High School Girls Basketball

BY ADAM RONIS

Friday at St. Joseph's College
Suffolk Class AA championship 8 p.m.
No. 1 Sachem East vs. No. 3 North Babylon: Sachem East hasn't lost since Dec. 17 when it fell to Molloy (Queens), 60-52. Sachem East has won 17 straight and has won every game by double digits since then except for the game against North Babylon, a 61-54 win on Dec. 22. North Babylon junior standout Eugeneia McPherson didn't play in that game. Sophomore Kristen Doherty is the focal point of the offense, but Sachem East gets good balance. Nicole Caggiano can shoot from the perimeter, Ashley Caggiano can score, Ashley Gyscek is a good defender and Stefanie Mignone rebounds well and is tough in the paint. Meagan Doherty has played well late in the season and Caitlin Hopkins played well against Copiague in the semfinals. Sachem East works well as a team and plays very good defense. North Babylon, the defending champion, is led by the dynamic duo of McPherson and Bria Hartley, who totaled 50 of the team's points in a 63-58 win over Commack in the semifinals. Maliqua Fisher and Kelly Whitaker also had some big shots in the game, but the Bulldogs had only four players score. North Babylon likes to apply the pressure on defense. It seems logical to take North Babylon since it only lost by seven without one its best players, has the experience and is the defending champion. But Sachem East has more depth and this is its year. It should be close and a very good game. The wild card factor is the halftime score. If North Babylon is trailing by eight or more points, watch out. That seems to bring out the best in them. PICK: Sachem East

Small School Championship, 5:30 p.m.
Huntington vs. Hampton Bays: Huntington won two low-scoring, defensive games to capture the Class A title. Huntington beat Glenn 47-46 in the final and defeated Harborfields, 43-39 in the semifinals. Huntington plays very good defense. Kerry Hicks is a good point guard that can shoot from outside and Julie Forster gets it done down low. Casey Scully and Maria Marascia also produce for Huntington. Hampton Bays has won 11 straight. The addition of Kelly Cavallo, a 6-2 senior, takes this team to a higher level. Genna Kovar, Sami Krantz and Rachel Tufano round out a solid nucleus. The key for Huntington will be keeping the ball away from Cavallo. The Blue Devils need to pressure the Hampton Bays guards, so they can't get the ball to Cavallo in spots where she can score. Hampton Bays struggled against the Wyandanch press for one quarter in the Class B championship before adjusting to control the final three quarters. PICK: Hampton Bays