By defeating the Half Hollow Hills West Colts for the second time in three games this season, the Blue Waves clinched at least a share of their first league championship since 1993 and sixth overall. After the buzzer sounded the end of Riverhead's 58-37 victory in the Suffolk County League IV game, Blue Waves point guard Kayla Lewis chucked the ball away and joined her teammates, forming a mass jumping huddle of joy on the court while their fans stood and applauded.

"Amazing, amazing," Blue Waves coach Dave Spinella said afterward. "I'm just proud of them. They've worked so hard. They've overcome so much. There are so many things that people don't know about that we've gone through as a family on personal levels and everything else, and they've overcome."

After the game, a ladder was set up under one of the baskets for the Blue Waves to take turns snipping off pieces of the net, starting with the team's youngest player, eighth-grader Jalyn Brown, and finishing with Spinella. Standing atop the ladder, Spinella then wrapped the net around his neck momentarily before tossing it to his players.

"We did it," said Lewis, one of Riverhead's five starting seniors. "We worked so hard. This means a lot. I don't know. I'm speechless."

The Blue Waves (15-3 over all, 10-1 in League IV) could have guaranteed themselves sole ownership of the league title if they won their final regular-season game yesterday in Deer Park. They had already assured themselves of at least one home playoff game by defeating the Hauppauge Eagles, 63-46, on Friday. The Blue Waves will play a county Class AA first-round game on Monday against an opponent to be named. A seeding meeting is scheduled for Thursday morning. This is the third time in five years that the Blue Waves have qualified for the playoffs.

A lot was at stake in Monday's game. Not only was the league crown up for grabs, but beneficial playoff seedings factored in the mix. If that wasn't enough, it was the final home regular-season game for Riverhead's six seniors. Ashley Bell, Sinead Cordero, Tyisha Johnson, Kaitlin Kelly, Jackie Zilnicki and Lewis were presented with flowers by coaches during a pregame ceremony. But it was the game that followed that made this farewell one to remember.

The Blue Waves and Colts brought identical records into the game. Earlier this season, the Blue Waves topped the Colts by three points in a Suffolk Shootout semifinal. Then the Colts, playing on their home floor, scored a 19-point win over Riverhead in a league game.

"This was the tiebreaker," said Lewis.

Cheered on by what may have been the largest -- and loudest -- home crowd they have played in front of this season, the Blue Waves were in front for most of the way. But they led by only one point at halftime. Then, aided by a 21-5 run during which Zilnicki scored nine of her game-high 19 points, the Blue Waves forged a 48-31 lead. Shortly after, a basket by Zilnicki, followed by three successive baskets by Johnson, left the Riverheaders holding a 56-33 cushion with a little over a minute remaining.

"They hung tough," Spinella said of his players. "Little by little we chipped away, and the next thing you know we're up by 20, and I'm like, 'Wow!' We find ways to win, man."

Tough defense and good ball movement did the trick for the Blue Waves, who amassed 21 assists (to just six for the Colts). That led to high-percentage shots and a high field-goal shooting percentage: 53.

Johnson scored 12 points, and Lewis had 11 points and seven assists. Lewis also made a vital defensive contribution, helping to hold Christina Marra to 10 points, which was about nine below her average.

"Defensively, they did a very good job of taking away our scoring options," Colts coach Bill Zatulskis said. "We just struggled. We didn't play the way we're capable of playing. It was probably one of our worst games. They outplayed us. They earned everything they got today."

Zilnicki said her team was determined not to be distracted by the Senior Day festivities.

"We tried not to get too emotional so we could play well," she said. "Now we can celebrate."

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