Southampton boys basketball advances to Class A final, Dominick White scores 29 points
Dominick White of Southampton comes down with the rebound during a Suffolk Class A semifinal against Wyandanch on Tuesday at Pathogue-Medford. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
There’s nothing quite like an alley-oop dunk to set the tone of a Suffolk A semifinal. As Southampton’s Dominick White soared through the air to slam down a baseline pass from junior Naevon Williams, it became clear that this was going to be a memorable night for the senior.
White scored a game-high 29 points as No. 2 Southampton defeated No. 3 Wyandanch, 70-65, at Patchogue-Medford High School on Tuesday night.
Southampton (18-4) has a 10-game winning streak and will attempt to win a third consecutive Suffolk title — with Class B titles in 2022 and 2023 — against Bayport-Blue Point at 12 p.m. Saturday at Longwood.
Wyandanch finishes with a 15-7 record.
“These guys just want to win,” coach Herm Lamison said. “We just got to keep on with the little things.”
There was simply no answer for White, who did his damage from all over the court. He’d constantly speed past his first defender before finishing an acrobatic layup or drawing a foul. He went to the free-throw line 16 times, scoring nine.
Wyandanch went on numerous small runs, but Southampton always seemed to have an answer. For White, it all came down to a basic concept that championship teams tout across all sports.
“Communication,” White said. “Communication is the biggest part of the game. If we weren’t communicating, it wasn’t going to work out.”
It was an equally special day for Williams, who scored 20 points including the Mariners’ final layup inside 15 seconds to make it a two-possession game.
The junior guard also became a member of Southampton’s 1,000-point club on his 17th point of the night, draining a free throw as his team walked up with smiles on their faces.
“It feels amazing,” Williams said. “I always dreamed of it.”
“If I was going to put my faith on anyone on an island,” White said, “it would be Daevon Williams.”
Senior Nootimus Williams didn’t play much, but he made the defensive play of the game by forcing junior Jerimiah Webb — who led Wyandanch with 21 points — to lose the ball on the team’s second-to-last possession. Junior Davone Palmore sank two free throws for the Mariners to extend the lead to three afterward.
Lamison said the rebounding will have to improve in the championship round, likely referring to Wyandanch’s Tyree Pinnock who finished with 10 rebounds, most of which came in the fourth quarter.