Sachem East won both varsity basketball rivalry games in Sachem on Thursday. The East boys beat North, 53-50, in overtime and the East girls beat North, 59-17.
The boys game made for better theater with more balance as both teams entered the contest 2-7 in League I play.
With 30 seconds left in regulation, Louis Ferrari tied the game for North (2-8) when he hit a three-pointer to force overtime. D’Andre Smith spoiled the excitement for North when he hit a go-ahead three-point basket with 11 seconds left in overtime to lead East (3-7) to victory. Sachem East’s Danny Urbanski led all scorers with 22 points.
As for the girls, Katie Doherty led all scorers with 22 points in the win for East, who is now 8-1 in League I this season. North is 1-8. Kathleen Everson scored 12 points for East.
While the East boys are 2-0 against North this season, this was just the first of two meetings for the girls programs. They will meet again on Saturday, Feb. 9 on program day for the “Shoot for a Cure” event being held at Sachem East.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro