Dillon lifts Deer Park in Class AA semis

It's probably not a good idea to make Kelsey Dillon angry. If you need proof, check out what happened last night.

While fighting for a loose ball early in the third quarter, Deer Park's Dillon was shoved out of bounds, resulting in a technical foul on Copiague.

"I've always been known to play better when I am angry," Dillon said. "She may be stronger than me, but I wasn't going to get pushed around."

She showed it. Dillon scored 10 of her season-high 18 points in the third quarter to help No. 4 Deer Park to a 58-49 win over No. 8 Copiague in a Suffolk Class AA girls basketball semifinal at Farmingdale State.

Deer Park (19-2) will play No. 3 Sachem East in the final at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Farmingdale State. It will be Deer Park's first appearance in the championship game.

"A lot of us have been together since seventh grade," Dillon said. "We have been waiting a long time for this."

Andrea Desvignes, Felicia LaSorsa and Shayna Robinson scored 12 points each for Deer Park. Chelsea Williams led Copiague (14-7) with 19 points.

SEE PHOTOSDeer Park 58, Copiague 49

Desvignes hit a three-pointer with 3:41 left in the game for a 53-48 lead and Robinson went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line in the final 2:52 to seal it. Deer Park hit eight three-pointers.

"That's a normal part of our game," Desvignes said. "Every time it left my hand, it felt good."

Dillon played in only three games last season because of a broken finger and was the lone starter not to make All-League this season.

"She played tremendously," Deer Park coach Mike Gennaro said. "We really missed her last season. She gets underlooked on this team. We don't win without her."

It has been an amazing run for Deer Park, which made the postseason for the first time since 2006 after going 7-11 last season. Not one player on the roster participated in a playoff game until this season as the team won its first league championship since 1978.

"We've never been in this spot before," Robinson said. "The seniors have waited a long time for this."

Copiague took its first lead of the game when Cypher McCloud scored on a putback with 3:53 left to make it 33-32. Kelly Ann Sullivan capped a 12-3 run with a jumper to extend Copiague's lead to 37-32.

Dillon answered with a putback and Desvignes hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 37. Williams' putback of a missed free throw gave Copiague a 40-37 lead before Dillon scored on a three-point play to tie it at 40.

Dillon gave Deer Park the lead for good at 42-40 with 28 seconds left in the quarter. LaSorsa followed with a three-pointer to extend the Falcons' lead to 45-40 after three quarters.

Deer Park started the game with a 15-2 spurt before Copiague reeled off a 15-2 run of its own to tie the score at 17. Deer Park led 29-25 at the half before Copiague opened the second half with a 12-3 run.