Ross School Boys Denied Suffolk Class C-D Championship

Despite another phenomenal performance by super scorer Brandan Pettaway, the Ross School was unable to withstand the red-hot shooting of Port Jefferson on Friday afternoon, losing to the Royals 69-46 at Farmingdale State College in the Suffolk County Class C-D Championship.

Pettaway, who has had an outstanding season for Ross (7-12 overall), leading the team in points scored as well as three-pointers, had a standout performance against a significantly larger class school, scoring a game-high 22 points. Pettaway also connected on his three-point shot three times against the defending Class C champion Royals (13-7 overall) and his play in the second quarter helped keep Ross in the game.

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Playing at Farmingdale, Port Jefferson took a 19-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, led by standout starters Terrell Rose, Anthony Lanieri and Greg Nielsen. Rose, who has been one of the hottest players in the Suffolk County Section XI tournament, led the Royals with 18 points and nine rebounds while also showcasing his playmaking ability with five assists.

In three playoff games, all wins over Stony Brook, Greenport and Ross, Rose has scored a total of 57 points, grabbed 26 rebounds and dished out 18 assists. When he wasn’t pouring in points for Port Jeff this afternoon, forwards Nielsen (12 points) and Anthony Lanieri (14 points) were.

Although the Cosmos fell behind 19-9 early, they battled their way back into the game in the second quarter as both teams scored 16 points; with Port Jeff taking a 35-25 lead at halftime.

Port Jeff's shooters heated up in the third quarter, bt dropping 24 points on Ross to take a commanding 59-33 lead into the final quarter. Pettaway did his best to keep Ross close, hitting several mid-range jumpers, but the Royals weren’t going to be denied their championship and closed the game strong to secure the victory.

Liam Chaskey also had a solid game for Ross, scoring 12 points and making two three-pointers. Hayden Aldredge added five. Steve Meng, Michael Wu, Jiahui Guo and Roosevelt Odidi all scored two points each to close out Ross’ scoring.

Ross won the Suffolk Class D championship this season after finishing with the best record among Class D teams in the Suffolk County. They will play in a regional semifinal against a still to be determined opponent on March 8 at Farmingdale State College, with a 5 p.m. tip-off.