LONG ISLAND CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Baldwin 75 Amityville 56
Two of Long Island's legendary coaches, Darius Burton from Baldwin and Jack Agostino from Amityville, had done outstanding coaching jobs once again, leading their 5th seeded teams into the Long Island Class AA Champions Game. After a tough first half that saw Amityville rally twice from 8 point deficits to trail by 5 at intermission, the Bruins took command in the 3rd quarter and rolled to an impressive 75-56 victory behind 19 points from Mical Saint Jean and 17 from Ethan Sainsbury. The Class AA bracket has been reconfigured this season and the Long Island Championship Game in this class is now a Regional Semifinal, not a Regional Final, so Baldwin must first beat Tappan Zee, the formidable Section 1 Champion, to advance to the New York State Class AA Final Four.
Amityville fell behind early, and although they rallied, cutting the Bruin lead to 2 on a Taki Mason three pointer with 1:22 play in the half, the game tying basket was waved off on a charging call and Mical Saint Jean answered with a three from the right wing to make it 35-30 Baldwin at the half.
Dajon Clinton got the Warriors going in the second quarter with a layup off a nice pass from Amir Dickerson to cut the Bruin lead to 3, but Ethan Sainsbury responded, knocking down a three pointer from behind the left elbow, Chase Timberlake went coast to coast and scored, and then followed it up with a steal and basket, and Stainsbury scored again on a drive to make it an 11 point game with 4:02 to play in the quarter. Saint Jean kept it going with a putback, and Timberlake followed with a steal and dunk, but Mason stalled the run, drawing a foul and knocking down two free throws. Saint Jean resumed the assault with a three from the top, and the Bruins did not let up, padding the lead on a Timberlake layup off an inbound play and Sainsbury's pull up jumper from just inside the foul line, good for a 21 point lead. Amityville shaved off a few points as the quarter came to a close on Allan Dodson-Isabell's basket off a steal and Dickerson's free throws, but the Bruins were still up and in control, leading 57-41 with three quarters complete.
Mason kept the Warrior rally going, opening the 4th quarter with a baseline drive, and Clinton added a right-wing three-pointer and the Warriors were suddenly back in it, trailing by 11, but a big three by Saint Jean ended the 10-0 run and Phillips added a putback to make it 52-46 Bruins. Amityville tried to put together another push after a right baseline 3 by Dickerson, but Baldwin matched the Warriors basket for basket from there, with a Vaughdrea Johnson basket bumping the lead to 17, and then the final blow, two technical foul free throws made it 70 to 51 Bruins with 2:15 to play. GAME OVER! Everybody in the Baldwin starting 5 played well, with Timberlake and Johnson joining Saint Jean and Sainsbury with double digit points. Mason, Dickerson, Wes Flythe and Johnson reached double digits for the Warriors, led by Mason with 15.
