Waves fall to Bulldogs, 55-48

Though progress was made Wednesday night, it’s evident that the young Blue Waves just aren’t quite there yet.

Riverhead (0-2 League III, 1-2 overall) fell to the North Babylon Bulldogs at home last night, 55-48. The Blue Waves trailed by more than 20 points in the first half bringing back memories of the first league game of the season against Smithtown West. A spectator could have easily written the Blue Waves off as they showed signs of defeat.

But this game was different – the quality of play, determination and confidence propelled the Blue Waves to a point where a win was well within their sights and you could tell every player on the court could sense it. The team that laid foot on the court in the second half was a new team.

“I like that they didn’t give up,” head coach John Rossetti said. “It showed that the kids had a little fire in their belly. They had every opportunity to pack this one in and call it quits.”

Down 37-20 at halftime, the first play of the second half was a steal by Malik Washington. He read the passing lane, poked the ball out and drove through the paint for an easy layup – something that you rarely saw out of the Waves in the first half.

“I thought we were playing on our heels in the first half,” Rossetti said. “I think we were a much more aggressive team in the second half. It also helps when you score. When you score, it gives you the confidence and energy you need and helps your psychological point of view.”

Gripped with a renewed sense of energy, the Blue Waves started to string together some unanswered points. So much so that the North Babylon head coach started having a temper tantrum – at one point slamming his chair on the court while suffocating paper cups in frustration. Riverhead’s 6’5 center Ethan Greenidge began to show his dominance. Rebounds seemed to always find his hands for quick put-back baskets.

“Ethan’s performance is getting better every day,” Rossetti said. “He came out of his shell a little bit today. He’s a quiet giant.”

Greenidge finished with 10 points and eight boards.

The Blue Waves kept the Bulldogs off the board with intense defense and cut the deficit to seven points in the third quarter 39-32 after going on a 12-2 run. Bulldogs guard Zach Moore, who scored 16 points in the first half, got cold from the field. He hit the floor with an agonizing cramp later in the half that kept him sidelined for a brief stint.

Through fast-break buckets and smart defensive possessions, the Blue Waves were down just three points with 1:43 to go. Rossetti kept flip flopping players for defensive purposes in between possessions that seemed to really affect the Bulldogs’ offensive game plan. Lintell Brown and Ryun Moore subbed in on defense for Ethan Greenidge and Malik Washington. Riverhead came up with two steals and a five second violation but couldn’t find the basket to shave the lead. They had one legitimate look from outside and it came from sophomore Charles Manning. He had space to shoot with 30 seconds left and let it fly. The shot looked good; the ball rotation, the trajectory, and the release was flawless but the ball hit the back of the rim and bounced into the cable above the basket for a dead ball.

A free-throw battle ensued and the Blue Waves came up just short in the end.

The Blue Waves backcourt of Manning (14 points) and Deon Shorter (11 points) proved dominant at times but it was the possessions given away that hurt the most. The duo turned the ball over 14 times.

Senior Brandon Tolliver had a quiet game, scoring six points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing four assists.

The Blue Waves return to action on Thursday at Newfield. Game time: 5:45 p.m.

Game Notes: Dwight Bellamy, who started at center the first game of the season, didn’t see any minutes … Jeremiah Cheatom returned to the court after regaining academic eligibility.