On this day nine years ago, the girls’ basketball team won the third Long Island Championship in program history, on the same night the boys’ team won its first. Here are two recaps of the victory.

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Burke, Singer Lead Way

Mark Macyk — Newsday

The only reminder of what happened to Sadie Singer at St. Joseph’s a little more than a year ago was a brace on her left knee.

It was in the first quarter of last season’s Suffolk B/C title game, one game before Stony Brook would win the Long Island Championship, when Singer tore an ACL, which forced her to miss the state tournament and the soccer season.

Back at St. Joseph’s last night, one long rehab later, there was nothing but joy on Singer’s face. Behind 19 points from Brannon Burke, stellar point-guard play by Singer, and the support of a raucous cheering section, Stony Brook defeated East Rockaway, 49-36, in the Long Island Class C Championship/Southeast Regional girls’ basketball semifinal.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Singer, who scored 14 points. “I am loving this right now. You’re obviously a part of it, but this means so much more.”

Stony Brook will play North Salem in the Class C Southeast Regional final Friday at 3:00pm at Pace University in Pleasantville.

Joining it there will be the boys’ team, which won its own LI championship earlier in the night and cheered loudly throughout the game. The boys were returning the favor to the girls, who cheered them for a half before heading to their own game. “We love it,” Burke said. “To have them here all hyped up was just great.”

Added Singer: “We’re so excited. Our whole school is celebrating tonight.”

Our whole school is celebrating tonight.

Sadie Singer

Stony Brook ended the first half on a 12-0 run to go up 26-16. Singer scored the first five points of the run, Burke the next five, and Candace Baker beat the buzzer with a layup. Stony Brook held East Rock to two points in the second quarter.

Burke hit a few outside shots in the first quarter, but it was her post play in the second half that helped extend the lead.

“She lit it up from the get-go,” Stony Brook coach Keith Singer said. “Plus, we gave up some rebounds the rest of the way and she won every 50/50 ball. If there was the ball and two people were there, she got it.”

Jessica Winston added nine points for the Bears.

Stony Brook	14	12	8	15	49
East Rockaway	14	2	8	12	36

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Stony Brook Wins LI Championship

John Westermann — The Village Times

In the second game of their school’s Sunrise Highway sweep Tuesday, The Stony Brook School girls’ team won their Class C Long Island Championship game at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue over the gritty Nassau County Champions from East Rockaway.

Stony Brook junior forward Brannon Burke (19 points) buried her first jump shot in an end-to-end 14-14 first quarter and stayed hot throughout. Senior guard Sadie Singer (14 points) forced East Rockaway to commit a couple of turnovers to start the second quarter, then swished a 3-pointer to give the Bears the lead at 17-16. Two minutes later, Singer nailed a jumper and East Rockaway needed a time out. Stony Brook senior Candace Baker stole a pass and Burke hit a jump shot; Baker stole another pass and Burke drained a 3-ball. Freshman Emily Carmel grabbed some key rebounds and suddenly the Bears led 26-16 at the half. Stony Brook never let up and won 49-36 to advance to play North Salem in the New York State Class C Southeast Regional Final at Pace University on March 12 at 3:00pm.

“In the first quarter we gave up 14 points,” Stony Brook School head coach Keith Singer said. “We gave up transition baskets and rebounds because that team can run. After we stopped that, we were OK. We came out in a zone defense to open the game and then changed to man-to-man and that first decision was my fault. In the second quarter we held them to just two points.”

Sadie Singer, who has played in so many big games the last five years, said the feeling doesn’t get old. “I love this every time,” she said. “It’s always frantic out there, but we just stuck to our game plan.”

“Sadie has such a high basketball IQ,” said Singer. “She’s come a long way back since tearing her ACL last summer. And Brannon Burke had a great game. I don’t know how many rebounds she had but she shot the ball well right from the start and won every 50-50 ball.”

And now, like The Stony Brook School boys, Sadie Singer and company have at least one more big game left. “Right now we’re focused on Friday night and getting it done against North Salem,” said Keith Singer. “We have a lot of young talent coming back next year, but right now it’s about Friday.”

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