LWA approaching 20 wins

With 17 victories in 18 games, Lawrence Woodmere Academy appears to possess all the tools necessary to capture its third PSAA (Private School Athletic Association) boys’ basketball championship in as many seasons.

The Tigers, with impressive wins over Blessed Sacrament, Flushing, John Bowne, Plainview-JFK and Fieldston under their belt and a 6-0 mark in PSAA action, feature a nice mix of veterans and underclassmen on a roster that runs 15-deep.

“We’ve played better than I anticipated after losing our top two players from last season,” said coach Jeff Weiss, who guided LWA to 23 wins and a trip to the NYSAISAA Class B semifinals in 2008-09, with Chris Williams and Sean Henry leading the way. “The returning starters and the kids who moved into our main rotation have been tremendous.”

Evangel Christian School has emerged as the Tigers’ stiffest challenger. LWA defeated the Eagles on Jan. 15, 89-77, behind 25 points and 11 rebounds from Edwin Sainvil and 19 points and 14 rebounds from Holden Collick. The rematch takes place at Evangel on Monday at 4 p.m. “They’re a strong shooting team,” Weiss said. “I thought they were tough.”

Collick, one of LWA’s two senior starters, is enjoying a tremendous fourth season on varsity. The 6-3 forward, who is headed to Brandeis, is averaging 15.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game going into the stretch run and has been a consistent force at both ends. “Holden is the hardest-working kid we’ve had in a long time,” Weiss said of Collick, who ripped down 19 rebounds in a 50-48 victory over John Bowne on Jan. 18 and scored a season-high 22 points twice, most recently on Jan. 27 in a 24-point win over Portledge. “He’s athletic, and has a knack for finding the ball. He’s in there crashing against 6-6 kids and coming away with it,” Weiss added.

Senior Guilherme Brodt starts at center and at 6-9 is a presence in the paint. He had a three-point play with two seconds left to beat Blessed Sacrament, 64-63, on Jan. 9. “We desperately need him to help us go far,” Weiss said.

Opponents are having trouble keeping up with the Tigers’ speed, particularly in the backcourt where Sainvil, a sophomore, and Cantrell Barker, a freshman, always play at a high tempo. Weiss tabbed Sainvil “an excellent decision-maker and one of the best tenth-graders on Long Island,” while Barker has enjoyed some big games such as his 16-point effort in last Friday’s 75-42 win at Martin Luther. Sainvil, who runs the point, scored 25 to lead a 66-60 victory over Flushing early in the season.

Juniors Jerome Hayden and sophomore Trent Parrish contribute regularly as part of the starting rotation, and seniors James Jones and Jeremy Epstein provide a spark off the bench. 

“We’re a relatively young team,” Weiss said. “I’m really pleased with how quickly we came along.”