Center Moriches came into Mattituck High School on Thursday night the clear underdog in the Suffolk County B playoff bracket.
No. 4 Mattituck had beaten No. 5 Center Moriches on both occasions during the season but neither win was lopsided. The Red Devils had lost both regular season games by just four points so a close game was expected.
The two teams had just played five days ago with Mattituck winning, 78-74.
Though the Tuckers were neck and neck with the Red Devils through three quarters, Center Moriches turned on the jets in the fourth, scoring 24 points to Mattituck’s 14 and ending the game at 70-57.
It was especially a tough loss for the Tuckers because they seemed to be on a roll, finishing the season with two big-time wins but it was Center Moriches that emerged victorious thanks in large part to their defensive play.
Joe Tardif was the lone scorer in double digits for the Tuckers, who also received nine points a piece from Ryan Mowdy and Jon Dwyer. Parker Tuthill, who scored a career-high 41 points against Center Moriches last game, was held to just eight points.
Sean Braithwaite led the Red Devils in scoring with 22 points and also contributed eight assists and eight rebounds.
With the win, No. 5 Center Moriches will take on No. 1 Southampton in the next round of the playoffs.
SoutholdLOCAL photos by Courtney Blasl.
