Milestones700 Win Club
Ed Petrie, East Hampton
2000 Point Club
Ryan Creighton, Greenport
1000 Point Club
Billy Butler, Floral Park
Matt Cajuste, Jericho (1000 rebounds too!)
Marcus Edwards, East Hampton
Tobias Harris, Half Hollow Hills West
Jeriel Henriquez, LI Lutheran
Booker Hucks, Bay Shore
Chris Johnson, Lindenhurst
Robby Ptacek , Bayport-Blue Point
Nick Taldi, Bellmore JFK
We know we're missing names and categories.
LuHi Falls In Federation Final
Long Island Lutheran gave up an early lead, then rallied from an 11 point deficit, but couldn't get over the top and fell to Jamesville DeWitt 70-66 in the New York State Federation Class A Championship game. Trailing at the start, back to back 3's by Jeriel Henriquez and Rich Harkins put LuHi on top 14-8, and Matt Rooney capped off a promising first quarter on a drive that made it 19-12 at the end of one. But things gradually started to unravel for the Crusaders in the 2nd quarter. Their shots stopped falling, they missed a number of easy layups, and worst of all, they couldn't hit their free throws. They were fortunate to be tied at the half after shooting 11-35 from the field and 6 for13 from the line. Jamesville went for the knock-out punch in the third quarter, going on a 15-4 run as LuHi's shooting woes continued. After keeping the ball away from him in the first half, JD's 6'10 big man Nick Pascale scored eight points in the run, and it looked like it might be all over for the Crusaders. It was not. Jeriel Henriquez and Rich Harkins led a comeback charge starting with just over 6 minutes remaining in the game on a three pointer by Henriquez. Matt Carpenter tied it on a three pointer, and then Harkins topped it off with two free throws to give Lutheran a 61-59 lead with 3:46 to go. But DeWitt battled back, regaining the lead for good on two free throws by star Brandon Triche. Carpenter’s second 3-pointer of the game brought LuHi back within 1, but only 7 seconds remained and Jamesville iced it from the free throw line. Henriquez finished with 26 points and 16 rebounds and Harkins with 17 points. Both were named to the All-Tounament Team. 3/29
Williams Sinks Chaminade
In a battle between two seemingly evenly matched teams, Bishop Ford point guard Chaz Williams was the difference, scoring 32 points and handing out 12 assists to lead Ford to a 72-62 win and the CHSAA Class A Championship. Ford led pretty much wire to wire, with the Flyers falling behind by as many as 18 points. Sean Wildes led a late Chaminade rally, but it was too little too late. Bishop Ford will now face Private School Class A Champion Long Island Lutheran in the Federation Tournament. Chaminade got off to a tough start, with Bishop Ford beating them in transition to jump out to 9-0 lead with three minutes gone by in the first quarter. Chaminade Junior Sean Wildes responded with two jumpers of his own, but Williams and his teammates maintained a comfortable lead at the end of the first quarter 20-11. The Flyers stayed within striking distance of the Falcons for the rest of the first half, but Williams continued to have his way with the Chaminade defense, slicing his way to the hoop for layups and assists to teammates. The lead at the end of the half was 31-21. Sean Wildes' finished with 10 first half points for the Flyers. Ford jumped all over Chaminade in the third quarter, and Ford was able to build a 16 point lead halfway through the quarter. Chaminade went to the bench for some help, and closed the gap heading into the fourth. In the fourth quarter, the Flyers finally started to play with a sense of urgency and battled the Falcons on every possession. A quicker lineup was able to match the speed of Bishop Ford, and shots started to fall for the Flyers. Sophomore Dan Vanderhoef and guards John Orr, Dan Textor and Dan DiVietri harassed the Ford offense into some timely turnovers and soon the lead was down to just 6 points. However, Williams responded with more of the same transition offense that led to easy scores for his teammates. Relegated to fouling, the Flyers were not able to mount the comeback they needed and lost 72-62. Junior Sean Wildes led the Flyers with a career high 28 points while DiVietri and Orr chipped in 11 and 10 respectively. 3/16
East Hampton Will Play For Title
In the final minutes of a tight game, Mike Russell carried the East Hampton Bonackers past Buffalo East and on to the New York Public School Class A State Championship Game. The game will be played Sunday at 1 PM. The Bonackers got off to a flying start, with Russell opening the game with the first of his 3 first quarter three pointers. His third made it 16-4 East Hampton, but Buffalo East pulled within 9 at the end of the quarter on a three by Jamal Webb. Russell opened the second quarter with another three, and two free throws by Marcus Edwards made it 24-10, but the Panthers went on a 12-2 run, capped off by a three pointer by Webb and it was 26-22 with 3:59 to go in the half. After a steal and fast break layup by Jerome Russell, Webb hit another three pointer, and then followed it up with a nice drive, and it was a 1 point game with 1:22 remaining. Buffalo took the lead on an errant inbound pass by the Bonackers under their own basket, which turned into an easy hoop by Webb, but Mike Russell grabbed the lead right back with his 5th three pointer of the half, and East Hampton went into the locker room with a 2 point lead. Damien Goodwin opened the second half with a basket from underneath to tie the game for Buffalo East, but a looping shot from the lane by Russell, and a putback off a missed free throw by Hayden Ward, and the Bonackers were up 5 with 5:40 to go in the 3rd quarter. Ward's putback made it 46-39 with 2:25 showing, and then Edwards found Ward underneath for a 9 point lead. Webb's three pointer stopped the East Hampton run, and then the Panthers pulled within 2 on free throws as the quarter ended. Domonique Johnson's fast break basket tied the game as the fourth quarter got underway. Mike Russell made a steal and pulled up in front of a defender to reclaim the lead with 3:44 to go, and then he drove down the right side of the lane and hit a runner to make it 54-50 with 2:59 remaining. With time running down, the Panthers had fouls to give, so there were only 31 seconds left when a Bonacker finally went to the line in the 1 and 1. East Hampton proceeded to miss 4 of 5 free throws down the stretch, but Buffalo could not capitalize until just 5.7 seconds remained, when Damien Goodwin hit a jumper . A desperation full court shot at the buzzer was off target, and East Hampton had the hard fought win. 3/15
3/15 Friends Falls By One
Friends Academy pressed their way back into their New York State Class C Semifinal game, but fell one point short, falling to Mechanicville 52-51. The Quakers started slowly, and looked like they might be overmatched early on. It was 21-14 at the end of one, and it seemed the Red Raiders were scoring with ease, while Friends struggled for every basket. Still, Ramir Robinson's putback, followed by his hoop from down low made it 25-22 with 3:11 to go in the half, and then at the 1:55 mark, a steal and basket by Jon Williams cut it to one. The Quakers then took the lead on two Williams free throws with 1:21 remaining, but Nick Lettrick, who would be a thorn in their side all game, scored from down low to retake the lead for Mechanicville at the half. The Red Raiders went on a bit of a run to start the second half, going up 35-29 on a bank shot by Lettrick from down low, but Mike Nattis stopped it with a three pointer, and then Robinson scored from the low post to make it a 1 point game. It was a three point game after three. Lettrick, who was taking advantage of the Friends trapping defense by cutting to the hoop and getting easy baskets, scored again from underneath early in the fourth quarter , and then with 6:14 to go in the fourth, Paul MacMillian nailed a three pointer from the left baseline to make it 46-38. Lettrick scored yet again the same way, and Mechanicville had a 10 point lead. Harrison Hefele hit a big three pointer for Friends, cutting the lead to single digits with less than four minutes to play, and Williams made it 50-44 with a three pointer of his own with 2:53 to go. Hefele pump faked at the three point line, pulled up in the lane and looped a shot in to cut it to 4 with 2:06 to go, and then a free throw by Williams and two by Robinson and it was 50-49 with 58 seconds remaining. Friends took too long to foul though, and Pat Marra went to the line with just 10 seconds to go, making both shots for a 3 point lead. With the three point lead, Mechanicville decided to foul, but the strategy almost backfired. Williams hit both shots, and then Mechanicville was sent back to the line in the 1 and 1 with 7 seconds to go, and missed the shot. Friends had one last chance, but the potential game winner did not fall. 3/14
Baldwin Catches Hills West
Chris Mauldin's three pointer from the top of the key gave Baldwin the lead with 55 seconds remaining, and they went on to a 50-46 win over Suffolk Champ Half Hollow Hills West to capture the Long Island Class AA Championship. Baldwin took the early lead, but a three pointer by Cory Knox made it 14-11 Hills West as the first quarter came to a close. Knox scored again on the break to make it 16-11 as the second quarter got underway, and then with 5:10 to go in the half, Tobias Harris hit a three pointer and followed it up with a layup and it was 21-14 Hills West. A three pointer by Ashanti DePass brought Baldwin within 4, and then a traditional three point play by Matt Brown and it was a 1 point game with 3:32 remaining. Brown's turn around jumper in the lane gave the Bruins a 1 point lead, and after a Hills West free throw tied it, Chris Manning grabbed a long rebound and nailed a three pointer with 1:35 left in the half, and it was 27-24 Baldwin and that was the score at the break. Nick Thomas put back a missed shot to make it 30-24 Baldwin early in the second half, and then Brown went in for a layup and scored and the Bruins had an 8 point lead, but a hook shot by Alex Aurrichio from the low post, two free throws by Harris, and then a putback by Aurrichio and Hills West pulled within 2 as the third quarter ended. Harris tied it for the Colts on a drive to start the fourth quarter, but two free throws by Depass and a driving layup by Derrell Brown put Baldwin up by 4. A three point play by Knox made it 41-40 with 4:54 to go in the game, and West regained the lead when Harris caught the ball in the low post, spun to the baseline and scored to make it 42-41 with 3:35 to go, but Mauldin answered back, drawing the foul and hitting both free throws. John Conneely, who was playing his first game since undergoing an appendectomy two weeks ago, hit four straight free throws to put Hills West up 3 with 1:48 remaining, but Cailup Norris scored on a putback, and then after a Hills West turnover, Mauldin knocked down a three pointer for a 48-46 Bruin lead with 55 seconds left in the game. Another Hills West turnover gave Baldwin the ball with 28.7 seconds on the clock, and a free throw gave them a 3 point lead, but Hills West turned the ball over again as the seconds ticked down, and Mauldin iced it with two free throws. 3/8
Friends Defends TitlePerhaps it was the experience factor, or just an off day, but Suffolk Champion Port Jefferson never really got it going consistently, and defending Long Island Class C Champion Friends Academy made them pay. The Quakers led almost wire to wire, holding off repeated Royal rallies on their way to an 83-71 victory and another Long Island Class C Crown. It was a one point game with less than a minute to go in the first quarter, but Harrison Hefele scored on back to back putbacks and Friends led by 5 as the quarter came to a close. Ramir Robinson caught an inbound pass in the lane and scored on a jump hook to put Friends up 26-19 as the second quarter got underway, and Billy Reggio's jumper from the baseline gave Friends a 9 point lead with 6:15 to go, but Chaz Powell, who came to play, hit a jumper in the lane to bring Port Jeff within 7, and Sam Davis hit two free throws and it was 32-27 with 3:38 to play in the half. Powell scored again, this time from underneath to bring the Royals within 5, and Trevor Parker swept down the lane and scored to make it a 1 point game with 2:30 to go in the half, but Hefele pulled up just inside the foul line and hit a short jumper to make 34-31, and a steal and fast break layup by Jon Williams put Friends up 5 with under two minutes to play. Freshman Robert Goldstein's three pointer from the left wing made it 36-34 with 1:30 to go, and a Davis putback tied it at 36 as the first half came to a close. Parker's two free throws gave Port Jeff the lead as the second half got underway, but Reggio tied it on a putback, and the Quakers reclaimed the lead when Hefele scored on a driving layup, drew the foul, and hit the free throw to complete the three point play. That made it 41-38 early in the third quarter. Port Jeff tied it again on a three pointer by John Nielsen, but Reggio grabbed a rebound off the floor and scored, and Hefele hit two free throws to put the Quaker lead at 4. The lead was 8 after Robinson scored again on an inbound play, but Powell came through again for the Royals at the 3:26 mark, scoring and drawing the foul call. His free throw brought Port Jeff back within 4, but Hefele responded with a bank shot from close up, Williams curled around a screen and pulled up for a jumper, and then Hefele scored again, this time from the baseline, and Friends had a 10 point lead. Nielsen's jumper made it 55-47 as the third quarter came to a close. Back to back baskets by Reggio and Hefele made it 61-49 Friends early in the fourth, but Goldstein's second three pointer cut the margin to 9. A Williams steal and basket put the Quakers up 13 with 5:18 to go, and then Williams hit two free throws to make it 67-52 with 4:34 to go. The teams then started trading baskets, which was not good for Port Jeff. It was 77-61 with 2:11 to go and an 83-71 final. 3/4
Jericho Pulls Away From South Side
South Side put up a good fight, but top seed Jericho had too many weapons, and after some key South Side turnovers, pulled away for a 70-52 victory in the Nassau/Section 8 Class A Championship Game. As they had in the previous round, Jericho went right to their strength to start the game, getting the ball into big man Matt Cajuste, who scored the Jayhawks first 9 points, but the Cyclones were up to the task, scoring the last 5 of the first quarter on a three pointer by Brendan Meehan and a fast break basket by Kevin Brown to draw even at 11 all. Justin Resnick's three point play put Jericho up 17-13 early in the second quarter, but South Side tied it on Mike McDerby's fast break basket and two free throws by Meehan with 5:29 to go.Josh Witsell rebounded and scored for the Jayhawks, and then back to back three pointers by Resnick and Adam Sanders and South Side was forced to call time out trailing 25-17. The run continued for Jericho, with Witsell's two free throws giving them a 10 point lead, but Jesse Winter and Meehan responded to make it 27-21 at the 1:15 mark. Resnick's three pointer put Jericho back up by 9, and in the final moments, two more free throws by Witsell and they had a 10 point lead at the break. Three straight free throws by South Side, the last two by Joe Vastola, and South Side was within 7 as the second half got underway, but Resnick drained a three pointer from the top of the key to keep the lead at 10. Idris Alford answered with a three from the right baseline, but Resnick was on a roll, and he hit another one from the left wing to make it 38-28. The teams traded baskets until a baseline cut by Witsell gave Jericho a 49-35 lead at the end of three. Meehan scored on the break for South Side to start the fourth quarter, and then a three pointer by Winter and a steal and basket by McDerby made it 49-42 with 6:24 to go. Meehan's thee pointer cut it 49-45, but a free throw broke the run, and then Mike Romnanelli nailed a three pointer from the left wing and it was 53-45 Jericho. Meehan pulled up for a jumper with 3:01 to go in the game, making it 57-50, but Cajuste caught the ball at the shoulder and made a power move to the basket, scoring and drawing the foul, and his three point play gave Jericho a 10 point lead with two minutes to go in the game. Romanelli stepped back and nailed another three pointer, and followed it up with two free throws, and the Jayhawks were on their way to their second straight Nassau - Section 8 Class A Championship. 3/1
East Hampton Defeats CM 87-76
People always have their doubts about East End teams, despite their great success over the years. Have no doubt about East Hampton. The Bonackers beat an excellent Center Moriches team handily to advance to the Suffolk County Championship game against AA Champion Hills West. Mike Russell got East Hampton off to a strong start, hitting a driving layup off the tap and two three pointers in the first few minutes, but Class B Champion Center Moriches stayed right with the Class A Champs and it was 11-8 with 5 minutes to go in the first quarter. The Red Devils kept getting excellent scoring chances, but missed some point blank shots and East Hampton took advantage, with Jerome Russell's three pointer giving the Bonackers a it 20-11 lead with 2:10 to go in the quarter. Baskets by Jordan and Jonathan Ward-Adams cut it to 20-16 with 1:16 left, but an East Hampton free throw and it was 21-16 at the buzzer. J. Russell opened the second quarter with a baseline drive that he turned into a three point play, but Jordan Ward-Adams responded with a three pointer to make it 24-19. A Jon Ward-Adams three pointer cut the East Hampton lead to 4 a moment later, but two free throws by J Russell and a fast break basket by M. Russell, and the lead was 8. A pair of free throws by Jordan Ward Adams at the 2:27 mark brought CM back within 3, but a putback by Hayden Ward and a coast to coast basket by M. Russell gave East Hampton a 36-29 lead with 1:05 to go in the half. Three straight free throws, two of them by Thomas Rowland, and it was a 4 point game at intermission. Marcus Edwards got things rolling in the second half on a putback, and his two free throws with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter made it 45-38 East Hampton. Ward scored from underneath for a 9 point Bonacker lead, but a three point play by Rowland cut it to 6. A steal and fast break basket by Edwards put East Hampton up 10 with less than three minutes to go in the 3rd, and his jumper at the 2:08 mark made it 56-43. As the quarter wound down, J. Russell hit a devastating three pointer to give East Hampton a 15 point lead, but Alex Snead went coast to coast in the final seconds to make it 61-48 at the end of three. Snead's three pointer brought CM within 10 early in the final quarter, but a Ward putback and a short M. Russell jumper gave the Bonackers a 14 point lead. Mike Scott scored from down low to make it 72-61 with 4:49 to go, but Ward answered for East Hampton with a nice move in the low post for a 13 point lead, and then his fast break basket and basket from the lane made it 79-61 with less than three minutes to play. Final, 87-76. The Suffolk County Championship game should be a good one, with East Hampton taking on Hills West. Center Moriches is still alive in the New York State Class B Tournament. 2/29
Brentwood No Match For Hills West
Unbeaten, top seeded, and #2 ranked Hills West still has some doubters, who think they're a one man team, and if you stop Tobias Harris, you'll beat them. If you were at the Brentwood - Hills West Class AA Semifinal game though, you saw the problems with that theory. On paper, Brentwood had the perfect team to beat West, with two big, athletic forwards, and fast, good shooting guards. But that's on paper. In reality, they came to realize that no single player could stop Harris. That's the problem every team faces. He took the forwards outside - away from the boards - and shot over them or drove by them, and he posted up the guards and overpowered them. So help out on Harris and make the other guys beat you, right? That's problem number two. They can and they will. Alex Aurrichio is a big, strong, athletic forward with solid low post moves that can bang inside with anybody, and also plays excellent defense; Mike Meglio holds his own against both bigger and more athletic forwards and can score, and Will Hennep, John Conneely, and Steve Rollino are good, scrappy defenders that are above average ball handlers, and can shoot the jumper or take the ball to the hoop. They get overshadowed by Harris, but that's because they're smart players and realize they are playing with a special talent, and he must always be their first option. But as Brentwood and a long list of other teams have found, options 2 through 6 aren't bad either! Here are their stats from the Brentwood game: Harris had 31 points and 10 rebounds, Aurrichio13 points, 21 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocks, and John Conneely had 8 points, 10 assists, 7 steals, and 6 rebounds. Now what about Brentwood? No need to worry. They're
a young, talented team, and without a doubt, a preseason top 5 team next season. 2/26
2nd Half Rally Carries Uniondale
Sometimes you're just not hitting your shots, and Uniondale wasn't in the first half of their Nassau Class AA Semifinal game. Give Farmindale's defense credit, but with only 16 first half points, you know even their open looks weren't falling. But after the intermission, the Knights came out of the locker room with renewed conviction, and found their shooting stroke somewhere along the way too. Trailing 24-16 as the 3th quarter got underway, John Wigfall and Justin Brown led Uniondale to a 37 point second half and 53-46 come from behind win over a tough Farmingdale team. Wigfall pumped up the intensity level for the Knights, playing underneath with great energy and determination, while Brown caught fire, racking up 15 second half points. Farmindale didn't go quietly however, matching their intensity and holding off the top seeded Knights until mid way through the 4th quarter. 2/24
Chaminade Takes Catholic Title
Chaminade got all they could handle from Holy Trinity, holding off the Titan's big 4th quarter for 58-56 win. With the win, the young Flyers team clinched the top seed in the NSCHSAA playoffs. 2/24
South Side Eliminates Floral Park
South Side is a junior dominated team, but they're not willing to wait until next year. They advanced to the Nassau County/Section 8 Class A Championship game by defeating 2nd seeded Floral Park 63-59, despite the heroics of Billy and Brandin Butler. South Side moved right out to the lead as things got underway, with back to back three pointers by Idris Alford's giving them a 16-6 advantage Two free throws by Floral Park's Armsley Ulysse, and it was 18-10 at the end of the first quarter. Michal Klek's hook shot in the lane made it 25-18 with 1:30 to go in the half, and Billy Butler's three pointer from straight away moved Floral Park within 4, but Brendan Meehan's baseline cut at the buzzer made it 30-23 South Side at the half. Jesse Winter opened the second half with a basket on a hard drive, but Billy Butler answered right back on a drive of his own and added two free throws to make it 32-27. Alford's looping shot as he cut across the lane put South Side up 38-28, and then Joe Vastola's basket from underneath gave the Cyclone a 12 point lead with 4 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter, but back to back three pointers by Brandin Butler and it was a 6 point game. Mike McDerby's basket from the baseline put South Side back up by 10 as the quarter ended. Ulysse scored from down low for Floral Park to start the 4th quarter, and Billt Buller hit two free throws, and the Knights were back within 6 at the start of the 4th quarter. It was Butler again with 6:39 to go, hitting two more free throws to cut the deficit to 4, but Alex Cotsalas hit two on the other end and it was 50-44. Brandin Butler scored on a putback, and Ulysse scored from down low to make it 50-48 with 5:30 to go, but Alford's pull up jumper at the 4:30 Mark gave the Cyclones a 6 point lead. A three pointer at the 1:49 mark by Billy Butler made it 60-57, but Winter's free throws with 43 seconds to go put South Side up by 5.
Butlers drive down the lane cut it to 3, but there were only 28 seconds remaining and the Knights would get no closer. 2/23
Jericho Hammers Westbury
Jericho was patient and methodical on offense, controlled the boards, and their shooters - particularly Justin Resnick - were red hot. The result was the complete domination of a young and talented Westbury team in the Nassau Class A Semifinals. Final score 90-47, and that was with the bench playing the entire 4th quarter. 2/23
St. Dominic Slips By St. Anthony's
Paul Bilbo's three point play with four seconds to go gave #10 St. Dominic a dramatic 63-60 win over #12 St. Anthony's. The Bayhawks now await the results of Chaminade's game Sunday at 3PM at Holy Trinity. With a win, the Flyers will lock up the NSCHSAA regular season title 2/23
CM Upsets Southampton
Its hard to say a team as good as Center Moriches upsets anyone, but top seeded and 13th ranked Southampton had beaten them twice during the season, and the Red Devils were missing starting big man Michael Scott, so their 83-76 win for the Suffolk/Section 11 Class B title was more than a surprise. The game itself was terrific. The two talented teams raced up and down the court, hitting acrobatic layups and knocking down three pointers the whole game. The lightning pace seemed to favor the Mariners who have a much deeper bench, but the well conditioned Red Devils, who had run out of gas in a similar game against St. Anthony's early in the season, were more than able to keep up. Both teams started the game red hot, and the points quickly piled up on both sides . It was 26 all at the end of the first quarter, and the second quarter began at the same clip, although the Southampton shooters cooled off a bit, while CM's did not. Thomas Rowland kicked things off with a three pointer, and Jordan Ward-Adams scored on a spinning move down the lane to make it 31-28 CM. A long range three pointer and a fast break layup by Rowland pushed the lead to 38-30, and then Rowland knocked down another three a few moments later from the left corner for a 41-32 lead. DeAngelo Smith scored from underneath and Anthony Reddick knocked down two free throws to keep Southampton close, and then a steal and fast break layup by Troy Pender brought the Mariners within four. Alex Snead weaved his way through traffic to put CM ahead 46-40, and that was the score at the half. Rowland and CM struck first in the 2nd half, as the senior took a pass at the foul line and swept to the basket for two, but Pender answered right back with a jumper from the left side for Southampton. Rowland's free throws put the Red Devils up nine with 5:17 to go in the quarter, and then he followed them with a fast break layup to make it 56-45, but a basket by Smith brought the lead back to single digits. A putback and baseline jumper off an inbound play by Jonathan Ward- Adams put CM up 15 with 2:30 to go, but a Donald Williams three pointer closed out the scoring in the 3rd, bringing the Mariners within 12. DeAngelo Smith, who seemed to hit a key basket every time he scored, got another one to start the 4th quarter when he put back a missed shot to bring Southampton within 10, but a traditional three point play by Snead and CM had an imposing 13 point lead. Southampton came right back though. A steal and dunk by Jerry Hart cut the Red Devil lead to 7 with 5:40 to go in the game, and then Smith scored again from underneath to make it 70-64 with 3:52 to go. Pender pulled up in the lane to bring the Mariners within 5, and then it was Smith from Underneath to make it 74-70. Jordan Ward-Adams took the heat off for a moment, going coast to coast for a 6 point Red Devil lead, but Pender put it right back on, drawing Southampton back within striking distance with two free throws in the one and one. Then Kyrin Miller knocked down a huge jumper with 1:40 to go in the game, and Southampton was within two. But it was not to be for the Mariners. With a chance to tie or take the lead, they turned the ball over with 56 seconds to go, and Jonathan Ward Adams took advantage, breaking free for a layup to make it 80-76. Three free throws later, and Center Moriches had pulled off the upset and was on their way to a 83-76 win and a spot in the Long Island Class B Championship Game 2/22
CM Defeats BBP In Thriller
Jeffrey Kanas put back a missed shot at the buzzer to give Center Moriches a thrilling 58-56 win over Bayport-Blue Point in the Suffolk County Class B Semifinals. CM was on their game right from the tap. Senior Alex Snead opened the scoring with a three pointer, and it was quickly 12-2 Red Devils on a steal and basket by Thomas Rowland. Jim Wentz hit a short jumper to bring BBP within six, and Miles Prendergast scored from underneath to make it 12-10, but a Jordan Ward-Adams three pointer gave CM a 15-12 lead as the quarter came to an close. Robby Ptacek's fast break layup made it a one point game as the second quarter got underway, and Prendergast scored on a putback to give the Phantoms their first lead. Back to back baskets by Mark Koelbel and a putback by Billy Ray made it 26-19 Bayport, but six straight points by CM, including a nice steal and basket by Snead, and it was a one point game again. Prendergast scored again to get Bayport back on a roll, and Koelbel's basket put them up 31-23 at the half. It was Koelbel again as the 2nd half got underway, snaring a long rebound and scoring to put Bayport up by ten, but Jonathan Ward Adams hit his 2nd three pointer of the quarter at the 3:05 mark and CM had drawn within three. Snead followed it with another three from the right corner to tie it 37 all with 2:35 to go, and then Ward Adams connected again to give them a three point lead. The Phantoms surged right back on top with back to back fast break buckets by Reid Drzal and Ptacek, but Rowland buried another three pointer for the Red Devils and they had a two point lead at the end of three. Prendergast's two free throws were the first points of the 4th quarter, and they tied the score at 43, but the three point barrage continued as Snead spotted up at the arc and knocked another one down. Koelbel tied it at 46 with a half hook shot from underneath, and then gave BBP the lead with a short jumper in the lane. Drzal followed it up with a basket down low to make it 50-46 Phantoms with 2:55 to go in the game. CM got back into it on a tough play by Snead, who powered up a shot from under the basket surrounded by Bayport's towering front line, scoring and drawing the foul. He converted the three point play to bring CM within one. Koelbel knocked down two free throws with 2:34 to go, but after a Red Devil free throw, Jonathan Ward Adams nailed another three from the right corner to put CM into the lead with 1:18 to go, and then brother Jordan Ward-Adams snuck in behind the defense and scored and CM was up by three. Koelbel wasted no time getting the Phantoms back within one on a fast break basket, but Snead's free throw and the Red Devils were now up by two with just 34 seconds to go. The Phantoms worked the ball around until Prendergast found Koelbel down low , and he tied it with 16 seconds remaining. CM quickly called time. They inbounded the ball and worked it into corner, where they had found numerous opportunities against the BBP zone, but BBP came out of the time out in man to man, so instead of launching a three, Jordan Ward-Adams exploded to the hoop. The defense converged as he lofted up a tough shot up under pressure that rolled off right into the hands of Kanas, who easily put it back in for the victory as the buzzer sounded. 2/18
VSC Can't Handle Tiger Press
Hempstead pulled away from Valley Stream Central for a 62-45 first round playoff win. A suffocating press and timely shooting by Terrell Williams were the difference.
The Tigers started pressing right from the start, and although it was effectice, they weren't hitting their shots on the offensive end and that resulted in a low scoring 6-5 first quarter. Williams got things going in the 2nd quarter with a three pointer for a 10-7 lead, and he followed that with another three and Hempstead was up 13-7. With 4:25 to go in the half, Williams broke free for another three pointer and it was 18-11. VSC cut it to 20-17 on a beautiful reverse layup by John Akiyemi, but a three pointer by Marquis Chestnut and two free throws by Curtis Bostic gave Hempstead a 9 point lead at the half. Chestnut kicked off the second half with a looping shot from the lane to make it 30-19, and then he scored from underneath for a 13 point lead. Akiyemi's jumper brought Central within 5, but a basket by Wiliams with just under 4 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter and Hempstead was back up by 10. They led by 9 at the end of three. Najee Jeremiah put back a missed shot to open the 4th quarter and give the Tigers an 11 point lead, and a fast break dunk by Jihad Caesar and a jumper by Chestnut and it was 49-34. Jeremiah scored from underneath to make it 51-34 with 5:30 to go in the game, and VSC never got closer than 11 down the stretch. 2/14
Games of 2/13
North Babylon came from out of nowhere to take the League 3 title with a come from behind road win over Copiague. The Bulldogs, who had been lurking just off the pace most of the season, picked up their 5th straight win to tie Copiague and East Islip for 1st place and were awarded the top seed on a tiebreaker. Chris Welsh finished with 30 points for North Babylon, and Jamaal Avery had 26, including the game winner.........
West Islip grabbed a playoff spot with a 50-42 win over Central Islip.......Riverhead snapped out of their slump just in time to save themselves a playoff spot with a big 92-83 win over Deer Park......Kings Park put up a valiant fight, but did not qualify for the playoffs after losing to Hills West 54-49.......Ward Melville denied Sachem East a playoff spot with a 59-57 win...... Connetquot is in the playoffs, thanks to a 64-55 win over Commack....
Brentwood By A Free Throw
Longwood got hot from the arc as time ticked down, and Brentwood went cold from the line, and suddenly, what appeared to be a comfortable win for Brentwood became a close game with a dramatic finish. Fortunately for the Indians, the thing that got them in trouble in the first place - repeatedly hitting only one out of two free throws - ended up saving them. Jean Chery hit what turned out to be the winning shot on his second attempt , giving Brentwood an insurmountable four point lead with 7.7 seconds remaining. Another Longwood three brought the Lions within one, but that's the way it would end. 72-71 Brentwood.
The game got off on a frantic foot, with both teams playing very aggressively and trying to push the ball on every possession. But nobody had a clear advantage, and at the end of the first quarter, it was 16-14 Brentwood. The Indians looked like they might take control as the second quarter got underway. Jean Chery hit a three pointer off an inbound play to make it 26-21, and then a short while later, JJ Moore hit another three and Kendall Harris drove the baseline, and Brentwood was up 31-23. But a putback by Kevin Allen, and a steal and fastbreak layup by Kris Kelly and Longwood was within four at the break. Marcus Hunter put back a miss to start the 2nd half, bringing Longwood within two, and the Lions took a 33-31 lead on a fast break lay-up by James Knudsen, but Moore tied it at 33 on a putback, and the teams exchanged baskets until less than a minute to play in the 3rd quarter, when an incredible sequence occurred. Within thirteen seconds time, Brentwood scored 6 straight points as Cherry went to the line and knocked down two free throws for a four point Brentwood lead, then stole the inbound pass and scored for a six point lead, and then Tyrell Quinenchette stole the following inbound pass and scored, and in an instant, Brentwood was up 8 and the 3rd quarter was over. If it had been a prize fight, the referee would have given Longwood a standing eight count. They remained on their feet however, even though Brentwood maintained their lead deep into the 4th quarter, and looked to put the game away in the closing minutes. Moore followed up a missed free throw with a basket to put the Indians up 61-50, and then hit 1 of 2 free throws of his own and put back another miss for a 13 point lead with 1:50 to go in the game. But instead of folding, Longwood responded with a shooting spree, and after every basket, they would send Brentwood to the line for free throws. The strategy paid off, as the Indians hit 1 of 2 every time down the stretch. Knudsen's three pointer with 22 seconds remaining cut the lead to 5, and Kelly's three pointer cut it to 3, but then Chery went to the line with only 7.7 seconds remaining. He missed his first, and time out was called, but after the time out, he buried the second for a four point lead and the game 2/11 Games Of 2/5/08
Copiague stayed in the hunt for a Suffolk League 3 title with a 55-45 win over Smithtown West. They remain 1/2 a game behind East Islip, who won 52-40 on the road at Centereach......Southampton and Center Moriches both moved to 10-1 in conference heading into their big showdown this Friday at Center Moriches. Southampton beat a good Port Jefferson team 65-60, while CM had to come from behind to beat a solid Hampton Bays team 70-63 on the road......Center Moriches outscored Hampton Bays 24 -10 in the 4th to come up with a 70 - 63 win. Sr. Alex Snead & Jr. Jordan Ward-Adams combined for 19pts of CM 24pts in the 4th. .........
Games Of 2/4/08
In a rare game against a Long Island team, Our Savior New American raced out to a 27-12 1st quarter lead, and then put the game away with a 27-14 3rd quarter for a convincing 101-71 win over Upper Room. Gerardo Suero had 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 7 assists for OSNA, while Victor Holder had 32 for Upper Room.... All three contenders in Nassau AA2 kept pace, with leader Great Neck South coming from behind and then holding off Long Beach 68-64, Valley Stream Central defeating Syosset 84-59, and Bellmore handling Freeport 77-62.......Hicksvelle needed an Ike Ogbonna free throw to nick Mepham 43-42 and stay unbeaten....Great Neck North held on to 1st in Nassau ABC2 with a 49-32 win over Manhasset. Ben Dorman had 20 points and 10 rebounds........Mineola kept their grip on Nassau ABC4 with a 49-29 drilling of New Hyde Park....Wheatley rallied back in regulation and beat Division in double overtime, knocking them out of a 1st place tie with Cold Spring Harbor and Plainedge in Nassau ABC 5.
Games Of 2/1/08
On the road, Greenport crushed previously unbeaten Stony Brook by a score of 62-35. The Porters are now alone in 1st place in Suffolk League 8........South Side is gearing up for the playoffs, picking up a big 67-65 win over Malverne for their 3rd win in their last 4 games..... After a lackluster stretch that saw them drop out of the #1 ranking on Long Island despite remaining unbeaten, Walt Whitman is rounding into playoff form, first beating highly regarded Bay Shore, and then racking up three sizable wins in a row, the most recent a 79-48 thrashing of Connetquot behind 22 points and 14 rebounds by Kyheem Green.........Huntington has reeled off 4 straight wins.......Hewlett gave Great Neck North their first league loss, holding on for a 68-67 win....
Long Island vs New York City
Through the month of January, Long Island's lead is now at a record +15 games over New York City in head to head match-ups between the two regions. We haven't projected forward yet, but since NYC teams don't participate in the Public School State Championships, we're pretty confident that Long Island has clinched the season series. Its been a fascinating experiment, and to be honest, we were expecting it to be closer than everybody thought it would be, but we really didn't expect Long Island to win, and certainly not by a commanding margin! It ain't over till it's over though, so stay tuned!
Games Of 1/30/08
Great Neck South drew even with Bellmore in Nassau AA2, defeating the Cougars 69-64 despite 35 points from Nick Taldi.......Malverne fell two games behind first place Jericho in ABC1 with a loss to Floral Park.........
Games of 1/29/08
LuHi continues to impress, jumping out to 50-24 halftime lead over Chaminade and cruising to victory..... Hicksville improved to 8-0,11-3 with a 47-42 win over Oceanside.....Bellport, playing their best ball of the season, crushed 2nd place Deer Park 76-46.......Cold Spring Harbor stayed alive in the race for a playoff birth in Nassau Conference V with a win over 1st place Division......After playing the league leaders tough, but falling just short, Patchogue-Medford finally got over the top with a big 73-66 win over 1st place Longwood........ St. John The Baptist snapped out of their funk, rallying for 70-59 win over St. Mary's after trailing by double digits......Great Neck North held off Roosevelt to improve to 8-0 in Nassau ABC2.......Mike Romanelli continued his tear, leading Jericho to 8-0 in Nassau ABC1 with 20 points and 8 assists in a 70-42 win over Island Trees.
St. Dom's Holds Off Judges
Several of Long Island's better teams have been hit by the injury bug this season, missing key performers for long stretches. St. Dominic was one of them, but now the Bayhawks are healthy and just starting to round into midseason form. They took on Cordozo, one of the PSAL's top teams according to some polls, and came away with a solid 73-67 win. St. Dom's jumped all over the Judges at the start, leading by as many as 19 points, but Cordozo got back in the game when Bayhawk big man Paul Bilbo got into foul trouble and the Judges were able to go inside. The shooting of Dan Kenny and Brian Katz held them off though, and when Cordozo pulled within 4 as time wound down, St. Dom's hit all their free throws down the stretch to ice the win. Kenny finished 26 points, and Katz 19. 1/27
LI/NYC 3-3 At Crotty
Very sorry, but the people that run the Crotty Classic do not provide us with any information whatsoever, so we thought winless Carey had been replaced in the line-up by Massapequa, who we did not show as a participant. That is not so. Carey did play, and played well, losing to St. John's Prep 42-40. So that means the 73-67 win by St. Dominic tied the match-ups between the two regions in the event at 3-3, and kept Long Island's lead at +13 for the season. In other games, Long Island Lutheran beat Xaverian 59-43, while Kellenberg rolled over Bayside 66-46 to join St. Dom's in the winners column. Bishop Ford squeaked by Massapequa 60-54, and Archbishop Molloy beat St. Mary's 78-54 to join Carey on the losing side. By the way, if anybody out there has an email address or phone number for the organizers of the Crotty Classic, please send it to us. We would love to help them promote the event, which nobody on Long Island seems to be aware of, even though it is now played at Hofstra. We would also be glad to offer some advice on choosing the Long island participants, since expertise on both NYC and LI basketball is rare, and whoever chooses the teams seems to have better knowledge of NYC ball. Of the 6 Long Island teams participating, only 2 had winning records going into the event. We have to say though that we were proud of all of them. With a break here and there, it could easily have been 5-1 Long Island.
Impressive Win For St. Dominic
The St. Dominic Bayhawks rode a strong performance by center Paul Bilbo to a convincing 67-54 win over St. Anthony's. Bilbo was at his best, particularly in the first quarter when he took it to the very capable St. Anthony's big men, scoring, rebounding, and blocking shots. Yet after the Bayhawks had moved out to an 11 point lead, St. Anthony's rallied back and it was 19-15 at the end of the 1st quarter. St. Dominic rebuilt their lead in the 2nd quarter and were up by 11 once again after two Dan Kenny free throws, but there was no rally this time and 11 was the margin at the half. A Brian Katz fast break layup with 4:50 to go in the 3rd quarter made it 39-27 St. Dom's, but Chris Jimenez cut it to 6 on a three pointer with 20 seconds to go in the quarter. Katz opened the 4th quarter with a three pointer for the Bayhawks, and after a Friar basket by Jon Francois, hit another three and it was a 10 point St. Dom's lead. A Bilbo putback widened the lead to 12, but when Francois ducked under two defenders and scored, he brought St. Anthony's back within 8. A Jimenez three pointer cut it to 7 with 4 minutes remaining, but two nice defensive plays and two free throws by St. Dom's George Jackson gave them a 10 point lead, and a driving layup by PJ Walters and they were up by 12 with 2:30 to go. 1/25
Whitman Takes Round One
In a battle for 1st place in Suffolk League II, undefeated and #2 ranked Walt Whitman pulled away down the stretch to hand #6 Bay Shore their first league loss by a final score of 63-55. Both teams were a little tentative and turnover prone at the start, with Whitman taking a small lead and Bay Shore drawing even as the first quarter wound down. Bay Shore's Barry Ingram got things rolling with a three pointer to start the 2nd quarter, and Jordan Allen added a reverse layup and the Marauders were up 16-11. Kyheem Green then went to work for Walt Whitman, scoring on a driving layup, hitting a short jumper off an inbound play, nailing a baseline jumper, putting back a missed shot, and then dunking a missed shot and when he was done, it was 25-21 Wildcats. Two free throws by Allen made it a two point game at the half. Brandon Turner tied it up when he rebounded a missed shot and scored to start the 2nd half, and a three point play by Marcus Damas gave Bay Shore a 30-26 lead.Hanif Malloy then put back his own shot, and Nick Barrotta scored on the break for Whitman and it was 30 all. Malloy's two free throws put Whitman up 36-33 with 1:44 to go in the 3rd, but the lead was only one as the quarter came to a close. Bay Shore went back ahead 41-40 on a Hucks putback to start the final quarter, and then Hucks scored again to make it 43-40 with 5:40 to go, but CJ Humphries tied it up at 43 with a three, and Malloy put Whitman ahead by four with two free throws and a fast break layup. Green hit a pull up jumper from the foul line for a 6 point lead, and after a Bay Shore free throw, Humphries scored to make it 51-44 with 3:10 remaining. John Mills hit two free throws to stretch Whitman's lead to 9, but back to back baskets by Hucks and it was 53-48 with just over 2 minutes to go in the game. Barrotta looped one up from underneath over outstretched arms for a 7 point lead, and then Green added a free throw, but Turner kept Bay Shore alive with a baseline jumper to cut it to 6 with 1:25 to go. Malloy hit two free throws to put the lead at 8 again, and then a free throw by Mills and a layup by Barrotta and it was Whitman's game. 1/24
Hills West Over All HallowsHills West didn't bring their A game to the city with them, but their B game was enough to beat All Hallows 57-46. The Colts got on top early, leading 18-14 at the end of one, but fell behind briefly in the 2nd quarter. Steve Rollino's three pointer tied it 24, and a steal and fast break basket by John Conneely and they were quickly back on top. Mike Meglio's basket from underneath gave them an 8 point lead, and that's the lead they took into the locker room. Tobias Harris opened the 3rd quarter with a pull up jumper on the baseline, and followed it with a putback of a missed shot for a 12 point lead. A free throw by Will Hennep gave West their biggest lead at 43-30, and it was 43-33 at the end of three. Back to back fast break hoops by All Hallows cut the lead to six early in the 4th quarter, but a Rollino three pointer made it 49-40 with 5:11 to go. The Gaels battled back again, cutting it to five on two free throws, but Harris responded with a baseline drive, Hennep hit a jumper from the right side, and then Harris pulled up in the lane and the game was theirs. 1/21
Long Beach Rallies Past Freeport
Dashaun Moye and Brian O'Toole scored 20 of Long Beach's 22 points in the fourth quarter to overcome a 43-37 third quarter deficit and defeat Freeport 59-54. Moye had 25 of his 33 in the second half. O'toole had 9 of his 11 in the fourth quarter. Moye finished with 33 points and 12 rebounds shooting 15 of 20 from the field. Shamir Wilkinson had 14 points for Freeport. Though only scoring 1 point, Corey Lovrich for LB had 13 rebounds to help Moye inside. 1/18
Whitman Defeats W.I. Without Green
Hanif Malloy led Walt Whitman to a 48-37 win over West Islip, scoring 15 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Whitman played without star Kyheem Green. 1/18 08
Games of 1/18/08
Longwood kept pace with Lindenhurst in Suffolk League I with a hard fought 69-62 victory over Brentwood.... Anthony Brown hit a three-pointer at the buzzer in double overtime to carry Huntington past Sayville 59-58......St. Dominic pulled away from Kellenberg 69-54 with a 29-16 fourth quarter.....Anthony Porcelli scored with 7 seconds on the clock to give Wantagh a 54- 53 win over Valley Stream South...Mike Romanelli had 8 three pointers for the second time this season and Matt Cajuste picked up his 1000th career point as Jericho rocked West Hempstead 74-34...........
Chaminade Takes Uniondale
It was #7 versus #8, so you'd expect a close game, and it turned out to be one as Chaminade held on to defeat Uniondale 55-53. Chaminade started the game off well, with junior Sean Wildes getting to the rim with ease and the Flyers running good half court offense to lead the Knights 14-8 at the end of the first quarter. The Knights made some adjustments on the Flyers motion offense and forced them to take more outside shots, but . senior John Orr continued his hot shooting from the night before and the Flyers were able to extend their lead to 31-20 at the half. Uniondale responded with a surge in the third quarter, getting to the rim and crashing the offensive glass, and at the end of three it was the Flyers leading 43-37. In the 4th quarter, the Knights made a furious comeback and pulled within one, but Matt Johnson stepped up and made tough shot after shot for the Flyers With 1:30 left, he hit a a 10 footer to push the score to 55-50. The Knights responded with a three pointer to come within 55-53, but Chaminade got some key defensive stops and held on for the win. Justin Brown spearheaded Uniondale's attack and finished with 17 points, while Johnson led the Flyers with 15 points and 7 assists and Sean Wildes had 11 points and 8 rebounds 1/16
Lindenhurst Rocks Sachem North
Lindenhurst is looking good these days, making a reappearance in the Sweet Sixteen as they continue to rack up impressive wins. The latest featured a 49-21 first half blitz of Sachem North en route to a 82-59 victory. It was Chris Johnson leading four Bulldog double digit scorers with 29 points. 1/15
St. Anthony's Bullies Chaminade
Chaminade couldn't stop St. Anthony's big man Shahab Syed, who registered a game-high 19 points and pulled down 17 rebounds in leading the Friars to a wire to wire 59-39 win. Chris Jimenez improves with every game, and finished with 13 points. 1/15
Bay Shore Shakes Northport Jinx
Seems like every year, Bay Shore loses to Northport at Northport. Barry Ingram wouldn't hear it this season. The junior point guard led the Mauraders to a 74-55 road win, scoring 20 points and handing out 10 assists. Booker Hooks had another good game, finishing with 19 points and 9 rebounds. 1/15
Uniondale Doing It With Defense
Usually, Uniondale teams feature a powerful offense with a variety of options, but this year's team is getting it done with defense. They moved to 5-1 in conference with a 50-40 win over Elmont. Their opponents are averaging just 43 points a game in their 8 wins. 1/14.
OSNA Falls/Leek Leaves School
Reeling from the defection of star player Leek Leek, Our Savior New American lost a heart breaking game to Life Center Academy from Burlington New Jersey. Life Center hit a three point shot from the right corner with 5 seconds to go to put them ahead by the score of 77-76. Our Savior called time out and drew up a play to get the ball to superstar guard Gerardo Suero. Suero got the ball and went coast to coast dribbling through the Life Center press. He went to the basket with the clock winding down and several defenders draped on him, layed up the ball and it rolled around the rim before not going in. Suero was dynamite all night long scoring a game high 36 points while facing double and triple teams. Sophomore Ishaq Pitt contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds for Our Savior while Jr. Rayner Moquete added 14 points. Life Center was led by Staten Island sophomore Derrick William's 27 points and 13 rebounds. Our Savior falls to 11-3 and faces Sol Johnson HS from Savannah GA in the Primetime Shootout in Atlanta. Leek Leek and his bother apparently have withdrawn from the school, but no details are known. 1/12
Chaminade Downs Doms
With Chaminade leading by one and less than a minute to play, Sean Wides scored on a baseline cut, and then Dan Divietri hit two free throws to put the Flyers up 5 with 28 seconds to go, and they held on for a big 54-51 win over St. Dominic. The Bayhawks had a chance to tie, but a tough shot from the corner did not fall. You could tell right from the onset that it was going to be a hard fought game. The sound of sneakers squeaking filled St. Dom's gym from the opening tap and didn't let up till the final buzzer. Chaminade grabbed the early lead, with Daniel Textor's three pointer putting them up 9-3, but a reverse lay-up by George Jackson tied it at nine. Paul Bilbo powered up a shot from underneath, and then spun to the basket for another two and it was 15-11 St. Dom's, but Divietry pulled up and hit a short jumper and it was tied it at 20 with just over three minutes to go in the half. The Bayhawks were up four after Jackson's fastbreak layup, and finished the half with a 29-23 lead on Bilbo's jumper from the foul line. Divietry tied it at 29 on a three pointer early in the 3rd quarter, and again at 31 on a looping drive down the lane, but back to back baskets by Brian Katz gave St. Dominic a four point cushion. PJ Walter drove the right side of the lane to put the Bayhawks up six, but back to back three pointers by Textor tied it at 37 with 1:20 to go in the 3rd, and Chris Dooley's two free throws put Chaminade up two as the quarter came to a close. Textor for three again, and the Flyers were up five to start the 4th, but a basket and two free throws by Katz and St. Doms was up one with 5:26 remaining. A short jumper by Dooley in the lane put Chaminade back on top, and Divietry hit two free throws for a three point lead, but Walters responded by drawing the foul and hitting two free throws of his own to make it a one point game. After a Chaminade free throw, Katz tied it at 49 all when he pulled up for a jumper in the lane, but Chaminade went back ahead on a free throw by Matthew Johnson, and that's when Wides made his move down the baseline. 1/11/08
LuHi Squanders Lead; Holds On
Long Island Lutheran methodically built a 58-33 third quarter lead with good defense, solid board work, and great patience on offense, only to see it all but disappear on an Adelphi Academy run that brought them within 5 with 2:08 remaining in the game. But a clutch three pointer by Matt Rooney broke the run, and then four straight free throws in the one and one by Jeriel Henriquez, and LuHi was able to hold on for a 73-63 victory. 1/6/08
OSNA Over Boys Club Of NY
Our Savior New American captured the Our Savior New American Invitational championship by defeating a very tough Boys Club of New York team 63-58. Our Savior was led by tournament MVP 6'6" junior Leek Leek who had 13 points 8 rebounds and 4 blocks. The best block came at a key point in the second half when the Boys Club made a run at Our Savior. Leek went up against 6'7" Sammy Obetoh who looked like he had an easy dunk until Leek Leek grabbed the ball out of his hands right near the rim. Our Savior was missing their leading scorer Gerardo Suero, who averages 30 ppg). The slack was picked up by soph Ishaq Pitt with 13 pts, jr Rayner Moquette with 10 pts and outstanding freshmen Deng Leek with 9 pts. Our Savior had only 8 players available to them for the tournament because of injuries and illness. Our Savior New American is 10-2 on the season and plays next Friday at home at 4:30 pm against the Master's School from Simsbury CT with UMass recruit David Gibbs. 1/5
Longwood 69, Patchogue-Med 65
It looked like it was going to be the Marcus Stroman show, as Pat Med's star drilled shot after shot, even with defenders draped all over him, to put Pat-Med up 37-29 at the half. However, the third quarter was all about Longwood junior Anthony Cavaluzzo. The smallest player on the court for either team, he scored 18 points in the 3rd quarter alone (including 4 three's), outscoring Pat-Med all by himself, and Longwood now led 55-48 after three (a 15-point swing). After drilling another three early in the 4th, Pat-Med finally clamped down on Cavaluzzo, and that's when 6'5" forward Marcus Hunter took over. Though a defensive presence for the entire game with 11 blocked shots, he was virtually non-existent offensively, largely in part to Cavaluzzo's shooting, until the 4th quarter. Hunter's late buckets and free throws helped seal the Longwood win after a three by Pat-Med's Erol Stone had knotted it at 65 all. That was the last time that Pat-Med would score. Cavaluzzo finished with 31 points, Hunter had 10, and Kevin Allen added 18 for Longwood. Stroman finished with 20 for Pat Med. Unsung hero for Longwood was guard Kris Kelly, who contained Stroman defensively in the second half. Stone had a great game for Pat-Med, scoring 26 points. 1/5/08
Uniondale Rally Falls Short
#13 Baldwin grabbed the lead in the 3rd quarter after trailing at the half and held on for a 69-68 win over #3 Uniondale. The Bruins were up 10 with about 3 minutes to go. Nick Thomas hit 6 big free throws for Baldwin down the stretch. Chris Manning had another terrific game with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists 1/4/08
Games Of 1/3/08
Vinny Russo completed a Sayville comeback by nailing a three pointer to tie it in regulation, and then Sayville went on to a 69-64 OT win over Eastport SM. Russo finished with 30 points...... Trailing 0-5 Northport 11-6, #1 Walt Whitman went on a 24-0 run and never looked back, defeating the Tigers 55-37. Hanif Malloy led Whitman with 17 points......Longwood held Sachem East to 13 second half points en route to 61-40 victory. Kyle Weeks led Longwood with 13 points.........Kamil Parzych returned to the Lindenhurst line-up and picked up a tripple double, scoring 17 points while grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists. Teammate Chris Johnson scored 36 points and the Lindenhurst defense held William Floyd to just 13 points in the first half. The result was a 78-47 victory......... #10 Bay Shore came from behind to defeat Central Islip 60-58. CI held Booker Hucks to just 8 points.........Hills West started the game on a 17-1 first quarter run and cruised to a 65-45 win over Smithtown West. Tobias Harris had 29 points,11 rebounds, and 4 assists. Alex Aurrichio dominated the inside with 8 points,15 rebounds, 5 steals, and 4 blocks.............Islip battled #6 East Hampton from buzzer to buzzer before dropping a 76-74 decision.......Senior Jon Selby iced the game for Hills East with 2
free throws with 13 seconds to put his team up by 4. Senior Keenen Chisholm was on fire from downtown hitting 4-5 for 3 on his way to a career high 17 points(he hit 5 three pointers for 15 points last season at home against the same smithtown east team which was his previous high). Senior Chris Minor provided the toughness down low by snatching 11 rebounds to go along with his 6 points. Nick Travers had 18 for Smithtown East including 4 three pointers.
East Hampton Handles Riverhead
Riverhead is off to a good start this season, and was starting to get a Sweet 16 vote here and there, but they hadn't really been tested yet. Well, they got their first serious test of the year at The Eastern Suffolk Officials Tournament, and the results were mixed. In fairness, their opponent, East Hampton, has proven that they are one of Long Island's top teams - even without Mike Russell. But for Riverhead to also be considered a top team, they needed to at least give them a good game, and for the most part they didn't. They kept it close for a quarter, and then Marcus Edwards, Jerome Russell, and Hayden Ward took over and the Bonackers steadily pulled away. Final score, East Hampton 63, Riverhead 46. In retrospect, what seemed like a potential disaster for East Hampton - Mike Russell's suspension - is turning into a blessing. His teammates are all stepping up and learning to be "go to" players, and when he returns, they will be formidable indeed!. Riverhead has a ways to go, but the season is young and they do seem to have potential. A win tonight over Bayport-Blue Point in the consolation game would be a big fist step. 12/29
Whitman Over Uniondale By Six !
#3 Walt Whitman met #4 Uniondale in the final of the Frank Gugliotta Tournament at Whitman, and after slugging it out for 4 quarters, Whitman came away with a 63-57 victory. The two big men - Whitman's Kyheem Green and Raenard Reid from Uniondale - took turns dominating the game, but it was Hanif Malloy from Whitman that was the difference. His passing and scoring were the perfect complement to Green, and nobody from Uniondale could match him. The game started out as the Kyheem Green show, with the athletic Green dazzling the crowd with an assortment of speed, power, and skill. But it was five straight points by Molloy that gave Whitman a three point lead heading into the 2nd quarter. The teams played mostly even in the 2nd, and Whitman led by four at the break. Green had 16 of his team's 30 points. Back to back hoops by Reid tied it at 34 all with 3:40 to go in the third quarter, and after a Malloy basket, Reid tied it again at 36. Green swept across the lane to put Whitman back up by two, and as the quarter wound down, Molloy hit two free throws and Green scored at the buzzer and suddenly Whitman was up by eight. They kept it going as the 4th quarter got underway. Billie Joyce and Green both scored coming off screens, and John Mills scored on a putback to make it 52-38 Whitman with 5 minutes to go in the game. James Ockimey's jumper broke the run, but Whitman struck right back. Malloy scored on a drive and drew the foul, and a technical foul was also called on the play. Malloy hit two of the three free throws to put Whitman up 56-40 with 4:34 to go. Moment of truth time for Uniondale. Reid hit two free throws, put back a miss, and Ockimey hit two free throws, and followed those with a three pointer, and the lead was down to eight with 2:25 to go. Everything had to go right for the Knights at this point with time running out, but Nick Barrotta scored a big basket for Whitman on a baseline cut, putting them up ten with just 1:30 to go. Two free throws by Steven Johnson in the 1 and 1 kept Uniondale hopes alive, but Green was fouled going to the hoop, and his two free throws iced it for Whitman. John Wigfall scored on a drive, and Reid off an inbound play, but it was too little too late. 12/28
Baldwin Easily Over Glen Cove
Baldwin improved to 5-0 with their 85-40 win over Glen Cove in the first round of Baldwin's Holiday tournament. Derrell Brown had 14 points and seven rebounds, Chris Manning had 10 points, seven assists and six steals. Chris Mauldin had 11 points and 6 steals. Baldwin plays Lawrence tonight at 8 p.m. for the championship of the Chanee Brown Bruins Holiday Classic at Baldwin. 12/27
East Hampton Stuns Bay Shore
Playing without star Mike Russell, #13 East Hampton defeated #7 Bay Shore 64-62! DETAILS LATER 12/27
Three More Wins vs NYC
Long Island teams continued to build their lead over New York City Teams in head to head match-ups between the two regions, as Westbury beat
Manhattan Center 63-45, Lawrence beat John Adams 56 - 48, and St. Mary's beat St. Francis Prep 67-42. In the Westbury game, which was part of the Elmcor Classic held at the Louis Armstrong Center in Queens, Travis Troiano scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half to guide Westbury to a 32 to 18 halftime lead. Paris Abrams led the Green Dragons with 17 points and Paul Dail had 5 steals and 7 assists. Westbury, which lost it's opener to Chaminade, has bounced back to win their last 3 in a row. 12/27
Roosevelt Holds Off Hills East
Roosevelt defeated Half Hollow Hills East by a score of 81-73. Hills East rallied from a 16 point deficit to cut it to 5 points on 3 pointers from Aknouk, Chisholm, and Selby late in the fourth, but it wasn't enough. Roosevelt was led by Jamal White, who finished with 37 points despite Half Hollow's box and 1 defense. He hit (5) 3's in the 3rd quarter alone. White has been averaging 31.2 points per game for the season. Steven Nelison added 18 points and 13 rebounds in the first round of the Haggerty Tournament at Chaminade 12/27
Whitman Dominates Smithown W.
#3 Walt Whitman played the game on cruise control. Smithtown West played hard, and had talent, but they were not in the same league as Whitman. Few teams are. Final score 54-33. 12/26
Bonackers Fall To Southampton
Playing their second game without star Mike Russell, #5 East Hampton could not overcome their biggest rival on the road, falling to Southampton 67-57. Troy Pender had 21 second half points for Southampton. 12/22
Brentwood Holds Off Deer Park
Defense and three point shooting sparked a second half rally that carried #16 Deer Park back into the game, but Brentwood held on for a 68-65 victory. Deer Park shot poorly in the first half, and with key players on the bench in foul trouble, they found themselves in a 39-23 halftime hole. But after Kendall Harris opened the second half with a basket for Brentwood, Kenny Quarles caught fire, and his 3rd three pointer of the quarter brought Deer Park within 8. Then a steal and three pointer by Marques Charlton and it was 49-43 at the end of three. Another three by Charlton made it 61-57 with 4:08 left to play, but a big time basket by Harris, slicing across the lane and jump-hooking it in, stopped Deer Park's momentum and made it 64-59 Brentwood with 1:50 to go. Deer Park and Charlton wouldn't let it die though. Charlton nailed another big three, and it was 66-65 with 30 seconds left. Deer Park fouled and sent Marck Pabon to the line, but he proceeded to knock down two huge free throws to give Brentwood a three point lead with just 19 seconds remaining. Deer Park had their chances as time wound down, but the potential game tying shot was no good and Brentwood had what turned out to be a hard fought win. J.J. Moore finished with 27 points, and Harris finished with 17 for Brentwood. Josh Malone had 25 points for Deer Park and Charlton 18. 12/22
Another Impressive Win For East
Put a star next to the game if you see Sachem East on your schedule. Paul Gallagher hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to carry them to a dramatic 60-57 win over conference favorite Lindenhurst. Add that to wins over Copiague and Kings Park, and you've got one dangerous team on your hands. Gallagher finished with 12 points, and Tom Doherty led the way with 15 points and 10 rebounds. 12/21
Freeport Moves To 4- 0
I guess we better start keeping an eye on Freeport. They're 4-0 now after beating a solid Garden City team 53 - 45 on the road. Ryan Rowe was high man with 17 points, and Phillip Hyland had11 points and 8 assists in the win. 12/21
CM Holds Off Wyandanch
Trailing by two with 40 seconds remaining after a Jonathan Ward-Adams basket gave Center Moriches the lead, Wyandanch had two chances to tie the game and could not convert and CM held on for a big 69-67 victory. Center Moriches was led by Sr. Alex Snead with 25 pts. and 6 assists, and Jr. Jordan Ward-Adams who added 25 pts. Soph Jonathan Ward-Adams finished with 12pts. and 6 assists. 12/20
Roosevelt Defeats W. Hempstead
Roosevelt moved to 3-0 on the season with a 72-67 win over West Hempstead. Jamal White had 45 points in the come from behind victory. Steve Nelison put them ahead 68-67 with less than a minute to play, and White iced it from the free throw line. Because of budget constraints, the Roosevelt program didn't have a Junior Varsity team for two years straight and no middle school basketball up until this year , so the kids in the program have really had to work hard to make up for it and they have. White has become one of the top players on Long Island, and he and fellow senior Brian Taylor, who's averaging 16.3 points and 6 assist so far this season, lead a solid squad with a lot of upside. 12/19
Glenn Tops Amityville
Two teams that stumbled out of the gate, but are expected to contend for the title in League 6, went at it in Elwood and John Glenn came away with a solid 69-57 home win over Amityville. It was even early on, with Glenn holding a 2 point lead after the 1st quarter, but Phil Izevbehai's three pointer with 4:10 to go in the half gave Glenn a 28-18 lead and the lead was nine going into the locker room. Glenn pushed the lead to eleven a number of times in the third quarter, and it looked like the quarter would end that way when Mack Scott completed a three point play to make the score 47-36 with seconds left in the quarter, but Archie Alexander got off a quick shot at the buzzer that fell through and Glenn's lead was down to eight as the 4th quarter got underway. A putback by Steve Medard cut the lead to 51-44 with 5:30 left. but layups by Izevbeha and Scott and Glenn was up 12 and on their way to the win. Scott had a game high 26 points, Izevbehai 20, and Sean Kessler 13. Medard led Amityville with 18 12/18
Games of 12/17
Levittown Division Defeated Valley Stream North 62-51 behind the 16 point effort from Mike Agunzo. Agunzo had four 3 pointers. Kevin Dexter added 12 points and had 5 rebounds. Bobby Nagelberg added 12 points. Division is 2-1 (1-0) .......With solid team effort Center Moriches held off Longwood in the second half to come up with a 79 to 67 victory. CM, led by Sr. Alex Snead with 19 pts., 5 assists, and 6 boards and Jordan Ward-Adams with 24 pts., 4 assists, and 5 rebounds, fell behind early but finished up strong with the win . Soph. Jonathan Ward-Adams scored 7 straight points in the fourth to seal the victory. He chipped in12 pts., 6 assists, and 4 rebounds .. ... Miller Place 57 Wyandanch 47. For the second game in a row, Miller Place held its opponent to 2 first quarter points as it jumped out to a 16-2 lead. It was their 2nd upset win in a row. They defeated William Floyd Saturday. Derrick Knudsen led all scorers with 19 points, 16 of those in the first half. Miller Place has now won four straight.......SJB, led by Josh Elbaums 15 pts. 12 assists and 6 steals, defeated MSGR. Scanlon of the Bronx 77-39.Pete Sutton led 4 other Cougars in double figures. The win gave Long Island schools a 22-15 lead over NYC in head to head meetings between the two regions,
Upper Room Finishes Fifth
The Upper Room Royals went 2-1 and finished in 5th place at the Lake Erie Shootout. After losing their first game, they defeated King Christian Academy (M.D.), 69-49. Victor Holder had a double double with 25 points and 15 rebounds and senior David Jack had 10 points. In the 5th place game against Grace (M.D.), UR won 65-39. Holder had 23 points and 13 rebounds and 10th grader Ramel Anderson had 21 points and 5 assists. Holder was named to the All Tournament Team. 12/15
William Floyd 49 Mercy 32
Freshman Elijah Gonzalez led Floyd with 12 in his second career start. Floyd had 11 players in the scoring column. They will face Miller Place Saturday at 4 in the finals of the Floyd Tip-off. 12/14
Chaminade 48 Regis 47
The Flyers got all they could handle and more out of a tough and well coached Regis High School team from NYC. The game got off to a late start with some terrible NYC traffic plaguing the trip of the Raiders from Regis. The Flyers jumped out to an early 9-2 lead but Regis battled back to be down just one after the end of the first quarter. The Flyers went ice cold in the second quarter and Regis took advantage behind the shooting of Dan Friel and the great point guard play of Sean O'Connor. The Flyers were down 22-19 at halftime. In the third quarter, the Flyers were able to get back on track behind the great passing of Matt Johnson and some timely shooting from junior Dan DiVietri. The Flyers were still down by 3 entering the fourth quarter. Chaminade battled back with back to back three pointers by DiVietri and Johnson and a key breakaway layup by senior John Orr. Regis hung tough and traded baskets down the stretch with the lead changing 4 times in the last two minutes. The Flyers had the ball up 1 with under a minute to go but the Regis pressure made them turn it over. Regis' O'Connor went to the rim and was fouled but missed both foul shots to give the Flyers another chance. The Flyers had to use two time outs to get the ball in off the Regis defense. With 9 seconds to go and down one, Matt Johnson found DiVietri in the left corner and DiVietri continued to be Mr. Clutch making the 17 footer with 5 seconds to go. Regis called timeout and ran one last play, but the Flyers FINALLY got the defensive stop they needed to prevail 48-47. Dan DiVietri led the Flyers with 22 points including 8 in the critical fourth quarter, he also had 5 assists. Senior Matt Johnson continues to be a "rock" at the point guard position contributed 8 points and 8 assists to only 1 turnover. 12/14
Upper Room Falls To Jericho
No not that Jericho. Upper Room traveled to Ohio for the Lake Erie Shootout, and lost to Jericho Christian from Maryland by a score of 61-48. It was a close game most of the way, but Upper Room trailed as time started to run down, and Jericho hit their foul shots down the stretch for the win. Victor Holder had a double double with 18 points and 15 rebounds and Greg Simon had 13 points. Jericho is coached by former Georgetown Hoya star Reggie Williams. 12/11
Games of 12/10
Tim Marchica's shot at the buzzer gave Seaford a 55-54 win over Valley Stream North in overtime. Marchica finished with 13 points.....No letdown for Jericho after their big win over St. Mary's. The Jayhawks took a 19-5 1st quarter lead over Calhoun en route to a 66-33 win... ........George Beamon brought Roslyn from 10 down to a 77-66 win over a solid Hewlett team. Beamon finished with 34 and is averaging 30 points per game after 4 games.......Back to back three pointers by Derrick Lee and Timmy Hernandez and two key free throws by Wesley Clarke with 5.4 seconds left gave Lexington a 54 to 52 come from behind win over Schecter......
Sweet 16 Shake-up At St. Dom's
A 12 hour hoops marathon took place at St. Dominic on Saturday, and it was filled with great basketball and plenty of surprises that shook up the Sweet 16.
GO TO RECAPS OF: