Marquese Dennis' 20 points and 16 rebounds lead Brentwood past Southampton
Brentwood forward Marquese Dennis dribbles the ball past Southampton guard Tyson Reddick in a Suffolk non-league game, Saturday, December 30, 2023 at Bay Shore high school. Credit: George A Faella
This is where teams are made.
In late moments when the game is undecided. In stopping a rally before it’s too late. In bouncing back after losing the day before.
Brentwood, the defending Long Island Class AA boys basketball champion, accomplished all of that in a 67-61 win over Southampton in a Suffolk non-league matchup at Bay Shore High School on Saturday.
“We’re in the middle of a grind, and that’s where teams are made. That’s what I’ve been telling them,” Brentwood coach Anthony Jimenez said. “I think the most important thing we did today was we really looked for each other. We looked down the floor and we limited our ballhandling.”
Brentwood (5-1) led by two points entering the fourth quarter before outscoring Southampton 18-14 in the final frame.
Brentwood bounced back after its first loss of the season to Half Hollow Hills East on Friday night as part of the weekend’s inaugural Marcus and Morgan Damas Foundation Holiday Classic.
“We’re strong even after a loss. [This win] shows we come back together and win,” Brentwood senior Marquese Dennis said. “We played a little selfish in the third quarter, but in the fourth we moved the ball around more.”
Dennis’ 20 points led Brentwood. He added 16 rebounds and six assists. Josh Ramos, who finished with nine points, hit two three-pointers and a free throw in the fourth quarter.
“We looked at it as another game. We looked past yesterday and left it behind us,” Ramos said. “It’s big going into the New Year 5-1. We’re heading in the right direction.”
Brentwood led 41-26 before Southampton’s Naevon Williams hit a three-pointer just before halftime.
Alex Franklin scored 17 points, Williams 15 and Tyler Blake 12 for Southampton (3-3), which won the Long Island Class B championship last year.
The Mariners outscored Brentwood 18-8 in the third quarter, then tied the score at 49 with 6:35 left in the fourth.
“The energy shifted. We didn’t want another outcome of defeat,” Ramos said.
Brentwood held on, aided by points from Devon Snell and Devin Clarke, who each finished with 11. Clarke also grabbed 14 rebounds. Seven players scored for Brentwood in the team’s fourth win with more than 60 points.
“I think any time you turn the ball over or you commit fouls, it takes away some of your aggression,” Jimenez said. “In the fourth quarter, we went to the free-throw line first, and I think that helped our confidence.”
