Leading off today: The Thomas Jefferson boys seemingly waited forever for this day. At the other extreme, it was business as usual for the Ossining girls -- except that Shenendehowa's performance made the Pride's latest triumph anything but a "fourgone" conclusion.
On a day when title-game drama was in short supply, those were the key takeaways for New York high school basketball's Championship Saturday.
PSAL finals: Shamorie Ponds scored 31 points and teammate Rasheem Dunn came through with 23 as Thomas Jefferson dominated Abraham Lincoln 90-61 for the PSAL boys Class AA basketball championship Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
Ponds also had 12 rebounds, six steals and five assists.
Jefferson took control with an 18-1 run to begin the second half. Malachi Faison finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds, and C.J. Smith added 16 points as the team advanced to the Federation semifinals next weekend against Long Island Lutheran at the Times Union Center in Albany.
The championship is Jefferson's first in 62 years, with losses to Boys and Girls, Lincoln and Cardozo in three finals appearances since.
Cahiem Brown had 21 points with 11 rebounds for Lincoln, but the Railsplitters shot just 26 percent from the field.
• In the girls final, South Shore defeated Francis Lewis 55-39 for its second straight championship. Francis Lewis was hampered by 26 percent shooting from the field.
"Defense is key, sophomore forward Earlette Scott said. "Once we get our defense going, the offense will come and that's what happened in the second half."
Scott and Selena Philoxy had 10 points each to pace the winners.
NYSPHSAA boys: Olean coach Jeff Anastasia is having a weekend fit for a king. On Sunday morning he'll be inducted into the BCANY Hall of Fame at the Glens Falls Civic Center just 12 hours after his Huskies beat Marlboro 56-45 for the Class B crown.
Olean supporters celebrated the conclusion of a 27-0 season by chanting "Hall of Fame" on Saturday in honor of Anastasia, who has chalked up 535 wins.
A 3-pointer at the buzzer by Jake Cavana gave the Huskies an 11-8 lead. Up 16-15 in the second quarter, Olean took command with a 14-4 spurt. Derek Schmidt had five of his game-high 20 points during the run.
Marlboro made 12 threes during its semifinal win Friday, but the Huskies guarded the perimeter fiercely and held them to 4-for-10 work in the final.
• In Class C, Buffalo's Middle Early College overwhelmed Haldane 82-40. Gary Foster connected for 23 points o go along with 17 rebounds as the four-time finalists won their second title in seven years.
With the Blue Devils playing box-and-one on Foster, Middle College turned JoJo Staton and Billy Rivera loose on the perimeter to turn a 5-0 deficit into a 19-4 lead midway through the opening quarter. Staton and Rivera each nailed three 3-pointers.
• In Class D, Oriskany earned its first New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship by downing previously unbeaten Moriah 79-54 at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
Senior guard Marcus Smithling made five threes and scored 25 points, and Anthony Warcup scored 24 points and registered six of Oriskany's 15 3-point baskets. Ryan Schmadel added 18 points and eight rebounds.
