By TONY BELLISSIMO
In a rematch of last year’s Long Island Class B boys’ basketball championship game, Malverne rose to the occasion and held off a late charge from Center Moriches to claim its third straight title, 75-68, on March 10 at SUNY-Old Westbury.
The Mules had four players score in double figures, including junior Dashawn Moorer (20 points) who was 6 for 6 from three-point range in the first half to help build a 37-29 lead. Seniors Matthew Bates, Justin Williams and Kadeem Bell added 19, 17 and 13 points, respectively. Brothers Jonathan and Jordan Ward-Adams netted 26 points apiece for the Red Devils.
“Our size was too much for them,” Malverne coach Darrol Lopez said. “Matthew and Justin controlled the paint in the second half. I thought we played well. It’s great to defend the Long Island championship.”
Bates, who was hit with two fouls in the opening 4:06 and spent most of the first half on the bench, scoring just one point, hit for eight points in the third quarter and 10 in the fourth. His first of eight field goals in the second half put the Mules in front 39-29, but they eventually fell behind and had to rally. “I was confident the guys would hold on until I got back out there,” Bates said. “I had to get the job done. They’ve got a good team, but I didn’t want to go out losing the Long Island championship.”
With Bates on the bench for about eight minutes of the first and second quarters, Moorer carried the Mules on his back. His first of two three-pointers in the opening quarter came with the Red Devils up by five and ignited a 12-4 run. Williams, who also grabbed 17 rebounds, provided instant offense off the bench with a pair of free throws and a short jumper as Malverne led 19-16 after one.
Immediately after Bates returned midway through the second quarter, Bell upped the Mules’ lead to 29-20. The margin was shaved to one as Jordan Ward-Adams shook loose for three straight baskets and Myles Bell answered a Bates free throw with a long three-pointer, but it was back to eight by halftime thanks to two more Moorer threes and free throw by Williams. “Basketball is a game of runs,” Lopez said. “We always preach to the kids that everyone’s capable of making a run. That’s the way it is.”
But not many in attendance anticipated an 18-8 outburst for Center Moriches to start the second half. Led by the Ward-Adams brothers, the Red Devils erased a double-digit lead and stormed ahead, 47-45, with 2:15 to go in the third quarter. “If two guys score 80 percent of a team’s points, we’re going to make them work,” Lopez said. “They played well, but we knew our inside game would take us home.”
Bates and Williams combined for 16 points and eight rebounds in the fourth quarter, but the biggest blow to the Suffolk champs down the stretch was a three-pointer by Bell that gave the Mules a 58-51 lead with 6:34 left to play.
Back to Glens Falls
The Mules punched their ticket to Glens Falls for the state Class B Final Four by defeating Burke Catholic (Section I), 79-75, last Saturday night in the Southeast Regional final at Old Westbury. They led by as many as 19 points in the third quarter and held off the late-charging Eagles, who closed to within 74-72 with 1:25 remaining. A clutch layup by Moorer with 46 seconds left provided breathing room, and two late free throws by Bell (20 points) sealed the win.
“It wouldn’t be appropriate if we won by a wide margin,” Lopez said. “We never make it easy on ourselves, and I warned the kids at halftime [Burke] would make a run. They’re a section champion just like we are, and they pushed us to the brink.”
Williams scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Moorer added 14 points.
Malverne (12-10) meets Seton Prep (Section IV) in a state semifinal on Friday at 6:45 p.m. at Glens Falls Civic Center. The championship game is Saturday at 8 p.m.
Comments about this story? TBellissimo@
liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
