{"id":124394,"date":"2025-01-31T16:10:37","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T21:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/?p=124394"},"modified":"2025-01-31T16:10:50","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T21:10:50","slug":"after-clinching-hoops-playoff-blue-waves-look-to-lock-in-high-seed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2025\/01\/124394\/after-clinching-hoops-playoff-blue-waves-look-to-lock-in-high-seed\/","title":{"rendered":"After clinching hoops playoff, Blue Waves look to lock in high seed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Good news, Riverhead: we have a playoff team this winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the first time since 2019, the Blue Waves boys basketball team clinched a playoff berth in Suffolk County\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the opening tip, Riverhead was on a mission. Peter Lagnena was the key scorer early on and didn\u2019t miss. The junior sharpshooter posted 15 points in the first quarter as the Blue Waves grabbed an early 20-point lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t believe how much space they were giving me,\u201d Lagnena said. \u201cIt\u2019s the most space I had to shoot all season so I didn’t think about it and just shot it every time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s point total with 17.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve just been locked in as a team,\u201d Watkins said. \u201cGetting into the playoffs this early took a lot off our shoulders so we\u2019ve been focusing on playing good team ball.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riverhead got contributions up and down the lineup including a star-studded performance from their sophomore point guard Anaiis Mitchell<\/a>, who collected 13 assists and scored 16 \u2013 including a rim-rattling dunk off a fast break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t made the playoffs in a long time here at Riverhead,\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cIt\u2019s a huge achievement for us. We made a huge leap as a team this year and we\u2019re gelling well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense has been the mantra from the beginning of the season<\/a> and that\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n