Friends Academy wins Small Schools title

Reoni Mapp and her teammates had every reason to be rusty. As Nassau's lone Class C school, Friends Academy had to wait while the larger classes completed their playoff schedules, resulting in a 19-day layoff between the Quakers' final regular-season game and yesterday's Nassau Small School championship.

The long break apparently had the opposite effect as an energized Mapp had 17 points, including the winning basket with 56 seconds left, and Marissa Reyes had 10 points and nine rebounds to lead Friends Academy over Cold Spring Harbor, 40-38, in the Nassau Small Schools championship at C.W. Post. It was the first Small Schools title for the Quakers (9-9), who avenged two regular-season losses to the Seahawks.

"We're like the underdog in the game and we pulled through, so it feels great," Mapp said. "We definitely wanted to win because we played [Cold Spring Harbor] two times and we thought we were the better team."

Friends Academy coach David Gatoux said winning yesterday's game was rewarding and that avoiding injuries was a top priority as the Quakers prepare to play Stony Brook in the Long Island Class C championship at 5 p.m. Tuesday at SUNY-Old Westbury.

"We're happy to be in this game because we have the chance to play a quality team and earn a championship," Gatoux said. "The Small School championship means a lot to us. You just hope you come out of it injury-free and we've been working hard all year and it feels really good to earn this."

The lead changed hands nine times as the teams traded baskets all game long. The score was tied at 19 at halftime and the Seahawks gained control in the third quarter to take a 29-25 lead into the final eight minutes. That's when Mapp and Reyes took over, combing for 13 of the Quakers' 15 fourth-quarter points. The Seahawks pushed the pace down the stretch and tied the score three times in the final three minutes but Mapp's basket with 56.4 seconds left sealed the win for Friends Academy.

"Our posts were setting good screens for me and I got open," Mapp said. "We were in the bonus so I thought as long as we drove to the basket and got to the free throw line we would come through and even though we didn't make them at the end we played hard defense."

SEE PHOTOSFriends Academy 40, Cold Spring Harbor 38

Katie Durand had 13 points to lead Cold Spring Harbor (16-4) which plays Center Moriches in the Long Island Class B championship at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at SUNY-Old Westbury.

"It's disappointing you never want to lose a game this time of year but we've got to be able to put it behind us," Cold Spring Harbor coach Rory Malone said. "You've got to wipe the slate clean [and] concentrate on Center Moriches - that's what counts. It's going to burn for the day but we're still playing and still have a future."