Junior
Tavon Sledge scored 19 points, dished out eight assists, and pulled down seven rebounds to lead
Half Hollow Hills West (Dix Hills, N.Y.) to a 63-50 victory over Uniondale on the Long Island Class AA title game at a sold out Mack Athletic Sports Complex on the campus of Hofstra University. Nationally-ranked Hills West got 19 points, 11 rebounds, and seven blocks from senior
Tobias Harris. Sledge was named the game’s most valuable player.
The first quarter was evenly-matched, and the teams felt each other out. Uniondale took an early lead, but the Colts held a 16-14 lead at the end of one quarter.
Hills West, which improved to 24-1, had a solid second quarter. Sledge scored five points in the quarter as the Colts outscored the Knights 15-8, to take a 31-22 lead at the half. Sledge also had five assists in the opening half.
Uniondale, which was led by Shaquille Mosley’s 17 points, kept things close. Despite Harris’s 10 points in the third quarter, the Knights remained in striking distance, trailing only by a count of 45-37 as the teams took the floor for the final eight minutes. Bolade Akingboye added 16 points for Uniondale, which finished with an 18-4 record.
The fourth quarter was as exciting as it gets. With just under four minutes left in the game, Sledge got ahead on a fast break, and the 5’9” guard brought the crowd of over 5,000 to their feet. The dunk gave the Colts a 55-44 lead.
But, back came Uniondale. The Knights went on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 55-50 with just under two minutes left. That would be the closest the Knights would get. The Colts hit eight foul shots down the stretch to seal the championship.
Hills West move on to the New York State semifinals at the Glens Fall Civic Center.
