by Chris Detwiler
The Center Moriches High School Red Devils defeated the Cold Spring Harbor High School Seahawks in the Class B Long Island Championship by a score of 56-47 on Wednesday March 6.
The Red Devils had a strong lead for a majority of the second half before the Seahawks climbed back within a point. Center Moriches then pulled away in the final minutes of the game to claim victory in the opening round of the 2019 NYSPHSAA Boys Basketball Championships.
“It was a tough game for us. Cold Spring Harbor – give them credit, they were ready to play,” Center Moriches Head Coach Nick Thomas said.
The Red Devils were led by senior Sean Braithwaite, Jr. who recorded 20 points and was named the MVP of the game.
“How good was [Braithwaite]?” Thomas said. “He was there when we needed him. He played like a leader today. He showed all facets of his game and made key plays down the stretch.”
Classmate TyiQuon Nix also recorded double-digit points with 13 of his own, including a few crucial free throws to put the game away.
“[Nix] was tremendous for us in making key plays and we relied on him for that,” Thomas said. “[He] makes winning plays throughout.”
Cold Spring Harbor held the Red Devils’ star, senior Micah Snowden, to only nine points on the night and just one in the first half. Snowden averaged 19.8 points per game during the regular season.
“They keyed on Micah, who is such a big presence,” Thomas said. “That opened it up for other guys to step up and they did.”
The Seahawks were led by senior Aidan Adomaites, who scored 20 points in the loss.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth battle between the two teams. Cold Spring Harbor held off the Red Devils until there was about a minute and a half left in the opening quarter when Center Moriches took their first lead off a transition layup from Nix.
The game was tied at 10 after the first quarter and Braithwaite, Jr. took over from there. The senior scored 13 of his 20 points in the eight-minute window of the second quarter. The team scored 20 in the second quarter and took a 30-24 lead at the break.
The Red Devils picked up right where they left off in the second half, going on a 7-2 run right off the bat. The Seahawks gained some momentum towards the end of the quarter, but Center Moriches held a 41-33 lead heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter was a completely different story for both teams. The Seahawks used strong defense and momentum from their student section to start the final quarter on a 7-0 run that brought them within one point of the Red Devils with just over three minutes to play.
From there, Center Moriches calmed down, grabbed crucial rebounds and put the game away.
“I thought tonight was a testament to our toughness and being battle tested,” Thomas said. “We grinded it out.”
The Red Devils now move to the regional round of the bracket to take on Dobbs Ferry High School, the No. 1 seed, on Saturday March 9 at 3 p.m. at Centereach High School.
“Today was a good wakeup call for us,” Thomas said. “With that being said, we’ll be ready to go on Saturday, I can promise you that.”
