Kieran Dorney scores 34 in Chaminade's win over St. Mary's
Kieran Dorney #32 of Chaminade, right, takes a shot during a CHSAA boys basketball game against St. Mary's at Chaminade High School in Mineola on Friday, Jan. 17, 2020. He scored 34 points to lead the Flyers to a 64-47 win. Credit: James Escher
In the first quarter it was just a trickle: making a free throw, a three-pointer off an inbounds play and a short drive. By the second quarter, the offensive storm that Chaminade’s Kieran Dorney can become poured in 10 more points. In the third, it was deluge time.
Dorney, a 6-7 senior forward, scored 16 of his season-high 34 points in the third quarter as the host Chaminade boys basketball team pulled away from St. Mary’s on its way to a 64-47 CHSAA victory on Friday night.at the Flyers’ Activity-Athletic Center.
Dorney was 6-for-7 from the floor in the third, including two of his four three-pointers.
“The way it works for me is that I need to see one go down and then another,” he said. “It starts building for me and I begin taking every shot with confidence.”
“When he starts going like that, it’s a beautiful thing to be part of,” said Flyers guard Joe Guterding, who finished with 16 points (including three three-pointers) and six assists. “He gets hot and you just keep finding him and let it happen.”
Offense, however, was not the entire story for Chaminade (8-6, 3-1).
The Flyers like to play fast, but they don’t have a high gear, unlike the Gaels (8-4, 2-2). So beginning in the second quarter, Chaminade unveiled a 1-3-1 zone that began to stifle St. Mary’s. The Gaels still got to the free-throw line, and made five field goals in the period, but only four more baskets in tallying just 19 second-half points.
With Dorney feeling it, Chaminade outscored St. Mary’s, 23-9, in the third quarter for a 48-37 lead. Dorney also had 12 rebounds.
“Kieran can really score,” Chaminade coach Bob Paul said. “He walks in to 20 points. It’s just like waking up every day for him.”
Nicholas Cham had 14 points and Jovayne Walters had 12 points and four blocked shot for St. Mary’s, which appears to be steadily climbing in the tough CHSAA. Paul said of the Gaels, “I’m already scared of what they’re going to be, but our league is better when they’re good.”
Dorney said that for many Flyers the season has been a bit frustrating. Chaminade’s non-conference schedule is literally a ‘who’s who’ of Long Island basketball programs, but there have been a pair of two-point losses and last week’s double-overtime defeat at the hands of Holy Trinity.
“We feel like we could have won more of those games and wish we could have them back,” Dorney said. “We have played a really hard schedule, but we’re a very good team too. I think we’ll show it.”
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
