South Side seals conference title

Good things come in threes, too.

After watching the last eight games from the bench with an injured left wrist, South Side’s Kevin Waxon returned to action Friday afternoon at Sewanhaka and helped the Cyclones seal the Nassau Conference A-II title.

Waxon, who came off the bench in his first game since Jan. 4, swished three straight threes late in the third quarter to give South Side a six-point lead in its 51-38 victory. Waxon (12), Darren Nickelson (12) and Ryan Spadaford (11) all scored in double figures for the Cyclones, who take a 13-4 record into the Class A playoff opener Friday at home against Great Neck North.

“I practiced the past three days and coach [Jerry D’Angelo] said he’d get me minimal time,” Waxon said. “He told me to let him know if I felt any pain, but everything was great. It was tough being out, and it’s great to be back on the court with my teammates.”     

Waxon entered the game in the second quarter after South Side withstood an early outburst by the Indians (10-6), who got a game-high 15 points from Shella Adeniran. 

“It’s a special accomplishment,” D’Angelo said of finishing atop the conference. “I’m proud of the way we’ve handled adversity.”

Sewanhaka, which finished third in Conference A-II, raced to a double-digit first-quarter lead for a second straight game. It was 14-2 after just three-and-a-half minutes. Kevin Powers had five points and Shireem Cobb four to stake the Indians to the cushion, which mirrored their fast start in a 63-55 loss to Lawrence on Feb. 3. 

“It’s difficult to race away from a team of South Side’s caliber,” Indians coach Dan Reece said. “We came out flying and hit shots, but with the exception of Shella we struggled offensively.”

Despite the early 12-point hole, D’Angelo elected to let his junior-oriented squad play through the rough stretch. “I can’t say calling a timeout didn’t cross my mind,” he said. “I like to trust my team. We weren’t playing as poorly as the score indicated.” 

The Cyclones, who nipped the Indians Jan. 14 on a Nickelson tip-in with three seconds left, got points from all five starters in the opening quarter and pulled even on the first possession of the second when Robert Picchioni’s three-point play capped a 12-0 run. It was tied at 21 at halftime thanks to a buzzer-beater by Sewanhaka’s Jordan Riddick.

Adeniran, saddled with two early fouls, entered the second half with just two points but showed off his All-County form of a year ago in the third quarter. He had two emphatic dunks, the second of which put the Indians up 30-23, and swatted away three shots on the defensive end.

South Side neutralized Adeniran the rest of the way, with Spadaford and Robert Akeson doing yeoman’s work, and the Indians went ice cold at the same time Waxon caught fire. Sewanhaka had just three points in the fourth quarter.

“I thought our defense was spectacular,” Reece said. “But we turned the ball over too many times and didn’t shoot well down the stretch.”

The Indians open the playoffs at Floral Park on Thursday.