#4 Hills East defeated #2 Uniondale 69-54 in the Long Island Class AA Championship Saturday at Farmingdale University.
The Thunderbirds turned defense into offense all game, with a multitude of blocks from their big men. Senior Julian Crittenden and Kenny Mathurin provided the defensive force all game, protecting the paint on each possession. They served up volleyball like blocks on multiple occasions.
Elite scorer Savion Lewis came into the contest averaging 34.4 points, the most among high school basketball players on Long Island. The Knights had early success stopping Lewis by speeding his game up and forcing turnovers.
After being up by as many as 13 in the first half, Uniondale cut the lead to 32-24 at the half. The tempo and energy were high early. Both teams looked to run and get easy buckets at every opportunity. Uniondale Center Craig Brown set the tone on both ends. He had multiple plays where he blocked a shot, and was rewarded with a layup at the other end.
In the second half the Thunderbirds came out energized. A steal and score by big man Julian Crittenton put Hills East up by 15 with 5:30 to go in the third. Brown continued to wreak havoc in the paint for Uniondale but cutting the lead looked almost impossible. With every bucket, the Thunderbirds would answer.
In the fourth, Uniondale come out with a defensive mindset. After trailing 53-33 to start the quarter, the Knights did not allow a bucket for the first 2:33 of the quarter. In that time they were able to cut the deficit to 53-41. A Hills East timeout ultimately led to a momentum swinging three in the following possession, putting the game back in farther reach.
Throughout the contest the focus was defense. No one player stood out for the Thunderbirds, as each player contributed equally.
Head coach Peter Basel was very happy with the overall performance of the defense, stating post game, “We prepped all week. The kids bought in and locked in. we knew what they were going to do and we executed.”
In the end, the efforts of the Knights were not enough as Savion Lewis and Hills East closed out the game strong. Lewis finished with 21 points, earning him MVP honors for the game.
