The Holy Cross program had been red hot but heading into the game were down a few key players. Stony Brook has started off incredibly this year and was undefeated looking to claim the top spot on Long Island if they could pull off the victory. This was the second game of the Gary Charles Classic at Chaminade High School, and it didn’t disappoint.
The Knights got a triple from 6’5” SG Keiji Clifton (Holy Cross HS, NY ‘26) to start. Stony Brook missed, 6’7” W Payton Wilson (Holy Cross HS, NY ‘27) buried a three and the Bears got on the board for two. Holy Cross split a pair at the line, but the Bears missed. Cross scored again but 5’10” PG Orlando Morris ( The Stony Brook School, NY ‘26 ) got loose for a bucket. Morris hit a three after a timeout, Wilson scored for Cross, and Stony Brook answered but the Knights canned a deep three. Morris hit a free throw after getting fouled, and Wilson calmly sank both freebies before the end of the first quarter giving his squad a 16-10 lead after 1.
Cross scored, got a stop then hit a big three causing a Stony Brook timeout. 5’8” PG Jayden Hernandez (The Stony Brook School, NY ‘25 ) scored and then found Morris for two. Holy Cross hit a three, but the Bears buried one right back. Hernandez finished a layup, Clifton hit a three, and Hernandez got fouled then split the pair. Cross turned it over, Hernandez canned a three, he then got a steal and scored again. Stony Brook threw down a reverse slam to tie the game, but Clifton buried another three right before the half to give them a three-point lead.
Knights scored first, Bears hit a free throw, Holy Cross missed, Stony Brook got a big slam, but Clifton again knocked down a corner three. Morris drilled a triple, Holy Cross missed, Hernandez scored but they fouled Wilson. He made one, Morris made both of his free throws, and Cross scored inside, with Stony Brook answering. Holy Cross closed out the third quarter getting multiple stops and took a 45-39 lead into the fourth quarter.
Clifton scored for Cross, and Hernandez got by the defense for two. Holy Cross turned it over and then fouled Morris. He made them both, Clifton hit another bomb, the Bears missed, and Holy Cross hit split a pair at the line. Morris hit a three, Cross answered with a triple, Morris hit a free throw, the Knights missed, and the Bears scored. The teams played the foul game and traded some free throws back in forth. Stony Brook cut it to three with and1, Wilson hit a free throw, the Bears missed, and Wilson made two more to seal it.
Holy Cross gutted out a 60-53 win despite missing two starters and losing their starting point guard to an ankle injury plus his backup got banged as well. Clifton had a team-high 19 points while Wilson added 13 points and 11 rebounds. While Stony Brook is crushed they competed and made Long Island proud. They should continue to be one of the top teams in Suffolk County. Morris was terrific for Stony Brook with 21 points while the former Blair transfer Hernandez dominated at times adding 14 points.
