Tristan Thomas saves best for last in Holy Trinity's win over Roslyn
Tristan Thomas of Holy Trinity shoots the ball over the defenders during the game at the Gary Charles Tip of the Hat Classic boys basketball Tournament at Chaminade High School, in Mineola, NY, on Jan. 4, 2026. Credit: Sam Johnston
Holy Trinity boys basketball hadn’t held a lead since the second quarter in its game against Roslyn. Senior Tristan Thomas gave the Titans just that with 3:28 remaining, and it wouldn’t be the only gift the forward would give his team.
With 17.9 seconds left, Thomas grabbed an offensive rebound off a miss from junior Myles Reid. Then he corralled one more off his own miss and made sure he didn’t need another as he hit the layup with 2.3 seconds left in the game to set up a 51-49 win for Holy Trinity in the Gary Charles Hoops Classic at Chaminade.
“I started the game off rough, picking up two fouls and not playing much in the second quarter,” Thomas said. “I’m just thinking, ‘Next play, next play, next play,’ and being aggressive when I get the rebound.”
Thomas finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds, with seven coming off the offensive glass. He scored eight of his team’s 13 fourth-quarter points.
“Even when you’re having a rough shooting day, he can make a big play by just getting a rebound or just fighting his way in there sometimes to get us a basket when we really need it,” Holy Trinity coach Steve Gnus said.
“We got heart, this is a special group,” Thomas said.
Roslyn (5-3) tied the score inside the final 30 seconds as senior Danny Levine recorded a steal and found senior Jordy Gross for the layup to tie it at 49. Junior Davon White posted 11 points and five rebounds, and Levine had six points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Holy Trinity junior Emmanuel Ayeye impressed early, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the first half, and added a defensive spark with two steals and two blocks. That defensive hustle looked increasingly infectious across the Holy Trinity (10-1) lineup as the game progressed, with the Titans allowing just 21 second-half points.
“That’s kind of been our thing, to come up with a big steal, stay in front of someone and get a shot-clock violation,” Gnus said. “We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well today, but it was our defense that got us some easy baskets and got us the lead.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
