JP Harding leads Bridgehampton to Class D Southeast Regional final
J.P. Harding #44 of Bridgehampton takes a foul shot during the first half of the Class D finals at Center Moriches High School in Center Moriches on March 1, 2019. Credit: Daniel De Mato
The buzz continues to grow for JP Harding and the Killer Bees.
Harding tallied 24 points and 10 rebounds as the Bridgehampton boys basketball team flew past Section IX Roscoe Central, 59-29, in a Class D Southeast Regional semifinal at Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh on Monday night.
“We set a lot of screens for JP and got him downhill,” said Bridgehampton coach Ron White. “He’s a very dynamic player when he goes downhill. We got the ball to him early and he made some moves and had a big game.”
Nae'jon Ward tacked on 15 points and eight assists in the victory. White said his defense set the tone early as the Killer Bees moved one step closer in their pursuit of a 10th state title.
“Defense, defense and more defense was the key for us,” said White, whose team led 29-11 at the half and 47-21 after three quarters. “The help defense was huge.”
Bridgehampton (15-9) will advance to the regional final against the winner of Tuesday’s matchup between Section I Martin Luther King Jr. (Hastings on Hudson) and Section IV Marathon (Cortland County).
A Martin Luther King Jr. victory would bring Bridgehampton to Pace University on Friday, while a Marathon win would mean a trip to Floyd L. Maines Arena in Binghamton on Sunday.
