Bears Silence Knights
D’Alessio & Narain in action last year (PC: The Independent)
This evening the boys’ basketball team ran past Smithtown Christian, 52-23, in the fourth annual Silent Night Game to earn their 22nd consecutive victory over the Knights dating back to 1999.
The Bears raced out to a 9-0 lead thanks to a steal and score by Jai Narain, a Seamus Scanlon 3-pointer, and a pair of buckets by Owen Sobel. Despite the early surge, the Swanson faithful remained silent, awaiting the Silent Night tradition of witholding cheers until the Bears score their tenth point. Scanlon finally shattered the stillness with a free throw at the 5:10 mark, becoming the first Bear to break the silence on two different occasions (he also accomplished the feat in 2016).
With the tension abated, the Bears continued the onslaught, running their unbroken scoring spree to 15-0 after a Scanlon fast break layup. The Knights finally ended the run with a layup, but the Blue & White ran off 13 more consecutive points to put a stranglehold on the game. Narain ignited the run with a 3-pointer then added a steal and score, Rex Eshirow registered a steal and score, Scanlon added another layup, Narain pilfered another before finishing the fast break with a dunk, and Sobel capped the run with a layup. When the dust settled, the Bears owned a 28-2 lead. The Knights scored to end the quarter to trail 28-4 after the first.
The Bears scored all three of their second quarter field goals off of offensive rebounds as Andy D’Alessio, Jerry Li, and Josh Aduba each corralled a carom and finished a layup inside. Li also added a block at the buzzer as the Brook went into the break ahead 35-10.
Both teams began the second half cold. D’Alessio finally ended the collective 3-minute drought with a trifecta, but the Bears’ offense ground to a halt the remainer of the frame before Narain capped the quarter with a 3-pointer to give the Brook a 41-14 edge heading into the fourth.
The Knights started the fourth with a 7-2 run, but the Bears responded with seven straight points thanks to a 3-pointer and layup from Pete Simone and a bucket from Li. Josh Aduba capped the victory with an offensive rebound and putback to provide the final points in the 52-23 win.
Narain led a balanced scoring attack that included Scanlon (8), Sobel (8), Li (6), D’Alessio (6), Simone (5), Aduba (4), and Eshirow (2).
The Bears return to action after the Christmas break.
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Silent Night History
- Dec. 15, 2018 vs. Smithtown Christian – W 52-23 (Seamus Scanlon free throw)
- Dec. 2, 2017 vs. Shelter Island – W 68-46 (Emil Vaughn 3-pointer)
- Dec. 9, 2016 vs. Ross School – W 50-26 (Seamus Scanlon 3-pointer)
- Dec. 5, 2015 vs. Rocky Point – W 76-60 (Luke O’Connor layup)
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Bears Shackle Pierson Once Again
D’Alessio in action last year (PC: Gabby Germain)
This evening the boys’ basketball team traveled to Sag Harbor for a non-league tilt with Pierson and came away with a 46-26 win, the 11th victory in their last twelve match-ups with the Whalers dating back to 2014.
Blue & White shots weren’t falling early as the Whalers built a 12-8 lead after the first quarter. Pierson’s margin grew to 16-8 with 6:55 left in the second quarter after scoring buckets on their first two possessions, but the Bears would hold them scoreless for the next 14:40 of game time while unleashing a game-breaking 22-0 run. They closed the second quarter with a 13-0 spurt to turn their eight-point deficit into a five-point halftime lead. Owen Sobel ignited the run with a layup plus the foul. An Andy D’Alessio steal and score cut the deficit to 15-16 with under two minutes lefts, but the Bears still trailed by a point with under 30 seconds left when D’Alessio simply took over.
The senior was fouled on a 3-point attempt, but hit only one of his three free throw attempts. He made up for the missed opportunity by stealing consecutive in-bounds passes and scoring a layup and a 3-pointer to close the half on a personal 8-0 run.
The Bears opened the second half with a 9-0 run thanks to consecutive buckets by D’Alessio–which increased his personal run to 12-0–a 3-pointer by Jai Narain, and another D’Alessio score. The Whalers finally ended their drought with 2:15 left in the quarter, but the damage had already been done. The Bears won the final frame 11-6 to cruise to the 20-point victory.
D’Alessio led all scorers with 17 points. Narain added 9 points and six assists while Sobel notched 7 points and 10 assists. Seamus Scanlon (7), Colin Scanlon (3), Rex Eshirow (2), and Christian Bunn-Livingstone (1) rounded out the scoring for the Brook.
The story of the game was the Blue & White defense, which held the Whalers under 30 points for the first time since their loss in the 2013 County Championship game, which the Bears won 57-27. The Whalers have long been a potent offensive threat, but the Bears have simply had their number. In the 287 games the Whalers have played since the 2004-05 season, they have been held under 30 points just four times, three of which have come at the hands of the Bears, who along with tonight’s game and the 2013 County final held them to 29 points on Jan. 14, 2009 in a 50-29 win in Sag Harbor.
The Bears’ defensive success tonight was partly achieved by shackling Pierson’s top scorer, Henry Brooks, who had been averaging 22.0 points per game coming into the match-up, but netted just 5 tonight in the Whalers’ lowest point output in at least 14 years.
The Bears are back on the court on Saturday night in the 4th Annual Silent Night Game vs. Smithtown Christian.
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Last 12 Games vs. Pierson
- Dec. 13, 2018 @ Pierson – W 46-26
- Jan. 15, 2018 @ Stony Brook – W 61-50
- Feb. 1, 2017 @ Stony Brook – W 69-49
- Jan. 13, 2017 @ Pierson – L 62-63
- Feb. 13, 2016 – Suffolk County Championship – W 51-44
- Feb. 2, 2016 @ Stony Brook – W 63-49
- Dec. 12, 2015 @ Pierson – W 50-36
- Feb. 16, 2015 – Suffolk County Championship – W 44-39
- Feb. 4, 2015 @ Stony Brook – W 43-42
- Jan. 6, 2015 @ Pierson – W 68-65
- Feb. 15, 2014 – Suffolk County Championship – W 62-36
- Jan. 24, 2014 @ Stony Brook – W 56-34
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Sobel & Scanlon Hold Off Jaguars
Scanlon in action last year (PC: George Faella)
On Tuesday afternoon the boys’ basketball team held off a late rally to upend Kew-Forest, 60-52, in Queens.
The Bears built a 19-6 lead after the first quarter thanks to their frenetic defensive pressure, 7 points from Seamus Scanlon, and a pair of threes by Jai Narain. Kew battled back to take the second quarter, 14-12, to head into the break trailing by 11.
Owen Sobel had a monster third quarter for the Brook, scoring 11 in the frame to power the Bears to a 20-16 quarter and a 15-point cushion heading into the fourth. The Bears substituted early in the period and the Jags closed to within six, but were ultimately stymied.
Owen Sobel led all scorers with 21 points while Scanlon poured in 20. Narain (11), Andy D’Alessio (6), and C. J. Edwards (2) rounded out the scoring for the Blue & White.
The Bears are back in action this afternoon in a non-league game in Sag Harbor, seeking their 11th victory in their last twelve games vs. old rival Pierson.
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Felix on Fire to Start Season
Felix in action last year (PC: Bruce Jeffrey)
Beth Felix is off to a blistering start this winter, picking up where she left off after averaging 20.6 points per game last season as a junior while earning League VII MVP honors.
The senior sharpshooter features prominently on the early season girls’ basketball leaderboards, averaging 23.5 points per game to lead all private school players on the Long Island. That mark is also the second-highest mark in Suffolk County and 5th overall on the island.
She has also knocked down 15 three-pointers in four games this season, the second-most tallies on Long Island behind Copiague’s Lanyah Ford. What makes these marks even more impressive is that she has accomplished them in limited time, sitting out large chunks of the second half in several blowouts and missing completely two of the Bears’ first six games.
The senior currently has the Bears tied atop the PSAA East standings with Portledge at 4-1. The girls return to action on Jan. 4th in a home scrimmage with Port Jeff.
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On This Day In History | 1924
The 1924-25 senior class
On this day 94 years ago, the basketball team clipped Islip, 23-22, on hostile hardwood.
James Durham led the Blue & White with 6 field goals, Thomas Brohard dropped in 2, and Edward Silsbe and Stanley Wood scored one apiece.
Clyde Mellinger’s squad went on to finish 9-6 for the program’s first winning season in its third year of existence.
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On This Day In History | 1998
The 1998-99 Bears
On this day 20 years ago, the girls’ basketball team scored 22 fourth-quarter points in a come-from-behind victory over Shoreham-Wading River in the consolation game of the Westhampton Tournament.
The Bears trailed 12-15 after the first quarter, but outscored Shoreham 16-8 in the second period to take a 28-23 lead at the break. A 17-12 frame for the Wildcats left the teams knotted at 40-40 entering the final quarter which the Bears won in a shootout. Rebecca Fischer and Sara Kiernan combined for 21 points of the Bears’ 22 points in the decisive frame to hold off the Wildcats.
Fischer led all scorers with 30 points and added 16 rebounds while Kiernan (15), Michelle Spurlock (8), Brie Edwards (7), and Gilly Fell (2) rounded out the scoring.
The Bears went on to finish the season as League Champions, their third of what became four consecutive titles, before winning the program’s first Suffolk County Championship.
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Felix Leads Bears Past Our Savior
Yesterday evening the girls’ basketball team topped Our Savior, 39-34, on the Pioneers’ home floor. The win bumped the Bears’ PSAA record up to 4-1, leaving them tied for first place in the East Division with Portledge.
The Bears trailed 10-11 after the first quarter, but closed a hard-fought first half tied at 20-20. They took control of the game with a 14-5 third quarter and held on for the five-point win.
Beth Felix led all scorers with 25 points, including six 3-pointers, to go along with 6 steals. Wura Obasanjo (6), Bekah Detwiler (4 points/ 6 rebounds), Sarah Hull (2), and Niamh Scanlon (1) rounded out the scoring for the Brook.
The Bears return to action after Christmas with a home scrimmage vs. Port Jeff on Jan. 4th.
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