Sachem North Rolls to Semifinals

Sachem North inched closer to a summer league championship Thursday night, defeating Bellport 45-31 in first-round playoff action at Centereach High School.

It was North's second win over Bellport this summer. In the only regular season meeting between the two teams, the Flaming Arrows walked away with a 33-31 victory.

Playoff atmosphere aside, this contest lacked much of the tension present in the teams' earlier matchup. Third-seeded North (7-2 in regular season action) trailed only once all contest – a 2-1 deficit in the game's opening minutes. The lead was short-lived for Bellport (seeded sixth, 4-5), as North responded immediately, going on an 11-3 run to climb to a 13-4 advantage.

Key to the run was David Brown, who scored six unanswered points before the next scorer, teammate Nick Gallina, could net twine. Both players finished with double-digit point totals to lead North.

Bellport cut the lead to 14-10 but drew no closer and trailed 24-17 at the break.

Rookie head coach Tom Mullee was proud of his team's effort in the first half, but believed there was room for improvement.

"At halftime I told them, particularly on the defensive end, we needed to pick up our intensity level," said Mullee. "The first half we brought some pressure but the intensity … [it] wasn't high enough. In the second half, right out of the shoot we were able to bring a little bit more of an intensity level, create some turnovers, get some easy baskets … bust the game open."

After Bellport nailed one-of-two free throws to open the half, Brown went on another mini tear, scoring five straight points, including his first – and the team's second – three pointer of the day, giving the Arrows a 29-18 edge.  

Although North's shooters were given room behind the arc all night, the team relied more heavily on fundamentals than on long range jump shots.

This emphasis on the basics, explained Mullee, was perhaps the reason for his squad's improved offensive output.

"Tonight we found a way to make a couple foul shots and we were much more efficient in the half court around the basket," he said.

Overall, North downed 5-of-9 from the line while Bellport was 3-for-9 from the charity stripe.

There was a frantic pace towards the end of the game, with the teams trading turnovers and missed baskets during a seven minute stretch in which only three points were totaled.

Ultimately the squads settled down and North, with a comfortable lead, worked slowly to drain the clock. Vinny Vacanti's acrobatic basket in the final minute capped the scoring.

North will play for a berth in the finals against second-seeded Riverhead. The match will take place Thursday at 8 p.m at Centereach High School.