Tigers tough to tame in transition

After dominating the IPPSAL (Independent Private Parochial School Athletic League) boys’ basketball scene for more than a decade, Lawrence Woodmere Academy is thriving in the PSAA (Private School Athletic Association) with three championships in as many seasons.

“The move was positive,” coach Jeff Weiss said of the league change. “It has been a good experience all around.”

The Tigers have reached the state semifinals in back-to-back seasons and are off to an 8-2 start with a roster full of seniors but limited in terms of size. “We’re fast and small,” Weiss said. “Our game this season is transition. We have to create turnovers and score, because rebounding can be a major issue at times.”

According to Weiss, senior Brandon Hougnou and junior Trent Parrish are LWA’s tallest players, standing approximately 6-foot-3. Dwight’s Max Bock took advantage in the paint in last Thursday’s 68-57 win over the Tigers with 22 points and 15 rebounds.

“We played well, but not with enough intensity to beat a team of Dwight’s level,” Weiss said. “They shot well, and their big guy gave us a lot of trouble inside. We have to be a little better defensively when we see them again down the road.”

Senior guards Jamal Benn and Jerome Hayden continued their torrid scoring pace for LWA with 25 and 24 points, respectively. They combined for 17 field goals, including seven from three-point range. Parrish added six points, and Hougnou pulled down nine rebounds.

The Tigers were hampered by the absence of senior guard Desmond Hibbert, who missed his first of what could be a handful of games with an ankle injury. “Desmond’s a smart player and a vocal leader,” Weiss said. “We definitely missed his intangibles.”

While winning the battle under the boards has been hit and miss, opponents are having trouble keeping up with the Tigers’ speed, particularly in the backcourt where Benn and Hayden lead the way. The tandem is key to the full-court and half-court presses.

Benn, who missed all but a few games last season with a broken ankle, is among the leading scorers on Long Island. He has scored in double figures every game and cracked 25 in six of the first 10, including a career-high 41 against Bay Ridge. “He’s lightning-fast,” Weiss said.  

Hayden, who starts at the point, is the most experienced player on the team and can score as well as distribute. “He’s a well-rounded player and trustworthy with the ball,” Weiss said. “He wasn’t a point guard last season, but I felt it was best for our team to move him there and it’s working out well.”

Senior Brian Pompey, junior Michael Licatesi and sophomore Jakob Cayne are also part of the rotation for the Tigers, who picked up key wins over Far Rockaway and Staten Island.

“It’s a close-knit group,” Weiss said. “I think we have potential to do some very good things.”