After clinching hoops playoff, Blue Waves look to lock in high seed
Good news, Riverhead: we have a playoff team this winter.
For the first time since 2019, the Blue Waves boys basketball team clinched a playoff berth in Suffolk County’s League I with a few games remaining and a chance to improve seeding position. Riverhead ripped through Central Islip, 71-35, Monday afternoon at Central Islip high school in a push to solidify second place in the league.
From the opening tip, Riverhead was on a mission. Peter Lagnena was the key scorer early on and didn’t miss. The junior sharpshooter posted 15 points in the first quarter as the Blue Waves grabbed an early 20-point lead.
“I couldn’t believe how much space they were giving me,” Lagnena said. “It’s the most space I had to shoot all season so I didn’t think about it and just shot it every time.”
The Blue Waves kept scoring and extended the lead to as much as 40 points before head coach Pat Fabian pulled the starting lineup at the beginning of the fourth quarter. When Lagnena cooled off a bit in the second half, DeShawn Watkins took over the scoring load, equaling Lagnena’s point total with 17.
“We’ve just been locked in as a team,” Watkins said. “Getting into the playoffs this early took a lot off our shoulders so we’ve been focusing on playing good team ball.”
Riverhead got contributions up and down the lineup including a star-studded performance from their sophomore point guard Anaiis Mitchell, who collected 13 assists and scored 16 – including a rim-rattling dunk off a fast break.
“We haven’t made the playoffs in a long time here at Riverhead,” Mitchell said. “It’s a huge achievement for us. We made a huge leap as a team this year and we’re gelling well.”
Defense has been the mantra from the beginning of the season and that’s led to much of the success this year. Being able to run multiple sets, staying aggressive in the passing lanes and crashing the defensive boards have been some of the main points of emphasis this year.
It helps having a 6-foot-6 Liam Lennon on the court as well. The senior captain scored 10 points against Central Islip but more importantly blocked six shots and got his hands on two steals.
“If Liam is affecting the middle of the paint we are going to be in every game we play,” Fabian said. “He’s such a big part of the puzzle and maybe he isn’t scoring as much as the others but he’s affecting the game in so many other ways. Without him I don’t think we would win as many games this year.”
Riverhead (7-2 League I, 10-7 overall) clinched the playoffs against Brentwood last week. It’s a big step forward for a team that only managed to win three games last year.
“It’s crazy what happens when the kids all buy into what you’re preaching,” Fabian said. “We are a team first. Nobody is bigger than anyone else on the team. I think that’s part of the reason we’ve had success. We all want the best for each other.”
The goal now is to secure the second seed in the division. They’re battling Longwood for that spot – a team they split the season series with. Longwood also clinched a playoff berth with a 6-4 league record.
Riverhead has Walt Whitman (4-5) and Patchogue-Medford (2-7) left on the schedule. Winning both of those three games will secure second place in league play, but Longwood’s 13-5 overall record could sway the committee to seed them higher despite the league records.
“Our goal right now is a home playoff game,” Fabian said. “We love playing at home and have only lost one time there. It’s just something about the crowd and the intensity they bring. It’s a hard place to play. The team knows how important each game we play is the rest of the way. We’re motivated. Making the playoffs isn’t enough anymore. We want a playoff win.”
