Boys’ Basketball

For the 11th straight year the boys’ basketball team has earned a berth in the Suffolk County playoffs and will attempt to defend their County and Long Island Championships from a year ago. Led by an aggressive defense, allowing the fewest points per game in League VIII, and Tim Pandolfi, Long Island’s leading scorer, the Bears finished the regular season 12-2, just one game behind Greenport, the #7 ranked team in New York State.

On Saturday, the Blue and White will face their crosstown rival, Port Jeff, in the season’s third installment of the North Shore War for a berth in the County Championship. The Brook took the first meeting on January 28, 71-43, behind a career-high 38 for Pandolfi. Less than a week later, on February 3, the Brook won the grudge match down Port, 59-52, as they overcame a nine-point third quarter deficit thanks to five 3-pointers from Pandolfi and three clutch trifectas from Marco Masakayan. The Bears must take a third game from the Royals this season to face the winner of Greenport vs. Southold for a chance at back-to-back titles, a task that will not be easy.

Port Jeff is a blue collar team and the boys must match their fervor on rebounds and loose balls. The keys to victory lie with their ability to stop the Royals’ biggest threat, Terrell Rose, who scored 13 points in his only appearance vs. the Bears this season, as well as their willingness to battle in the trenches and block out their perennially pesky rival. The Bears have won its last three home playoff games with wins in 2007 vs. Pierson, 2008 vs. Southold, and 2009 vs. Mercy. Tipoff is tomorrow @ 6:00pm.

Stony Brook (14-2) has defeated Port Jefferson (11-6) twice this season, but the second game was a lot closer than the first, so the Bears can't afford to get complacent on Saturday.

~ The Three Village Patch

Girls’ Basketball

Our girls team is not used to losing, evidenced by their seven consecutive League Championships and their 72 wins in 74 league games since January 31, 2005. So when they dropped a game to Pierson/Bridgehampton earlier in the year it could have shattered the confidence and motivation of our team. However, the girls overcame the setback as well as injuries to Natalie Istrati and Brannon Burke during the year to win their remaining nine league games and secure the League Title.

The #1 Bears will face #4 Southold whom they handled 50-25 on January 18, but survived against on February 14 in a 49-41 overtime win during which Burke scored her 1,000th career point. Natalie Istrati did not play in the second meeting, but she will be available tomorrow afternoon. If the girls prevail they will face the winner of #2 Bridgehampton/Pierson vs. #3 Mercy for a chance at their sixth straight County Championship. Tipoff is tomorrow @ 3:30pm.

Southold (7-10) has been inconsistent at times this season, starting out with a five-game losing streak but winning four straight contests later in the season. Stony Brook (12-5) has defeated Southold twice, once by 25 points and once by 8 points. The outcome could depend on the play of senior Brannon Burke, a sharpshooter who recently scored her 1,000th career point but who has also dealt with injuries this season.

~ The Three Village Patch

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