Chaminade boys basketball surpasses 100-point mark for second time this season in CHSAA semifinal win
Richard Gunther #15 of Chaminade looks to get to the paint during the Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA boys basketball semifinals against St. Mary's at Farmingdale State College on Sunday, March 3, 2024. Credit: James Escher
Chaminade has been flying high all season, and against St. Mary’s, it soared to new heights.
The top-seeded Flyers pushed the pace to take down the fourth-seeded Gaels, 102-82, in the CHSAA boys basketball semifinals at Farmingdale State on Sunday.
The Flyers reached the 100-point mark for the second time this season, the first being a 103-96 victory over St. Mary’s in early February.
“We’re just having fun out there, and we play at that pace regardless of the opponent," Chaminade coach Dan Feeney said. “That pace gets us quality shots and gives us the opportunity to score early.
Joseph Knaus set the tone, making back-to-back three-pointers for Chaminade’s first six points. The Flyers (18-7) had five different players score in a 28-18 first quarter.
“We trust everyone who gets their number called,” Devin Dillon said. “Everybody on this team can go into the game and score the ball, because they all put the hard work in every day.”
Richard Gunther sparked a 29-point second quarter for the Flyers, who took a 54-35 lead into halftime. Gunther scored all 14 of his points in the second quarter, including two three-pointers.
“We were moving the ball really well and my teammates were finding me in good spots,” Gunther said. “We were all energized before the game and into warmups. That really helped us get momentum right from the start.
Chaminade also scored 28 points in the third quarter, with eight different players recording points. Dillon had seven of his 20 points in the third.
The Flyers continued to dip into their bench and get contributions. Chaminade, which had 14 players score in the game, had five different players get on the stat sheet in the fourth.
“It means everything to see those kids out there that don’t normally get the recognition that we do,” Dillon said. “They’re working just as hard as us. To see them out there and scoring baskets, it’s great to see that."
Colin Courtney had the Flyers’ final basket, a three-pointer to surpass the 100-point mark. Jagger Bascombe scored 10 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter for St. Mary’s (10-15).
Chaminade will take on No. 6 St. John the Baptist in the CHSAA championship on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Hofstra.
“It’s been a long time since this program was able to win back-to-back championship,” Gunther said. “It would mean a lot for our school to get this win and we think we have a really good chance of pulling that off.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.