Snowden's 45 points, 15 rebounds lead Center Moriches to Suffolk small schools title
Center Moriches' Micah Snowden shoots against Wyandanch's Shykim Rich during the Suffolk small schools championship game Sunday night at Farmingdale State College. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Center Moriches socked away its third straight Suffolk Class B boys basketball title more than a week ago and will be looking to do a little damage in the Long Island “B” championship game against Cold Spring Harbor on March 6.
In the meantime, the Red Devils are taking a crack at making a little county history.
Micah Snowden had 45 points and 15 rebounds as Center Moriches beat Suffolk Class A champion Wyandanch, 102-93, on Sunday night at Farmingdale State for the Suffolk small schools championship.
Having won 14 straight games, Center Moriches (18-5) will face Class AA champion Brentwood (20-2) on Wednesday for the overall Suffolk title. No team from outside the top two enrollment classifications has won that crown, but with an inside force in the 6-6 Snowden, the Red Devils sure seem to have a shot.
“It would mean a lot to us and the people who support us if we could beat Brentwood,” Snowden said. “Brentwood has so much respect and they are [synonymous] with power. We have been about the state championship all season, but this would be special.”
Snowden had 12 points as the Red Devils opened a 24-9 lead. Wyandanch responded with a 20-3 run that included eight of Dionte Jordan’s 37 points, but Snowden had 11 in a 17-0 run that gave Center Moriches a 53-40 lead at the break.
Things got surprisingly uncomfortable for Center Moriches as the Warriors (17-7) cut a 24-point deficit to six with less than four minutes to play. But Snowden threw an outlet pass that produced Tyiquon Nix’s three-point play for a 96-83 lead with 1:50 left and added two free throws for a 98-89 lead with about a minute to go.
“I am so proud of what Micah has done this season,” coach Nick Thomas said. “He has never shied away from the big games, and today he was a big-game player.”
Nix added 21 points for Center Moriches.
Jordan hit five three-pointers and Darnell Evans had 20 points and 11 assists for the Warriors.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
