Port Washington boys basketball team's Izaias Clemmons, Cole Reyes propel Vikings to first Long Island Class AAA title
The Port Washington boys basketball team poses with its championship plaque after defeating Half Hollow Hills East in the Long Island Class AAA finals, Sunday, March 16, 2025 at Farmingdale State College. Credit: George A. Faella
Port Washington was desperately trying to keep a grip on its slim lead in the final minutes of Sunday’s Long Island Class AAA boys basketball championship game against Half Hollow Hills East. The tension was running high inside Farmingdale State’s gym.
“I aged five years,” Port Washington coach Sean Dooley said. “In the last 30 seconds, five years.”
But it was worth it.
After claiming the program’s first Nassau crown in 78 years, Port Washington added a Long Island championship plaque to its trophy case with a 51-49 win over Hills East. It also earned a pass into the state Class AAA final four in Binghamton because this was a Southeast Regional final.
Junior forward Izaias Clemmons scored 16 points and senior guard Cole Reyes made three clutch free throws in the last 30 seconds.
“I’m so happy for these guys, everything they’ve put into this,” Dooley said. “I don’t know how many people outside of Port thought we would win this game.”
So the Vikings (20-4) will be at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena at 7:45 p.m. on Thursday to play their state semifinal game against Section VI champion Jamestown.
“We’ve never got to this point to think about it,” Dooley said of a state title. “Now we’re thinking about it.”
Clemmons said: “If I play like I did today, I think we can go really far.”
Hills East, which came back from a 28-16 third-quarter deficit, finished at 20-4. Its season was largely about getting past this step after suffering a 53-51 loss to Elmont on a buzzer-beating jumper in the Long Island Class AA title game last year, but the RedHawks fell by two again.
“It’s painful, man,” coach Mike Marcelin said. “It’s painful.”
“I wouldn’t say it’s a failure,” he added about the season. “It’s a success. We got a county championship. We got here. But in the back of our head, it’s very disappointing that we didn’t cross the line this time.”
Hill East’s Jordan Cador, who blocked six shots, hit a jumper with 1:18 left to trim Port Washington’s lead to 45-42. After a turnover, Sunjay Sharma banked in a shot to make it 45-44.
Chase Kovar hit a free throw for the Vikings, then missed the second, but Clemmons grabbed the offensive rebound. Reyes was fouled with 28.1 seconds left and sank both free throws to give the Vikings a 48-44 lead.
Hills East’s Skyler Ellis (20 points) made two free throws with 21.7 seconds remaining to get it back to two.
The Vikings broke the press and Kovar hit a layup, but Ellis countered with a long three-pointer to trim Hills East’s deficit to 50-49 with 4.4 seconds left.
After Reyes was fouled and made one of two, the ensuing inbounds pass went awry. Vikings ball. Port Washington threw its inbounds pass away with a tenth of a second left, but the RedHawks couldn’t get off a shot.
“I obviously felt pressure,” Reyes said of his two trips to the line. “But my teammates, my coaches trusted me. The town trusted me.”
