southampton led 37-26. Wheatley came out strong in the third quarter with a layup by Zach Kotin and another three from Kevin Martins, cutting the lead to 6. Both teams continued to exchange threes, but baskets by Fishburne and Isaiah Johnson kept Southampton ahead 47-36 entering the fourth quarter. It looked like Southampton was going to pull away early in the fourth, extending their lead to 54-39, but Wheatley went on a 9-0 run to draw within 6 with 3:30 left in the game. Neither team scored over the next minute and half until Sanders hit a big 3 with 1:50 to play, and Wheatley started to foul. The strategy paid off, as Southampton allowed Wheatley back in the game with 3 misses from the foul line on 1-1s. A three by Martins and a layup by Josh cut the lead to 4 with less than 30 seconds to go. Wheatley continued to foul but Southampton started to make their foul shots and took a 6 point lead, and a last second 3 by Martins wasn’t enough…Southampton came out on top winning 61-58. Taylor Sanders finished with 24 points, Shaundell Fishburne scored 16. Wheatley’s Kevin Martins had 9 threes and led all scorers with 29 points. 3/4
BY DAN SKARITKA
Suffolk Championship
Suffolk County holds a separate tournament each year, apart from the class based NYSPHSAA State Playoffs, that determines one overall Suffolk County Champion, and Class AA Champion Brentwood was this season's winner, defeating Class A Champion John Glenn 75-69 in the title game. Michael Almonacy led the Indians with 19 points and 6 assists, Femi Olujobi had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Jamel Allen 16 points and 12 rebounds. Playoff sensation KeAndre Augustine had 22 points for Glenn, as did Jeff Park. Both teams remain alive in the State Tournament in their respective classes. 2/28
2/26 Playoff Report
SECTION 8
THE UPSETS CONTINUE
The incredible run of upsets continued into the Class AA Semifinals, with #3 seed Uniondale defeating #2 seed Elmont 58-48 and #4 seed Farmingdale stopping #1 seed Baldwin 45-37. The underdogs have won 10 times so far in the Section 8 Class AA and A playoffs. DETAILS LATER
SUFFOLK COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS
John Glenn, playing because Class A Champion Amityville was disqualified, filled in admirably, defeating Class B Champion Southampton 61-52 in the semifinals to advance to the championship game against Class AA Champion Brentwood. 2/26
2/24 Playoff Report
SECTION 8
HEWLETT CRUSHES FLORAL PARK
Avery Feldman had 18 first half points to lead Hewlett to a dominating 82-47 victory in a Section 8 Class A Semifinal
DETAILS LATER
VSS ROCKS CAREY
Valley Stream South's Hall Elisias and Dimitri Badette dominated the paint, leading Carey to a 55-40 win in the other semifinal. DETAILS LATER
Elmont Rallies Past Chiefs
The Massapequa shooters were on target most of the game, but Elmont’s pressure defense got them back into it and the Spartans rallied for a 69-62 win in a Section 8 Class AA Quarterfinal. Massapequa had the upper hand at the start, taking a 15-8 lead as the seconds ticked down in the first quarter on a putback by Sean Nealis, but Tristan Brown kept it close with a three pointer from the top just before the buzzer. Andrew Codrington looped down the lane and scored early in the second quarter to bring Elmont within 2, and then Brown drained a three pointer from the right wing to put the Spartans into the lead, but the Chiefs responded with a run, and Alex Cosenza's back to back three pointers gave them a 28-20 advantage with 2:43 to play in the half and that was their lead at intermission. Elmont’s Kevon Chambers scored on a putback to open the second half, and then a steal and basket by Brett Walker and another three pointer by Brown made it a 1 point game still early in the third quarter. Massapequa regrouped, and a three pointer by Dylan Balducci bumped their lead to 39-33, but the Spartans closed in again on a three by Matthew Graham from the baseline, and then a fast break basket by Walker and a putback by Chambers gave Elmont a 42-41 lead with 1:45 to play in the quarter. Balducci responded with a very deep three to retake the lead, and then two free throws by Cosenza made it 46-42 Massapequa, but two free throws by Chiazam Nwankwo and a three pointer by Keith Tompkins gave Elmont a 47-46 lead at the third quarter buzzer. Balducci’s baseline jumper made it 48-47 Chiefs as the fourth quarter got underway, but Tompkins answered with his own baseline drive, and two free throws by Nwankwo put the Spartans up 51-48 with 6:38 to play. A Tompkins three pointer from the right wing and a fast break basket by Graham made it a 6 point game at the 6 minute mark, and a three point play by Nwankwo on a nice twisting drive made it 63-56 with 3:08 remaining. Elmont extended their lead to 68-58 on two technical free throws by Nwankwo and a steal and fastbreak by Walker with 1:32 remaining, but Cosenza looped one in from the lane and Dylan Nealis scored on a fast break to keep the Massapequa alive and cut the deficit to 7 with 1:06 left. The Spartans turned over the ball on the next possession, giving the Chiefs another opportunity to cut the lead, but they could not sustain the momentum, and did not score again down the stretch. 2/19
SUFFOLK COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Class C Champion Stony Brook 71 CLASS D Champion Shelter Island 47
Every year, in this unique and separate event, Suffolk County crowns an overall County Champion from all of their individual Class Champions. The Class Champions still move on in the State Tournament, taking on Nassau’s champions next to determine our Long Island Champions and then continuing their march towards Glens Falls.
2/18 Playoff Report
SECTION 8
FLORAL PARK UPSETS SOUTH SIDE
Whenever Floral Park has beaten South Side in recent years, there is a good chance someone named Butler had something to do with it. Jordan Butler, the youngest of Floral Park’s famed Butler brothers, had a game high 24 points, and Kevin Cluess added 22 points to propel the Knights to a convincing 74-62 upset over #2 seed South Side in the Section 8 Class A playoffs. They will now face Hewlett, another upset winner, in the semifinals at 5pm this Monday at SUNY Old Westbury. FULL STORY
HEWLETT UPSETS WEST HEMPSTEAD
The seedings say this was an upset, but we had it as more of a 4-5 game, and that’s the way it played out, with Hewlett coming from behind to edge West Hempstead 71-69. Trailing 52-46 after three quarters, Avery Feldman and Messiah Ajayi-Clark led a fourth quarter charge for the Bulldogs. They will now play Floral Park on Monday 5pm at SUNY Old Westbury.
VSS ROLLS PAST SEAFORD
Valley Stream South was the only favorite to prevail in the Class A Quarterfinals, rolling over Seaford 70-50. Super Sophomore Dana King led the way with 20 points and 7 assists, Hall Elisias had 16 points, and Dimitri Badette 14 points and 18 rebounds for South. They take on Carey, who upset #1 seed Lawrence, at 7pm on Monday at SUNY Old Westbury.
2/14 Playoff Report
SECTION 8
MASSAPEQUA NIPS PORT WASH
Griffin Sullivan hit the game winner in hard fought 57-54 first round Class AA playoff win for Massapequa over Port Washington. They will take on Elmont Wednesday 1pm at Elmont
CALHOUN POUNDS VSC
Calhoun used a balanced attack and stingy defense to defeat Valley Stream Central 59-37 in a Class AA First Round game. Eric Ohlendorf and Kyle McGinley led the Colts with 15 points each. They now take on Farmingdale 5pm Wednesday at Farmingdale.....
GNS PULLS AWAY FROM E. MEADOW
Great Neck South pulled away in the second half for a 72-49 win over East Meadow. Ben Lee led the way with 25 points and Gil Weiss had 19. GNS will travel to Uniondale for a 1pm game Wednesday...
FREEPORT STOPS LONG BEACH
Freeport held off a late rally from Long Beach for a 57-52 win. The Red Devils featured a balanced attack led by Te'Kory Smith with 15 points and Nino Rodriguez with 14. Next up Baldwin, 7pm Wednesday at Baldwin.
2/12 Playoff Report
SECTION 11
CLASS D CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHUP
Greenport and Shelter Island advanced to the Section 11 Class D Championship Game. The Porters held off Bridgehampton 55-52 behind Gavin Dibble's 21 points and 11 assists, while Selter Island rallied past Smithtown Christian 53-48 led by Riley Willumsen's 11 fourth quarter points. Smithtown Christian's Caelan McCabe scored his 1000th career point in the loss
KINGS PARK CATCHES CONNETQUOT
Kings Park's Jonathan Li scored 8 points in the final 1:30 to rally the Kingsmen to a 60-58 win over Connetquot in a Class AA outbracket game. They will face #1 seed Brentwood on Friday at 6pm in Brentwood
WESTHAMPTON ELIMINATES BBP
Westhampton picked up their first playoff win in 14 years, defeating Bayport BP 59-52 in a Class A first round game. Mike Frangeskos led the way with 26 points and 7 rebounds and Devonte Dixon added 18 points and 9 rebounds. They face #1 seed Amityville next Tuesday at 4pm in Amityville
SMITHTOWN EAST DEFEATS ESM
Patrick Riccio had 9 fourth quarter points to lead Smithtown East to a 49-43 win over Eastport-South Manor in a Class AA Outbracket game. They will take on second seeded Deer Park Friday at 5pm in Deer Park
HARBORFIELDS BIG SECOND HALF
East Hampton led at the half, but Harborfield exploded for 51 second half points for an 82-61 victory in a Class A first round game. Chris McCullough had 20 points in the second half and finished with 10 assists. They will play the winer of John Glenn and Sayville next Tuesday 6pm at Harborfields.
LuHi Rocks New Rochelle
LuHi prevented an Upstate sweep at the Upstate/Downstate Challenge, rolling over New Rochelle 69-44. Elijah Bailey came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points, Devonte Green had 14 points and 5 steals, Robyn Missa 10 points and 10 rebounds., and Chris Atkinson 5 points and 7 assists. LuHi has a big week coming up, going to New Jersey twice to face St. Anthony’s and the Patrick School, and then possibly ending the week with a rescheduled matchup against Cardinal Hayes. 2/8
Bachman Wins 400th
Jericho head coach Wally Bachman earned his 400th career victory in Jericho's last game of the season, a 57-48 win over Wantagh. He is only the 10th boys basketball coach in Long Island history to win 400 or more games!
STATEWIDE BRACKETS
Check out the playoff brackets from every region of New York State HERE
SWEET 16
COACHES POLL
FINAL 2013-14
1 LuHi (21-5)
2 Holy Trinity (24-7)
3 Brentwood (22-3)
4 Deer Park (18-4)
5 Farmingdale (17-4)
6 St. Mary's (15-9)
7 Uniondale (16-4)
8 Hills East (19-2)
9 Amityville (17-3)
10 Kellenberg (17-7)
11 Baldwin (15-4)
12 Elmont (14-4)
13 SJB (10-15)
14 St. Anthony's (14-10)
15 John Glenn (18-7)
16 Valley Str. So. (18-4)
OSNA PREP CHAMPS
Our Savior New American won the
USA National Prep Basketball Championships for the second year in a row with a 75-66 victory over Word of God Christian Academey of North Carolina. 3/8
3/7 Playoff Report
NYSPHSAA REGIONAL FINALS
SOUTHAMPTON FALLS
Southampton had 15 first half turnovers and never got back into it, falling to Woodlands 73-47 in their Class B Regional Final. STORY
FRIENDS ADVANCES TO FINAL FOUR
Friends Academy rolled over Haldane 71-49 to advance to the New York State Class C Final Four! STORY
Shelter Island Advances
Shelter Island rolled to an impressive 63-35 win over Clark Academy in their Class D Regional Semifinal.
STORY 3/4
NYSPHSAA CLASS C SEMIFINAL
The Quakers ran into a hot shooter, Middle Early College High School's Kevin Briggs, who knocked down 13 free throws and finished with 31 points to lead the Kats to a 72-66 victory in their Class C State Semifinal. Both teams started slowly, but Friends Academy took a 9-4 lead on a steal and fastbreak basket by Jack Forlines and a fall away jumper by Tyrone Perkins. Joseph Staton got Middle Early untracked, knocking down a three pointer from the left wing, and Briggs tied it with a runner from the baseline. Staton knocked down another three to make it 12-9 Kats with 1:45 left in the opening quarter and it was 14-11 at the first quarter buzzer. Jon Nierenberg opened the second quarter with a short jumper from just outside the lane to bring Friends within 1, and after a fast break basket by Briggs, Forlines tied it with a three pointer from the right wing. It was 21-20 Friends after a three pointer by Perkins with 1:03 to play in the half, but a putback and then a runner by Brian Brown put Middle College up 24-21 at halftime. Nierenberg’s three pointer from behind the right elbow tied it at 24 as the third quarter got underway, but the Kats responded with a run, and a three point play by Briggs and a coast to coast basket by Brown gave them a 31-24 lead. The teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter, and as time wound down, Forlines converted a running hook shot into a three point play to cut it to 44-39 before Briggs nailed a three at the buzzer to make it an 8 point game. Briggs opened the final quarter with a three from the left wing and Staton added another from the right wing to make it 53-39 Kats, but the Quakers kept within striking distance on a turnaround jumper and a fast break basket by Nierenberg, and then his three pointer from the deep left wing at the 4:21 mark cut it to 56-47. A baseline drive by Briggs bumped the lead back to double digits with 3:40 to go, but a putback by Cyrus Holder and a three from the top by Forlines and the deficit was 6 with 2:28 remaining. Briggs answered with another big basket, going right down the heart of the defense to score and draw a foul. His free throw made it 64-56 with 2:04 to play, and then he stole the ball and drew another foul, knocking down two more from the stripe for a 66-56 lead that put Friends on the ropes. Nierenberg went coast to coast to keep hopes alive, cutting the deficit to 8 with 1:43 showing, but Briggs answered with two free throws, he answered a basket by Holder with two more, and knocked down two more down the stretch and the Quakers ran out of time. 3/14
LI Class AA Final
BRENTWOOD PULLS AWAY FROM FARMINGDALE
In an exciting game filled with acrobatic dunks and drives, Brentwood pulled away for a resounding 61-41 win, capturing the Long Island Class AA Title and a spot in the NYSPHSAA Final Four. Jamel Allen, who dominated the highlight reel, got Brentwood off to a good start, spinning out of the low post to score the game’s first basket, but Ron Winkler, the Farmingdale big man that has been very impressive in the playoffs, answered with a three point play. Allen struck again, draining a hook shot, and that was the beginning of a 15-2 Brentwood run that saw Femi Olujobi follow him with a putback, Mike Almonacy add a runner, and Allen back to back dunks. The run continued with a three point play by Vincent Smythe and a beautiful drive by Almonacy, and it was 17-5 Brentwood with just over three minutes to play in the opening quarter. Farmingdale was not about to be blown out of the gym, however, cutting it to 17-11 at the buzzer on 6 straight points by Curtis Jenkins. The teams traded baskets and free throws for most of the second quarter, but the Dalers started to whittle away at the lead at the 2:39 mark, when Daniel McKeon’s three pointer from the baseline cut it to 23-18, but it was an 8 point game at the half on a drive by Brentwood's Ali Mableton. The back and forth duel continued well into the third quarter, but as the clock dipped under the one minute mark, Jenkins reeled off back to back baskets to make it a 3 point game. Mableton beat the buzzer again, scoring on a reverse layup to make it 39-34 Brentwood with three quarters complete. Olujobi knocked down two technical free throws, bumping the Brentwood lead to 8 early in the fourth quarter, but Jack Burke nailed a three pointer from behind the left elbow to keep the Dalers within striking distance. Allen responded with a basket from underneath with 4:33 remaining, and then he went coast to coast and Mableton followed him with another fast break basket to make it 49-38 Brentwood with 3:48 to play. Jenkins answered with a drive that cut the deficit to 9, but Marcus Hall’s fast break basket and two free throws by Almonacy and Farmingdale was in trouble with 1:43 showing on the game clock. Back to back fast break baskets by Mableton and Almonacy followed and Farmingdale was done, trailing 60-41 with less than a minute to play. Brentwood will now face Green Tech from Section 2 in Glens Falls, with the winner advancing to the NYSPHSAA State Championship Game on 3/16. 3/8
NYSPHSAA REGIONAL FINALS
SOUTHAMPTON FALLS
Southampton had 15 first half turnovers and never got back into it, falling to Woodlands 73-47 in their Class B Regional Final STORY
FRIENDS ADVANCES TO FINAL FOUR
Friends Academy rolled over Haldane 71-49 to advance to the New York State Class C Final Four! STORY 3/7
CHSAA State Semifinal
HOLY TRINITY ADVANCES TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
A young team, Upstate Champion Bishop Nichols was on a Cinderella run, upsetting the #1 and #2 seeds in their region, and they had a distinct height advantage, but Holy Trinity overcame both obstacles to earn a hard fought 66-55 win in their CHSAA Class A State Semifinal. Brandon Thomson had a great game, going 7 for 9 from behind the three point arc, finishing with a game high 25 points. The two teams met back in December, with the Titans winning handily on their home court, and they struck first, going up 5-0 on Thompson’s first three pointer and a coast to coast basket by Peter Alkins, but this was not the same team they beat 86-56. Thomas Nuttle got the Vikings on the board with a three pointer from the left baseline, and after a short baseline jumper by Mike Farella made it 10-6 Titans, Nichols took the lead with three straight baskets by junior forward Cameron Lewis, who was using his size advantage to aggressively attack the basket. It was 16-12 Nichols after Christopher Miner knocked down two free throws, but James Golaszewski made it a one point game with a three pointer from the left wing, and Thomson put Trinity up by 2 with a three from the right wing with 50 seconds to play in the opening quarter. Nuttle countered with a three from the right baseline, and Lewis drained a halfcourt shot to give the Vikings a 22-18 lead at the first quarter buzzer. Bradley Eugene opened the second quarter scoring with a putback for the Titans, and then the teams traded baskets to the 3:09 mark, when he rebounded and scored to tie the game at 26. Nichols regained the lead on a putback by Lewis, and Miner added a free throw, but a fast break basket by Jack Sixsmith and a putback by Eugene gave Holy Trinity a 32-31 lead at intermission. Miner scored off an inbound play to make it 33-32 Nichols as the third quarter got underway, but Thomson struck again, knocking down another three, this time from behind the left elbow, and his fast break basket off a turnover made it 37-33 Titans. The Vikings went back inside, with Miner powering up from underneath to bring his team back within 2, but a runner by Alkins and Golaszewski’s putback at the 4:15 mark gave Holy Trinity an 8 point lead and Nichols called time. Lewis narrowed the gap to 6, converting a three point play with the clock showing 1:08 to play in the quarter, but a pull up jumper by Alkins and a soaring alley oop basket by Thomson made it 49-39 Titans. Miner closed out the quarter with two free throw to bring the Vikings within 8. Nuttle drilled a three pointer to open the fourth quarter scoring, and his putback narrowed the Holy Trinity lead to 49-46. After a Titan free throw, Lewis drained two from the charity stripe to make it a 2 point game, but Thomson answered with a three from the left wing and Farella beat two defenders and scored for a 55-48 lead with just under 4 minutes remaining. Lewis tried to get his team back into it, circling around the defense and scoring from the baseline, but Thomson continued to find the range, hitting another three from the top to make it 58-50 with 2:58 showing. A three pointer by Alkins from the baseline made it 61-51 at the 1:18 mark, and after a basket by Lewis made it 62-55 with 41 seconds left, Thomson fittingly iced it with two free throws. The Titans will now play New York City Champion Xavier at 3:45 PM on Saturday at Fordham University for the CHSAA Class A State Championship. 3/8
ALL SECTIONAL TEAMS
The best performers in the Section 8 and 11 playoffs. CLICK HERE
3/2 Playoff Report
NSCHSAA SEMIFINALS
St. MARY'S OVER SJB 64-62 IN OT
After sending the game into overtime with a three pointer at the buzzer, Edwin Pizzaro came through again for SJB, hitting two free throws with 14 seconds left to tie it at 64, but Patrick Jackson drove to the basket and looped in the game winner at the buzzer to send St. Mary's on to the NSCHSAA Championhip game. DETAILS LATER
HOLY TRINITY DEFEATS KELLENBERG
The Titans came from behind with a big fourth quarter to beat Kellenberg 48-41 and advance to the final. Peter Alkins let the way with 17 points.
3/1 Playoff Report
SECTION 8
CLASS AA FINAL
Every basket was a big one in the Section 8 Class AA Championship Game, but Farmingdale was in control most of the way and held off a late Uniondale charge for a 38-35 victory. DETAILS LATER
CLASS A FINAL
It looked like Hewlett was picking up where they left off in the semifinals, building a quick first quarter lead, but it was tied at 42 after three quarters, and Valley Stream South pulled away in the fourth quarter for their first Section 8 Class A Championship. MORE LATER
2/28 Playoff Report
NSCHSAA QUARTERFINALS
SJB ELIMINATES ST. ANTHONY'S
It would have been a close game if the Friars had hit their free throws, but they went 3 for 18 from the line over the last three quarters of the game and St. John The Baptist took advantage, pulling away for a convincing 66-52 road win. MORE LATER
HOLY TRINITY BOUNCES CHAMINADE
The Titans snapped out of their late season funk, rocking Chaminade 84-66 in a NSCHSAA Quarterfinal game behind 24 points and 12 rebounds by Jimmy Golaszewski and 19 points by Mike Farella. Ranked #3 on Long Island and looking to lock up the NSCHSSA regular season title, Holy Trinty lost their last two regular season games, including a bad 69-45 loss to the Flyers in the finale.
2/25 Playoff Report
SECTION 11
BRENTWOOD TAKES AA TITLE
It was the hard fought final eveyone expected, filled with great performances, and Femi Olujobi was the difference, finishing with 19 points and 13 rebounds to lead Brentwood to a 68-59 win over Deer Park. FULL RECAP LATER
NSCHSAA PLAYOFFS
CHAMINADE ADVANCES
A 3rd quarter rally put St. Dominic on top, but Chaminade pulled away in the 4th for a 55-44 victory . Tom O'Connell led the way with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
2/21 Playoff Report
SECTION 8
WHEATLEY CLAIMS CLASS B TITLE
Wheatly had lost both regular season game to the Mules, but took the lead for good on a Josh Hyon three pointer late in the second quarter, and then pulled away from Malverne in the second half for a convincing 69-51 victory, their second straight Section 8 Class B title. Hyon finished with a game high 23 points and did a masterfull job at the point, and Kevin Martins and Andrew Tripi combined for 15 points in the decisive third quarter. They will now face Southampton, upset winner over defending champion Bablyon, in the Class B final at 7:30pm on March 5th at Farmingdale St. FULL STORY
SECTION 11
DEER PARK DOWNS HILLS EAST
Hills East led the Section 11 Class A Semifinal by 3 with three quarters in the books, but Deer Park rallied for a 63-56 win to advance to the Championship Game against #2 Brentwood. MORE LATER
BRENTWOOD ELIMINATES TIGERS
No more upsets for the defending champion Northport Tigers, who fell to top seeded and #2 ranked Brentwood 76-61. STORY
Carey Upsets Lawrence
For the third year in a row, Lawrence was one of the top seeds in Class A, and for the third year in a row, they were upset in an early round. This year, they came roaring from behind to send the game into overtime, but an underrated Carey team regrouped and came from in behind in OT for a 64-63 victory. Carey came ready to play right from the start and moved out to an 18-12 lead on a baseline jumper by Kieran Murchie. Hamed Shamseldin responded, scoring from underneath off a turnover, but Adrian Denner knocked down a three from behind the right elbow to make it 21-14 Seahawks with 4:50 to play in the half. Shamseldin was determined to keep it close, stealing the ball and scoring, and after Denner knocked down another three, this time from behind the left elbow, he answered again with a three from the right wing to make it a 5 point game with 3:22 left. Adrian Daniel’s jumper from just outside the right elbow brought the Golden Tornadoes within 3, but Denner continued to score at will, converting a three point play. Daniel answered this time, knocking down a left wing three, but Carey finished off the half with a free throw and then a jumper by Dylan DeMeo at the buzzer and led 31-24 heading into the locker room. Denner opened the second half scoring with a pump-fake, drive and pull-up jumper to make it 33-24 Carey, and Tommy Gallant’s jumper from the lane gave the Seahawks an 11 point lead, but three out of four free throws by Jymeek Jenkins and a fast break basket by Marcus St. Furcy cut it to 35-29 at the 4:17 mark of the quarter. Daniel’s putback and Shamseldin’s three pointer brought the Tornadoes within 1 with 2:43 to play in the 3rd quarter, but Carey closed out the quarter on a run, with a three point play by Mike Catanese and fast break baskets by by Denner and Anthony Millan giving them a 44-36 lead with three quarters complete. Gallant opened the fourth quarter with a reverse layup to give the Seahawks a 10 point lead, but Sam Robinson responded with a drive, Daniel hit a runner off an inbound play, Shamseldin drove baseline and scored, and Robinson went coast to coast to bring Lawrence within 2 with 5:13 to play. Shamseldin tied it at 46 with 2 free throws at the 4:28 mark, but Murchie broke the run with a fast break basket. DeMeo’s five straight free throws and a fast break basket by Denner made it 55-48 Seahawks with 2:20 left, but a free throw by Jenkins and a putback by Shamseldin and it was a 4 point game 1:43 to play. Daniel went coast to coast to cut it to 56-54 with 38 seconds on the game clock, and Jenkins did the same and it was all tied up with 21 seconds left, but the Seahawks could not get on the board in the final seconds and the game went into overtime. Lawrence took the lead in OT on a fast break basket by Jenkins, but a tip-in by Gallant and a baseline runner by DeMeo put Carey on top 60-58 with 1:20 left in OT. Lawrence took the lead on a pull-up jumper and free throw by Daniel with 13 seconds left, but DeMeo drew a foul with 8 seconds to play, knocking down both shots to put Carey on top 64-63. Lawrence did get off a shot in the final seconds, but the potential game winner was off target. 2/18
2/15 Playoff Report
SECTION 8
SEAFORD UPSETS WESTBURY
Seaford defeated # 5 seed Westbury 69-62 in a Class A first round game. Keith McHugh's red hot three point shooting gave the Vikings a first half lead, and a balanced attack held off the Green Dragons the rest of the way. Seaford will now visit Valley Stream South at 1pm on Tuesday
CAREY ROCKS ROOSEVELT
It looked like a good matchup on paper, but Carey rolled over Roosevelt 50-34. Carey took an early lead, held off a third quarter Roosevelt rally, and pulled away in the fourth. Dylan DeMeo led the way with 18 points and 6 assists and Adrian Denner finished with 9 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Carey will now take on top seed Lawrence Tuesday 6:30pm at Lawrence.
2/12 Playoff Report
SECTION 8
NORTH SHORE ROLLS OVER LV
Adam Bell had 9 points in a 23-8 third quarter to help spark North Shore to a 60-49 win over Locust Valley in their Class A outbracket game. North Shore will now take on #2 seed South Side Thursday, 6pm at South Side
CALHOUN READY FOR PLAYOFFS
Calhoun hammered Herricks 83-48 in their Class AA outbracket game, with Kyle McGinley leading the way with 30 points. The two teams played a 2 point game back on January 24th - won by Herricks! Calhoun will now take on Valley Stream Central Friday 6:30pm at Valley Stream
ROSLYN COMES FROM BEHIND
Roslyn rallied from a 12 point halftime deficit to defeat Cold Spring Harbor 72-61 in their Class A outbracket game. Noah Nardone had 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists for Roslyn, and Sam Gubernikoff added 21 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals. Roslyn will face top seed Lawrence Thrusday 6pm at Lawrence.
LuHi Falls to St. A NJ
The Crusaders led at the half, and it was tied after three quarters, but host St. Anthony's of Jersey City, New Jersey's 6th ranked team, came from behind for a 50-46 win over LuHi.
Copiague Impressive
They might very well have something to say this year, but make sure you watch out for Copiague next year! The junior dominated Eagles defeated a good Commack team, leading the Cougars wire to wire for an 80-62 Class AA first round playoff victory. Andre Morgan got Copiague going on their first possession, scoring off a nice low post move, and Kevin Roberts followed him with a three pointer from the top to give the Eagles a quick 5-0 lead. A runner by Prince Charles-Hickson made it 9-2 Copiague, and back to back baskets by Quandell Butler, the second a three point play, gave them an 18-6 lead with 2:30 to play in the first quarter. A baseline three pointer by Roberts made it 23-8, and Hickson’s right wing jumper put Copiague up by 17 with one quarter complete. Brandon Kenney’s three pointer from behind the right elbow cut it to 25-11 as the second quarter got underway, but it was back and forth to the 4:02 mark, when Brian Lewis scored back to back to cut the margin to 13. Hickson answered with a fast break basket, Joe Branch followed him with a three pointer from the left wing, and then Branch nailed another three from behind the right elbow to give the Eagles a 40-21 lead with 15 seconds remaining in the half. Just before the buzzer, Ryan Steffens broke the run with a three point play to make it a 16 point game at the break. Lewis curled to the basket and scored for Commack as the second half got underway, but Morgan answered with a runner to make it 42-26 Copiague. Lewis seemed determined to get a rally going, attacking again and drawing a foul, this time going 1 for 2 from the line, and then Cougar pressure led to back to back baskets by Kenney off turnovers and it was an 11 point game still early in the quarter. Morgan retook the momentum with a fast break dunk, and then Butler’s foul line jumper, a three point play by Hickson, and two Butler free throws put Copiague on top 51-31. It was 57-36 Eagles after Roberts scored from underneath on a nice basket cut with 2:12 remaining in the quarter, but three straight baskets by Matthew Glubiak, the third a three pointer, gave Commack hope with 40 seconds left. Butler answered, draining a three from the left wing and the Copiague lead was back to 17, but Glubiak quickly responded, scoring and converting a three point play to make it a 14 point game with three quarters in the books. A left elbow jumper by Lewis cut it to 60-48 as the fourth quarter got underway, but a running hook shot and a baseline drive and reverse layup by Hickson gave Copiague a 16 point lead with 6:46 to play. Billy Holscher’s drive and Glubiak’s fast break basket cut to 66-55 with 4:18 remaining, but Branch rattled in a three pointer from the right wing to put Copiague up 14 with less than 4 minutes left. Glubiak kept the Cougars alive with a 3 from the top at the 3:33 mark, and then his fast break basket off a turnover cut it to 69-60 with 3:18 showing. Another Copiague turnover gave Commack the ball back, but they could not convert, and Hickson scored a big basket, weaving his way through the defense to put the Eagles up by 11 with 2:52 to play. He missed a chance at a three point play, but Copiague rebounded the miss and Morgan was fouled on a putback attempt. He made both free throws to give the Eagles a 73-60 lead with 2:32 remaining, and Commack never seriously challenged after that. 2/14
LI Class A Final
GLENN RALLIES PAST VALLEY STREAM
John Glenn took full advantage of their second life, rallying past Valley Stream South 68-58 behind outstanding games from Jeff Park and KeAndre Augustine to capture the Long Island Class A Championship and a spot in the NYSPHSAA Class A Final Four in Glens Falls. It was a game of momentum swings, with Valley Stream South taking the early lead on a three pointer from the top of the key by Dana King and going up 10-3 on Dimitri Badette’s two free throws, King’s drive drown the right baseline, and two free throws by Hall Elisias. Glenn did not let it get out of hand, cutting it to 12-7 at the first quarter buzzer on a short baseline jumper by Park and a baseline drive by Augustine. Tahj Wilson snuck in behind the defense and scored and Andrew Labeck drove the baseline and scored to give South a 9 point lead as the second quarter got underway, but back to back baskets by Park cut it 17-11 with 5:28 left in the half. It was 21 -11 Falcons after Badette scored from underneath, but Augustine’s three pointer from behind the right elbow brought the Knights within 6 with 1:52 remaining, his three from the right wing just before the buzzer made it a 3 point game at halftime, and he opened the third quarter with another three from the right wing to tie it at 26. Park took over from there, converting a three point play to make it 29-28 Glenn still early in the quarter, his technical free throw and putback bumped the lead to 32-28, and then he converted another three point play off a fast break basket to give the Knights a 7 point lead at the 4:32 mark. Augustine added a drive to put Glenn up 37-28, but King responded with a fast break basket and Labeck’s steal and basket brought South back within 5. Badette kept the rally going, scoring and drawing a foul, and Elisias rebounded his missed free throw and scored to cut the deficit to 38-37. Elisias scored again to tie it with a minute to play in the quarter, but Park’s fast break basket as time wound down made it 41-39 Glenn with three quarters complete. Wilson scored from underneath to tie it as the fourth quarter got underway, but Augustine answered with back to back baskets to give the Knights a 45-42 lead. Four straight free throws by King put South up by 1 with 5:11 left, but a pull up jumper and then a steal and layup by Park made it 49-46 Glenn with 4:26 to play. Darryl Daniels added two free throws, and then his three pointer from behind the right elbow made it 55-47, but Elisias responded with hook shot and free throw to make it a 5 point game once again with 3:02 remaining. Two free throws by King cut it to 56-53 with 2:16 left, and after a turnover, the Falcon’s had the ball with a chance to draw within 1 or tie it, but a steal and fastbreak basket by Park made it 58-53 Glenn, and then his drive down the left side of the lane made it a 7 point game with 1:22 to play. Both teams struggled from the free throw line down the stretch, but the Knights got the better of it, pulling away for the 10 point win. Jeff Park finished with 30 points and KeAndre Augustine with 25. They will take on Section 2s Scotia Glenville, New York State's #1 ranked Class A team, in a semifinal. 3/8
NSCHSAA FINAL
The last time these two teams played back in February, Holy Trinity rolled over the Gaels 81-60, but the Titans stumbled into the playoffs with two straight losses, while St. Mary’s won their last three in impressive fashion, and then a semifinal round playoff game against St. John The Baptist, so a much tighter contest was expected this time. That’s the way it played out. With the score tied at 53 after a drive by St. Mary’s Patrick Jackson with 1:49 to play, Peter Alkins and Brandon Thomson both knocked down two pressure packed free throws to give Holy Trinity a hard fought 57-55 victory over St. Mary’s and the NSCHSAA title. It was a low scoring back and forth first quarter, with Holy Trinity holding a 7-6 lead at the buzzer on the strength of a James Golaszewski drive, but Jackson’s drive and scoop shot put the Gaels on top as the second quarter got underway. Back to back threes by Thomson and Billy Sixsmith and the Titans were quickly up by 5, but St. Mary’s rallied just as quickly, retaking the lead on a three pointer by Jackson. Holy Trinity responded with a one man run by Alkins, who knocked down a foul line jumper, a three pointer, and two free throws to put them up 20-15. Jackson interrupted the run with a fast break basket, but Jack Sixsmith restarted it, draining a three pointer, and Golaszewski scored from underneath to put the Titans up 25-17 with 42 seconds to play in the half. Stephen Milhaven, who had struggled to find his shot up to this point, nailed a half court shot just before the buzzer to make it a 5 point game as the teams headed for the locker rooms. Milhaven started the second half with one of his patented fall away jumpers and a free throw, completing a three point play that cut the deficit to 2, but Golaszewski snuck in behind the defense, got the pass and scored and Thomson knocked down two free throws and it was Holy Trinity by 6. Back to back baskets by Jackson cut it to 31-29 with 3:31 to play in the quarter, and a three point play by Nick Richards, who dunked and drew a foul, brought the Gaels within 1 at the 2:19 mark, but Jack Sixsmith’s drive at the buzzer gave Holy Trinity a 42-39 lead with three quarters complete. Golaszewski’s reverse layup got the Titans off to a good start as the fourth quarter got underway, and a Thomson baseline drive gave them a 46-39 lead, but another three point play by Richards, a baseline drive by Milhaven, and a basket by Jackson from underneath tied it at 49 with 4:21 to play. The teams traded baskets to the 1:49 mark, when Jackson tied it again at 53 on a drive, but Alkins drew a foul call going to the basket with 1:35 remaining and knocked down both free throws, and after the Gaels came up empty, Thomson drew a foul with 27 seconds left, and his two one and one free throws made it 57-53. St. Mary’s turned the ball over, got it back after the Titans came up empty at the foul line, and Chris Coalman scored with 6 seconds left, but it was too little too late. Holy Trinity will now take on upstate champion Bishop Nichols in a CHSAA Class A State Semifinal. 3/4
2/22 Playoff Report
SECTION 11
AMITYVILLE WINS EPIC BATTLE IN OT
In what many are describing as the best game of the year, Amityville defeated John Glenn 74-73 in overtime to win the Class A title for the second straight season.
DETAILS LATER
2/19 Playoff Report
SECTION 8
ELMONT RALLIES PAST MASSAPEQUA
The Massapequa shooters were on target most of the game, but Elmont’s pressure got them back into it and they rallied for the win. The Spartans now take on Uniondale in the 5pm Class AA Semifinal next Wednesday, February 26th at SUNY Old Westbury. SEE FULL RECAP
FARMINGDALE CATCHES CALHOUN
Calhoun jumped out in front with a big first quarter, but it was all Farmingdale the rest of way in a 47-38 victory. Curtis Jenkins led the Dalers with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Farmingdale will face top seed Baldwin in the 7:30pm Class AA Semifinal next Wednesday, February 26th at SUNY Old Westbury.
UNIONDALE ROCKS GREAT NECK SO.
Uniondale pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 62-47 win over Great Neck South. Shomari Redd led the Knights with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals and Nick Danns added 14 points and 15 rebounds. Uniondale now takes on Elmont in the 5pm Class AA Semifinal next Wednesday, February 26th at SUNY Old Westbury.
BALDWIN OUTLASTS FREEPORT
Freeport raced out to a 21-7 first quarter lead, but Baldwin steadily closed the gap and then pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 58-49 victory. Shane Gatlin had 18 second half points to lead the way. The #1 seeded Bruins will face Farmingdale in the 7:30pm Class AA Semifinal next Wednesday, February 26th at SUNY Old Westbury.
2/19 Playoff Report
SECTION 11
SOUTHAMPTON TAKES B TITLE
After a year of frustration and three straight losses to the Panthers, Southampton finally got over the top, defeating top seed Babylon 64-59 to capture the Section 11 Class B Championship. FULL RECAP LATER
2/18 Playoff Report
SECTION 11
NORTHPORT WONT GIVE UP CROWN
Defending Long Island Champion Northport is not about to give up their crown, pulling off their second straight playoff upset with a 54-44 win over Ward Melville. Gerard Brady knocked down a career high 6 three pointers to spark the Tigers, who face top seeded Brentwood Friday in the 7:30pm semifinal at Farmingdale State.
BRENTWOOD PULLS AWAY
The young Copiague team led by 3 at the half, but Brentwood scored 47 second half points to pull away 76-57. Brentwood’s Ali Mableton had 14 third quarter points, and Femi Olujobi 13 second half points to fuel the outburst. Brentwood takes on defending Long Island Champion Northport in the semifinals Friday 7:30pm at Farmingdale State.
DEER PARK ROCKS HILLS WEST
We would have enjoyed seeing Hills East vs Hills West and Deer Park vs CI in this round just for variety’s sake, but you know Deer Park has enjoyed playing Hills West this season, overwhelming them for the third time, this time by a 78-48 score. Karon Blackwell had a game high 22 points for the Falcons, and Aaren Edmead added 17. Deer Park will now face Hills East at 5:30pm on Friday at Farmingdale State
GLENN SURPISES HARBORFIELDS
A good team, but not the dominant force they have been in recent years, Harborfields dropped a 48-45 decision to neighborhood rival John Glenn in a Class A Semifinal. Jeff Park had 10 of Glenn’s 22 point fourth quarter points after the Knights had scored only 2 points in the third quarter. They now take on Amityville on Saturday at 3:30pm for the championship. The game will be held at Farmingdale State.
AMITYVILLE STILL TEAM TO BEAT
Amityville improved to 17-2 with a solid 72-54 Class A Semifinal victory over Westhampton. Travis Dickerson led the Warriors with 19 points and Mike Smith added 18. They will take on John Glenn in the Championship Game at 3:30pm on Saturday at Farmingdale State. STORY
2/15 Playoff Report
SECTION 11
STONY BROOK TAKES C TITLE
The teams split during the regular season, but Stony Brook hammered Pierson 62-36 to take the Section 11 Class C Championship. Asaiah Wilson knocked down 5 three pointers and finished with 18 points for Stony Brook.
SHELTER ISLAND D CHAMPIONS
Billy Doeklen, a sophomore JV player called up for the playoffs, scored 21 points to help lead Shelter Island to a 73-61 win over Greenport in the Section 11 Class D Championship Game. Matt BeltCappellino led Shelter Island with 25 points. STORY
2/14 Playoff Report
SECTION 11
CLASS B CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH
Babylon and Southampton will meet again this year for the Class B Championship. The Panthers rolled over Wyandanch 66-36, led by Brendan Laing's 22 points and 17 points and 7 assists by Jake Carlock. Southampton pulled away from Center Moriches 77-60, with Shaundell Fishburne erupting for 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Championship game is 3:30pm Wednesday at Northport HS
NORTPORT UPSETS NORTH BABYLON
Northport rallied to upset North Babylon 50-48 in Class AA First Round action. Austin Marchese knocked down two free throws with 3 seconds left for the win. The Tigers will take on Ward Melville at Ward Melville Tuesday
HILLS EAST RALLIES PAST BULLS
Hills East rallied from a 7 point halftime deficit to defeat Smithtown West 56-54. Matt Boyd led the way with 20 points. They will host Central Islip on Tuesday
2/11 Playoff Report
SECTION 11
Wyandanch pulled away from Mattituck for a 77-68 win in a Section 11 Class B outbracket game. Kamar Harris led a fourth quarter surge with 7 points and finished with 15. Justice Broughton led Wyandanch with 17, and Will Gildersleeve had a game high 23 for Mattitck. Wyandanch will now face top ranked Babylon Thursday at Babylon. The Warriors handed the Panthers their only league loss this season.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
LWA advanced to the PSAA Championship game once again with a 51-34 win over The United Nations School. Chris Pierre-Louis had 19 points and 8 assists and Alex Kompogiorgas 12 points and 10 rebounds for LWA...... Portledge returned to the IPPSAL Championship game with a 56-50 win over Kew Forest. David Lustberg led the way with 12 fourth quarter points and scored or assisted on every one of Portledge's 20 fourth quarter points. They advance to play Martin de Porres at 7:30pm on Wednesday in the IPPSAL championship game at Portledge .
LI CLASS C FINAL
Two very good teams faced off for the Long Island Class C Championship and a spot in the NYSPHSAA Regional Final, and Section 8 Champion Friends Academy built a surprising 20 point lead, but they had to hold off Section 11 Champ Stony Brook to earn a 55-48 victory. It was Stony Brook that took the early lead, going up 9-4 on a basket by Andrew Daniel, two by Brandon Odom, and a three pointer by Asaish Wilson, but Cyrus Holder countered with a three from the left wing, and a tip-in by Tyrone Perkins and drive by Tyler Sehring from the top tied it at 11 with 1:32 to play in the first period. Odom responded with a deep three from right wing to give the Bears a 14-11 lead, and that was the score at the first quarter buzzer. Daniel’s putback made it 16-11 Stony Brook as the second quarter got underway, but a short jumper from inside the foul line by Perkins and a three pointer by Patrick Moodhe from the baseline tied it at 16 with 5:40 to play in the half. Stony Brook big man Daniel, a tough matchup for Friends, scored once again on an inbound play, but Holder’s three pointer put Friends back on top, and then two free throws and another three by Holder gave the Quakers a 24-19 with 2:58 remaining in the half. A short baseline jumper by Perkins extended the lead to 7, and a putback by Holder at the buzzer made it 30-22 Friends at the break. Jack Forlines opened the third quarter with a three pointer and a baseline drive to extend the Friends lead to 13, and then a baseline drive and reverse layup by Perkins at the 5:20 mark of the quarter put the Quakers up 39-22. Holder kept it going, converting a three point play for a 20 point lead, but Chase Audige stopped the run with a jumper from just outside the left elbow, and Daniel rebounded and scored to cut it to 43-26. A free throw by Michael Dingammadji made it 43-27 at the third quarter buzzer. Daniel opened the fourth quarter with two free throws, his running hook shot cut it to 43-31, and then Dingammadji brought the Bears within 9 with a putback at the 6:29 mark. It was 45-38 after a fast break basket by Audige, and Odom’s three pointer from the top made it a 6 point game with 4:20 remaining, but Odom fouled out seconds later, removing a big weapon from the Bears arsenal. Daniel was unfazed, scoring on a jump hook from the lane to narrow the gap to 47-43, but Holder made two clutch free throws shooting 1 and 1 for a 6 point Friends lead, and Stony Brook squandered three trips to the line, going 3 for 6 to trail 49-46 with 1:31 left to play. A touchdown pass over the defense to Holder made it a 5 point game with 1:20 remaining, but Daniel would not relent, scoring from underneath to bring Stony Brook back within 3 with 1:11 showing. The Bears had a chance to draw within 1 or tie it with a three pointer, but could not convert and then struggled to commit a foul. They sent Holder to the line with 18 seconds on the game clock, and he nailed both free throws to give the Quakers a commanding 5 point lead. Stony Brook then turned the ball over as the clock ticked down and Friends advanced to the Regional Final, where they will play Section X Champion Haldane for a chance to play in the NYSPHSAA Class C Final Four in Glens Falls. 3/4
Amityville Disqualified!
Amityville has been disqualified for using an inelligible 8th grader in their playoff game against John Glenn. The violation was reported by Glenn, and even though the player played for only seconds, the New York State rule is clear cut and calls for disqualification. Tuesday's county playoff game againt Southampton has been postponed, and Glenn will now replace Amityville in the rescheduled game to be played Wednesday at 5pm at Ward Melville and also in the Long Island Class A Championship game. 2/25
LuHi Avenges Loss
Albany Academy upset Long Island Lutheran earlier this season, but the Crusaders convincingly defeated the Cadets in the rematch, taking a 79-59 decision to capture the First Annual LuHi Winter Invitational. Tournament MVP Devonte Green finished with 19 points, 5 assists, and 6 steals and Elijah Bailey added 14 points. 2/22
Hills East Catches CI
The two teams split during the regular season, both winning on the road, but host Hills East won the rubber match, rallying from a 31-19 first half deficit to tie it on a Mathew Boyd pull-up jumper at the buzzer, and then the Thunderbirds pulled away for a 60-52 overtime victory in their Section 11 Class AA Quarterfinal. Brandon Hodge opened up the game with a three pointer from the wing and a quick transition layup by David McKenzie gave C.I. an early 5-0 lead. An impressive drive through 3 defenders by Hodge extended the CI lead 12-6, and the Musketeers led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter. The two teams traded baskets until the 4 min mark of the 2nd quarter, when C.I. went on a impressive run, with Devon Solomon hitting two free throws, Hodge getting two quick transition layups, and then an offensive rebound and putback by Malcolm Pridgeon put the Musketeers up 29-18. After a Hills East timeout, C.I. continued to attack with a jumper by Hodge giving them a 31-18 lead, but a Hills East free throw cut it to 31-19 at the half. (Hodge had 13 points and Pridgeon 6 for CI at the half and Jordan McRae led Hills East with 8 ). The third quarter was hard fought by both teams defensively. Hills East opened the quarter with back-to-back baskets by Mike Simon and Justin Fackler, cutting the lead to 8, but David McKenzie’s aggressive layup made it 33-23. Both teams continued to battle, but the C.I. lead was never in question. With 45 seconds left, a Pridgeon put back dunk was called off due to basket interference, but Hills East was not able to capitalize, missing a three point shot at the buzzer. The Musketeers entered the 4th quarter with a comfortable 39-28 lead, but Mike Simon opened the quarter with a three pointer to cut the margin to 8, and after two free throws by Pridgeon, McRae hit a 3 in the corner to make it a 7 point game. Simon ‘s steal and layup and then his layup off another turnover cut it to 41-38 , but C.I. stopped the bleeding with a McKenzie layup and a Hodge free throw for a 6 point lead. At the 1 minute mark, a Hills East steal led to a Justin Flacker layup, and then an offensive foul gave the Thunderbirds the ball with 35 seconds left. Simon brought the ball up and pulled up for a deep three pointer - so deep the defense wasn't even guarding him - that cut the lead to 1 with 27 seconds left. A Hills East foul sent Hodge to the line with 21 seconds to play, but he missed the front end of a 1 and 1. The T-Birds had the chance to take the lead but were called for a travel, giving C.I. the ball up by 1 with 8.6 seconds remaining. Another Hills East foul sent Devon Solomon to the line , and he went 1 for 2 to make it 47- 45 C.I. Boyd had a good look at a 3 for the win with 6.1 seconds to go, but instead decided to attack the lane and pull up for a mid range jumper that went in at the buzzer and sent the game into overtime. Simon started off OT with another deep three to give Hills East its first lead of the game, and a foul on an offensive rebound by Boyd sent him to the line and he went 2 for 2 to put the Thunderbirds up 52-47. CI answered with a three pointer by Solomon to cut it to 52-50, but that’s as close as they would get. The Musketeers could not convert as the clock ticked down and started to foul, and Boyd was perfect, going 6 for 6 down the stretch to ice it. Boyd contributed 10 assist, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, McRae contributed 14 rebounds and 6 blocks, and Hodge led CI with 16 points, Pridgeon had 12, and McKenzie and Solomon 9 points each. 2/18 - BY DAN SKARITKA
NYS FEDERATION TOC
LUHI GIVES UP LEAD TO CTK
After establishing themselves as the dominant Class A team in New York State in recent years, Long Island Lutheran moved up to Class AA, and remarkably has played for the Federation Class AA State Title in each of their first two years as a Class AA team. Unfortunately, they ran into CHSAA Champion Christ The King both times in the State Championship Game and picked up two very tough losses, falling by 6 this year in another memorable game. It was particularly agonizing this time because the Crusaders got off to such a good start. Semifinal star Marvin Prochet got the Crusaders going with a basket from underneath, and it was 8-2 LuHi after a three pointer and then 3 free throws by Devonte Green. Prochet’s 2 free throws gave Lutheran an 8 point lead as the seconds ticked down in the quarter, and it was 12-4 LuHi at the buzzer. CTK pulled within 4 early in the second quarter on a turnaround jumper by Travis Atson and 2 free throws by Long Islander Andre Walker, but LuHi answered with a 10-1 run, two of the baskets on nice drives by Chris Atkinson, and they topped it off with back to back pull-up jumpers by Green and Atkinson to take a 24-11 lead. The Royals closed the gap as halftime approached, mostly from the foul line, and it was an 8 point game at intermission. Atson opened the second half with a basket that cut the lead to 34-29, but the teams traded baskets down to the three minute mark of the third quarter, when back to back threes by Walker brought CTK within 3. The Crusaders answered with a drive by Robyn Missa and a fall away jumper by Atkinson, but in a pivotal sequence, Prochet, who was in foul trouble much of the day, was called for his 4th foul and then drew a technical foul call and was done for the day with a quarter still to play. You could feel the momentum swing to the Royals as a basket by Paige and a three by Walker tied it in the final seconds of the quarter, but Chris Burkley came to the rescue with a three pointer just before the buzzer to put LuHi up by 3 with three quarters in the books. The Crusaders had chances to build their advantage as the fourth quarter got underway, but went 1 for 4 from the foul line to go up by 4. CTK took advantage, with another three by Walker and two free throws by Paige giving them their first lead of the game, and then two Alkins free throws made it 53-50 Royals with 2:19 to play. Adonis Delarosa rebounded and dunked to put CTK up 55-50 with 1:57 left, but LuHi had opportunities to slash the lead from the free throw line. Instead, they went 2 for 4 and trailed 55-52. Still, it was a one possession game with 21.8 seconds to play, but the game tying shot never materialized, and Paige came through for the Royals, icing the game with two free throws, and Delarosa knocked down another for the 58-52 win. 3/22
Long Island in NCAA
Rick Pitino from St. Doms coaches Louisville... Dilly Donovan from Rockville Centre coaches the Florida Gators... Will Brown from Miller Place coaches the Albany Great Danes...
Tyler Harris from Dix Hills plays for Providence... George Beamon from Roslyn plays for Manhattan... Melsahn Basabe from Glen Cove plays for Iowa... Jordan Parks from Hempstead plays for North Carolina Central... Kentan Facey from LuHi plays for UConn... Patrick Farrell from Chaminade plays for Villanova
DID WE MISS SOMEONE? LET US KNOW!
Nassau Senior All-Stars
The best seniors from Section 8 got together one last time before heading off to college. The double header was held at LIU Post, and there were some outstanding individual performances: All Long Island player Imran Richie from Uniondale lit it up in game one, leading all scorers with 23 points, while fellow All Long Islander's Curtis Jenkins and Dylan Balducci finished with 19 with 18 respectively. In game two, Basketball Honor Roll members D'Marco Barnes from Baldwin and Matt Buchner from Wantagh had the hot hands, Barnes scoring 19 points and Buchner 16. All Long Island selections Tyquan Scott from Long Beach and Dwayne Daniel from Lawrence had 14 each. 4/1
Scott Scoring Champ
The final stats are in, and Long Beach star Tyquan Scott is the 2013-2014 Long Island scoring high school champion, averaging 25.7 ppg. He narrowly edged out SJB's Tavon Ginyard, who averaged 25.2. FULL LIST WILL BE POSTED SHORTLY.
OSNA Memorable Season
Long Island's Our Savior New American HS doesn't get much attention locally because they don't play many local teams, but they finished a very memorable 28-3 season that saw them finish ranked 9th in the country by USA Today. They are a terrific team filled with D1 commits and prospects, and return a very strong group next year!
HIGH SCHOOL
LEADING SCORERS
Tyquan Scott 25.7 PPG
Tavon Ginyard 25.2
Alec Ludwig 24.3
Terry Harris 24.0
Dana King 22.9
Liam Walker 22.8
Greg Gerber 22.1
Stephen Milhaven 21.8
Cody Steiner 21.4
Frank Basile 21.1
Mike Smith 21.1
ALL-LONG ISLAND TEAMS BY CLASS
The best of the best High School Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen!
THE BASKETBALL HONOR ROLL!
Long Island's Best High School Players!
ALL-LONG ISLAND
HIGH SCHOOL
TOP 5 VOTE GETTERS
Chris Atkinson
Aaren Edmead
Curtis Jenkins
Tavon Ginyard
Devonte Green
Diallo NY State POY!
OSNA's Cheick Diallo has been named Gatorade's New York State Player Of The Year! The 6'9 junior forward led Our Savior to a 28-3 record and #9 ranking in the USA Today National Poll, averaging 18.5 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game. He has not made his college decision yet. It is the second year in a row that the New York State Player Of The Year has come from a Long Island team. LuHi's Kentan Facey was last year's winner. Hills West's Tobias Harris won it back in 2010.
The 2014 Long Island Basketball
HIGH SCHOOL
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
A consummate point guard, this outstanding ball handler, passer, defender, and clutch shooter led his team to back to back Suffolk County Championship Games.
The 2014 Long Island Basketball PLAYER OF THE YEAR is:
Aaren Edmead
Deer Park HS
The 2014 Long Island Basketball
HIGH SCHOOL
COACH OF THE YEAR
He took an undersized team that finished the regular season in a slump to their first CHSAA Class A State Championship since 1980 and to the finals of the New York State Federation Tournament Of Champions. The 2014 Long Island Basketball COACH OF THE YEAR is:
Joe Conefry
Holy Trinity HS
Titans Fall In Fed Final
SCOTIA-GLENVILLE PULLS AWAY
Holy Trinity went as far as you can go in New York State basketball, advancing to the Class A championship game of the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions before falling to NYSPHSAA juggernaut Scotia-Glenville 68-52. Scotia finished the season a perfect 27-0, winning an impressive 6 straight state playoff games by double digit margins on their way to the Federation tile. Scotia tried to put the Titans away repeatedly over the first three quarters of the championship game, but every time their lead approached double digits, Holy Trinity responded. Late in the first quarter, back to back threes by Peter Alkins and Jack Sixsmith tied the game at 13, and late in the second quarter, another big three by Alkins brought the Titans back within 5. It was a 5 point game once again late in the third quarter after baskets by Sixsmith and James Golaszewski, but that's when Scotia made its move, closing out the third quarter and opening the fourth on a devastating 13-2 run. Scott Stopera got it started with a three pointer at the third quarter buzzer, and then Joe Cremo opened the fourth with a traditional three point play and the Tartans were on their way to a 17 point lead. Try as they might, Holy Trinity could not get back into it after that, completing a dream season just 16 points shy of the Federation Championship. 3/22
Jim Fox D1 Head Coach
Levittown's Jim Fox, son of our good friend Jim Fox of the Island Garden, the Lightning Program, and the Metropolitan AAU, will continue the great tradition of Long Islanders coaching Division One college basketball teams by accepting the head coaching position at Appalachian State of the Sun Belt Conference. He has been an assistant and associate head coach at Davidson for the past 13 years. FULL STORY
LI's D1 College Coaches
Larry Brown/Long Beach/SMU
Will Brown/Miller Place/U. Albany
Jim Christian/Bethpage/Boston College
Bill Coen/Port Jefferson/Northeastern
Billy Donovan/Rockville Centre/Florida
Jim Fox/Levittown/Appalachian State
Paul Hewitt/Dix Hills/George Mason
Joe Jones/Dix Hills/Boston U.
James Jones/Dix Hills/Yale
Kerry Keating/Rockville Centre/Santa Clara
Bob McKillop/Rockville Centre/Davidson
Rick Pitino/St. Dominic/Louisville
Kevin Willard/St. Dominic/Seton Hall
Woodhouse To SBU!
2012 Long Island Basketball.com Player Of The Year Lucas Woodhouse will be transferring back home to Long Island to play for Stony Brook University. Woodhouse leaves Longwood University of the D1 Big South Conference after averaging 11.5 points and 6.7 assists in his sophomore season. The Harborfields grad waited a year after a coaching change at Longwood to transfer, and as a result, will probably have to sit out a season under NCAA rules. Woodhouse led Harborfields to back to back NYSPHSAA Class A State Championship Games in his junior and senior years, winning the State Title his senior season. He then led the Tornadoes past CHSAA Champion Iona Prep in the Federation Tournament Of Champions Semifinals before they fell to NYSAIS Champion Long Island Lutheran in the final on a shot at the buzzer.
Final State Rankings
CLASS AA
1 - Christ The King
4 - LuHi
14 - Brentwood
22 - Farmingdale
30 - Deer Park
CLASS A
1 - Scotia-Glenville
4 - Holy Trinity
11 - John Glenn
16 - Amityville
23 - Lawrence
CLASS B
1 - Westhill
16 - Southampton
21 - Babylon
25 - Center Moriches
CLASS C
1 - Hoosic Valley
4 - Friends Academy
10 - Stony Brook
OUR CHAMPIONS!
STATE CHAMPIONS
LuHi - NYSAIS AA
Holy Trinity - CHSAA A
LONG ISLAND CHAMPIONS
Brentwood - NYPHSAA AA
John Glenn - NYSPHSAA A
Holy Trinity - NSCHSAA A
Southampton - NYSPHSAA B
Friends Academy - NYSPHSAA C
Shelter Island - NYSPHSAA D
SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS
Brentwood - Section 11 AA Farmingdale - Section 8 AA
John Glenn - Sectin 11 A
Valley Stream So - Section 8 A
Southampton - Section 11 B
Wheatley - Section 8 B
Stony Brook - Section 11 C
Friends Academy - Section 8 C
Shelter Island - Section 11 D
Christian Gets BC Job
Bethpage's Jim Chistian is the new Men's Head Basketball Coach at Boston College, leaving Ohio after two successful seasons. STORY
Dunne D3 National COY
Northport's Greg Dunne is the recipient of the 2014 Glenn Robinson Award, presented annually to the top Division III Men's Basketball Coach in the country. Dunne led SUNY Brockport to a 24-4 record in 2013-14, a 9 game improvement over last season. FULL STORY
COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
If you are going to be a freshman playing college basketball next season, or if you are transferring to a new school, LET US KNOW
Dylan Balducci/Massapequa/New Paltz
Dwayne Daniel/Lawrence/Iona
Aaren Edmead/Deer Park/Wagner
Kobe Eubanks/OSNA/Baylor
Devin Gardner/Commack/Keystone
Wiliam Heenan/Amityville/St. Joe's LI
Alec Ludwig/Great Neck N/MacAlester
Mike Milligan/Northport/C. Arkansas
Chris McCullough/Harbf./Scranton
James McCullagh/Chaminade/Trinity
Mike McVeigh/Lynbrook/Cortland
Femi Olujobi/Brentwood/Oakland
Connor Panzner/BBP/York
Aaron Pulver/Northport/Baruch
Malik Seelal/Farmingdale/New Paltz
Terence Thomas/Connetquot/Brockport
Brandon Tolliver/Riverhead/New Paltz
Andre Walker/CTK/Loyola, Md
Lucas Woodhouse/Harbf./Stony Brook
COMING SOON!
ALL LONG ISLAND COLLEGE TEAMS
COLLEGE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
COLLEGE COACH OF THE YEAR
Long Island 3-Pt Champion
KEVIN ROBERTS/Copiague
Editor's Inbox
FEILER ALL AMERICAN
Smithtown East’s Jon Feiler earned First Team All American honors at Herkimer CC.
SEEING GREEN!
When LuHi’s Devonte Green was named Newsday’s Nassau County Player Of The Year, he joined bothers Rashad, who won the award in 2006, and Danny, who was the 2005 recipient. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time in Long Island history that three brothers have won the same major basketball award.
PROUD TO BE FROM DEER PARK
The Long Island Wizards Travel Basketball Program has been based in Deer Park for years, and from now on will be known as the Deer Park Wizards.
FACEY NCAA CHAMPION
LuHi's Kentan Facey was a part of the NCAA Champion UConn Huskies!
HOWELL ALL MET
Baldwin's Donte Howell of the Mount Saint Mary College men's basketball team was named to the 2013-14 All Met Division III Men's College Basketball Second Team
Long Island Dunk Champion
TYQUAN SCOTT/Long Beach
Long Island Girls 3-Pt Champ
KATHLEEN EVERSON/Sachem E.
