Balanced Deer Park defeats Copiague
Deer Park guard Kyle Bradford drives hard against Copiague forward Vaughn Sessions. (Jan. 26, 2012) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Deer Park scorebook is really a balance sheet. Game after game, all five starters have filled the various columns with significant numbers that so far have produced an undefeated season in Suffolk League IV.
The host Falcons placed four starters in double figures, built a lead of 28 points and cruised to a 76-61 victory over Copiague Thursday night.
In raising their league record to 8-0, the Falcons were led by Aaren Edmead's 17 points. Kyle Bradford had 14 points, five assists and a fistful of steals. Sean Scott had a double-double (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Rome Jenkins had 12 points and seven rebounds.
The only starter who did not hit double digits was Keith Williams, who scored nine but sparkled with nine assists.
Vaughn Sessions scored 18 points for Copiague (4-4).
"We played well in spurts, but we're capable of playing better," Falcons coach John McCaffrey said. "We have five good starters and we're very balanced. When we share it and play like we're capable, we can be really good."
Deer Park ran and pressed its way to a 25-15 lead after the first quarter, then used a 14-3 run in the second quarter to grab a 39-18 advantage. Jenkins scored six points during that spurt and Williams pulled up for a shake-and-bake three.
But McCaffrey was troubled by a letdown in the third quarter, when Copiague scored 12 straight points to cut its deficit to 60-44 before Bradford grabbed control early in the fourth. The 5-10 senior guard hit a spinning layup, then twice set up Scott for fast-break layups by deliberately tossing the ball off the backboard into Scott's hands.
"He played fantastic," McCaffrey said of Bradford. "He was active, he defended and he passed the ball."
The coach called Scott "our Scottie Pippen. He's a do-it-all guy who fills the stat sheet."
Edmead, a sophomore, had 15 first-half points and added three assists. "He's got tremendous potential," McCaffrey said. "He can score and make plays."
McCaffrey said center Jenkins "can be huge off the boards when he plays with high energy." Of versatile swingman Williams, the coach said, "He kept the ball moving in that first quarter and can do a lot of things."
The balance sheet is showing a very impressive bottom line.
