Dennis' late block helps save Floyd

Here was the big thing: Anthony White's 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

And here was the little thing, though noticeable to anyone who watched Floyd defeat Deer Park in a Suffolk Class AA boys basketball semifinal Friday: a steal by Deer Park's Keith Williams, a fast-break scoring attempt by teammate Aaren Edmead -- and a blocked shot by Floyd senior guard Malik Dennis, who was there to stop him.

Deer Park (17-4) trailed by only two with 6:05 left, and Dennis' block kept it that way as second-seeded Floyd beat the No. 3 Falcons, 61-52, at Farmingdale State.

Floyd went on an 11-3 run after the block, but Deer Park cut it to 56-52 on two straight three-pointers by Williams before Floyd held on. LaShon Washington helped keep Deer Park at bay, scoring six of his 14 points in the last 3:59. He also had 10 rebounds.

Floyd (19-2) will play Central Islip (20-1) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Farmingdale State in a bid for its first county championship since 1997.

"I tried to get that clock to work a little faster," joked Floyd coach Bob Hodgson, who watched as a 30-18 halftime lead nearly evaporated behind a strong effort from Williams (21 points), who hit four of Deer Park's six second-half three-pointers, one a 25-foot bomb. "They're a really good shooting team and we kept telling [our guys] to range really far out."

Not that it was wholly unexpected. Said White: "[Williams] is their best shooter. Sooner or later, those shots were going to drop."

SEE PHOTOSWilliam Floyd 61, Deer Park 52

After the hot start, Floyd was outscored 19-10 in the third quarter and had its lead cut to three. White hit a free throw and a layup to open a five-point advantage with 6:25 remaining. Kyle Bradford's three from the top of the key pulled Deer Park to within 45-43, setting the stage for Edmead's layup attempt for a tie and Dennis' block.

"I was just hoping he would miss it," Dennis said. "I always think about the little things to make us win. And that was a little thing."