Finals week at the Brook is a stressful and taxing time for our students. For those that are athletes, there are even more demands on their minds and bodies. It is not uncommon for players to be fatigued both mentally and physically by this point in the grueling stretch, but the boys’ basketball team showed no such lethargy this afternoon in a match-up with league rival Greenport. Instead, it was the Porters who looked lifeless as the Bears unleashed a first half onslaught.

The Bears jumped out to a big early lead, something that has become a trend in each of their three victories this season. Against Port Jeff they outscored the Royals 17-7 in the opening frame while Ross found themselves down 2-21 after the first quarter on Friday afternoon. Today, Greenport had to hit a buzzer-beater at the end of the quarter just to close their deficit to 6-22. Once again, it was the Bear defense that inflicted much of the damage while also greasing the offense’s wheels. Eight steals in the quarter by six different players fueled an endless fast break for the Brook. A little over a minute into the game, the Brook had an 8-2 edge that would only grow from there. Robbie Colarusso tallied 10 points in the quarter thanks to two 3-pointers and two layups including a tough, double-clutch finish in traffic.

In the second quarter, the Bears’ dominance continued thanks to a monster quarter from Jyles Eteinne. The silky big man was everywhere, recording four blocks, including a vicious pin against the backboard, to go along with 11 points and seemingly every rebound in the frame. The Bears road the play of Etienne to a 23-4 quarter giving them a gaudy 45-10 lead at the break.

In the third, the Porters responded to what was undoubtedly an impassioned halftime speech from their coach by knocking down 3-pointers on their first two possessions, eliciting raucous cheers from the Greenport bench. Colarusso responded by drilling a trifecta of his own to help stem the Porter wave on the way to a 68-33 victory.

The win was the Bears’ 16th consecutive triumph over League VIII opponents as they improved to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in League VIII. The victory also ups coach Hickey’s all-time record vs. the Porters to 27-21.

Colarusso finished with a game-high 26 points to increase his average to 21 points per game, good enough for 12th in Suffolk County. Etienne was a beast on both ends of the floor, finishing with a near triple-double with 17 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 blocks. Luke Meyer finished with 9 points, but his fingerprint on the game far exceeded his stat line. He spearheaded the defense as well as the Blue and White fast break. Through the first four games he has proven to be one of our most important catalysts. He flat out makes the team go.

The Bears next hit the court against Pierson after Christmas Break on January 6.

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