St. Dominic boys basketball's transition game turns deficit into convincing win
St. Dominic's Melo Mojeed reacts after making a basket while fouled in the first half of a boys basketball game against Achievement First Brooklyn High School in Springfield, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025. Credit: Jessica Hill
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The St. Dominic boys basketball team plays an up-and-down style that can change a game in an instant.
The Bayhawks thrive in transition, and they quickly turned a nine-point third-quarter deficit into a tie score entering the fourth quarter against Achievement First Brooklyn High School on Sunday morning.
“We kind of bring a city style to Long Island,” coach Isaiah Wilson said. “They want to play fast, want to get up-tempo, want to get downhill. Just get the best shots possible.”
St. Dominic scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter and defeated the Panthers going away, leading by as many as 16 in the final quarter of a 68-57 win in the Hoophall Invitational at Rebecca M. Johnson School.
“We stay composed throughout the entire game,” said junior guard Melo Mojeed, who had 14 points. “We didn’t let us going down stop us . . . We didn’t stop playing.”
Sophomore guard Cameron Obijuru had 17 points and nine rebounds, senior guard Brandon Torres had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists, and junior guard Tyler Liautaud added 11 points and four blocks for St. Dominic (12-4).
Mario Romain had 15 points to lead Achievement First (11-6).
“We all just trust each other,” Torres said. “Even I didn’t shoot that well from the field today, but every time I shoot it, every time the ball left my hands, everyone’s saying it’s good.
“So just the trust that we have for each other this year, our chemistry is through the roof. We all just love being on the court together and have a good feel with each other.”
Mojeed hit a corner three to cut the Bayhawks’ deficit to 41-36 with 5:01 left in the third quarter, and Wilson immediately called a timeout to settle things down.
“We just got to start getting stops,” Mojeed said of the message. “If we play good defense, then we’re going to start scoring more and we’re going to make the game easier for us.”
St. Dominic outscored Achievement First by five in the final five minutes of the third quarter. An extended 21-5 run to start the fourth quarter gave the Bayhawks a 68-52 lead with 1:13 left.
Liautaud, Torres and Obijuru each had seven of St. Dominic’s 21 fourth-quarter points.
“Yesterday we had a tough loss [against Cristo Rey of Philadelphia],” Liautaud said. “We hit some adversity, and kind of just didn’t fight back or anything. But today, we realized we had to come out harder, stronger and fight back.”
After going 10-15 last season, the Bayhawks are in the midst of what they hope is a special season. They are 4-0 in NSCHSAA play and in search of their first league title since 2007.
“We want to make history, and we also want our respect,” Torres said. “People have been doubting us since last year, and we’ve just been wanting to earn that respect game in and game out.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
