Suffolk I girls basketball team-by-team outlook
DeJohn, Kenny. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 09 Dec 2018
LONGWOOD LIONS
Last season: 16-5
Coach: James Castiglione
KEY PLAYERS
Janelle Brown PG 5-6 Jr.; Nyia Longford F 5-8 Sr.; Taydra Simpson G 5-10 Fr.; Tatiana Stevens F 5-9 Sr.; Kaneasha Strider G 5-3 Sr.
ABOUT THE LIONS: Last year was big, but this one could be bigger with Brown and Longford returning.
TALENTED NORTHPORT IS ON A MISSION: Stockman, Pavinelli ready for a playoff run
DeJohn, Kenny. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 09 Dec 2018:
His voice hoarse from patrolling the sideline during an intense few days of scrimmages, Northport girls basketball coach Rich Castellano offered a simplistic view of his team.
“We’re not going to lose like that again,” Castellano said, referencing the 49-43 loss to No. 14 Brentwood in the first round of Suffolk’s Class AA playoffs last season. “We’re not going to get upset again. It went through the spring and summer and fall league, and now we’re starting over.”
Then the No. 3 seed, Northport was lauded as a serious contender for the Suffolk crown, which was eventually won by Commack.
Senior guard Hannah Stockman is ready to rewrite the narrative.
“I’ve been playing on this team for five years, and I’ve never made it past the second round of playoffs,” Stockman, who averaged 17.2 points last season, said. “I think this year if we do – I mean, when we do – it would mean so much to us.”
Stockman and junior guard Danielle Pavinelli both stand 5-10, a benefit for a versatile Tigers team that should also receive contributions from Kerry Dennin, Shea Cronin, Leah Morawski, Kelly McLaughlin and Alexa Gentile, a transfer from Massapequa.
Freshmen Sophia Bica and Sophia Yearwood add to the team’s depth.
“I hope that we are the team that people look out for,” Pavinelli said.
Castellano, who has coached Northport since 1979, said the energy of Gentile and the passion of Pavinelli could be keys to winning the program’s first title since it won three straight from 2004-06.
“You add Danielle, who has the fire,” he said. “She’s a refuse-to-lose type of girl. She’s a sore loser, which is good. She’s very, very tough. She makes us go.”
Playing in Suffolk II, Northport plays a competitive league schedule against the likes of Whitman, Half Hollow Hills East and Riverhead, among others. The Tigers have scrimmaged Sachem North, Sachem East, Brentwood and Commack, the who’s who of Suffolk Class AA girls basketball, along with Ward Melville, Longwood and North Babylon.
It’s all geared toward preparing the team for a rigorous postseason run.
“Of all the years I’ve been doing it, these girls look like winners,” Castellano said. “They have that swagger of being winners. We haven’t won anything yet, so they have to back it up.”
Longwood coach James Castiglione offered a case for his Lions team that boasts significant talent but came up short last winter, losing to No. 12 Ward Melville as the No. 4 seed, 49-40, in a Suffolk Class AA quarterfinal.
Nyia Longford and Janelle Brown provide just the type of punch Longwood could use to vie for the Suffolk I crown.
“Between our defense, multiple shooters and scorers, I think a lot of teams will be hard-pressed to beat us this year,” Castiglione said.
Longford, Lions off to fast start: Forward (16 points, 15 rebounds) provides spark in season opener
Amato, Laura. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 07 Dec 2018
The Longwood forward spent her offseason wondering what could have been after the Lions were upset by Ward Melville in the Suffolk AA quarterfinals last year, but those thoughts disappeared as soon as she saw the ball tipped on Thursday, when she led Longwood to a 78-36 non-conference, season-opening victory over St. John the Baptist.
“We’ve got our first win and it goes from here,” said Longford, who finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds. “Now it’s about growing and getting better and working back towards the playoffs.”
The teams exchanged baskets early and St. John the Baptist took a 7-4 lead with 6:05 left in the first quarter. It didn’t last long.
Longwood responded with an aggressive full-court press and pushed the ball in transition to wrap up the quarter on a 12-0 run.
“We’re one of those programs that once the momentum goes our way, we go,” Longwood coach James Castiglione said. “That’s our comfort zone, speeding people up and making them uncomfortable.”
Longwood didn’t slow down, continuing to bring pressure throughout the first half.
The Lions held St. John the Baptist (0-2) scoreless in the first four minutes of the second quarter and limited the Cougars to one-and-done possessions when they did get a shot off. Longford, who racked up 10 of her 15 rebounds in the opening two quarters, said Longwood’s physicality on the boards helped the Lions set the tone early.
“We had to defend and rebound,” Longford said. “That was the plan. We wanted to push the ball down the court and run. Tire them out and keep hitting shots.”
St. John the Baptist did its best to grab back some control in the second half, switching up defenses and showing a variety of man-to-man and zone looks, but Longwood didn’t bat an eyelash. Instead, the Lions moved the ball, working around defenders and finding space in the lane.
By the final whistle, nine different Longwood players scored.
“We were able to knock down shots,” Castiglione said. “We had multiple kids shooting and that makes us really hard to guard and defend.”
The Lions know they have a long season ahead of them, but after a strong showing in the opener, Longwood isn’t lacking for confidence. This is a team with its sights set on a county title and getting this win was the first step toward that run.
“We know we can win games,” Longford said. “If we do the right things, people aren’t going to be able to stop us.”
Lions roar after Simpson’s three: Brown’s assists tie it and win it for Longwood
DeJohn, Kenny. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 18 Dec 2018
Taydra Simpson popped out beyond the arc from the free-throw line with three seconds remaining in regulation and the score tied.
Simpson, a freshman, was not the play’s first option. That was Nyia Longford in the corner. The second option would have been Janelle Brown, the inbounder, if Simpson had passed it back.
She didn’t.
Instead, Simpson squared to the basket about five feet behind the top of the arc and watched for what she said seemed like an eternity. The ball swished just as the horn sounded, giving visiting Longwood a 68-65 win over Ward Melville in a Suffolk League I girls basketball game on Monday night.
“This is my second year on varsity,” Simpson said. “It was very exciting to hit the game-winning shot in a big game.”
Simpson, who had 17 points, was mobbed by teammates after an emotional fourth quarter, in which the Lions blew a 58-44 lead after the third quarter. The Patriots started the final period on an 8-0 burst, cutting the deficit to 58-52.
With Longwood (3-0, 2-0) leading 62-54 after a pair of free throws by Tatiana Stevens, Ward Melville (3-1, 1-1) went on a 9-1 run. Auburn-bound guard Lauren Hansen assisted Morgan Wenzler (10 points) inside, then made one of two free throws. After a Longwood free throw, Hansen made back-to-back three-pointers, tying the game at 63. She scored 13 of her 17 points in the fourth quarter.
On the Patriots’ next possession, Hansen hit a short fadeaway from the baseline for a 65-63 lead with 59 seconds to play. Ward Melville had a 5-on-4 on the play after Brown was injured.
“[A player] was coming across, and her shoulder kind of hit me in the face,” said Brown, who had 15 points and nine assists. “I got right back up. Mama raised a strong girl.”
After leaving the court for just a few seconds, Brown returned to orchestrate Simpson’s winner.
Brown also assisted the game-tying basket with 21 seconds to play. She drove the lane and dished to Stevens, who converted from the left side. Both the game-tying and game-winning plays were drawn up on the sideline, coach James Castiglione said.
He credited his “smart” group for minding the details and running the play through in its entirety. Then, they just had to wait for Simpson’s shot to fall.
“It seems like an eternity,” Simpson said. “You don’t know when it’s going to go in . . . or if it’s going to go in.”
Longwood 48, Northport 45: Nyia Longford went 2-for-4 from the free-throw line in the final 20 seconds to lead Longwood (5-0) in the Hoops 2 Remember Tournament at North Babylon. With 28 seconds remaining, Longford made a layup off an assist by Janelle Brown to put Longwood ahead by 1. Longford had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Brown added 17 points and seven assists in the win. Hannah Stockman scored 16 points for Northport. Dec 23c
Harrison, Baldwin show winning form: Two-time defending champs look good with 4 new starters
Mathurin, Desiree. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 29 Dec 2018:
The ball was in the court of both teams Friday night.
Though the Baldwin girls’ basketball team was at home for its 18th annual Girl’s Holiday Tournament, it has a fairly new starting lineup and faced undefeated Longwood.
But the Bruins brought it home.
Baldwin defeated Longwood, 56-47, in a non-league game, letting everyone know the Bruins still are one of the top teams, despite the new faces.
“The win put in people’s minds where Baldwin is right now,” forward Elena Randolph said. “It’s important to show people what we can do and that we’re coming back strong.”
Said guard Alexis Aponte: “The win means a lot to us. We wanted to come out tonight and show everyone that Baldwin is still the same Baldwin. We’re the same hardworking kids and we’re ready for anything.”
Aponte and Randolph are among the new starters on a team that went 26-1 last season. The program won its second straight Class AA state title and the Federation tournament (although Randolph was the sixth woman on that squad).
However, neither was afraid of the limelight Friday. Randolph played excellent defense, holding one of Longwood‘s best players to single-digit points.
Aponte was 3-for-3 from behind the three-point arc and totaled 14 points, seven rebound and four assists.
“I don’t make those shots often,” Aponte said with a laugh. “But I’ve been working on my three-point range and it was nice to make some of them.”
Baldwin (3-1) maintained the lead throughout the game. With two minutes left in the third quarter, Longwood (5-1) was within striking distance after a steal and a layup by Janelle Brown (13 points), followed by her three-pointer.
It seemed as if Longwood had captured the momentum, but the Bruins tightened up on defense.
“We never put our heads down,” Kaia Harrison said. “Even when we saw them coming back, we have to remind ourselves to stay aggressive and remain tough-minded.”
Harrison, Baldwin’s lone returning starter, was the leading scorer with 16 points. She ended the game on a high note by hitting a three and tantalizing the crowd with her dribbling skills.
“Last year’s team set the bar really high,” Harrison said. “We ended up being No. 4 in the country. Although the seniors graduated, they still left their mark on us. The win today helped us develop more as a team and gave us a sneak peek into the season.”
“We reflect on last year to keep us motivated,” Randolph said. “Our program always stays the same. It’s Baldwin.
Longwood 46, Commack 41: Nyia Longford stole an inbounds pass before taking the ball upcourt and converting a traditional three-point play with 23 seconds remaining to break a tie at 41 and lead Longwood (6-0) in Suffolk I. Longford had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Tatiana Stevens had 12 points and 10 rebounds. – Jan. 8
Longwood 69, Ward Melville 53: Janelle Brown had 26 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals to lead Longwood (10-0) in Suffolk I. Nyia Longford had 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win. Ward Melville’s Lauren Hansen scored 16 of her 27 points in the first half. – Jan. 20
Longwood 49, Brentwood 45: Nyia Longford had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Longwood (13-0) in Suffolk I. TaydraSimpson added 11 points in the win. – Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 30 Jan 2019
LONGFORD REACHES 1,000 IN LONGWOOD’S VICTORY
Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 06 Feb 2019
Nyia Longford scored 19 points, including the 1,000th of her career, to lead Longwood to an 85-32 win over Patchogue-Medford in a Suffolk I girls basketball game Tuesday evening.
Longford came into the game needing 15 points to hit the mark and reached it after making a three-pointer in the second quarter.
“She’s the model of consistency,” Longwood coach James Castiglione said. “She’s a double-double machine and the rock of our program.”
Janelle Brown added 13 points and 12 assists for Longwood (16-0), and Angelene Bailey had eight points and 11 rebounds.
HARDWOOD HEROES
Sarra, Gregg. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 17 Feb 2019:
Kanesha Strider, Longwood
She scored 20 points, including five three-pointers in the second half in a 68-54 win over Sachem East in the Suffolk Class AA quar
LONGFORD, LIONS WIN IN HUNT FOR A TITLE
Ruiz, Mike. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 20 Feb 2019
The Longwood girls basketball program has waited nearly two decades hoping to secure its second-ever Suffolk county title.
Following their performance Tuesday night, they’ll have an opportunity to capture that elusive championship on Friday.
“This is what we’ve been working for,” said Nyia Longford, who had 19 points and 11 rebounds for No. 1 Longwood in a 54-47 victory over visiting No. 5 Half Hollow Hills East in a Suffolk AA semifinal. “It’s a big accomplishment for us.”
Longwood (20-2), which last won the county title in Class A in 2000, according to coach James Castiglione, will face Northport in the county final at 7 p.m. at Whitman. The Lions defeated Northport, 48-45, on Dec. 22.
“It’s about surviving and advancing at this point,” Castiglione said. “It’s the first time since 2006 we’ve been in a county final so it’s nice to be relevant again. We’re going to prepare and hopefully we can get one.”
“We have to have great intensity,” said Kanesha Strider, who added 10 points for Longwood and made a three-pointer from the right wing to give the Lions a 21-13 halftime advantage. “We can’t sleep on anyone. We have to come at them with everything we have.”
A layup by Taydra Simpson at the 3:13 mark of the third quarter gave Longwood its largest lead of the night at 39-18. She played a crucial role with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Back-to-back threes from Alyssa Studdert gave Hills East (20-3) a jolt of energy and cut the deficit to 47-42 with 1:33 remaining, capping off a 24-8 run.
Strider helped regain momentum for Longwood, however, as she converted a free throw on the ensuing possession and followed with a steal at half-court and a three-point play on the other end to make it 51-42 with 57 seconds to go.
The Lions entered the fourth quarter ahead by points before the Thunderbirds fought their way back with Sophia Tawil leading the way, scoring 13 of her 20 points in the period.
“I told them to stay composed and stick with the game plan,” Castiglione said. “We knew they would hit some shots. I didn’t think they’d come like that, but we pulled it out.”
Simpson is confident that the county title drought could be over Friday night.
“I think we can go all the way,” Simpson said. “I think we can finish it out as long as we play good team
basketball
Stevens’ putback nets title: County champs! Worth the wait for Longwood
DeJohn, Kenny. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 23 Feb 2019:
Tatiana Stevens was in the right place at the right time.
Bryanna Picton delivered an open shot from the left wing that bounced long and Stevens was there for the offensive board. With no hesitation, she went up strong and banked it in from the right side, putting the top-seeded Longwood girls basketball team ahead by two points with 13 seconds remaining in the Suffolk Class AA championship Friday night.
Northport’s last look at the basket was off target as time expired and the Longwood players stormed the middle of the court at Whitman High School to celebrate its 45-43 win, the program’s first county championship since 1999-2000 when it was Class A.
“We got a great look for the three, and Tatiana Stevens has been our best offensive rebounder all season,” Lions coach James Castiglione said. “She had some hard luck in the beginning – a bunch of them didn’t go down – but she made that one.”
Longwood (21-2) led 34-20 midway through the third quarter and 38-25 at the end of the period, but Northport surged in the beginning of the fourth. Danielle Pavinelli, Kelly McLaughlin, Kerry Dennin and Hannah Stockman battled foul trouble throughout, but with the quartet on the court together, the second-seeded Tigers came back.
They started the quarter on a 9-0 run, cutting the lead to 38-34. Nyia Longford (19 points) ended that surge with a long jumper. Stevens’ tough lay-in put the Lions ahead 42-35 with 2:25 remaining, but Northport had another run.
Stockman hit a three-pointer and a layup for the Tigers to cut the deficit to 42-40. Longwood’s lead was three after Longford split a pair of free throws.
That’s when Shea Cronin got an open look for Northport (21-3), and she drained a three-pointer from the right corner to tie it at 43 with 31.8 seconds to play. Stevens’ game-winner came after a Lions timeout.
“I’m just so glad I got that rebound and that I put it back up,” Stevens said.
Taydra Simpson and Janelle Brown each scored eight points for Longwood, though Brown fouled out with 4:14 remaining, putting Picton in position to take that open look from the left wing.
The Lions will play in the Suffolk championship on Wednesday at Whitman in its final tuneup before the Long Island Class AA championship on March 9 at Farmingdale State.
“I want a Long Island championship,” Longford said of her motivation on Friday. “That’s it.”
c
Tatiana Stevens’ layup the difference as Longwood wins Suffolk AA title
By Kenny DeJohnFebruary 22, 2019
Tatiana Stevens was in the right place at the right time.
Bryanna Picton delivered an open shot from the left wing that bounced long and Stevens was there for the offensive board. With no hesitation, she went up strong and banked it in from the right side, putting the top-seeded Longwood girls basketball team ahead by two points with 13 seconds remaining in the Suffolk Class AA championship Friday night.
Northport’s last look at the basket was off target as time expired and the Longwood players stormed the middle of the court at Whitman High School to celebrate its 45-43 win, the program’s first county championship since 1999-2000 when it was Class A.
“We got a great look for the three, and Tatiana Stevens has been our best offensive rebounder all season,” Lions coach James Castiglione said. “She had some hard luck in the beginning — a bunch of them didn’t go down — but she made that one.”
Longwood (21-2) led 34-20 midway through the third quarter and 38-25 at the end of the period, but Northport surged in the beginning of the fourth. Danielle Pavinelli, Kelly McLaughlin, Kerry Dennin and Hannah Stockman battled foul trouble throughout, but with the quartet on the court together, the second-seeded Tigers came back.
They started the quarter on a 9-0 run, cutting the lead to 38-34. Nyia Longford (19 points) ended that surge with a long jumper. Stevens’ tough lay-in put the Lions ahead 42-35 with 2:25 remaining, but Northport had another run.
Stockman hit a three-pointer and a layup for the Tigers to cut the deficit to 42-40. Longwood’s lead was three after Longford split a pair of free throws.
Hardwood heroes and buzzer beaters in Long Island high school basketball
Sarra, Gregg; DeJohn, Kenny. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 24 Feb 2019
Tatiana Stevens, Longwood: She had 10 points and scored the game-winning putback in the waning seconds of Longwood‘s 45-43 win over Northport in the Suffolk Class AA championship on Friday.
LONGFORD, HEAR HER ROAR: 20 boards, ‘D’ help Longwood beat defending champs
DeJohn, Kenny. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 10 Mar 2019
Senior Nyia Longford sent her Longwood girls basketball teammate Janelle Brown a simple, yet meaningful, text message on Saturday morning before the Long Island Class AA championship game.
“She’s a good team leader,” said Brown, a junior. “I learn from her every practice. She’s really hit my heart. Today she texted me to say, ‘You’re the best point guard on the Island. You have to keep going. You have to keep doing it.’ She motivated me.”
Brown scored a team-high 14 points in the game at Farmingdale State, but it was Longford who stole the show. The point-forward had 12 points, 20 rebounds and made two key defensive plays in the final minute as Longwood captured its first Long Island championship, 48-43, over two-time defending state champion Baldwin.
The Lions play Ossining and Connecticut commit Aubrey Griffin in a state semifinal on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Hudson Valley CC in Troy.
With Longwood leading 45-41 after freshman Taydra Simpson‘s three-pointer from the right wing, Baldwin raced down the court and had what looked to be a clear lane to the basket. In stepped Longford, who swatted the attempt.
The Lions turned the ball over and the Bruins had another transition opportunity, but Longford stepped in to swipe the ball, preventing a shot.
“Nyia is the rock of our program,” coach James Castiglione said. “She will go down as one of the most special team athletes that we’ve ever had at Longwood.”
On the other side was Baldwin’s Kaia Harrison, who could be spoken of in that same way. The Wake Forest commit had 22 points in her final varsity game and did her best to bring the Bruins back. She hit a mid-range jumper with under two seconds remaining for the final margin, but it was too late.
Longwood (23-2) held two-point leads at the end of the second and third quarters, but Baldwin (20-3) twice took one-point leads in the fourth quarter. Harrison’s three-point play with 2:21 remaining put the Bruins ahead for the last time at 41-40.
Tatiana Stevens and Kanesha Strider both hit a free throw, putting the Lions back in front, 42-41. Simpson’s key three-pointer came next, and she added a free throw 45 seconds later. Brown capped the 8-0 burst by making two free throws with 6.3 seconds left, putting Longwood ahead 48-41.
Longford’s rebounding gave the Lions plenty of second chances, and although the offense wasn’t perfect, it capitalized late.
“Coach said if we get rebounds, we’ll win the game,” she said. “That was my main focus. I wanted to get rebounds.”
Both Brown and Longford said they were confident after losing to Baldwin on Dec. 28, 56-47. Longwood outscored the Bruins 39-36 in the final three quarters of that game after a dreadful opening quarter.
Brown said she didn’t shoot well then, but she was 5-for-11 (2-for-3 from three-point range) in the rematch.
“She had to bring her ‘A’ game,” Longford said of what prompted the pregame text. “Today could be the biggest game. It could’ve been my last game playing with her, so I wanted her to know that she’s good and all season long she’s been great.”
Much to cheer for Longwood: Strider stellar, but it’s not enough in Lions’ losing cause
DeJohn, Kenny. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 17 Mar 2019
TROY, N.Y. – If being on a team is about making sacrifices, then consider Kanesha Strider the ultimate team player.
Strider, one of three seniors on the Longwood girls basketball team, often took a backseat to some of her teammates when it came to scoring, but when the Lions needed some help in a state Class AA semifinal against Ossining on Saturday, Strider was there to pitch in.
She had 11 points – her third-most this season – and kept Longwood in the contest during the first half. Ossining’s Aubrey Griffin proved too much to handle, as the Miss New York Basketball winner scored 22 of her 37 points in the second half and led the Pride to a 68-56 win.
Ossining plays West Genesee in the state Class AA final on Sunday at 11:45 a.m. at Hudson Valley CC.
“She’s one of those kids who had to sacrifice probably some parts of her individual game because the ball is in the other girls’ hands,” Lions coach James Castiglione said of Strider. “We challenged her this week knowing that we needed somebody else to step up.”
Trailing 31-25 at halftime after Strider scored her team’s final six points of the second quarter, Longwood (23-3) carried some momentum into the early minutes of the third quarter. Janelle Brown (11 points) drained a three-pointer, cutting the deficit to 31-28.
Both teams jockeyed for control the next few minutes, but Ossining (21-6) took advantage after the Lions’ Nyia Longford picked up her fourth personal foul with 3:27 left in the period.
The Pride closed the quarter on a 12-4 run, entering the final period with a 55-40 lead. Tatiana Stevens (17 points) cut the deficit to 64-54 with 1:20 left, but Griffin finished it with a three-pointer from the right wing with her future college coach, Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, watching from the stands.
“I thought the third quarter was critical,” Castiglione said. “Even though Nyia wasn’t having her best offensive game, when she picked up her fourth and we had to sit her in the third quarter, the game got out of hand. She’s such a stabilizing influence.”
Longwood’s best quarter was the first. The Lions led 15-14 on Stevens’ lay-in before Griffin scored for Ossining with seconds remaining. Leading 16-15, the Pride scored the first nine points of the second quarter.
Ossining coach Dan Ricci said Longwood “made things difficult for us” because “those girls never quit.”
“I don’t think the moment was too big for us, and I think that says a lot of our seniors,” Castiglione said. “No moment was ever too big for them. Ossining was just a better team, but the moment was never too big.”
Longford, Stevens and Strider – the Lions’ seniors – leave an indelible mark on the program. They brought Longwood its first Long Island championship in program history and leave the team in the hands of Brown, a junior, and Taydra Simpson, a freshman.
“They’re never going to stop coming up here,” Strider said. “Next year, our younger kids are going to come up here and do their best, too.”
And even though the Lions were beaten on the season’s brightest stage, Strider said the bus ride back from Troy will be celebratory. After all the sacrifices made, Longwood will just enjoy its time together.
“We’re going to have so much fun on this bus ride home,” she said. “We put so much energy into this, we’re going to be happy with each other.”
CAPTION: Longwood’s Kanesha Strider (11 points) stepped up when the offense needed her. n More photos from state tournament at newsday.com/hs Hans Pennink
Tatiana Stevens leads Longwood to first Suffolk title in program history
By Kenny DeJohn, February 27, 2019
Tatiana Stevens downplayed her performance.
“I was just getting into seams,” she said.
Stevens did more than that. Her vision found the openings, but it was her talent that finished it off for the Longwood girls basketball team. She had 29 points — 20 in the first half — as Longwood defeated Mount Sinai, 70-45, in the Suffolk overall championship on Wednesday night at Whitman.
It’s Longwood’s first Suffolk title in program history.
The senior forward bruised her way through the paint and even stretched out just inside the arc for a long jumper to show off her offensive skill set. She also grabbed nine rebounds.
“She’s a bucket,” junior point guard Janelle Brown said of how automatic Stevens was in the game. “I just kept feeding her. I knew that she was going to be open on the drive.”
Brown (10 points, seven assists, six rebounds) sliced through the Mustangs on the dribble-drive, often delivering close passes to Stevens for the easy baskets. Stevens entered play averaging 8.9 points per game, and her previous season-high was 17 against Ward Melville on Dec. 17.
SEE PHOTOSSuffolk girls overall final: Longwood vs. Mount Sinai
Longwood (22-2) jumped to an early 20-6 lead on Brown’s three-pointer from the right wing, but Gabby Sartori’s three-point play early in the second quarter trimmed the deficit to 24-19 for Mount Sinai (21-4).
Margaret Kopceinski drained three-pointers to end the first half and begin the second half, as the Mustangs looked to build steam facing a 37-29 deficit. Sartori (15 points) and Brooke Cergol (12) also made three-pointers in the third quarter for the Mustangs, but Longwood closed the quarter on a 9-1 run — capped by Rachel Mandaro’s short bucket off the glass — and led 53-36 entering the fourth quarter.
“We hit a lot of our shots,” Brown said. “In the second quarter, we started to settle for a couple shots but we got it together.”
Much of their open looks came from unselfish play. The Lions assisted 18 of their 25 field goals, with Brown’s seven leading. Nyia Longford chipped in 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Taydra Simpson contributed 10 rebounds and four assists.
“All the assists that we had, we just look for each other,” Brown said. “We have confidence in each other.”
Longwood will need that ball movement at 2 p.m. on March 9 at Farmingdale State in the Long Island Class AA championship against the Baldwin/Syosset winner, as both teams run a trapping press that stifles offenses. Mount Sinai will play in the Long Island Class A championship at noon the same day.
“I have to keep my eyes open and my hands ready,” said Stevens, again downplaying her performance.
It was enough to propel Longwood to history.
Longwood holds off two-time defending state champ Baldwin to win Long Island AA championship
By Kenny DeJohn, March 9, 2019
Senior Nyia Longford sent her Longwood girls basketball teammate Janelle Brown a simple, yet meaningful, text message on Saturday morning before the Long Island Class AA championship game.
“She’s a good team leader,” said Brown, a junior. “I learn from her every practice. She’s really hit my heart. Today she texted me to say, ‘You’re the best point guard on the Island. You have to keep going. You have to keep doing it.’ She motivated me.”
Brown scored a team-high 14 points in the game at Farmingdale State, but it was Longford who stole the show. The point-forward had 12 points, 20 rebounds and made two key defensive plays in the final minute as Longwood captured its first Long Island championship, 48-43, over two-time defending state champion Baldwin.
The Lions play Ossining and Connecticut commit Aubrey Griffin in a state semifinal on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Hudson Valley CC in Troy.
With Longwood leading 45-41 after freshman Taydra Simpson’s three-pointer from the right wing, Baldwin raced down the court and had what looked to be a clear lane to the basket. In stepped Longford, who swatted the attempt.
The Lions turned the ball over and the Bruins had another transition opportunity, but Longford stepped in to swipe the ball, preventing a shot.
“Nyia is the rock of our program,” coach James Castiglione said. “She will go down as one of the most special team athletes that we’ve ever had at Longwood.”
On the other side was Baldwin’s Kaia Harrison, who could be spoken of in that same way. The Wake Forest commit had 22 points in her final varsity game and did her best to bring the Bruins back. She hit a mid-range jumper with under two seconds remaining for the final margin, but it was too late.
Longwood (23-2) held two-point leads at the end of the second and third quarters, but Baldwin (20-3) twice took one-point leads in the fourth quarter. Harrison’s three-point play with 2:21 remaining put the Bruins ahead for the last time at 41-40.
Tatiana Stevens and Kanesha Strider both hit a free throw, putting the Lions back in front, 42-41. Simpson’s key three-pointer came next, and she added a free throw 45 seconds later. Brown capped the 8-0 burst by making two free throws with 6.3 seconds left, putting Longwood ahead 48-41.
Longford’s rebounding gave the Lions plenty of second chances, and although the offense wasn’t perfect, it capitalized late.
“Coach said if we get rebounds, we’ll win the game,” she said. “That was my main focus. I wanted to get rebounds.”
Both Brown and Longford said they were confident after losing to Baldwin on Dec. 28, 56-47. Longwood outscored the Bruins 39-36 in the final three quarters of that game after a dreadful opening quarter.
Brown said she didn’t shoot well then, but she was 5-for-11 (2-for-3 from three-point range) in the rematch.
“She had to bring her ‘A’ game,” Longford said of what prompted the pregame text. “Today could be the biggest game. It could’ve been my last game playing with her, so I wanted her to know that she’s good and all season long she’s been great.”
THE ALL-LONG ISLAND TEAM
Nyia Longford, Longwood, G/F, Sr.c
SUFFOLK COACH OF THE YEAR
James Castiglione, Longwood
He led the Lions to an undefeated record in Suffolk League I and the team’s first Long Island championship.