When you’re out-rebounding your opponent at a ratio of three-to-one, bringing in as many as four rebounds in one offensive possession, it’s hard to lose.
With so many opportunities, a shot is destined to go in. Unfortunately for Centereach, there wasn’t much shot-making on their side as Riverhead blew them out of the water, 74-32.
Sam Dunn and Dezarae Brown dominated the rebounding category with over 30 rebounds combined. Most of their rebounds came on the offensive end and oftentimes on their own free-throw misses. It was quite fitting for the duo to have a great performance as it was senior night at Riverhead High School. Dunn and Brown are the team’s only two seniors and received standing ovations as they were subbed out of the game in the fourth quarter.
Centereach’s coach pleaded time after time again to box out but the long arms of Riverhead’s giants showed no mercy.
“I’m sorry, I just don’t know what else to do,” one Centereach player said as she came off the court during a timeout.
Points were scored in bunches with Dunn scoring a game-high 21 points. Faith Johnson-DeSilvia added 14 points.
“We’re right where we need to be as a team,” Dunn said. “Everyone thought that after Shanice, Jalyn and Melodee left, it was over for Riverhead. But we fought hard to get where we are. We earned our respect.”
Thursday night’s victory if anything shows that the Blue Waves (12-1 League III, 13-3 overall) are in playoff form.
“We’re ready to go,” Spinella said. “We’re ready for that next step of the season. But we still have one game left and we want to raise that league champion banner before anything else. Four more quarters and we’ll do that.”
What’s it going to take for the Blue Waves to make a run in this year’s playoffs?
“We need to stay healthy and handle the pressure,” Spinella said.
Riverhead plays its season finale on Monday at West Islip. A victory would guarantee at least a share of the League III title.
RiverheadLOCAL photos by George Faella
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