Southampton boys basketball moves into first place in Suffolk League VII after win over Bayport-Blue Point
Southampton guard Alex Franklin drives the lane for two points against Bayport-Blue Point in a Suffolk League VII game on Thursday at Bayport-Blue Point. Credit: George A Faella
A league championship isn’t the ultimate goal, but it is a goal for Southampton. And so the Mariners’ matchup Thursday against the team that was sharing the top rung with them in the Suffolk League VII standings wasn’t just another boys basketball game.
They came to Bayport-Blue Point, got 28 points from junior guard Alex Franklin, played their usual smothering brand of pressure defense and won, 78-64.
So the top rung belongs solely to Southampton, now 6-0 in the league and 13-1 overall after their sixth straight win. The Phantoms fell to 5-1 in the league and 11-3 overall despite six threes and 24 points from senior guard Cormac Love and 22, including varsity point No. 1,000, from senior point guard Dylan Craig, who later tied the program’s all-time scoring record
“A championship is a championship,” Mariners coach Herm Lamison said. “They don’t give them away. If they gave them away, everybody would have one.
“It gives us one up [in the race] because we’ve got to play them again. As long as we kind of win out , we should control our own destiny.”
The defending Suffolk Class A champs missed out on going to the final four last season after losing by a point to Friends Academy in the Long Island championship game. That’s driving this team.
“You wouldn’t believe how much,” Franklin said. “I’ve been in the gym every day at 5 a.m. since the Long Island championship, just trying to get better.”
Craig has gotten better, too. The 5-9 standout arrived as Suffolk’s top scorer, averaging 27.5 points.
Bayport-Blue Point point guard Dylan Craig celebrates his 1,000th career point with his coach, Charlie Peck, during a Suffolk League VII boys basketball game against Southampton on Thursday at Bayport-Blue Point. Credit: George A Faella
“He’s a tremendous athlete,” Phantoms coach Charlie Peck said. “… Without him, it would be a very long year. He makes me a good coach.”
Craig added seven assists, five rebounds and four steals. His 22 points gave him 1,004 in three seasons, tying Chris Niblock’s record. So Craig will likely be standing alone early in Tuesday’s home game vs. Port Jefferson.
“That was one of my dreams since I was little,” Craig said. “So for that to happen, that would just make me really happy and grateful but also know that I put in the work to get to this point. And it paid off.”
Southampton led 22-20 in the second quarter. Then the defense really kicked in, helping fuel the offense.
Naevon Williams hit a three, launching a 20-8 run. Davon Palmore closed it with a baseline jumper, giving the Mariners a 42-28 advantage at halftime.
The Phantoms cut it to eight early in the third.
But Franklin twice showed off his ability to drive in a 6-0 burst that pushed the advantage to 49-35. It didn’t get closer than eight again.
“I’m very disappointed,” Peck said. “Our transition defense was terrible.”
