Bayside Basketball Falls to Eagles Academy

Head coach Cory Semper suspended six players from the Bayside High School varsity basketball team for disciplinary reasons, forcing it to play with a short bench Saturday afternoon against Eagle Academy in the Steve Simms Mid-Winter Classic at St. Francis College in Brooklyn.

It proved costly for the Commodores, as they were unable to go to their subs often enough in order to spell their starters, causing them to suffer a demoralizing 66-36 non-league defeat to the Eagles.

Hero:

Eagle Academy received tremendous production from senior tandem Stedman A. Allen and Donte Adams, who scored 20 points apiece in its victory.

Junior guard Ryan Tomlin led the Commodores with 10 points and senior point guard William Dobie added 8 in defeat.

The Turning Point:

Behind 40-19 at halftime, Bayside (6-2 in league play) made it a game, narrowing the gap at 43-29 at the conclusion of the third quarter. However, the Eagles, behind precision shooting, were able to return to their high-octane, intense form, pulling away from the Commodores in the fourth period.

Bottom Line:

Eagle Academy out outplayed Bayside in every facet of the game, scoring and rebounding almost at will throughout the contest. Additionally, the Eagles’ defense kept the Commodores from establishing any type of offense rhythm, blocking several shots and forcing many turnovers in the game.

Quotable:

"We weren’t ready to play. I had to suspend six guys, so we got to play with what we had," Semper said, not going into the reason why he suspended the six, just adding that it was an internal matter. "I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to bring them back for the season. So, got to go with what we got."

Though he acknowledged that his team’s chances of winning would have greatly improved with a full roster, Semper said it seemed as if his boys surrendered after their third period run.

"It hurt mostly for the kids that are playing, because they’re looking guys to come off the bench and help, he said, adding, "But those guys aren’t there anymore."

Who’s Next?

Bayside travels to Campus Magnet High School for a game Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.