NEWS DESK
3 MILLION VISITORS!
LONG ISLAND'S
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE!
WINNINGEST ACTIVE COACHES
THROUGH 2018-19
Jeff Weiss - 606 - LWA
Wally Bachman - 443 - Jericho
Steve Liebertz - 408 - Great Neck South
CHAMPIONSHIPS ON THE MOVE
The 2020 NYSPHSAA State Basketball Championships
have returned to Glens Falls and the
2020 New York State Federation Tournament Of Champions
will be held in New York City
this season! Both great moves! We
expect big audiences for both event! GET YOUR TICKETS AND HOTEL ROOMS WELL IN ADVANCE!
HALL OF FAME CALLS TWO FROM LI!
The New York State Basketball Hall Of Fame will welcome two of our all-time great coaches at this season's induction ceremony. Coach Carl Johnson from the legendary Bridgehampton Killer Bees program, who coached the team to four state championships and played for them in another three, and Chris Agostino - part of the incredible Agostino coaching family that boasts four varsity coaches and a list of championships and great players as long as your arm. He took Harborfields to three straight Section 11 titles, two Long Island Championships, and a New York State Championship and he continues to add to his legacy as the Athletic Director at Elmont. The ceremony will be next up in Glens Falls during the NYSPHSAA State Championships. See you there!
BCANY SUMMER HOOPS FESTIVAL
An All-Star Team competition between teams from every part of New York State, Suffolk County claimed its first title ever this year, defeating Hudson Valley in the final. Brentwood's Bryce Harris had 24 points and BBP's Pierce Prendergast 15 in the title game. A Long Island team won it in 2011.
SUFFOLK ROSTER
Pierce Prendergast/BBP
Milan Johnson/Comswegoue
Ahkee Anderson/Greenport
Bryce Harris/Brentwood
Divvahde Lucas/Amityville
Spencer Malloy/Commack
Jaden Kealy/Connetquot
Kenny Lazo/Brentwood
Courtney Booth/Sachem East
Tyrone Pannell/Central Islip
NASSAU ROSTER
Eamon McGowan/South Side
Isiah Barnes/Elmont
Jordan Lawson/Elmont
Alex Bauer/Long Beach
Ahmad Crowell/Manhasset
Dimitri Garrett/Oceanside
Brandon Weiss/Jericho
Preston Harts/Sewanhaka
Juwan Shuford/Uniondale
THOMAS O'CONNELL TO ST. JOHN'S
Chaminade's Thomas O'Connell, who just wrapped up a great lacrosse career at the University of Maryland, is returning to his first love and will be playing basketball for St. John's University this season as a grad student. His younger brother Michael just won his second straight Alzheimer's All-Star Classic MVP trophy!
TOP RETURNING SCORERS
Zaire Baines/Portledge 34.2
Ty-Shon Pannell/Central Islip 26.7
Malik Edmead/Deer Park 25.1
Josh Fenner/John Glenn 24.7
Ahkee Anderson/Center Moriches 23.0
Xavier Allen/Mattituck 22.3
Thomas Cirrito/Miller Place 22.3
Teddy Mangiarotti/Locust Valley 22.3
Mike Sixsmith/Holy Trinity 21.3
Brett Karkus/Hewlett 20.6
Colin Cassara/Newfield 20.0
LUHI NATIONALLY RANKED
USA Today put defending New York State Champion LuHi 9th nationally in their preseason rankings. STORY
An early start to the school season changed the mix at the 11th Annual Thanksgiving Rumble, with competition from 3rd grade up to 7th grade, and the much anticipated 7th grade final went to Long Island's Castle program, with a convincing win over a shorthanded Next Level from NYC. The Lady Lions, also from NYC, dominated the Girls 6th Grade Division, defeating Purpose Basketball in the chip
ASK THE REF!
Rule Changes
High School 2019-2020
Every year around this time we dedicate a column to understanding any rule changes in high school basketball for the season ahead. High school rules are set by the NFHS (National Federation of High Schools) which is the governing body for high schools nationwide.
A major issue each season is the high number of differences between high school rules and rules in the colleges (NCAA) and pros (NBA). It is unfortunate that the three bodies cannot come to an agreement so everyone plays under one set of rules. We may devote a column to those differences at some point in the future, but for now, our goal is simply to focus on changes to the basic set of high school rules for the season ahead.
This year (2019-2020) the rule changes are minimal, indicating a relatively good feeling about the state of the game on the high school level.
1. Uniforms - the NFHS continues to put a lot of effort into standardizing and clarifying rules having to do with uniforms. It's an issue because there should be some allowance for individuality by the competing teams while still having players be "uniform in their uniforms." The goal is to avoid having "anything goes" situations where it looks like a pick up game at the local Y. That said, the change regarding uniforms is that they will be phasing out uniform numbers with a color that is the same or similar to the prevailing color of the jersey but with a contrasting border color. Those are still legal the next few years but will become illegal as of the 2024-25 season.
2. Headbands - starting this season, headbands may be up to 3 inches in width instead of the previous 2 inches, must encircle the entire head, have NO
extensions, worn on the forehead or crown only, and be non-abrasive and unadorned. Only ONE may be worn by each team player and all headbands must be the same color for all players on a team. Hair control devices, as used on ponytails, are not restricted in these ways. Additionally, players may fold or roll up shorts provided only one manufacturer's logo may be visible, draw strings are contained and the shorts do not expose the anatomy in objectionable ways.
3. Bench technicals - the assistant coach(es) may now legally enter the court (in addition to the head coach) in
order to help restore order during a fight. It's all about player safety.
4. Backcourt - A ball in team control of Team A in the front court that is deflected by a defensive player, which causes the ball to go into the back court, may be recovered by either team unless the offense was the last to touch the ball before it went into the back court. If the offense was last to touch the ball in its front court, only the defense can legally recover the basketball.
5. Signal (mechanics) change - On a held ball, the official will blow the whistle and first raise his extended arm to stop the clock and then, secondly, give the approved/required signal for a held ball. This change simply makes the signals to stop the clock more consistent.
- Skip Yutzler
Have a question?
RETURNING ALL-NEW YORK STATE
Ahkeee Anderson, Center Moriches*
Xavier Allen, Mattituck
Zaire Baines, Portledge
Chris Boothe, Sachem East
Henry Brooks, Pierson
Colin Cassara, Newfield
Jalen Celestine, LuHi
Thomas Cirrito, Miller Place
Marvel Chambers, Farmingdale
Malachi Coleman, Bay Shore
Andre Curbelo, LuHi
Jaden DeJesus, Knox School
Jarrett Dingle, Academy Charter
Kieran Dorney, Chaminade
Lucas Quigley-Dunning, Shelter Island
Malik Edmead, Deer Park
Josh Fenner, John Glenn
Will Ford, St. Dominic
Jack Garside, Kings Park
Zed Key, LuHi
Brett Karkus, Hewlett
Teddy Mangiarotti, Locust Valley
Ty-Shon Pannell, Central Islip
Jahmir Primer, Portledge
Mike Sixsmith, Holy Trinity
Andre Snoody, St. Anthony’s
Nick Spinosa, Kellenberg
Sean Walsh, Northport
Nae'jon Ward, Center Moriches*
Michael Warren Jr., Malverne
Brandon Weiss, Jericho
2016-17 All-Long Island Freshmen
Trayvon Alexander, Friends
Ahkee Anderson, Greenport
Marvel Chambers, Farmingdale
Malik Edmead, Deer Park
Bryce Harris, Brentwood
Zed Key, Brentwood
Kenny Lazo, Brentwood
Michael O'Connell, Chaminade
Ty-Shon Pannell, Central Islip
David Sabzehroo, Great Neck South
Jevon Santos, Elmont
Bora Soybas, Bethpage
Jake Tavroff, Oceanside
Jaylen Trent, Bellport
Nae'jon Ward, Bridgehampton
Brandon Weiss, Jericho
HOFSTRA UPSETS UCLA!
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 12/4
Uniondale 83 Bellport 52
Defending Section 8 Class AA Champion Uniondale took on Section 11 Class AA Semifinalist Bellport and dominated the Clippers from the opening tip. BOX SCORE
LuHi 74 St. Dominic 41
The LuHi staff tells us they have trouble getting Long Island teams to play them, and we can see why. A solid St. Dominic team was never in it. BOX SCORE
BIG GAMES IN NOVEMBER!
If you love high school basketball, its going to be easy to get used to a longer regular season and big games in November, and we’ve had a bunch of them, with contenders facing off and returning All-New York State players flexing their muscles.
Bay Shore 67 Central Islip 62 OT
These two contenders were in the same league for years, so a big game atmosphere and a great game was almost inevitable, and the visiting Marauders outlasted the host Musketeers in OT. Kevin Lowe hit the decisive three pointer in OT to ice it. Returning All-New York State player Malachi Coleman led Bay Shore with 25 points and 4 assists, while fellow Al-New York State performer and Team Long Island selection Ty-Shon Pannell finished with 20 points. 11/26
John Glenn 79 Harborfields 68
Two perennial Class A contenders and next door neighbors faced off, again in a big game atmosphere, and returning All-New York State player Josh Fenner exploded for 44 points, 10 rebounds and four assists to lead Glenn to the win. Looks like Joe Desimone is stepping up for the Tornadoes this season, knocking down 7 threes on his way to a career-high 30 points. 11/26
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 12/18
#3 Holy Trinity 67 #12 Portledge 56
This was the first truly classic game of the season. Two highly regarded teams - both facing their first big test - did battle, and the upstart Panthers, with 10 games already under their belts, got off first behind the hot shooting of Zaire Baines, who has unlimited range on his jump-shot. They held the lead well into the second half, but once TJ Long caught fire, he and Mike Sixmith rallied the home team to victory - pulling away down the stretch. Make no mistake - Portledge is for real and can play with anybody and so are the Titans, but you have to think Holy Trinity is anxious for someone else to step up as a scorer in big games like this - Sixsmith and Long had 27 each - 54 of Holy Trinity's 67 points. Baines finished with 21 points for Portledge, Jahmir Primer with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Dante Brooks with 11 points.
Long Beach 53 Mepham 52
When Long Beach broke Kellenberg’s 5 game winning stream, I have to confess my first thought was that the Firebirds aren’t as good as I thought. Now it’s beginning to look like more of a case of how good Long Beach is! They improved to 4-1, handing host Mepham their first loss of the season as well on a dramatic basket by Jacob Cochran with four seconds remaining. Cochran finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds. Jaden Barwicki added 12 points and 6 assists. Greg Paul finished with 18 points and Jack Fontanetta 16 for Mepham.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7TH
at Uniondale High School
GAME 1
Pine Bush (SEC 9 AA) 59 Elmont 48
GAME 2
St. Anthony's 54 New Paltz (SEC 9 A) 40
GAME 3
Salesian (CHSAA B) 63 Amityville 59 OT
GAME 4
NFA (SEC 9 AA) 64 Baldwin 58 OT
GAME 5
Kingston (SEC 9 AA) 70 Uniondale 68
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 12/11
LUHI 67 CHAMINADE 55
Hugo Bergstrom had a great game for the Crusaders, knocking down 6 timely threes, but Zed Key was the difference in this one, matching Bergstrom’s 18 points while dominating the boards and the paint on both ends. Matt Coletti sparked Chaminade with his high energy game, keeping them in it in the first half and finishing with 17 points, and Team Long Island selection Kieran Dorney had a big second half when the Flyers rallied and challenged for the lead. He also finished with 17.
Brentwood 70 Farmingdale 63
Brentwood’s depth was on display in this one. The Indians played without All-New York State guard Jordan Riley, who was home with the flu, and still came away with a win over a good Farmingdale team. Point guard Kenny Lazo stepped up his scoring, putting 21 points in the book to go along with 9 rebounds and 7 assists, Team Long Island selection Zatai Townsend, who missed last season with an injury, added 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, and big man Alan Houston had his best game of the season, registering 14 points and 10 rebounds. Marvel Chambers led all scorers with 33 points for Farmingdale and Luis Smikle Jr. had 17.
Kellenberg 73 East Meadow 57
The Firebirds are 4-0 and big man Nick Spinoso, a Team Long Island selection, is off to a torrid start too. He had 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 blocks in this one and is averaging 25.5 points and 16.8 rebounds per game so far. Jay Cosgrove had a good game too, finishing with 18 points and 6 assists. Devin Meyers and Nelo Williams both had 16 for East Meadow.
Calhoun 73 Hempstead 57
The Colts put an end to Hempstead’s winning streak, jumping out to an early lead and holding off the Tigers from there to improve to 3-0. Calhoun featured a balanced attack led by Chris Stokel with 16 points and Finley Sheridan with 14. Hempstead’s Donovan Leviner led all scorers with 25.
HOFSTRA 71 STONY BROOK 63
Pride top Seawolves for D1 Title!
GAMES OF SATURDAY 12/21
Hills West 54 Kings Park 51
The Colts rallied at home in a Section 11 Class A face-off! Brent Bland's two big free-throws with 3 seconds remaining provided the final margin. Jordan Colby led Hills with 29 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals and Bland added 13 points while Jack Garside had 18 points, for the Kingsmen.
C Moriches 116 Portledge 111 OT
What a game! Ahkee Anderson's two clutch free throws sent it into OT and Jordan Falco's back to back threes cliched it for the Red Devils. Zaire Baines led all scorers with 40 points for Portledge and Jaden Kealey had 31 for CM, but you have to check out the box score to see all the great performances! BOX
Baldwin 58 St. Anthony's 42
It was the battle you'd imagine through three quarters, but Isiah Walker scored 12 points in a 25 point fourth quarter to help carry the Bruins to victory. Team Long Island selection Lance Henry led all scorers with 22 points for Baldwin, and Walker stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 5 steals, and 7 blocks. Another Team Long Island selection - Andre Snoddy - led the Friars with 15 points.
St. Dominic 76 Commack 57
The Long Island Catholic Schools are back! Impressive win for the Bayhawks over a good Class AA public school team. Khalil London led the way with 25 points, Matthew Darian added 16, and Kobe Thomas 15. Spencer Malloy finished with 17 points for Commack.
GAMES OF FRIDAY 12/13
Holy Trinity 78 St. Francis, Buffalo 46
The Titans open their season with a bang!
Ward Melville 79 Southampton 55
The Patriots improve to 5-0. Smallest margin of victory 18 points over Smithtown West! BOX
St. Mary's 69 Bishop Kearney 41
Gaels make short work of the visiting Section 5 Class AA team BOX
GAMES OF TUESDAY 12/17
#1 LuHi 63 Kamehameha, Ha 57
Ranked 9th in the country heading into a high profile event in Hawaii that features teams like Oak Hill, Archbishop Wood, and Mount Vernon, the Crusaders had to rally for the win against a better than expected local team after a horrendous night at the free throw line. I could not find a box score, but I believe they played without Cal commit Jalen Celestine once again.
#10 Ward Melville 69 #16 C. Islip 62
The first Sweet 16 face-off of the season, and the host Patriots prevailed after a dramatic back and forth game. Jack Holland, Ward Melville's leading scorer, led the way with his best game of the season so far, finishing with 31 points and 5 assists, while Team Long Island's Ty-Shon Pannell had 24 for the Musketeers. The Patriots remain unbeaten at 6-0 while C.I. falls to 4-2.
GAMES OF SATURDAY 12/14
Center Moriches 92 Deer Park 57
All you can say is wow! Emond Frazier led a balanced attack with 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
LuHi 84 Thomas Jefferson 60
Another good win playing without Cal commit Jalen Celestine, who is due back in a week or two. Andre Curbello led a balanced attack with 16 points.
Holy Trinity 55 St. Joseph's 52
Good win on the road against one of Buffalo's top teams. Mike Sixsmith, who picked up his 1000th career point, and TJ Long led the way with 18 points each. Coach Joe Conefry' picked up his 200th career win!
St. Anthony's 47 Malverne 41
Malverne is a tough match-up for anybody and a strong Class B contender, but the Friars prevailed in a battle between two outstanding defenses. Sophomore Jalyke Gaines was the deciding factor, coming off the bench to score 15 points.
Uniondale 75 Copiague 43
Dominating win for the Knights over a good Copiague team, featuring Uniondale's trademark defense and the other mark of a good team - a balanced attack led by Jayden Freeman with 16 points. Fab freshman Malachi Moore led all scorers with 21 points for Copiague.
Chaminade 76 Elmont 53
Convincing win for the Flyers, who are better than expected this year. Big game for Kieran Dorney with 32 points and 8 rebounds.
Long Beach 55 Kellenberg 51
A bit of a shocker - breaking Kellenberg's 5 game winning streak. Jaden Barwicki sealed the deal for the Marines, going 3-for-4 from the free-throw line in the final minute and finishing with 18 points and 8 rebounds. The Firebirds did play without starter John Kwiakowski - a strong rebounder that averages about 6 PPG.
Mepham 63 Wantagh 60
Two good to Section 8 Class A teams and Mepham remains undefeated at 4-0 after holding off a late Warrior run. Mekhi Beckett led the way with 20 points and Jack Fontanetta added 16.
LONG ISLAND NETS
THE UPS AND DOWNS OF MINOR LEAGUE BASKETBALL
The Long Island Nets are coming off a very good season which saw them reach the G-League Finals for the first time, yet this season, they started the season 1-8 and guess what? It's no surprise! Why? The primary purpose of a minor league team is to develop major league talent, and after a season like last year, Long Island's best players were in demand and left for NBA tryouts and overseas pro leagues. That left this year's roster WITHOUT A SINGLE PLAYER FROM LAST SEASON! It takes time to develop the team work and chemistry a good team has, so this year's team may yet prove to be a contender, but it almost impossible for minor league clubs to build on past success, and they and their fans have to learn to enjoy the fruits of their labors as their players go on to bigger and better things. 12/3
KINGS PARK TOURNAMENT
Great match-up between two good teams in the Championship Game of the Kings Park Chamber Of Commerce Tournament, with the host Kingsmen rallying for a 57-54 victory over Commack.
All-Tournament Team
Spencer Malloy (Commack)
Jaden Martinez (Comsewogue)
Adrian Brooks (Huntington)
Matt Wolf (King Park)
MVP-Jack Garside (Kings Park)
11/22-23
It was year two of our great new high school basketball showcase - once again the can't miss basketball event of the holidays! Participant's in this year's showcase had over 40 State Championships between them!
RESULTS DAY 1
Bishop Hendricken 68 Mount Vernon 57
Brentwood 71 Chaminade 62
St. Anthony's 78 Thurgood Marshall 60
St. Mary's 72 Nazareth 48
RESULTS DAY 2
Curtis 77 Nazareth 37
Holy Trinity 82 Mount Vernon 72
St. Anthony’s 51 Trinity Catholic, CT 35
Chaminade 80 Thurgood Marshall 63
GAMES OF FRIDAY 12/20
Commack 80 Riverhead 48
In a big Suffolk League 2 match-up, Commack trailed 17-10 at the first quarter buzzer, but went on a blistering 20-0 second quarter run and never looked back. Team Long Island selection Spencer Molloy was a force, finishing with 30 points and 13 rebounds and Tom Abbott and Travis Newman both had 14 points for the Cougars. Adrian Johnson had 22 of Riverhead's 48 points.
Jericho 81 South Side 64
The Jayhawks are passing every test with flying colors, improving to 5-0 on the season. Brandon Weiss led the way once again, scoring 28 points to pace a balanced attack that had 4 players in double figures. Jake Murphy finished with 24 points for South Side.
Friends Academy 51 Locust Valley 40
In a Nassau Conference 5 showdown, the Quakers picked up a big road win led by three 10 point scorers - CJ Williams, Alex Douglas and Billy Daal. Williams added 11 assists. Luke Paniagua was high man for LV with 11 points.
GAMES OF MONDAY 12/16
#12 Portledge 57 OSNA 54
With the retirement Rev. Ronald Seltzer, who averaged over 20 wins per season in his 28 years as Head Coach, OSNA is heading in a new direction and has joined the PSAA, entering a strong division formed this season that also includes Portledge, Knox, and Stony Brook. How good are they? It looks like they are pretty good, but the Panthers held serve on their home court, utilizing a balanced attack led by Dante Brooks, who finished with 17 points, Jahmir Primer, who added 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Zaire Baines, who had 15 points. OSNA's Gerald St. Laurent led all scorers with 22.
Sayville 66 #14 Miller Place 61
The Golden Flashes let everyone know they too should be included in discussions about Long Island's best Class A teams. P.J. Kloska held off the Panther's with four big free throws down the stretch and finished with 23 points, Kalani Antoine added 14, and Aidan Arnesen had 12 points and 15 rebounds. Miller Place's Thomas Cirrito led all scorers with 26.
Kings Park 52 Harborfields 42
Two good Section 11 Class A teams faced off, and Kings Park is beginning to look like one of the best! The Kingsmen picked up a tough road win led by Matthew Wolf, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Jack Garside, who had 14 points and 5 assists. Joe DeSimone finished with 12 points for the Green Tornadoes.
Port Washington 62 Calhoun 53
Very often, when a strong senior dominated team graduates most of its starters (the Vikings advanced to last years Section 8 Class AA Championship Game), the program enters a rebuilding mode. It looks like Port Washington's will be brief! They improved to 5-2, defeating the previously unbeaten Colts on the road.
GAMES OF TUESDAY 12/10
Central Islip 71 Deer Park 67 2OT
It looked like the Falcons had it won in regulation, rallying to take the lead, but Larry Fuller sent it to OT with two free throws and then Davien Atkinson's layup in the second OT proved to be the game-winner. Deer Park drops to 1-2 while CI improves to 3-1. BOX
Copiague 61 Riverhead 52
Fantastic freshman Malachi Moore finished with 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists to help hand Riverhead its first loss of the season. The Blue Wave opened the season with 4 straight wins. Copiague improves to 4-1 - their only loss on the road at Central Islip. BOX
Smithtown West 61 Elmont 59
Anther Agostino family rivalry game, and it was a good one! Coach Mike's team held off AD Chris' team for a big intersectional win. BOX
Jericho 62 Wantagh 53
Two Class A contenders met, and the visiting Jayhawks picked up a convincing win, remaining unbeaten and handing Wantagh their first loss. BOX
ASK THE REF
VOICES IN THE CROWD
As a long time referee (48 years) I think I've heard just about everything......and I'd like to address some of those things.
Last evening, for example, a relatively experienced coach disagreed with a call I made wherein an opponent drove to the hoop, was into his shooting motion, and got a body check from the side. I blew the whistle for the "blocking foul" and immediately said "GOING UP! GOING UP!!" to clearly indicate that the shooter was fouled "in the act of shooting." Pretty standard procedure, actually. Plays like this occur all the time. The shot missed and the shooter was awarded 2 free throws. What did this veteran coach have to say? "You hear it all the time. THERE'S NO CONTINUATION IN HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL!!" What can you say to a comment like that? The 2 free throws were awarded and that was it.
But what about some of the other things coaches and fans shout out? Let's look at a few that we've all heard over and over again:
1. "CALL EM BOTH WAYS!"
Yeah, okay. No matter how aggressive one of the teams is, no matter what style a team plays, the refs are supposed to make sure the fouls are "balanced" no matter what...... even if one team is playing an aggressive man to man defense and the other is in a stand-up zone, the foul calls have to be even??? You get my drift.
2. "LET THEM PLAY!"
Officials would rather not blow the whistle at all and just let the game flow. They love a well played game as much as anybody, and step in as the need arises. But players and a team's style of play set the tone for the game and the officials must respond accordingly. If two teams are battling hard and neither team is gaining advantages (in the judgement of the officials....) then, certainly, there won't be a lot of whistles to interrupt the action. But whenever someone does gain an advantage from contact, a call needs to be made. This is not schoolyard ball.
3. "OVER THE BACK!"
You hear it every game, but sorry, folks, there is no such foul call in the rule book. In fact, if you're willing to examine the statement, you'd realize that "Over the back" is ample confirmation that the referee made the correct judgement! There is no rule against an athletic play made by a player that managed to grab a rebound by jumping higher than an opponent that has inside position. There may have been "brush contact" but a qualified official will see that there was no advantage gained and a "no call" is the correct judgement.
4. "THERE'S GOTTA BE SOMETHING."
A claim often heard when players collide and end up on the floor, this one is commonly heard on "block/charge" situations or when players are going after a loose ball . But, in case you hadn't realized this, basketball is a contact sport. Players sometimes crash and fall. The officials must see the play and instantaneously make a decision, and if they can't see something worthy of tipping the scales one way or another, they may simply pass on making a call. Nothing particularly wrong with that unless things seem to be getting out of hand. Then they have the option of calling offsetting fouls or offsetting technical fouls to keep things in check without unfairly penalizing one team over the other.
5. "HOME TOWN REFS!"
(often heard in playoff situations). Referees who get assigned to "big games" of any type (playoff or other) have EARNED that assignment based on countless previous experiences in which they've demonstrated the ability to be fair and unbiased. While calls may flow one way or another during the course of a game, it is in no way indicative of favoritism. It's just the way the calls are going. A referee's reputation is not worth sacrificing by consciously favoring one team over another. Keep in mind, it's very challenging to officiate a game when you don't know the teams or their style of play, Gaining the respect of both winners and losers is an officials ultimate satisfaction.
Every once in a while officials hear something that is both clever and memorable. I recall a game between two local rivalry teams where the players happened to be a little more vocal than normal. One player in particular was seemingly commenting on every call made, or not made. It got to the point where I had heard enough and walked over to warn the player. I said "Enough with the comments! YOU PLAY AND I'LL OFFICIATE!!" His reply?? I'M DOING MY PART...." I couldn't help but laugh at that one.....
GAMES OF SATURDAY 12/28
#5 Baldwin 61 St. Dominic 58
The Bayhawks opened some eyes, building a 16 point halftime lead, but the Bruins came storming back!
#6 Holy Trinity 71 #10 Farmingdale 45
In a warm-up for their big game against Mount Vernon Monday at St. Anthony's, the Titans pounded the host Dalers
#7 Northport 75 Hills West 69
The visiting Colts were 8-1 coming into it, and every time the Tigers looked like they were going to put them away, they rallied, but Northport survived the test to improve to 8-1.
#16 Jericho 86 W. Whitman 83 4OT
This team is shaping up to be the best Jayhawk team in many years, and they prevailed in a road marathon to improve to 7-0
Port Washington 68 Malverne 61
The defending Section 8 Class AA finalists looked to be in a rebuilding year, but are now 7-2 after a big road win over a very good Malverne team.
GAMES OF FRIDAY 12/27
#16 Jericho 69 #9 Ward Melville 68
Team Long Island’s Brandon Weiss curled to the basket from the right wing and scored with 20 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Jayhawks the lead and then Jordan Miller's dramatic steal as the Patriots raced down the court iced the big Sweet 16 win. Weiss finished with 24 points, Phillip Priolo added 14 - 8 of them in the fourth quarter - and Yaewon You had 11 in what would have to be considered a signature victory for unbeaten Jericho. Giancarlo Serratore had his best game of the season, finishing with a game high 25 for the Patriots, who fall to 7-2. Jericho is now 6-0.
St. Dominic 52 Elmont 49
Two teams looking to establish themselves faced off in a terrific back and forth game, and after a dramatic third quarter rally by the the Spartans, the Bayhawks regrouped and rallied for the win behind Khalil London, who had a game high 25 points, and Will Ford, who finished with 11. Gus Louis led Elmont with 15 points.
#5 Baldwin 80 Bay Shore 54
People were asking how we could rank Baldwin so high in our first poll when they were 0-1. Now you know! Three straight one sided wins and this is a good Bay Shore team with wins over Central Islip and Commack.
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 1/8
#7 Northport 80 #12 Smithtown W 75
An instant classic between two ranked 10-1 teams going at it for first place in Suffolk League 3! After a great game in a playoff like atmosphere, it looked like host Northport had things well in hand, but the Bulls staged a stunning rally in regulation, coming from 8 down with less than a minute to play to tie it on a clutch 3 pointer by Matt Behrens at the buzzer. The Tigers regained their composure, and after a tight OT, Northport's Pat Healy tied it up again on a drive, sending the game to a second OT, where senior Sean Walsh stepped up to lead the Tigers to the big home win, knocking down clutch shots and free throws down the stretch to put the game away. Can't wait for the rematch! Healy led Northport with 30 points, Walsh had 20, and sophomore forward Nick Watts added 14 points, 17 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Sam Frank had 23 and Behrens 22 for the Bulls.
Long Beach 70 Calhoun 57
Everybody has been wondering if Long Beach is for real after their big win over Kellenberg, but a light schedule makes it tough to tell. This will help: Calhoun was 6-1 coming into this game and the visiting Marines put them away with a 25-14 fourth quarter to improve to 7-1 overall. In the ultimate in balanced attacks, Jaden Barwicki, Alex Bauer, Jacob Cochran, and Evan Michaels all finished with 16 points for Long Beach. Finley Sheridan led Calhoun with 18.
GAMES OF MONDAY 12/23
Riverhead 72 Ward Melville 71
Just as Riverhead was sliding off our radar after a one sided loss to Commack on the road, they come home and knocked off undefeated and 9th ranked Ward Melville to improve to 7-2 on the season! It was a good, back and forth game, with the teams exchanging the lead several times, but Te'Andre Pope gave the Blues Wave the lead for good with a big three-pointer at the 1:01 mark of the fourth quarter and they held off the Patriots from there. Riverhead featured a balanced attack, with TayShaun Hawkins and Adrian Johnson leading the way with 17 points each, while Pope and Albert Daniels both added 15. Ward Melville’s Jack Holland led all scorers with 27 points.
GAMES OF TUESDAY 12/3
Center Moriches 89 Miller Place 82
CM held off a late rally. STORY
Deer Park 71 Longwood 59
Deer Park confirmed their contender status. STORY
Northport 58 North Babylon 45
Watch out for Northport this season! STORY
GAMES OF SATURDAY 1/4
Boys & Girls 65 #1 Brentwood 64
Hopefully, the Indians got a stinker out of their systems - they were not a good team today. They played one on one basketball, nobody hit their shots, and they committed more turnovers than I could count. Very ugly game, but keep an eye out for B&G’s Khalil Brantley - a special player. He’s a junior, single-handedly led the Kangaroo comeback, and hit the long distance game winner at the buzzer. You’ll be seeing him at the next level.
#2 LuHi 91 St. Ray's (CHSAA AA) 64
The Crusaders actually didn’t play that well and still overwhelmed one of NYC’s top teams. They committed a bunch of turnovers, but big games from Drissa Traore and Zed Key inside more than made up for it. Both teams were missing D1 recruits - Cal bound Jalen Celestine is still out for LuHi and Gary Grant missed the game for the Ravens, but St. Ray’s doesn’t have the depth to compensate.
#5 Baldwin 57 Port Washington 45
Port Washington tormented Baldwin last season, upsetting them twice - once in a big Section 8 playoff semifinal matchup, so this one meant a lot to the Bruins and a 27-8 third quarter was the difference after a tight first half. Kamani Jones had a season high 21 points to lead the way for the Bruins.
#6 Holy Trinity 73 Iona Prep 70
Nobody has been able to stop the deadly duo of Mike Sixsmith and TJ Long, who combined for 39 in this one. They make the Titans a solid favorite in the Catholic League this season, but Holy Trinity has now given up big leads in their last two games and that’s a concern going forward.
Archb. Molloy 69 #8 Chaminade 67
The Flyers battled wire to wire against the legendary NYC program, but fell to 5-4 on the season. Future opponents beware - Chaminade is never out of a game and will knock off more than a few teams this season. They are without a doubt a dangerous opponent now and will be in the playoffs as well. Dorney deservedly draws most of the attention from the defense and almost always gets his points - he had 17 in this one, and that attention helps get open looks for his teammates, who are more than capable of knocking down shots and can create for themselves as well. Matt Coletti and Jason Leyden both finished with 14 points.
Mt. St. Michaels 44 St. Anthony's 41
Even though Mount is a 7-2 CHSAA Class AA team, this one had the feel of an upset. The Friars led early and their dominant defense controlled the tempo and kept it close the whole way, and like so many of those kind of games, last minute turnovers and missed opportunities decided it. Andre Snoddy, who has successfully made the transition from forward to guard, led St. Anthony’s with 18 points with his very effective inside-out game, and big man Louis Stallone, who is a great passer out of the high post and can knock down shots, finished with 14.
GAMES OF TUESDAY 1/7
#15 St Mary's 79 #5 Holy Trinity 54
Even though both teams are ranked in the Sweet 16, this was still a stunning score. The Gaels were on the road, led pretty much wire to wire, and won by 25 points?!?! And both Long and Sixsmith played! Wow! Jovayne Walters led a balanced St. Mary's attack, which featured 5 players in double figures, with 20 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 blocks. A big win for a once dominant program that has gone 9 years without a title. BOX
Academy Charter 65 Malverne 63
Last year was their first year in Section 8, and they made it all the way to the Long Island Class D Championship Game before losing to perennial champion Bridgehampton. This year, they have moved up to Class B and it looks like they will be contenders there as well after beating the mighty Mules, who have been one of Long Island's best Class B programs for as long as we can remember. That makes them 5-1, with wins over Cold Spring Harbor and the PSAL's James Monroe. The game was tight and back and forth the whole way, and featured a great battle between two of Long Island's best players - Michael Warren of Malverne and Jarrett Dingle of AC, and while Warren won the battle 25-21, Dingle won the war.
GAMES OF FRIDAY 1/10
#2 C. Moriches 81 Southampton 69
In one of those great rivalry games in a loud, packed gym, the host Mariners took a 27-22 second quarter lead and were within 5 after a stirring fourth quarter rally led by an inspired Sincere Faggins, but the Red Devils responded with a 15-5 run and were not seriously threatened after that. Ahkee Anderson led CM with 26 points and 9 assists and Emond Frazier added 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Faggins and Dakota Smith led Southampton with 18 points and Artemi Gavalas added 12, including some big fourth quarter 3 pointers..
Mattituck 84 Hampton Bays 55
The Tuckers continued their march towards their inevitable confrontation with #2 ranked and undefeated Center Moriches, improving to 12-0 with a very impressive win over a good Hampton Bays squad, who were 9-2 themselves coming into the game. Returning All-New York State guard Xavier Allen led the way with 27 points and 10 rebounds, Rashad Lawson had a big game too, finishing with 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Luke Woods completed the imposing three pronged attack with 22 points of his own. Lucas Brown led Hampton Bays with 18 points.
GAMES OF THURSDAY 1/2
Deer Park 44 North Babylon 42
Its been a tough year for the Falcons, who were 2 and 6 coming into this game against the 7-2 Bulldogs and playing without returning All-New York State guard Malik Edmead, who is out with a leg injury, but the tide may be turning for them. Edmead's 8th grade little brother, who some say might be the best yet of the very talented Edmead brothers, finished with a game high 14 points and another youngster - freshman Anthony Daley - hit the big shot - a three pointer from the top with 3 seconds left - to give the Falcons the dramatic home victory and put them at 2-0 and alone in first place in Suffolk League 4. Mark Cordero added 9 points and 11 rebounds. Takel Jackson and Jordan Guice both finished with 10 points for North Babylon.
GAMES OF SUNDAY 12/29
#1 Brentwood 71 #8 Chaminade 62
The featured game at Day 1 of the New York Holiday Invitational did not disappoint. Although the Indian led most of the way, it was a good tight game and the emphatic back to back second half dunks by Jordan Reilly and a big half by Alan Houston, who scored 12 of his 19 points after intermission to go with his 10 rebounds, were the difference. Kieran Dorney finished with a game high 24 for the Flyers.
St. Anthony's 78 Thurgood Marsh 60
The PSAL AA team was 7-1 coming into the game and fresh off a win over Boys & Girls High, but the Friars dominated.
St.Mary's 72 Nazareth 48
Nazareth jumped out to a 14-4 lead, but it was all St. Mary's after that.
GAMES OF MONDAY 12/30
#6 Holy Trinity 82 Mount Vernon 72
The Titans exploded out of the gate behind the precision passing and shooting of Mike Sixsmith and TJ Long, building a 20 point halftime lead, but the 11 time New York State Champion Knights made some halftime adjustments, pounding the ball inside to exploit their height advantage, and came storming back. They couldn't contain Sixsmith, however, who scored 12 of his game high 32 points in the fourth quarter to stall the run and lead Holy Trinity to the signature victory. Long had a big game too, finishing with 26 points, including 6 threes, and Trevor Rhorer had 16 points.
#8 Chaminade 80 Thurg Marshall 63
Team Long Island selection Kieran Dorney was on his game once again, pouring in 18 of his 22 points in the decisive first half, sparkplug Matt Coletti had 16 second half points on his way to a game high 24 and Brandon Pizzingrillo a season high 14 to lead the Flyers to a convincing win over the defending PSAL Class AA Manhattan Borough Champions.
#15 St. Anthony's 51 Trinity Cath 35
The Friar's showed off their defensive prowess, handily defeating the 7 time Connecticut State Champions. Team Long Island's Andre Snoddy led a balanced attack with 16 points and Louis Stallone and Jack Garvey finished with 10 points each.
GAMES OF TUESDAY 1/14
#9 St. Anthony's 64 #5 St. Mary's 52
Its shaping up to be an exciting season in the Catholic League! Just about every team has some big non-league wins and it looks like we can look forward to great games in league play! Like old times! This was an important road win for the Friars and their league leading defense, which is holding opponents to an average of 48 PPG.
Hills East 60 #12 Smithtown W 57
One of the best things about this job is watching kids you’ve been following since grade school come into their own and begin to have an impact on the varsity level. Hills East - one of Long Island’s top programs in recent years, is rebuilding and took their lumps earlier in the season, but their youngsters are starting to assert themselves and the Thunderbirds have now won four straight, including an impressive win over Bay Shore (8-6) and now this eye opening road win over the 12th ranked Bulls. Three of their impressive youngster's played big roles - freshman Dante Green finished with 16 points and 9 rebounds, fellow freshman Frank Wilson had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks, and sophomore point guard Xavier Lewis efficiently ran the show, finished with 9 points and hit two clutch free throws in the final seconds to ice it. Michael Behrens led West with 26.
#2 Cent. Moriches 102 Mattituck 68
If there were any doubters left, the Red Devils took care of them after their big win over Chaminade this past Sunday and this demolition of previously unbeaten Mattituck. I’m still not sure if they are better than last year’s team, but they just might be! CM once again showed great balance, with 5 players in double figures led by Ahkee Anderson, who had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists and Jaden Kealey, who had 17 points and 12 rebounds. You have to give a special shout-out to Xavier Allen of Mattituck, who scored 41 points in the losing effort.
Wheatley 70 Malverne 57
Where did Wheatley come from? They improved to 10-2 after going 3-16 last year and took out a very good Malverne team coming off a big win against highly regarded Portledge. Jason Koty led the balanced attack with a season high 21 points and added 8 rebounds and 4 assists and James O’Connell, who had 21 in a win against Cold Spring Harbor, finished with 13 points and 4 assists. Jayden Seraphin led Malverne with 19. The Wildcats are one of Long Island’s best defensive teams, holding opponents to and average of 46 ppg.
2019-20 SEASON: WE'RE OFF!
The high school season is off and running, with two Section 11 games at the Islip Tournament featured. In game one, Matt Behrens hit an amazing 19 free throws to lead Smithtown West over Walt Whitman 75-63, West coach Mike Agostino's 100th career victory. Host Islip took it on the chin in the nightcap, falling to Pat-Med 76-51. Joe Harrison was red hot with 6 threes for the Raiders in the first half and the Buccaneers never recovered from the onslaught. Portledge kicked things off for the private schools on Wednesday, defeating Browning from NYC 87-67 behind 28 points from L.I.'s leading returning scorer, Zaire Baines. 11/22
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 1/15
Hewlett 67 #14 Jericho 54
Hewlett was considered a serious contender in preseason, with All-New York State sharpshooter Brett Karkus returning and a good supporting cast, but Karkus missed a number of games and played others when he wasn’t 100%, so they had a modest 5-6 record coming into this game. He is back now and led the Bulldogs with 17 points, young phenom Ryan Weiss added 15 points, and Darren Spencer 8 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks as Hewlett rallied from a 3rd quarter deficit to defeat the 14th ranked and previously unbeaten Jayhawks going away. Brandon Weiss led all scorers with 27 points for Jericho.
Elmont 50 Sewanhaka 31
Elmont has played a brutal schedule and has taken some tough non-league losses, but they are tied for first in Nassau Conference A2 now, improving to 5-0 in league play after going on a 40-19 run over the final three quarters. Gus Louis had a big game with 23 points, and so did Jevon Santos, who finished with 10 points and 12 assists. Nobody reached double figures for Sewahkaka. They have a first place showdown with defending Long Island Champion Manhasset this Saturday, 1 PM at Manhasset.
Valley Stream South 56 Friends 54
VSS started off slowly this season, losing their first two games, but since point guard Nick Trail has returned to the line-up, they have gone 8-1, including this big first place showdown with Friends Academy. Chidi Obichire put together an impressive statline with 19 points and 20 rebounds, Emil Williams added 14 points, and Trail finished with 9 points and 11 assists. Billy Daal led Friends with 16 points.
GAMES OF SATURDAY 1/18
#7 Northport 51 #8 Baldwin 49
This was one of the big matchups of the weekend - a possible LIC preview - and it looked like the Tigers were on their way to a convincing win - up 43-28 at the end of three quarters - before a big Bruin rally fell just short. Team Long Island selections Sean Walsh, who stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals, and Nick Watts, who finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks, led Northport while another Team Long Islander - Lance Henry - led Baldwin with 16 points.
#13 Amityville 72 Miller Place 59
Miller Place defeated Amityville three times last season, but the Warriors turned the tables on the Panthers in their first confrontation this season, picking up a big road win behind 32 points and 8 assists from Team Long Island selection Darnell Evans. The win gave them sole possession of first place in Suffolk League 6. Myles Goddard finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks and Armoni Zeigler added 10 points while Tim Hirdt and Team Long Island selection Thomas Cirrito both had 21 points for Miller Place. Interestingly, Evans helped Wyandanch knock off Miller Place in last season's Section 11 semifinals, scoring 13 points and making 8 steals for a Wyandanch team that went on to take the Class A title.
Elmont 62 Manhasset 40
After a very tough non-league schedule, the Spartans (7-4) are right back in the thick of the race in Nassau Class A, rolling past defending Long Island Class A Champion Manhasset (9-3) to remain a perfect 6-0 and alone in first place in Nassau Conference 2A. Jordan Lawson led the way with 21 points and Jevon Santos added 9 points and 9 assists. Cole Zaffiro had 17 points for Manhasset.
GAMES OF SUNDAY 1/19
Elmont 66 #2 Center Moriches 51
When a heavy favorite doesn't shoot well and gets in foul trouble, while the underdog shoots well and plays great D, that's the perfect recipe for an upset. The Spartans were ready right from the opening tap and rallied from a second quarter deficit to make it a tight game at the half, and then in the third quarter, a foul call against point guard and leading scorer Ahkee Anderson sent him to the bench with 3 fouls, and everything changed. Elmont went on a blistering run while their defense had the Red Devils locked down and looking indecisive. When Anderson finally returned there was time for a comeback, but CM was completely rattled and couldn’t settle back in. The Spartans were relentless in response, holding Long Island's #2 ranked team to their lowest point total of the season - 37 points below their average - and they rolled to the big win. Elmont boasted 5 players in double figures, led by Isiah Barnes and Gus Louis, who finished with 17 points and 14 points respectively.
#4 Brentwood 71 #8 Baldwin 52
This was the Brentwood team - big, athletic, and full of scoring options - that we expected this season and they made a statement to their Nassau County rivals, running up a big first quarter lead and then successfully holding off the Bruins the rest of the way. Jordan Riley was Jordan Riley, leading all scorers with 20 points and a bunch of rim rattling dunks, Amari Isaacs knocked down 5 threes and finished with 17, Alan Houston added 14, and Kenny Lazo 12. Isiah Walker was his relentless self and led Baldwin with 17.
#3 Uniondale 52 Hills East 40
There was never really any doubt that the third ranked Knights would win this game, but Hills East earned everyone’s respect, playing very confidently and competitively with nothing but sophomores and freshman on the floor. The Thunderbirds have come a long way from the intimidated team that lost badly to Portledge way back on November 30th, and if they qualify, will be a tough out in the playoffs and without a doubt a serious contender for years to come. Mighty Uniondale has also enjoyed significant improvement from two of its players - their own freshman Jo Jo Wright, who grows more confident and more aggressive with every game, led all scorers with 20 points, and senior big man Rashaun Gorham, who has developed a very old school big man’s game and has a velvet soft touch around the basket, finished with 10 and consistently scores and rebounds in double digits. Freshman Frank Wilson was high man for Hills with 14 and fellow freshman Dante Green had 10.
GAMES OF FRIDAY 1/17
#14 Jericho 55 Roslyn 52
League play means first place show-downs, and the Jayhawks took this one, leading pretty much wire to wire on their home court. Brandon Weiss, who has scored 20 points or more in 9 out of Jericho’s 11 games and 17 or more in every game, led the way with 21 points and hit two big free throws down the stretch to help hold off the Bulldogs. Yaewon You finished with 11 and is averaging 13.2 this season. Spyro Drenis led Roslyn with 16 points and Noah Rosenthal added 14.
Academy Charter 58 Wheatley 49
Charter is beginning to look like Nassau’s best Class B team, with wins over both Malverne and Wheatley, but both wins were at home and beating those teams on their home courts is no easy task, so we’ll have to wait and see. Wheatley held AC to 58 points, but Charter’s strength is putting points on the board. Led by Jarret Dingle, a freshman who impressed in last season’s playoffs and is averaging 25.6 ppg this year, they are first in Nassau and fifth on Long Island in scoring at 78 PPG. Despite their scoring prowess, they have flown a bit under the radar so far because they don’t play many non-league games, and their back-loaded schedule is mostly against other small schools on Long Island, but their two big wins and 6-0 league record, which gives them sole possession of first place in Nassau Conference B-C, is hard to ignore.
2000 POINTS FOR BAINES!
After averaging 31.6 ppg as an 8th grader on varsity, 33.5 as a 9th grader, and 27.4 ppg so far this season, 15 year old sophomore Zaire Baines of Long Island's Portledge School, a Class C program in the PSAA, scored his 2000th career point - the fastest to ever achieve that milestone in Long Island basketball history! As long as he stays healthy and stays on Long Island, he will quite likely become our all-time leading scorer and one of the all-time leading scorers in New York State history. The top spot in the state may be out of reach, with Joe Girard III, who drew national attention by averaging close to 50 ppg his junior and senior seasons at Class B Glens Falls, in first place with 4,763 career points. Playing for a small school (Class B and below) is a big advantage in compiling big career numbers - 8th graders on varsity, and even 9th graders, are rare at large schools. Long Island's current all time leading scorer, with 2,799 points, is Ryan Creighton from Class C/D Greenport. Long Island's large school leader (Class AA, A) is Devonte Green, with 2,681 career points. He is one of the rare large school players that got the opportunity to play varsity in middle school. He finished up at LuHi and also played at OSNA and North Babylon. 1/22
GAMES OF FRIDAY 1/24
#1 LuHi 66 La Crosse Central, WI 61
The Crusaders are out on the road again playing their national schedule and are at an event in Florida hosted by the #1 ranked team in the country - Montverde Academy. Long Island's #1 ranked team is doing very well so far, advancing to the championship game against the hosts led by two big games from Ohio State commit Zed Key, but now they have the added obstacle of the flu, which has swept through the team. A chance to knock off #1 doesn’t come along very often, so here’s hoping they can still pull it off and make us all proud! Game time Saturday at 8 pm. We will update you as information becomes available! BOX
#13 Farmingdale 66 Massapequa 52
The sorting out process in Nassau AA continues, and the Dalers are firming up their spot as a serious contender with a solid win over a good Massapequa team, improving to 9-4 on the season. They have developed an effective multi-pronged attack, this time led by Luis Smikle Jr., who had 21 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, while Tommy Decker finished with added 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and Marvel Chambers 10 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Sean Sauter led Massapequa, who falls to 8-5, with 18 points.
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 1/22
Commack 72 Bay Shore 58
The Cougars firmed up their grip on first place in Suffolk League 2, improving to 12-4 overall. Team Long Island selection Spencer Molloy has been a model of consistency, scoring in double digits in every game at an 18.8 clip and rebounding in double digits in just about every game. He had 28 and 18 in this one, while Travis Newman added 16, and Brendyn Cheng dished out 10 assists. Malachi Coleman had another big game for the 9-8 Marauders, finishing with 21 points.
GAMES OF TUESDAY 1/21
#6 St. Anthony's 53 #4 Holy Trinity 52
The Friars improved to 12-3 and 4-0 in league play with their second big road win, rallying to defeat the Titans, who fall to 13-3. Team Long Island selection Andre Snoddy is on a roll, scoring 23 points and pulling down 17 rebounds from the guard spot and hitting the game-winning free throws. Mike Sixsmith led Holy Trinity with 18 points.
Central Islip 60 Ward Melville 58
The Musketeers are alone in second place now in tough Suffolk League One behind #3 Brentwood, holding off a 14-2 closing run by the Patriots when a contested game tying jumped was just off target. Team Long Island selection Ty-Shon Pannell had a huge game, finishing with 34 points, and Isiah Sween added 13. Giancarlo Serratore led WM with 21.
GAMES OF SATURDAY 1/25
Montverde Academy 83 #1 LuHi 47
Wow! How good is this team! 22-0 and blows out New York State's and Long Island's #1 team, who to be fair was shorthanded and had players out with the flu. But still! Wow! You know the LuHi players and coaches would love another crack at them at full strength!
#5 Northport 76 Copiague 61
That's 14 in a row for the Tigers, whose only loss was to Brentwood.
#9 C Moriches 94 S Bronx Prep 67
A battle between two Class B powerhouses and the Red Devils roll!
Long Beach 76 Mepham 48
11 straight for Long Beach!
GAMES OF TUESDAY 1/28
#5 St. Anthony's 49 #7 Chaminade 44
The Friar defense and star Andre Snoddy are having a great run, knocking off their third straight NSCHSAA contender while holding the potent Flyer offense to their lowest point total of the season. Snoddy finished with 25 of his teams 49 points, including 8 points in the decisive 12-2 fourth quarter, and added 8 rebounds. Kieran Dorney had 20 of Chaminade’s 44 points. The home win firmed up the Friar’s grip on first place and they improved to 13-3 overall.
South Side 64 #15 Jericho 51
A big closing first half run by the Cyclones was the difference, giving them a 36-21 halftime lead they never relinquished. Defense was the key, with South Side holding the 15th ranked Jayhawks 19 points under their season average. Jake Murphy had a big first half and finished with 20 points, Ryan Ledwith had 17, and Jack McDonald 12. Steven Gerschwer led Jericho with 16 points. The game created a log jam at the top of Nassau Conference A3, with South Side now 6-2 and in a first place tie with Roslyn, while the Jayhawks are half game back at 5-2.
Kings Park 60 #16 Hills West 53
After a great match-up at Hills West, won by the16th ranked Colts 54-51, the Kingmen took the rematch at home in this Suffolk League 5 first place showdown. Tied at 47 with under 4 minutes to play, junior point guard Jack Garside, a Team Long Island selection, took over, draining back to back threes with 3:09 to play, then he stole the ball and hit a spinning drive to make it 57-53 with less than a minute remaining, and then two big free throws for a 6 point lead with 20 seconds left to ice it - 10 big points in less than 4 minutes time! He finished with 24 and also dished out 6 assists, and teammate Matt Wolf also had a big game, adding 14 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Zach Seltzer led Hills with 21. It was Kings Park’s 9th straight win and snapped Hills West’s 7 game winning streak..
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 1/29
#8 Baldwin 63 Port Washington 46
The Bruins took a commanding 2 game lead in Nassau Conference AA2 with a come from behind road win over their rivals. After Jayden McKenzie had rallied them in the first half, a big third quarter surge behind a lock down press and the scoring of Team Long Island’s Lance Henry put them up 44-27 after three quarters and they cruised home from there. McKenzie led a balanced attack with 14 points, Henry had 12, and Trevon Blackett and Josh Minton 10 each. Christian Schwirzbin led Port with 13.
Central Islip 67 William Floyd 53
Everyone expected a big senior season from Ty-Shon Pannell, and the returning All-New York State guard has delivered, leading the Musketeers to a surprising 13-4 record after going 9-12 last year, scoring his 1000th career point, and exploding for 43 points and 7 assists in this game to firm up second place in tough Suffolk League 1. CI remains 2 games back and within striking distance of league leader Brentwood, whom they play at home at 1PM on February 1st.
Deer Park 88 West Islip 35
The Falcons took some early season lumps, but when you look back at their brutal non-league schedule, not too many teams would come out of playing, Brentwood, Uniondale, Holy Trinity, Central Islip, Center Moriches, and Farmingdale, a combined 85-15, unscathed. It’s been a different story in league play, with two big wins over rival North Babylon and a 7-2 league record after handily defeating the Lions on their home court. Returning all-New York State guard Malik Edmead, who scored his 1500th career point in this one, seems to be close to 100% after struggling with an injury earlier in the season. Watch out for Deer Park going forward.
GAMES OF FRIDAY 1/31
#4 Northport 59 #14 Smithtown W 55
Another battle right down to the wire between the Tigers and the Bulls, and once again Pat Healy stepped up, finishing with 31 points and knocking down clutch free throws down the stretch. After a slow start, Sean Walsh had a big 4th quarter and finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. The Behrens brothers paced West, with Michael scoring 15 points and Matt 13.
#12 St. Mary's 64 #6 Holy Trinity 63
Another Catholic League war, and Sal Saputo hit the clutch game winning free throws to give the Gaels the season sweep. St. Mary’s was playing its 5th straight game without starting point guard Nick Cham, but sophomore Darius Coleman stepped up big time in his place, finishing with 27 points. Mike Sixsmith and TJ Long both had 21 for Holy Trinity.
St. Dominic 63 #7 Chaminade 56
Another surprise ending in the Catholic League, with the Bayhawks rallying for the big road win to improve to 8-9. Willy Ford led the way with 20 points and Ben Toussant added 18. Kieran Dorney had 27 points for Chaminade. The Flyers won the previous game 64-48 at St. Doms.
GAMES OF SATURDAY 2/1
#1 LuHi 74 Green Tech 49
The Crusaders continue to dominate even the best New York competition, remaining undefeated in the state. They showed off their depth against a Class AA team from Albany ranked 26th in the state, with Kacper Klayczek leading the way with 15 points and 12 rebounds and Paul Jordan adding 13 points.
#3 Brentwood 79 Central Islip 52
The Indians rolled over a very good Central Islip team to improve to 18-1. Jordan Riley continues to stuff the stat sheet with 24 points and 11 rebounds and Kenny Lazo does a great job of running the show, adding 10 points and 8 assists. Ty-Shon Pannell was a force for the Musketeers once again, finishing with 22 points.
#8 Baldwin 66 Long Beach 57
Baldwin may be underrated. They came into this game with 4 losses - more than most of the teams in the Sweet 16, but the 4 teams that have beaten them are a combined 71-3 and are all ranked in the top 10 in New York State. It showed in this one. They took to the road and snapped Long Beach’s 13 game winning streak, going up by 19 points in the third quarter before holding off a run that fell well short. Lance Henry and Kamani Jones led the balanced Bruin attack with 14 points each while Alex Bauer led the balanced Long Beach attack with 16 points. The Marines are for real and a serious contender in Nassau A.
30 PPG FOR A SEASON
Current scoring leader Xavier Allen of Mattituck is on pace to finish with an average of over 30 PPG, which would put him on an EXCLUSIVE LIST. The All-Time single season record holder for PPG is Manhasset's Jim Brown, who averaged 38.1 ppg in 1953 before going on to play both basketball and football at Syracuse and then to a career with the NFL's Cleveland Browns. He is recognized as one of, if not the greatest running backs of all time! Many say he is also in the conversation for the title of greatest lacrosse player of all time! Also on the list is Boston Red Sox Hall Of Famer Carl Yastrzemski, who played basketball at Bridgehampton, NBA stars Wally Szczerbiak from Cold Spring Harbor and Mitch Kupchak from Brentwood, and current U Albany Head Coach Will Brown from Miller Place!
BEST DEFENSIVE TEAMS
They say defense wins championships. Here is a list of the teams with winning records that have allowed the fewest points per game heading into the playoffs:
Kings Park (SEC 11A) 45 ppg
Elmont (SEC 8A) 46 ppg
Port Washington (SEC 8AA) 46 ppg
Bethpage (SEC 8A) 47 ppg
Friends Academy (SEC 8A) 47
Roslyn (SEC 8A) 47 ppg
Pierson (SEC 11C) 47 ppg
St. Anthony's (CHSAA A) 47 ppg
Baldwin (SEC 8AA) 48 ppg
Northport (SEC 11AA) 48 ppg
Plainview (SEC 8AA) 48 ppg
Wheatley (SEC 8B) 48 ppg
Locust Valley (SEC 8A) 49 ppg
Uniondale (SEC 8AA) 49 ppg
GAMES OF TUESDAY 2/4
#8 Holy Trinity 61 #12 Chaminade 44
Two highly regarded teams who are both going through slumps - the Titans won this one decisively and beat the Flyers in their first matchup as well, but are 3-3 over their last 6 games, while the loss put Chaminade at 10-10 for the season and was their fourth straight. Good sign for Holy Trinity - someone other than TJ Long or Mike Sixsmith led them in scoring - Jalen Bhoorosingh had 15 points and Nick Margetson 13 while someone other than Kieran Dorney led Chaminade - Cooper Francis had 14 points.
Hills East 61 Centereach 34
The sophomore and freshman dominated Thunderbirds have completely turned their season around and clinched a playoff spot Freshman forward Frank Wilson seems to have been the missing piece after being called up from JV, leading the way in this one with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
GAMES OF MONDAY 2/3
Valley Stream South 56 Locust Valley 46
Winners of 13 out of their last 14 games and with a 13-3 record overall, how is VSS not ranked, you might ask? A head scratching loss to Floral Park (2-14) and a loss to good but not great Mineola (7-9) have held them back, but they look like they're ready to make some noise in the playoffs! They utilized a balanced attack to beat a solid Falcons team, with Jordan Wilson leading the way with 13 points and Emil Williams adding 12 points and 10 rebounds. Carlo Paz led all scorers with 17 points for Locust Valley.
GAMES OF TUESDAY 2/11
PSAA SEMIFINALS
#11 Portledge 76 Martin Luther 55
Evangel Christian 87 Knox 84 OT
The two best teams advanced to Thursday’s PSAA Championship Game. Top seed Evangel Christian from Long Island City, unbeaten in league play and 17-2 overall, held off a determined Knox School to advance, while a shorthanded Portledge (20-4), whose only league loss was 66-62 to Evangel, rolled over a tough Martin Luther squad. Super sophomore Zaire Baines led Portledge with 22 points, Aazayah Ross had a triple double, finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, Anthony Follet had 16 points, and Christian Daley 13 points and 10 rebounds. Darren Joyner led Martin Luther with 15 points. The Championship Game will start at 6:15 PM at The Martin Luther School, 60-02 Maspeth Avenue, Maspeth, NY
REGULAR SEASON GAMES
#16 Chaminade 80 #7 St. Mary's 75
The exciting play in the Catholic League continues, with Chaminade picking up a big road win to get back in the race. Team Long Island’s Kieran Dorney had another great game, finishing with 29 points and 15 rebounds, but Brandon Pizzingrillo was the difference, scoring a season high 18 points. Sal Saputo led the Gaels with 18 points. As it stands now, Holy Trinity is alone in second place at 6-3 with 3 games to play, while St. Mary's and Chaminade are at 6-4 and have 2 games remaining.
GAMES OF THURSDAY 2/6
Longwood 70 Ward Melville 63
Longwood, who started off the season 1-7, qualified for the playoffs, reeling off 4 wins in their last 5 games, including this upset of the 13-6 Patriots in the regular-season finale for both teams. Anthony Adams led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds, Ke'Andre Penceal added 21 points and 9 rebounds, and Jeremiah Mobley finished with 16 points and 8 assists, knocking down 6 big fourth quarter free throws, the final two putting the game out of reach. Jack Holland led WM with 26 points. If Longwood ends up playing #1 seed Brentwood in the first round, the Lions dropped a 74-63 decision to their long time rivals back on 1/24, playing them as well as anybody has this season.
Hills East 44 #14 Smithtown West 42
The young Thunderbirds swept the season series from the Bulls, who stumbled to the finish line, dropping their third straight. This time, Dante Green, a freshman from one of Long Island's great basketball families, made the big play, blocking a layup attempt in the final seconds to preserve the upset. He also led the way on the scoreboard, finishing with 14 points and 9 rebounds and fellow freshman Frank Wilson added 7 points and 11 rebounds. Sam Frank had 16 points for West. Hills looks like a very dangerous playoff opponent.
Deer Park 76 Bellport 72
Deer Park got off to a rough 2-6 start this season, but beating rival Bellport in the season finale gave them an 8-2 record over their last 10 and undisputed possession of first place in Suffolk League 4. D1 commit Malik Edmead had 37 points and is playing his best ball right now, and the timing is perfect. The playoffs start this weekend and after strong finish, have to be considered one of the dark horses. Samir Bell and Jihad Robinson both had 18 points for Bellport.
NYC vs LI
THE SEASON SERIES
Long time readers of this website know that Long Island boys high school basketball teams have won the season series with neighboring New York City for 11 straight years, and this year's series shows Long Island on a record setting pace, leading their rivals by an incredible 38 games through January 31st! Some highlights:
Chaminade 64 Francis Lewis (PSAL AA) 48
St.Mary's 58 WHEELS (PSAL AA) 36
South Side 61 Xavier (CHSAA A) 56
LuHi 84 Thomas Jefferson (PSAL AA) 60
LWA 60 Far Rockaway (PSAL A) 48 (20-8)
Amityville 83 Brooklyn L&T (PSAL A) 65
Friends Academy 53 John Adams (PSAL A)
Portledge 81 Springfield Gard (PSAL AA) 56
LuHi 91 St. Raymond's (CHSAA AA) 64
Holy Trinity 73 Iona Prep (CHSAA AA) 70
Academy Charter 53 Monroe (PSAL AA) 50
Holy Trinity 81 Thomas Jeff. (PSAL AA) 80
St. Anthony's 56 Holy Cross (CHSAA AA) 50
St. Mary's 72 Lincoln (PSAL AA) 56
Knox 59 Collegiate (NYSAIS B) 53
Holy Trinity 78 St. Peters's (CHSAA AA) 70
LuHi 76 Iona Prep (CHSAA AA) 52
Baldwin 61 Thurgood Marshall (PSAL AA) 57
C Moriches 94 S. Bronx Prep (PSAL B) 67
LONG ISLAND'S
LEADING SCORERS
Through 2/2/20
Xavier Allen Mattituck 31.4
Josh Fenner John Glenn 27.4
James Butler Sachem North 26.7
Zaire Baines Portledge 26.6
Ty-Shon Pannell Central Islip 25.3
Jarrett Dingle Academy Charter 25.1
Brandon Weiss Jericho 24.8
TJ Long Holy Trinity 24.8
Keith Valdez Lindenhurst 24.4
Malik Edmead Deer Park 23.9
************************
PLAYOFF BRACKETS
************************
GAMES OF FRIDAY 2/7
#5 St. Anthony's 62 #7 St. Mary's 60
A classic Catholic League confrontation between the first place Friars and second place Gaels, it was a battle from whistle to whistle and St. Anthony’s prevailed, improving to 17-3 overall, extending their winning streak to 10 games, and upping their league record to 8-0. Andre Snoddy continued his tear, finishing with 20 points and 5 assists, and Tristen Correa had a big game too, adding 14 points and six rebounds. Sal Saputo had a game high 22 for St. Mary’s and Nick Cham added 16.
Friends Academy 58 VS South 56 OT
An Aaron Daniel’s layup with 20 second’s left in regulation tied it, and then Gabe Ferencz hit what proved to be the game winning 3 pointer in overtime as Friends Academy snapped Valley Stream’s 9 game winning streak and moved into a first place tie with the Falcons in Nassau Conference A5. Billy Daal led the balanced Quaker attack with 14 points, Skyler Mott added 13, and CJ williams finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Emil Williams led South with 21 points.
Hewlett 59 Jericho 55
The Bulldogs seem to have Jericho’s number this season, rallying to hand them the second of their 3 losses. Young Ryan Weiss led the way with 26 points while cousin Brandon Weiss had 23 for the Jayhawks.
Malverne 70 Wheatley 42
Take note: The Mules seem to play their best in big games, rolling over the Wildcats to take control of the #2 playoff seed in Section 8 B with 1 game to play. The win also keeps them 1 game behind league leader Academy Charter, whom they split their season series with. Michael Warren led Malverne’s three pronged attack with 17 points and 10 assists, Jayden Seraphin had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Deandre Blagrove 12 points and 12 rebounds. Nobody reached double figures for Wheatley.
GAMES OF SATURDAY 2/8
REGULAR SEASON
#1 LuHi 86 Sierra Canyon, Ca 74
Zed Key led the way with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks, Andre Curbelo had a masterful 23 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals, and junior Rafael Pinzon added 17 points as Long Island's #1 team defeated nationally ranked and star studded Sierra Canyon from California in front of a packed house at a New Jersey based showcase. Key had the best game I've ever seen him play, scoring inside and dominating the boards, and Curbelo did too, weaving his way through the athletic California team's aggressive presses and traps time after time and either hitting a floater from the lane over outstretched arms or finding Key, who finished with authority, or Pinzon, who was effective inside and out. The game drew a great deal of attention, including an ESPN audience, because Sierra not only features McDonald's All-American Ziaire Williams and other D1 recruits, but also the sons of Lebron James and Duane Wade - ironically neither of whom played significant minutes. STORY
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 2/12
SECTION 11 PLAYOFFS
CLASS A QUARTERFINALS
#10 Amityville 93 Sayville 54
Right now, Amityville is looking like an unstoppable force, rolling over Sayville led by 35 points and 10 assists from Team Long Island’s Darnell Evans and big contributions from everybody else. BOX SCORE
Kings Park 86 Wyandanch 74
It was a rematch of last season’s Section 11 Class A Championship Game, and the Kingsmen turned the tables with a big game from junior Jack Garside, who finished with a career high 38 points. It was by no means a walkover, with the Warriors making a strong second half run led by Danny Faustin, but the Kings Park defense prevailed in a game played at a Wyandanch pace. BOX SCORE
Hills West 74 Hauppauge 54
It was 16-10 Hauppauge after 1 and 31-29 Hauppauge at the half, but the host Colts poured it on in the second half. Chris Kuplen led their balanced attack with 18 points, Zack Seltzer 16, Colby Jordan 15, and Bret Bland 10. Macai John had a game high 20 points for the Eagles. BOX SCORE
Miller Place 66 John Glenn 52
Miller Place has struggled at times this season, but kept winning, and they looked like their old selves against John Glenn, building a big lead and then holding off a late run. Dan Berrios led the way with 22 points and Matt Frank, who had been sidelined with an injury, looked like his old self with 14 points and some good board work. Josh Fenner led Glenn with 27 pts. BOX SCORE
GAMES OF MONDAY 2/10
SECTION 11
CLASS B SEMIFINAL
Southampton 70 Mattituck 46
Southampton swept the season series between the two teams and were solid favorites at home, so it was no surprise when they raced out to a 13-2 lead on back to back fast break baskets by Zyaire Pittman and James Malone, but the Tuckers rallied, sparked by a Luke Woods three pointer from the top and a right wing 3 by Matthew Seifert that cut the lead to 15-8 at the first quarter buzzer. The margin was down to 6 at the 6:53 mark of the second quarter and the mood of the home town crowd had changed completely, with three Mariners in early foul trouble, but Artemi Gavalas provided a spark, coming off the Southampton bench and immediately knocking down a three pointer from the right baseline to make it 19-10. Isiah Johnson answered with a fast break basket and Woods exploded down the right baseline to make it a 5 point game, but the run stalled and a Nazay Williams right baseline three gave Southampton an 11 point advantage with 1:52 to play in the half. A left baseline 3 by Gavalas bumped the lead to 28-14, but a fast break basket by Xavier Allen and two free throws by Rashad Lawson cut it to 10 at intermission. Pittman opened the third quarter with a right wing three, good for a 31-18 Mariner lead, but Johnson answered with a right wing three and the teams proceeded to trade baskets and free throws all the way down to the 3:26 mark of the quarter, when the game’s pivotal sequence began. Southampton’s Sincere Faggins, who had just knocked down a three pointer, scored back to back on a spinning hook from the low post and a drive from the left elbow, and after Woods answered with a runner from the top, Gavalas drilled back to back right wing threes to give Southampton an imposing 18 point lead and in hindsight, it was game over at that point. But the Tuckers kept fighting, cutting the lead to 58-44 after a steal and fast break basket by Allen with plenty of time left. Gavalas put an end to it, knocking down his 5th three pointer at the 4:29 mark and completely taking the wind out of their sails. The Mariners won going away from there. In a classic balanced attack, Gavalas finished with 15 points, Faggins with 14, both Pittman and Smith with 11 - Smith had a triple double, adding 16 rebounds, 10 assists and six blocks - and Napier finished with 10 points. Woods led all scorers with 17 for Mattituck and Allen had 13. Next up, a date with mighty Center Moriches in the Section 11 Class B Championship Game.
GAMES OF THURSDAY 2/13
PSAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Evangel Christian 81 #11 Portledge 79
When super sophomore Zaire Baines had to leave the game with an injury in the second quarter of a tight matchup with #1 seed Evangel Christian (11-0, 18-1), who's only loss was to upstate power Albany Academy, it was the beginning of the end for the young and talented squad that has impressed everyone on Long Island. They are not a one man team to be sure, and Jahmir Primer and Christian Daley fought valiantly to tie the game down the stretch, but a putback with 5 seconds remaining gave Evangel the win and the PSAA title. BOX SCORE
GAMES OF THURSDAY 2/13
SECTION 11 PLAYOFFS
CLASS AA FIRST ROUND
#3 Brentwood 115 Bellport 77
I wasn’t planning on writing up this game, but how do you not write up 115 points? Brentwood had 62 points at halftime, 5 double digit scorers, and 14 players that got into the scorebook! You have to check out the BOX SCORE.
#4 Northport 73 Walt Whitman 52
The Tigers were in control the whole way in this one. If you’ve never seen them, they play like a good catholic school team and are not only talented, but fundamentally sound and excellent defensively, holding their opponents under 50 points 13 times this season.
Deer Park 70 Smithtown West 66
Both teams were hard to figure coming into this game. Smithtown West was considered one of the best teams on Long Island for most of the season before faltering down the stretch, and the Falcons got off to a slow start and had injury problems before everything fell into place and they ended up League 4 Champions. Momentum proved to be the overriding factor in this one, with Deer Park continuing their strong play and taking a healthy early lead before holding off the Bulls down the stretch. FULL STORY LATER TODAY! Next up, Central Islip. BOX SCORE
Ward Melville 75 Riverhead 55
All signs pointed toward a tight first round match-up - a one point difference in their regular season meeting and their 8-9 playoff seeds, and we thought home court would probably the deciding factor, but Jack Holland, Giancarlo Serratore, and the Patriots had other ideas, building a 43-27 halftime lead and cruising home from there. Next up, Brentwood. STORY BOX SCORE
Central Islip 92 Comsewogue 68
This was another one that looked like it might be close on paper, but Comsewogue doesn’t have Team Long Island’s Ty-Shon Pannell, who knocked down 5 threes and 7 free throws on his way to a game high 32 points. Next up, Deer Park BOX SCORE
Bay Shore 67 Hills East 53
Freshman and sophomore dominated Hills East grew up into a contender this season and will be for many years to come, and had beaten Bay Shore soundly during the regular season at Bay Shore, but the Marauders put all that aside, shook off a small first quarter deficit and outscored the Thunderbirds 56-40 the rest of the way. Next up Northport. BOX SCORE
Commack 48 Longwood 42
Coming back from a 1-7 record to make the playoffs, the Lions had great momentum coming into this first round playoff matchup, and the game was tied with three quarters in the books, but the 17-4 League 2 Champion Cougars, who are undefeated at home, prevailed, closing out the game on an 11-5 run. Next up North Babylon. BOX SCORE
North Babylon 57 Newfield 37
The third match-up that looked like it might be a battle, but host North Babylon flexed its muscles and put away the Wolverines in the first half, holding them to 10 points at intermission. Next up Commack. BOX SCORE
GAMES OF TUESDAY 2/18
SECTION 8 PLAYOFFS
CLASS B SEMIFINALS
Academy Charter 80 CS Harbor 63
The second year program will play for its second Section 8 title in as many years.
Malverne 47 Wheatley 43
GAMES OF SATURDAY 2/8
SECTION 11 PLAYOFFS
CLASS A OUTBRACKET
Sayville 68 Harborfields 65 OT
The first great game of playoff season and the Green Tornadoes rallied to tie it, but the host Golden Flashes regrouped and prevailed behind 5 OT points from Nate Casaburi. Kalani Antoine led their balanced attack with 20 points, Max Llewellyn had 15, Aidan Arnesen 13 points, and Casaburi finished with 12. Aidan Glackinor led Harborfields with 20 points. BOX SCORE
Hauppauge 67 SWR 44
Hauppauge pulled away with an 18-5 second quarter and cruised home from there. Kevin Barrett led the way with 19 points and 12 rebounds and Macai John added 18 points and 13 rebounds. Thomas Bell led SWR with 12 points. STORY BOX
Wyandanch 76 West Babylon 59
The defending Section 11 Class A Champions stormed out of the gate, quickly building a lead that grew to 32-13 at the half and although West Bab came alive in the second half, they could never close the gap. Rashaun Malloy led the way with 20 points, Danny Faustin had 15, Keon Smith 11, and Daaud Abdullah dished out 9 assists. Shane Barnes led WB with 14 points. BOX
GAMES OF SATURDAY 2/15
SECTION 8 PLAYOFFS
CLASS A FIRST ROUND
#12 Elmont 63 Carey 33
The Spartans are playing their best ball of the season and rolled over the Seahawks by a big margin for the third time, holding them 20 points below their season average. Jevon Santos and Johnathan Maldonado both led the balanced Spartan attack with 12 points and Santos added 8 assists, while Jordan Lawson finished with 10 points. Chris Toscano led Carey with 12. Next up Friends Academy. BOX SCORE
South Side 50 Garden City 39
South Side was riding a winning streak, but had to rally from a halftime deficit before pulling away from the Trojans to take their 14th straight game. Eamon McGowan and Quinn Shannon led the way in the decisive 20-12 third quarter and McGowan finished with a game high 17 points, Ryan Ledwith added 12 points, and Jack McDonald recorded 7 points and 13 rebounds. Luke Long was high man for Garden City with 16 points. Next up Mepham. BOX SCORE STORY
Hewlett 71 Long Beach 56
Hewlett has been up and down this season, but at full strength, they can play with anybody and blew open a close game with a 21-9 fourth quarter to take down seconded seeded Long Beach in the big upset of the first round. Brett Karkus, who has been in and out of the line-up, had a game-high 30 points and fab freshman Ryan Weiss added 17. Jaden Barwicki led Long Beach with 20 points. Next up Manhasset. STORY BOX SCORE
Jericho 57 Calhoun 53
Everybody knows you have to contain Brandon Weiss to stay with Jericho, but the Team Long Island senior opened the game with three straight contested three pointers on his way to 18 first half points and the Jayhawks held off a big, young and talented Calhoun squad the rest of the way to advance. Next up Wantagh.
Manhasset 52 Roslyn 49
This was the game that everybody had down as the best match-up of the first round, and it lived up to its billing. The Bulldogs staged a big fourth quarter rally to take a brief lead, but the defending champions responded like champions, with Joe Busch knocking down a three pointer to re-take the lead and then Liam Connor knocking down what proved to be the game winning three pointer with just over a minute left. Busch finished with 12 points, Cole Zaffiro 11 points and 15 rebounds, and Conner with 12 points. Spyro Drenis had a game high 16 points for Roslyn. Next up Hewlett. BOX SCORE
Mepham 56 VS South 53
This was the best game of the day - a classic back and forth playoff battle, with Mepham rallying to take the lead and South missing a potential game-tying three pointer as time expired. Richie Vaquero led Mepham with 16 points and Mekhi Beckett finished with 14. Chidi Obichere led all scorers with 17 for Valley Stream. Next up South Side. BOX SCORE
Wantagh 58 Sewanhaka 44
Team Long Island forward Brandon Goldberg has had a breakout season for Wantagh, averaging big scoring, rebounding, and blocked shot numbers every game for the Warriors, and he finished with 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 7 blocked shots as Wantagh rolled past Sewanhaka and into the the quarterfinals of the Section 8 Class A Tournament. Next up Jericho. BOX SCORE
Friends Academy 50 Bethpage 37
The Quakers just might be underrated, jumping out to a healthy lead on the road and holding off a good Bethpage team with an outstanding defensive effort - joining top seeded Elmont, who they will meet in the next round, and third seeded South Side in holding their opponents under 40 points. Alex Douglas led the way with 14 points and Billy Daal added 12 points and 12 rebounds while Matt Lane finished with 10 points for Bethpage. BOX SCORE
MOST SECTION 8 TITLES
This is a list of schools that have won the most Nassau County/Section 8 titles since the current State Championship format was adopted in 1978:
Hempstead 19
Malverne 18
Uniondale 10
Oyster Bay 9
Friends Academy 8
Roosevelt 8
Westbury 7
Baldwin 6
Carle Place 5
East Rockaway 5
Jericho 5
Manhasset 5
South Side 5
MOST SECTION 11 TITLES
This is a list of schools that have won the most Suffolk County/Section 11 titles since the current State Championship format was adopted in 1978.
Bridgehampton 25
Center Moriches 15
Amityville 14
Wyandanch 13
Greenport 12
Southampton 11
Brentwood 7
Stony Brook 7
North Babylon 6
Port Jefferson 5
ASK THE REF
Have you seen a call that you disagreed with or didn't understand? A rule that you'd like clarified?
Veteran basketball official Skip Yutzler has the answers!
All you have to do is
WINNING STREAKS
Amityville 15
Elmont 13
Baldwin 10
GAMES OF THURSDAY 2/13
REGULAR SEASON
#1 LuHi 68 The Patrick School, NJ 63
The Crusaders faced off against another high profile team from out of state, this time at home in front of a packed house, and Long Island's #1 team beat New Jersey's #2 team, The Patrick School, behind a great performance from Long Island native Zed Key, who finished with 37 points and 15 rebounds up against the Patrick School's elite frontcourt, which features Jonathan Kuminga, considered by some to be the No. 1 junior in the country. Kuminga has Long Island roots too, starring for OSNA but forced to transfer after the Centereach school downgraded its basketball program. STORY
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 2/19
SECTION 11 PLAYOFFS
CLASS B CHAMPIONSHIP
#9 C Moriches 72 Southampton 65
Although CM swept the season series, the Mariners put up a good fight in both games and were convinced they could beat the #1 seeded and 9th ranked Red Devils in this neutral sight Championship Game, and they almost did, but career 2000 point scorer Ahkee Anderson came to the rescue, dominating the game down the stretch to lead CM to the Section 11 Class B Championship and a spot in the Long Island Class B Championship Game against the as of yet undetermined Section 8 Champion. The Red Devil win also sets up a great possible match-up in the Suffolk County Tournament Of Champions against either Amityville or Kings Park in the semifinals. Class C Champion Southold will have something to say about that. STORY BOX SCORE
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 2/19
SECTION 11 PLAYOFFS
CLASS A SEMIFINALS
#10 Amityville 89 Miller Pl 69
After losing to Miller Place three times last season, Amityville completely turned the tables on the Panthers this year, rallying to beat them for the third time in a terrific game that was back and fourth for three quarters before the Warriors pulled away. Team Long Island’s Darnell Evans led the way with 29 points, Divaahd Lucas added 18, sophomore Armoni Zeigler had 16, 14 of them in the pivotal second half, and another Team Long Island selection - Stephen Augustine, finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Tim Hirdt led the balanced Miller Place attack with 17. Next up Kings Park on Saturday in the Section 11 Class A Championship Game. BOX SCORE
#13 Kings Park 90 Hills W. 74
The two regular season games were close and hard fought, with both teams winning on their home court, but the Kingsmen raced out to a 10-2 lead in this one and went on to a dominant performance, up 16 at the half and by 24 after three quarters against an excellent Hills West team. Jack Garside, who seems to get better with every game, led the way with a game high 36 points and he added 7 assists, Nick Svolos finished with 15 points, and Matthew Wolf 14 points and 11 rebounds. Colby Jordan led the Colts with 23. BOX SCORE
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 2/19
SUFFOLK COUNTY TOC
FIRST ROUND
Southold 51 Smithtown Chr 30
The first round of this Hoosiers style tournament that crowns one over-all Suffolk County Champion went to Class C Southold, who rolled over the Class D Champions. Next up for Southold, a date with State ranked Class B Champion Center Moriches, and looking ahead, exciting possible match-ups between Center Moriches, Amityville, Kings Park, and a number of possible Class AA centenders, including favorites Brentwood and Northport. STORY BOX
GAMES OF THURSDAY 2/20
SECTION 11 PLAYOFFS
CLASS AA QUARTERFINALS
Brentwood 82 Ward Melville 50
New York State’s #3 and Long Island's #2 ranked team, Brentwood continues to dominate, with wins of 32 and 37 points so far over the first two rounds of the playoffs. Team Long Island’s Jordan Riley led the way once again with 24 points, 8 blocks and 7 steals, but what makes this team one of the top teams in the state is that they have 6 players that have demonstrated that they can put up big numbers, and others off the bench who are also capable too if called upon. Next up, Deer Park, with returning All-New York State guard Malik Edmead at the helm. STORY BOX SCORE
#4 Northport 65 Bay Shore 59
The second seed trailed most of the way against a Bay Shore team that came together for the playoffs after and up and down season. Team Long Island’s Pat Healy, one of the top players in the junior class, led the Tigers with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and fellow junior Malachi Coleman was high man for the Marauders with 24. Next up, neighboring Commack, in what should be a great match-up in an electric atmosphere. STORY BOX SCORE
Deer Park 80 Central Islip 69
Two elite guards- Malik Edmead and Tay-Shon Pannell - faced off, and statistically it was pretty much a dead heat, but Deer Park’s D1 commit led his Falcons to the big win and a chance to knock off top seed Brentwood in the next round.
Commack 64 N. Babylon 55
Commack always seems to be a tough out in the playoffs, but this season, led by Team Long Island forward Spencer Malloy, they are at a level they haven’t seen since the 2006 team went 15-6 and advanced to the quarterfinals before being knocked out by eventual champion Copiague. They beat a good North Babylon team this time to move on to the semifinals, and Malloy jammed the stat sheet again with 20 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. Of course, good teams have more than one option, and Nick Greco finished with 17 points - 9 of them in the fourth quarter to help hold off a Bulldog rally - and Jack Reardon added 11 points. Jordan Guice led North Bab with 19 points BOX SCORE
GAMES OF FRIDAY 2/21
NYSAIS CLASS B PLAYOFFS
SEMIFINALS
Portledge 57 Collegiate 54
Portledge took on New York City’s elite private school basketball program, with 6 Federation titles to its credit, and rallied down the stretch for a spot in the State Championship Game.
REGULAR SEASON GAMES
14 Chaminade 56 6 St. Anthony's 43
Chaminade seems to be getting its mojo back as the playoffs approach, while the Friars have dropped 2 of their last 3.
Kellenberg 58 #7 St. Mary's 55
Kellenberg picked up their signature win of the season, surprising the Gaels.
GAMES OF SATURDAY 2/22
SECTION 11 PLAYOFFS
CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP
#10 Amityville 73 #14 Kings Park 63
Amityville looks more and more impressive as the season progresses, and looked like they would roll past Kings Park in a match-up most thought would be tight, but after trailing by 21 at the half, the 14th ranked Kingsmen made a nice run, cutting the deficit to 6 before the Warriors put them away down the stretch. STORY BOX SCORE
GAMES OF SATURDAY 2/22
SECTION 8 PLAYOFFS
CLASS A QUARTERFINALS
#11 Elmont 73 Friends Academy 35
This is a good, young Friends Academy team that will be one of Long Island’s top teams next season, but Elmont crushed them with their outstanding pressure defense, heady point guards, and long list of players that can finish on the break. STORY SOON BOX SCORE
#16 South Side 59 Mepham 54
An excellent playoff game that went back and forth right down to the wire, with the hosts prevailing on free throws in the final seconds. STORY BOX SCORE
Jericho 74 Wantagh 63
We all know that returning All New York State senior Brandon Weiss, who finished with 25 points, gets his points game after game (a season low of 13 points and eighteen 20 + games), and he does it despite every opponent going into the game knowing they have to stop him to beat the Jayhawks, but what strikes you about the team right away is they have absolutely no height. Yet they manage to beat team after team that towers over them. Both of their opponents in the playoffs so far have had good size and excellent big men. Wantagh is led by 6’7 Team Long Island forward Brandon Goldberg, who has been as dominant as any big man on Long Island this season, but the Jayhawks do a great job of limiting touches and collapsing on the ball, and even when a big does score from around the basket, Weiss or Yaewon You or someone else inevitably comes down and hits a three pointer in response. Goldberg also got his points, finishing with 23, but others team of similar stature would have given up 40. Next up, Elmont in the semifinals! BOX SCORE
Manhasset 87 Hewlett 58
The defending champions looked like defending champions, rolling over a tough Hewlett team that had pulled off a number of upsets coming into the game! BOX SCORE
GAMES OF SATURDAY 2/22
SUFFOLK COUNTY
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
SECOND ROUND
Class B Champ Center Moriches 107
Class C Champion Southold 55
A team with Class AA talent rolls over a good Class C team as expected, but nobody can wait for the upcoming semifinal match-up between CM and formidable Class A Champion Amityville. It get even better after that, with the winner advancing to play the as of yet undetermined Class AA Champion. The house will be rocking at both games! STORY BOX SCORE
GAMES OF SATURDAY 2/22
LUHI INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
#1 LuHi 102 Albany Academy 101 OT
JANUARY
DECEMBER
THANKSGIVING WEEKEND GAMES
Portledge 89 Hills East 57
The Panthers, who feature a guard dominated attack, suffocating defense, and excellent ball movement, raced out to a blistering 26-6 first quarter lead behind 9 points from Dante Brooks, 6 from Zaire Baines, and 5 from Aazayah Ross and never looked back. Baines finished with a game high 27 points and Christian Daily added 19. Xavier Lewis led the young Thunderbirds with 17.
Chaminade 83 Campus Magnet 17
The very impressive Flyers, playing without their starting point guard, completely dominated the PSAL Class AA squad from Queens.
Hills West 90 John Glenn 79
Hills West established themselves as a strong contender in Section 11 Class A with a convincing win over a good John Glenn squad. Brent Bland led the way with 26 points and Yvan Fills-Aime added 23. Glenn's All-New York State guard Josh Fenner led all scorers with 36.
St. Mary's 61 Salesian 53
The buzz is that St. Mary's will be a contender in the Long Island CHSAA this season, and they picked up a nice road win to open up. Nick Cham led the Gaels with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists, Sal Saputo finished with 13 points and 3 assists, and Jovanye Walters added a double-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
Miller Place 66 Kings Park 42
Miller Place also looks like another strong contender in Section 11 Class A, rolling over a good Kings Park team on the road with a balanced attack led by Dan Berrios, who scored 17 points, returning All-New York State player Thomas Cirrito, who had 16, Tim Hirdt, who rang up 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Matt Frank, who logged 13 points and 13 rebounds. Returning All-New York State player Jack Garside led all scorers with 21 points for Kings Park.
NOVEMBER
10 YEARS AGO
2010 SECTION 8 CHAMPIONS
AA Uniondale
A Westbury
B Malverne
D Friends Academy
2010 SECTION 11 CHAMPIONS
AA Hills West
A Harborfields
B Wyandanch
C Stony Brook
D Greenport
2010 NSCHSAA CHAMPION
St. John The Baptist
LEADING SCORERS
SEC 8: DeShawn Moorer/Malverne 24.9
SEC 11: Tobias Harris/Hills West 25.4
NSCHSAA: Khaleev Ginyard/SJB 20.5
PSAA: Landon Twine/Waldorf 29.5
GAMES OF SUNDAY 2/23
NYSAIS PLAYOFFS
CLASS B CHAMPIONSHIP
Poly Prep 69 #12 Portledge 55
Both schools were seeking their first NYSAIS Class B Championship in program history, and it was all even at the half, but New York City private school Poly Prep pulled away from Long Island's #12 ranked Portledge in the second half to claim the title and a spot in the New York State Federation Tournament Of Champions. Defending Champion Lawrence Woodmere Academy was eliminated in the Quarterfinals. STORY BOX SCORE
NEW YORK STATE RANKINGS
It's no surprise that LuHi is New York's #1 ranked team, but in the New York State Sportswriters Association's rankings that were just released, 4 of the state's top 5 Class AA teams are from Long Island! I can guarantee you that's never happened before! In Class A, St. Anthony's is 10th, and in Class B, Center Moriches is 2nd behind Lowville, the team that beat them in last year's Final Four.
GAMES OF TUESDAY 2/25
SECTION 11 PLAYOFFS
CLASS AA SEMIFINALS
#2 Brentwood 71 Deer Park 63
A lot people expected Brentwood to dominate, but they had to hold off an outstanding performance by Malik Edmead and the Falcons to advance.
#4 Northport 49 Commack 45
The 2020 New York State Federation Tournament of Champions is coming to Fordham University March 27th, 28th, and 29th, with New York's public, private, and catholic school champions from all over New York State battling it out for one overall New York State Championship in classes AA, A and B! Get your tickets in advance! Both New York City and Long Island will be well represented and it will be a sell-out for sure! TICKETS
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 2/26
SECTION 8 PLAYOFFS
CLASS AA QUARTERFINALS
#3 Uniondale 74 East Meadow 35
Jayden Freeman had arguably his best game of the season, leading top seeded and defending Section 8 Champion Uniondale to an early 17-2 lead and the Knights never looked back. Freeman finished with 23 points and 17 rebounds, Jordan Evelyn with 12 points, Rashaun Gorham 10 points and 14 rebounds, Zaronn Duncan 10 points, and Long Island Freshman of the Year Jo Jo Wright with 5 points and 7 assists while the renowned Uniondale defense held East Meadow 24 points below their season average. The Jets rebounded from a 2-10 league record last season to make the playoffs, but it's tough when your first round opponent is one of the best in the state. BOX SCORE
#5 Baldwin 54 Plainview 44
Baldwin had to rally to beat Plainview in their previous meeting, and the second seeded Bruins trailed the Hawks 25-21 at the half, but once again, tough D and a big fourth quarter were the difference. Lance Henry led the way, scoring 8 of his 16 points in the final quarter, Jayden McKenzie had 12 ponts, Trevon Blackett 11 points and 8 rebounds, and Isiah Walker 8 points and 15 rebounds. Joe Perlowski led all scorers with 17 points for Plainview. BOX SCORE
Massapequa 73 Farmingdale 61
The Dalers convincingly swept the season series between the two rivals, but the Chiefs turned the tables in this Class AA Quarterfinal on a big game from Thomas Spero, who had 10 first quarter points to put Massapequa on top early and finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds.
Port Washington 59 Syosset 48
Port washington is back in the semifinals, breaking open a game that was tied after three quarters. STORY
GAMES OF WEDNESDAY 2/26
NSCHSAA PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
Kellenberg 63 St. John the Baptist 49
The Firebirds have won 3 of their last 4 and Team Long Island forward Nick Spinoso continues his monster season, finishing with 21 points and 18 rebounds. Tough season for the Cougars, but they put up a good fight, taking an early lead and staying within striking distance until Kellenberg pulled away in the 4th quarter. Up next, Chaminade in the quarterfinals!
NSCHSAA
80 THREE POINTERS!
The once unheard of total for a season is now becoming commonplace! Note that Long is still playing and has a good shot at 90 for the season, and so is Weiss and will quite likely pass the 80 mark as well. Baines is just a sophomore, and Daley a freshman!
TJ Long Holy Trinity 89
Zaire Baines Portledge 88
Ty-Shon Pannell Central Islip 86
Anthony Daley Deer Park 84
Brandon Weiss Jericho 78
GAMES OF FRIDAY 2/28
SECTION 11 PLAYOFFS
CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP
#2 Brentwood 73 #4 Northport 45
It was never really a game. Brentwood has now won 14 straight with playoff wins of 27, 32, and 38 points and only a serious challenge from Malik Edmead and Deer Park. If there ever was any doubt, it’s clear that they are a legitimate contender for a New York State crown once again this season. STORY BOX
GAMES OF FRIDAY 2/28
SUFFOLK TOC SEMIFINAL
#8 Amityville 78 #10 C.Moriches 75
The Red Devils led by 4 with 1:30 remaining but the Amityville defense clamped down and got the big turnovers they needed to rally and advance.
SUFFOLK TOC
GAMES OF FRIDAY 2/28
NSCHSAA PLAYOFFS
QUARTERFINALS
#9 St. Mary's 77 St. Dominic 65
Its great to see these two legendary programs back as contenders. The Bayhawks had the early lead, but the Gaels used a 25-11 second quarter to take control and held off St. Doms from there. Jovayne Walters led the balanced St. Mary's attack with 17 points and 14 rebounds and Kyle Jackson had 14 points and 5 assists. Willy Ford led all scorers with 18 for St. Dominic. BOX SCORE
#12 Chaminade 75 Kellenberg 50
The Flyers pulled away early for their 5th straight win and a three game sweep of the season series with the Firebirds. Two Team Long Island players led the way for their respective teams, with Chaminade’s Kieran Dorney finishing with 18 points and 8 rebounds while Kellenberg’s Nick Spinoso led all scorers with 27 points. Brandon Pizzingrillo also had a big game for the Flyers with 15 points and 11 rebounds. BOX SCORE
GAMES OF SATURDAY 2/29
SECTION 8 PLAYOFFS
CLASS A SEMIFINALS
#11 Elmont 92 Jericho 64
There are certain teams on Long Island this season that seem destined for deep playoff runs and are devastating one opponent after another, and the Spartans are one of them. So far, they have victories of 30, 38, and now 28 points in their big semifinal win over a good Jericho team. There are two themes constant in their wins: Outstanding defense (holding playoff opponents to an average of 44 points per game) and an effective and balanced attack (76 ppg with 6 different double digit scorers and a different leading scorer in each playoff game). Gus Louis led the way in this one with a game high 20 points. Steve Gerschwer and Jordan Miller led the Jayhawks with 14 each. BOX SCORE STORY
#16 South Side 73 Manhasset 53
The defending champions stayed with the Cyclones for a half, even taking a brief lead before Ryan Ledwith's three pointer put South Side up 32-30 at intermission, but a devastating 21-6 third quarter put Manhasset in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. Jake Murphy led the way with 19 points and Eamon McGowan and Ledwith both added 14. One of last year’s playoff heros, Ahmad Crowell, finished with 13 for the Indians. BOX SCORE STORY
FINAL 2019-2020
SWEET 16
COACHES POLL
1. LuHi (22-3)
2. Amityville (23-2)
3. Brentwood (23-2)
4. Baldwin (18-4)
5. St. Anthony's (21-6)
6. Uniondale (20-2)
7. Holy Trinity (20-6)
8. Northport (22-2)
9. Elmont (18-5)
10. Center Moriches (22-2)
11. Chaminade (15-11)
12. Deer Park (13-10)
13. St. Mary’s (17-9)
14. Port Washington (16-5)
15. South Side (19-4)
16. Malverne (16-7)
GAMES OF SUNDAY 3/1
NSCHSAA PLAYOFFS
SEMIFINALS
#6 Holy Trinity 66 #12 Chaminade 59
The Titans swept the regular season series with Flyers, winning the most recent matchup convincingly, but Chaminade closed out the regular season on a run and took an early lead in this semifinal matchup before Holy Trinity’s dynamic duo of Mike Sixthsmith and TJ Long got hot and carried them to victory - their 6th straight win. They will fave top seed St. Anthony’s in the Championship Game - the first time the two have met in the title game since 1988! STORY BOX SCORE
#7 St. Anthony's 60 #9 St. Mary's 37
After a tight, low scoring first half, the Friars, who had swept the season series with the resurgent Gaels and led the Catholic League in scoring defense, completely controlled the second half, outscoring the St. Mary’s 37 to 16 and holding them almost 30 points below their season average. Andre Snoddy racked up his 15th game of 20 or more points, finishing with a game high of 23 and Jack Garvey tied his league high of 17 points (he had 23 in a non-league game). All-Long Island Sophomore Darius Coleman had 12 for the Gaels - their only double digit scorer.
GAMES OF SUNDAY 3/1
SEC 8 PLAYOFFS
CLASS AA SEMIFINALS
#3 Uniondale 58 Port Washington 56
The defending Champion Uniondale Knights continue their March toward the Section 8 Class AA Championship Game, picking up their 19th straight win, but just as they had in last season’s County Final, Port Washington gave them a terrific fight, battling them right down to the wire before falling in a dramatic finish. What’s even more remarkable about it is that the Vikings returned to the semifinals, which they won last year, upsetting Baldwin, with a completely different starting line-up. All of last year’s starters graduated! Hats off to them for a great season. The Knights got it done once again because they have multiple weapons and play good D. Justin Evelyn was the hero this time, rebounding his own missed free through and hitting what proved to be the game winner with seconds remaining. Long Island Freshman Of The Year Jo Jo Wright also came up big, getting off to a great start and leading the way with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Jalen Griffin was high man for Port with 17 points. Next up, the Long Island equivalent of Duke vs North Carolina as Uniondale takes on Baldwin for the 3rd time in the last 6 years for the Section 8 Class AA Championship. Over the last 18 years, they have met for the title 8 times, and one or the other has been champion in 14 of those 18 years.
#5 Baldwin 59 Massapequa 49
Massapequa was the Cinderella team in this year’s playoffs, upsetting Farmingdale, who had beaten them twice during the regular season, to advance to this semifinal, and they played like a team with nothing to lose, giving the Bruins everything they could handle before Baldwin clamped down defensively and pulled away down the stretch. It was a tight game through three quarters, and the Chiefs took a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Bruins made their move with a nice opening run and the Chiefs, who scored only 7 fourth-quarter points, couldn’t respond. Next up, Nassau’s biggest rivalry - Baldwin vs Uniondale for the Class AA Title and a spot in the Long Island Championship Game! STORY BOX SCORE
GAMES OF TUESDAY 3/3
NSCHSAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
St. Anthonys 51 Holy Trinity 47 OT
15 all at the first quarter buzzer, it was a Holy Trinity pace, and the signs were good for the Titans. They had a well balanced attack, with all 5 starters getting into the scorebook led by Jalen Bhoorasingh, who had two first quarter threes, and it looked like it would be very difficult for the Friars to keep their focus on the daunting task of slowing down Mike Sixsmith and TJ Long, Holy Trinity’s big guns. But the Friars made adjustments and settled in, taking a 3 point halftime lead, and it was the low scoring, grind it out pace they thrive on the rest of the way. Their big gun, Andre Snoody, was the difference. Effectively shut down since the first quarter while Tristen Correa kept St. Anthony's within striking distance, he willed his way to the basket in the fourth, scoring 8 of his 18 points and tying the game on a layup with 7 seconds remaining in regulation. Then he and his teammates put it away in overtime. Next up, the CHSAA State Semifinals against Buffalo CHSAA Champion Canisius. Game time 6:30 PM Saturday at Hofstra.
GAMES OF MONDAY 3/9
NYSPHSAA STATE PLAYOFFS
CLASS D REGIONAL SEMI
Smithtown Christian 66
Livingston Manor 47
STATEWIDE UPDATES
CLASS AA
Although most of the top seeded teams, including Long Island’s and New York City’s, are progressing in Class AA championship competition, not all of the #1 seeds are advancing in Sectional play. West Genesee, 17-2 and ranked 12th in New York State Class AA, was upset by Rome Free Academy in the Section 3 Tournament. Rome subsequently fell to Baldwinsville in the next round. Baldwinsville faces #2 seed Corcoran in the championship game. In Section 5, top seed Victor, 20-1 and ranked 21st in the state, fell to 4 seed McQuaid Jesuit, who will face 18th ranked #2 seed University Prep in the championship game. In Section 6, top seeded and 27th ranked Niagara Falls (17-4) lost to 5 seed Lancaster in the semifinals and Lancaster now has to get by Orchard Park, an upset winner over Jamestown, for the title. You can follow all the action, from the PSAL to the CHSAA to every section in New York State with our STATEWIDE BRACKETS.
GAMES OF THURSDAY 3/5
SUFFOLK COUNTY
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
#7 Amityville 80 #2 Brentwood 72
Team Long Island’s Darnell Evans got Amityville off to a running start, scoring 17 first half points to give his Warriors an almost buzzer to buzzer lead at intermission, but Brentwood’s Jordan Riley, Romelo Wright, Isaiah Randolph, and Alan Houston combined to bring the Indians back in the second half, spearheading a rally that lifted them out of a double digit hole, with Wright giving them them a 1 point lead on a three pointer with 4:10 to play in the fourth quarter. But moments later, Amityville abruptly retook the momentum on a Brentwood foul and technical foul that sent Riley to the bench and Divaahd Lucas to the line, and Lucas calmly knocked down 4 straight free throws, the beginning of an 8 point run that Brentwood would never recover from. It was Amityville’s record 10th All-Around County Championship.
GAMES OF SATURDAY 3/7
SECTION 8 PLAYOFFS
CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP
#9 Elmont 62 #14 South Side 54
It looked like another dominating performance by the Spartans, who opened the game on a 25-6 run and led 44-22 with 1:03 left in the third quarter, but an inspired South Side rally cut the margin to 6 with 55 seconds remaining before falling short. Next up for Elmont, the inevitable clash with Section 11 Champion Amityville for the Long Island Championship and a trip to the New York State Final Four. BOX SCORE STORY
GAMES OF SATURDAY 3/7
CHSAA STATE PLAYOFFS
CLASS A SEMIFINALS
Canisius 55 #6 St. Anthony's 40
You don’t win too many games scoring 40 points. After a shaky first quarter that put them in an 18-5 hole, the St. Anthony’s defense did its job, holding the high scoring Canisius offense to 37 points the rest of the way - twenty points below their season average. But the Long Island Champions just couldn’t take advantage, repeatedly missing layups, free throws, putbacks, and three pointers and although second half rallies did get started a number of times, they just couldn’t sustain them and Canisius would come down and hit the big shots they needed to hold off them off. Tough end to a great season. BOX SCORE STORY
GAMES OF SUNDAY 3/8
SECTION 8 PLAYOFFS
CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP
#4 Baldwin 61 #3 Uniondale 60
The stage was set for a great game between two fierce rivals battling it out for the Section 8 Class AA title and a spot in the Long Island Championship game, and thats exactly how it played out. It was Uniondale by 3 at the first quarter buzzer and by 5 at the half, and then Baldwin rallied to tie it after three quarters. With the game tied at 56 and 3:30 to play, the Knights took their last lead on a fast break basket by Jo Jo Wright, but Kamani Jones answered with a baseline three pointer to put the Bruins up 59-58 with 2:33 to play, and then Trevan Blackett scored what proved to be the game winner off a great pass from Isaiah Walker, giving Baldwin a 61-58 lead with 1:36 left. Two free throws by Isaiah Joseph-Brock made it a one point game with 28 seconds remaining and Uniondale fouled to stop the clock, but after a controversy about who should go to the line and two missed Baldwin free throws, the Knights had the ball back still trailing by one with the final seconds ticking down and still time to get the game winner. They got a pretty good look on their first attempt, and then after a scramble for the rebound, the officials ruled the ball out of bounds off the Bruins and put 0.3 seconds back on the clock. Uniondale needed a clean catch and shoot, but the inbound pass was tipped away as time expired, capping off a terrific game and giving Baldwin the Section 8 Class AA crown. BOX SCORE
GAMES OF TUESDAY 3/10
NYSPHSAA STATE PLAYOFFS
LONG ISLAND CLASS B FINAL
Center Moriches 94 Malverne 90 OT
A great game between two very good teams, both led by outstanding guards blessed with talented teammates, and the Red Devils pulled it out in OT thanks to Ahkee Anderson, who outdueled Malverne’s Michael Warren, Jr down the stretch - scoring 10 straight points to rally his team to its 4th consecutive Long Island Championship and New York State Regional Final. Center Moriches started the game in dominant fashion, building a 28-12 lead early in the second quarter behind the outstand play of Naejon Ward, who had 8 first quarter points and 14 in the first half, but the Mules came right back, utilizing a balanced attack led by sophomore Deandre Blagrove, who had 9 second quarter points in the paint, and junior Michael Warren, Jr, who had 6 in the quarter, and they trailed by only 1 at the half. The lead went back and forth for most of the third quarter, but the Mules pulled ahead as the third quarter wound down, with Warren providing the punch with 9 points in the quarter and sophomore Trey Robinson adding 7 points, and after building a 9 point lead, they were up 74-68 in the fourth quarter with 5:16 to play in regulation. That’s when Anderson took over, scoring 12 forth quarter points, including a baseline three that gave CM a 78-76 lead at the 3:02 mark, and then a steal and two free throws that put the Red Devils up 82-80 with 37 seconds left in regulation. Warren kept Malverne alive, tying the score to send the game into overtime, but Center Moriches struck quickly in the extra session, with Anderson scoring off the tip for the first of his 8 points in OT, and he and his Red Devil teammates never looked back, building a 5 point lead and holding it to capture their 7th Long Island Championship since 1978. They will play Hastings (22-2) of Section 1 in the Regional Final. The game will be at Hastings, and as a precaution, no spectators will be allowed. From what I’m hearing, many, if not all of the games going forward will be played in empty gyms. Should Center Moriches advance, that can set up an exciting rematch with Lowville, the team that upset them in last year’s Final Four. The 22-1 Section 3 Champion still has to get past Section 4 Champion Seton Catholic (19-3) to advance.
ALL-REGION TEAM
Ahkee Anderson, Center Moriches
Jarrett Dingle, Academy Charter
Dakota Smith, Southampton
Naejon Ward, Center Moriches
Michael Warren, Jr., Malverne
GAMES OF TUESDAY 3/10
CAA CHAMPIONSHIP
Hofstra 70 Northeastern 61
GAMES OF TUESDAY 3/10
NYSPHSAA STATE PLAYOFFS
LONG ISLAND CLASS C FINAL
East Rockaway 72 Southold 65
East Rockaway captured their third Long Island Class C Title, building an early 17-4 lead and then successfully holding off several Southold rallies, the final one bringing the Settlers back within 6 with 1:24 remaining. That's when Franklin Infante stepped up, going 5 for 6 from the line down the stretch to ice the big win. Aidan O'Connor led ER with 26 points and 10 rebounds and Infante had 20 points. Nick Grathwohl led Southold with 18. STORY 1 STORY 2
ALL-REGION TEAM
Wilson Bennett, Pierson
Henry Brooks, Pierson
Nick Grathwohl, Southold
Franklin Infante, East Rockaway
Aidan O'Connor, East Rockaway
GAMES POSTPONED/CANCELLED
Regular season and playoff basketball games have been postponed at the high school and pro levels and the situation will be reevaluated down the road, while college games have been cancelled altogether.
BAN ON SPORTS PRACTICES
Sports practices, with or without coaches, are prohibited on Long Island.
FEDERATION TOC CANCELLED
Although the NYSAIS State Champions have already been determined, champions in the NYSPHSAA, CHSAA and PSAL have not and may never be, so the much anticipated New York State Federation Tournament Of Champions, scheduled to be played in New York City for the first time with sell-out crowds projected, will not be held this season.
CHSAA SUSPENDS ALL EVENTS
AND PRACTICES
All New York Catholic High School Athletic Association events and practices are suspended indefinitely, the league announced. The winter sports season, which includes its basketball playoffs, has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens girls president Denise Hillig.
NYSPHSAA POSTPONES CHAMPIONSHIPS
"It was my goal to complete the winter championships on schedule," Robert Zayas, executive director of the NYSPHSAA, said in a press release. "It has become increasingly more difficult to host these championship events with the number of challenges that have been presented."
"As we move through the month of March I'll continue to evaluate the situation as it progresses or digresses," Zayas said. "Then being able to hopefully provide some additional clarification towards the end of March."
"I think the best way to put it is I'm cautiously optimistic that we'll be able to finish these winter championships," he said.
WORKOUTS YOU CAN DO ON YOUR OWN
Right now, the only smart thing to do is work out on your own or with a family member so that you are ready when games resume. Here are some workouts you can try at home. If you have a good one, send us a link!
OVERSEAS PROS RESUME
While games in Turkey, Australia, Brazil, Belarus, Chile, Russia and Serbia continue to be played behind closed doors, Pro leagues in China, Japan, and South Korea are all gearing up to restart, also in empty gyms, although some players, particularly from the USA, are balking. One American player put things in perspective: "People are still wearing masks and getting their temperatures checked, but life is getting back to normal" said former NC State guard Allerik Freeman, who remained in China and wishes he hadn't sent his family home. "People are walking around. The streets are flooded. Bumper-to-bumper traffic. Most restaurants and businesses are open." In contrast, the Belgian league has been canceled, joining Bosnia, Lithuania, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Ireland and Cyprus and there are no signs of play resuming.
GREAT GAMES
Basketball withdrawal? Here are some games from the recent past for you to enjoy. If you know of others we can add to out list, SEND US THE LINKS!
Also, NBA League Pass is available for free through April 22 and you can access every game that has been played during the 2019-20 season along with classic games. LINK
2019-2020 GAMES
2018-2019 GAMES
2016-2017 GAMES
SCORING CHAMPIONS
NSCHSAA
Kieran Dorney, Chaminade 23.6
NYSAIS
Zaire Baines, Portledge, 28.0
SECTION 8
Jarrett Dingle, Academy Charter 25.5
SECTION 11
Xavier Allen, Mattituck, 31.0
CLASS AA
James Butler, Sachem North 28.1
CLASS A
Josh Fenner, John Glenn 28.0
CLASS B
Xavier Allen, Mattituck, 31.0
CLASS C
Franklin Infante, East Rockaway, 20.8
CLASS D
Lucas Quigley-Dunning, Shelter Is. 19.9
PITINO TAKES IONA OFFER
Another legendary Long Island coach, the former St. Dominic star is saying this will be his last coaching job before he retires. He is the only coach to ever win NCAA titles with two different schools and took his teams to 7 Final Fours, but was fired from his last college job at Louisville after a recruiting scandal on his watch, the most recent of three scandals that have plagued his otherwise brilliant career. Now back from a successful stint coaching in the Greek Pro League and scheduled to coach the Greek National Team in the upcoming Olympic Games, he has returned to the college ranks and is looking forward to carrying on the great Iona tradition exemplified by another Long Islander, predecessor Tim Cluess. STORY
CAREER 2000 POINT SCORERS
Two new 2000 point scorers joined the exclusive club this season, one, Zaire Baines, only a sophomore!
2,799 Ryan Creighton, Greenport
2,681 Devonte Green, LuHi, OSNA, N Babylon
2,613 Ken Wood, East Hampton
2,532 Bob Hodgson, William Floyd
2,320 Greg Cerillo Jr., Faith Academy
2,312 Aidan Igiehon, LWA
2,270 Zaire Baines, Portledge
2,125 Gary Williams, Bay Shore
2,117 Al Edwards, Greenport
2,117 Akee Anderson, Greenport, C.M.
2,105 Tobias Harris, Hills West
2,100 Jarell White, Bellport
2,077 David Mascia, Lynbrook
2,063 Chris Rooney, Smithtown West
2,049 James Pate, Babylon
2,013 Benji Miller, Smithtown Christian
TIM CLUESS STEPS DOWN
Legendary Long Island basketball coach Tim Cluess, whose St. Mary's, Suffolk Community College, CW Post, and Iona teams put together 26 consecutive winning seasons and won championships at every level, has stepped down from his position as Head Coach at Iona, unfortunately, for health reasons. The St. Agnes HS and Hofstra grad was not on the sidelines this past season, but still officially the head coach when that incredible streak ended. Cluess is not only an all-time great coach, but a great guy too and our thoughts and prayers are with him. STORY
SINGLE GAME SCORING
Josh Fenner, John Glenn 48 (twice)
Ahkee Anderson, Center Moriches, 48
Chris Boothe, Sachem East, 47
TJ Long, Holy Trinity, 46
Zaire Baines, Portledge, 45
Josh Fenner, John Glenn, 44
Malik Edmead, Deer Park, 44
Ty-Shon Pannell, Central Islip, 43
Dian Wright-Forde, Upper Room, 43
Keith Valdez, Lindenhurst, 43
PITINO: I DESERVED TO BE FIRED
Long Island's Rick Pitino, the new Iona coach, discusses his dismissal at Louisville. STORY
BASKETBALL HEADLINES
Chinese Government Orders Delay - USAT
Cities Removing Rims From Courts - USAT
Restoring Eligibility Not Clear Cut - USAT
Don't Share Ball Or Equipment - NCAA
Celtic's Smart Cleared - ABC
Reflections On Life/Sports - NYTimes
Jazz Healthy Again - ESPN
Colleges Pushing Back Deadlines - CNBC
What NBA Can Learn From China - ESPN
Chinese basketball delays return - CBS
Olympics Postponed to 2021 - Guardian
NYSPHSAA announced the cancelation of postponed Winter Championships. STORY
Jeremy Lin in China for restart - Yahoo
Japan postpones league again - Yahoo
How the coronavirus is affecting sports leagues and events - Los Angeles Times
How the outbreak effects US players overseas - Chicago Tribune
COACH OF THE YEAR
ALL LONG ISLAND
FIRST TEAM
Ahkee Anderson, C. Moriches
Andre Curbelo, LuHi
Kieran Dorney, Chaminade
Malik Edmead, Deer Park
Zed Key, LuHi
TJ Long, Holy Trinity
Jordan Riley, Brentwood
Tyshon Pannell, Central Islip
Mike Sixsmith, Holy Trinity
Andre Snoddy, St. Anthony's
FEBRUARY
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Andre Curbelo, LuHi
John Buck, LuHi
MARCH
***COMING IN APRIL!***
Final New York State Rankings - All-New York State Players - Team Long Island Selections
Player and Coach Milestones - College Commitments
Will There Be an AAU season? - Will There Be A Camp Season?
Back In The Day - Stories about Long Island basketball greats and their careers and what is was like to grow up on Long Island.
Flashbacks - Articles about historic teams, games, players, and coaches.
BACK IN THE DAY
Growing Up On Long Island
When we did this interview, current ESPN commentator Seth Greenberg, from Plainview, had just picked up his second ACC Coach Of The Year award in just 5 seasons at the helm of Virginia Tech. STORY
TOUGH FOR UNSIGNED SENIORS
Times are tough for seniors that have not yet chosen where they want to play college basketball. Normally, they would be out meeting with coaches and visiting campuses, or playing at heavily scouted events like NIKE IS8, or attending exposure camps this time of year. That's all off limits now and its very possible they will be faced with deciding between schools they've never been to and playing for a coach they've never met face to face. Our advice: Make sure everything else checks out. Choose a school that has good academics, a good social life, and a good hoops program. You don't just want to play ball, you want to play ball, enjoy college life, and get a worthwhile degree too!
BAD TIMING FOR LONG ISLAND
We've been saying for years that the Class of 2020 is one of Long Island's strongest and deepest classes in many years, and that's been confirmed over and over again by the return of high level D1 coaches to our gyms. Unfortunately, though, the premature end to our high school season not only has deprived this great group of players of the chance to preform on the big stage to end their careers, but has also prevented Long Island from making a big statement by bringing home as many as 4 state championships this season. Even post season, this spring's Team Long Island roster, with a potential starting line-up of all D1 recruits, would have been a serious contender in NIKE/IS8 - possibly the first team of Long Islanders to ever win the legendary event. Luckily, the 2020 class just might be the start to a new Golden Age of Long Island basketball - with many more strong classes in the pipeline!
GREATEST UPSETS
New York State's winningest public school coach, with an incredible 754 career victories, East Hampton's Ed Petrie figured out how to slow down future NBA star Tobias Harris and his undefeated Hills West team. STORY
WILL THERE BE AAU?
So far, events have been postponed or cancelled all across the county, and officially, there has been a temporary suspension of licensed AAU events through April 15th, but that's almost certainly going to be extended. You can pretty much write off the April live period. July? Maybe. You have to think there will be changes to the recruiting calendar and things pushed back into August. The sneaker company websites all have their heads in the sand - not a single word about the pandemic or about contingency plans from any of them! Our guess? Things will start up again in late June/early July, but we're always optimists.
