Basketball playoffs: Waves and Monarchs hit the road for round one

When the Section XI playoff brackets were released Tuesday morning, Riverhead head coach Dave Spinella wasn’t surprised.

Riverhead (10-4 league III, 11-7 overall) was given the No. 11 seed in the AA bracket. They’ll travel to No. 6 Kings Park next Tuesday for a 5 p.m. tip.

“I think the committee got it right,” Spinella said. “Had we beaten Eastport, who didn’t make the playoffs, then we would have been higher. Bad losses can really hurt — even more than a good win can help.”

Kings Park finished 10-4 in league IV but won all of their out-of-conference games. So even though they are in a league lower than Riverhead, their 14-4 overall record sprung them five places higher into the sixth seed. Spinella has studied Kings Park, he knows what they’re about and he’s confident in his team’s chances going in to the game.

“They’re a very good team,” Spinella said. “They will cause some problems for us when we are on defense. Scorers and shooters everywhere. But they do have some weaknesses that can hopefully be exploited by our strengths.”

For Riverhead to win, a few things need to happen.

“We need to limit them to one contested shot per possession,” Spinella said. “We also need to win the turnover battle and force them out of their offense with pressure up front.”

After McGann-Mercy’s final game, head coach Matt Brisson had a DVD with Port Jefferson written on it in his hand.

“I’m always watching tape,” Brisson said. “That’s just who I am.”

Turns out, he got a head start in preparation because after receiving the No. 6 seed in the “B” bracket, they’ll travel to No. 3 Port Jefferson on Friday for a 5 p.m. tip.

There is a $4 admission to all playoff games.