Commodores Top Thomas Edison, 65-62

The Commodores are now firmly in second place!

Last night, the Bayside High School boys varsity basketball team took hold of second place in the Queens AA with a 65-62 win over a Thomas Edison team that wouldn’t quit.

They improved their record to 9-3 and are now behind the undefeated Benjamin N. Cardozo High School. Senior B.J. Dobie scored 18 points, had four assists, two steals and two rebounds in the victory.

“My best players are young, so there is some pressure for them and you have to stay on top of them,” said Bayside’s head coach Cory Semper. “My guys have never been under the lights and it hurts us when we have to play big games.”

The Commodores opened with a 14-0 run against the Inventors, who had a 2-9 record going into the game. Despite the disparity in record, the Inventors fought back the entire game and never made it easy on Bayside. Although the Commodores jumped to an early lead, Edison cut the gap in half and was only down 16-8 when the quarter ended.

“I was trying to tell the guys to keep their heads and to keep playing,” Dobie said. “A team is going to make their run regardless of what we do, so we just had to keep playing. They were going to start hitting shots”

In the second quarter, the Inventors began working to get back in the game. Edison scored 10 quick points and cut the score to 23-18.

Dobie then scored five straight points, including a long three, to keep the Commodores ahead. However, Edison’s senior scorer Kris Owens traded baskets with Dobie, putting the Inventors within one point from a tie with a minute remaining in the half. Freshman Daqauise Andrews scored two quick baskets and gave the Commodores a 35-31 lead at halftime.

The Inventors came back stronger in the second half. They tied the game in the third quarter and began beating Bayside to loose balls and rebounds. At the end of three quarters, the Inventors had managed to lead the game at 46-46. However, Bayside wasn’t ready to back down.

Although Edison briefly took a one point lead in the fourth quarter, senior Tyrell Okoro came off the bench to ice a key lay-up and put the Commodores back ahead by one. Dobie hit another three and it seemed as if the Commodores were back on track. However, the Inventors found a new way to get back in the game.

“Dobie and Austin Williams are the best backcourt in the city when they are focused,” Semper said.

Edison senior Cavon Baker tied the game at 62-62 with less than 30 seconds to go. Dobie went to the free throw to give the Commodores a one-point advantage. Austin Williams hit two more free throws and all the Inventors could do was hope to hit a prayer. They didn’t. 

“It feels good to be in second place - officially we should be. It feels good because last year we only won three games,” Semper said. “We’ve got two games left though. If we can get to the borough championship, we’ll be fine.”