It’s in a different distirct, but six years later the Wakefield Warriors are champions again of a boys postseason basketball tournament.
The No. 1-seed Warriors (20-4) recently won the Liberty District tourney with a 2-0 record, following a first-round bye. Wakefield won each high-school contest at home, defeating the Yorktown Patriots, 69-59, in the semifinals then second-seed Marshall Statesmen, 38-32, in the title tilt.
Wakefield last won such a competition as Capital District champions in the 2016-17 campaign. Wakefield’s 20-victory season is its first since 2017-18.
Against Marshall, Wakefield rallied after trailing early by 7-0 and 12-3 scores. The Warriors took the lead for good at 19-18 in the second quarter on a foul shot by Miles Hancock (nine points, 11 rebounds, two steals) then build a lead as big as nine points (30-21) in the third quarter.
“We knew it would be a low-scoring defensive battle,” Wakefield coach Tony Bentley said.
Senior forward and district Player of the Year Carlton Young had 10 points, 10 rebounds and two assists for Yorktown, Kevin McLinton, Jr. scored eight and made two three-pointers, Jeremah Poole made a three and tallied seven, and B.J. Willis had four with a three.
Wakefield and Marshall (19-6) have met often over the years in district-tournament play, and split two regular-season games this winter.
Against Yorktown (14-10), Wakefield was ahead by just two points at halftime, then built a 48-35 lead late in the third quarter and maintained the advantage from there. Wakefield outscored Yorktown, 24-14, in the third quarter. Young had 22 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and one steal.
“We amped it up more in the third quarter, switched up our defenses some and we attacked more,” Bentley said. “We were us in the third quarter and played like that.”
Poole scored 12 points, Willis and Hancock 10 each and McLinton nine. Derrick Bailey and Willis made early three-pointers.
Wakefield lost to Yorktown, 64-62, the last time the teams met this winter in regular-season action.
The last time Wakefield played in a district tourney final was in the 2019-20 season when the Warriors were members of the National District.
