Southampton wins Suffolk Class B crown as Derek Reed scores 1,000th point
Southampton guard Derek Reed hits the layup for his 1000th point against Babylon in the Class B championship, Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at St. Joseph's College. Credit: George A Faella
He has led a team to a county boys basketball title. He has been a Newsday all-Long Island selection. Still, Southampton’s Derek Reed feels like there is so much more to accomplish.
The Mariners’ sensational senior guard has a vision for how this season ends: he is with the teammates he loves in Glens Falls hoisting a state championship trophy. And, really, it is the only thing that’s missing from a superlative high school career.
Southampton brought Reed one step closer to realizing that vision on Wednesday night when it raced past Babylon to post a 62-42 victory in the Suffolk Class B championship game at St. Joseph’s Danzi Athletic Center.
Reed was questionable for the game after badly spraining his ankle four days earlier when he landed on another player’s foot in a scrimmage against East Hampton. Mariners coach Herm Laminson didn’t write his name into the starting lineup in the scorebook until he heard Reed out just minutes before tip-off.
“I told him ‘I have too much on the line not to play,’” Reed said “I told him ‘I can’t go out like this.’”
Reed looked unhampered as he poured in 21 points including the 1,000th of his career on his final basket of the game. Lamison pointed out that Reed had played in just 49 varsity games so far – due in part to six-game season during the pandemic – and that “he is the quickest player to 1,000 points in Southampton history. . . . that’s saying something.”
Southampton (17-4) is county champion for the 21st time and second season in a row. The Mariners earned a berth in the New York State Class B Southeast Region final and will meet the winner of a semifinal between the Section I champ and the Section IX champ on March 10 at Eastport-South Manor for a trip to Glens Falls. On Feb. 25, Southampton will meet the winner of Tuesday’s game between Class D champion Bridgehampton and Class C titlist Pierson in the county’s Tournament of Champions.
Naevon Williams led all scorers with 24 points for the Mariners and Lamison said of him “he’s only scratching the surface . . . he’s only 15 and doesn’t realize how good he is.”
Sincere McDougal had 14 points and nine rebounds and Eric Hoffman had 13 points for Babylon (11-8).
Though Lamison called a timeout after Reed hit his milestone so he could accept congratulations and pose for a couple photos, his star is not distracted.
“The goal feels close, but you have to stay humble,” Reed said. “You can never take your eyes of the next step you have to climb.”
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.
