77°Good evening
Tyrie Pinnock of Wyandanch drains a three-pointer to give his...

Tyrie Pinnock of Wyandanch drains a three-pointer to give his team a 41-39 lead with five minutes remaining in the third quarter of a Suffolk League V boys basketball game against host Amityvilleon Thursday. Credit: James Escher

Tyrie Pinnock may fly under the radar at times, but the Wyandanch boys basketball team knows his true value.

In Thursday’s rivalry game at Amityville, the 6-3 junior forward loudly put his stamp on Wyandanch’s 72-59 victory.

Pinnock had a season-high 19 points – including a layup to make it 68-57 with 1:16 left and a dunk to bring it to 70-59 with 30 seconds left – 14 rebounds and two blocks. Wyandanch (18-2, 16-0), which had already clinched the outright Suffolk League V title, finished the regular season with a perfect league record.

“Tyrie’s been doing this all season,” Wyandanch coach Barry Baker said. “He’s just one of those guys that’s doing all the dirty work. Sometimes he gets overlooked, but tonight he showcased his ability and what he’s capable of doing.”

What was clicking for Pinnock?

“Just motivation from my team,” he said. “They helped me, bring me up … consistently telling me keep my head up, we’re still in the game. Just help the team get the dub, that’s it.”

Junior forward Joshua Presmy had 20 points, including four three-pointers, seven rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Senior guard Jerimiah Webb had 19 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals.

“[Pinnock’s] kind of a behind-the-scenes guy, but he does all the dirty work,” Amityville coach Jack Agostino said. “I’ve watched so much tape on him. I’ve seen him in person a lot. We definitely respect him a lot. He sneaks in there for those rebounds. And Jerimiah, you got to give a lot of credit to. He’s a good passer. He finds the open guy.”

Senior forward Taki Mason scored 23 points and junior guard Amir Dickerson scored 16 for Amityville (13-6, 12-3).

DaJon Clinton’s putback cut Amityville’s deficit to 63-57 with 2:04 left. Webb answered with a three-point play with 1:45 left and an assist on Pinnock’s layup that made it an 11-point advantage with 1:16 remaining.

Wyandanch trailed 35-32 at halftime but opened the third quarter on an 11-4 run. Pinnock hit a three – just his second of the season – to give Wyandanch a lead it never relinquished at 41-39 with five minutes left in the third quarter.

Wyandanch is in a strong spot to earn the top seed in the Suffolk Class AA postseason. It searches for its first county title since 2019, when it won in Class A.

“Last year, we had ego,” Webb said. “This year, we work together as a team. Last year, we were apart a little. Now, we’re hanging out with each other outside of school and all of that. So it’s just a really good moment.”

SUBSCRIBE

Unlimited Digital AccessOnly 25¢for 6 months

ACT NOWSALE ENDS SOON | CANCEL ANYTIME