STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— Heading into a play-in matchup with Petrides, Eagle Academy of Staten Island had never won a single Borough President Vito Fossella SIHSL Tournament game since the school was founded in 2014— but on Wednesday evening, coach Justin Spisto’s squad certainly didn’t play like it.

Fueled by a dominant performance in the paint, Eagle cruised to an 80–53 victory over Petrides, physically overwhelming the Panthers from start to finish by scoring all 12 of their total points on close-range field goals and strong finishes at the rim.

In fact, Eagle didn’t connect on a single three-pointer in the first half and still carried a 36–24 lead into the break. Eagle found their shooting touch in the second half, however, knocking down four triples to cap off an exceptional offensive showing for their first-ever tournament win.

Eagle’s starting five also shared the scoring load evenly, with every starter reaching double figures in what was a remarkably balanced night for Spisto’s squad.

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SISHL Tournament Play-In Game: Petrides vs. Eagle Academy

Player of the Game: Armani Perez

Senior Armani Perez was explosive for Eagle throughout the game, using his length to disrupt Petrides defensively and attack the rim with ease. He finished with 16 points in a well-rounded performance, including one of Eagle’s rare three-pointers on the night.

“I try to bring everything I can onto the court for my teammates,” Perez said after the contest. “I play defense, I grab rebounds— I do as much as I can to win games.”

His stats back up those claims. Entering the contest, Perez was averaging over 15 points per game while pulling down more than 5.5 rebounds, and after guiding Eagle to a historic win, the senior made it clear his play will be noticed by those unfamiliar with it.

“I’m aggressive. I like driving to the paint, and I’ll say it myself— I’ve got hops. I can dunk,” Perez said confidently. “So if you’re under the rim, don’t be surprised if I catch you.”

Turning point

Eagle led comfortably from start to finish, but Juneek Daniels provided a jolt of energy in the second quarter, igniting both his teammates and the bench.

Drawing contact on buckets in quick succession, Daniels had the gym roaring “AND ONE!” and gave his squad all the confidence it needed to see the game through.

HighlightsCoach Spisto’s take

Following Eagle’s first-ever tournament win, Spisto called the moment “a long time coming.” When he took over the program four years ago, his squad had not won so much as a regular-season game, making the breakthrough all the more meaningful — and well worth the wait.

Spisto also made sure to highlight Perez’s impact, noting that the senior has been a varsity contributor for three seasons. “He’s a staple player, and we wouldn’t be here without him,” Spisto said. “I couldn’t be more proud of these guys.”

As for Eagle’s bruising, paint-first style of play, Spisto said it simply fits the personnel. “We have the players we need to be dominant inside,” he explained.

“That’s been our identity since I’ve taken over,” he added. “With our size and athleticism, we love taking high-percentage shots and crashing the offensive boards.”

Next up

While they’ll undoubtedly savor the win, Spisto’s squad now turns its attention to a second-round matchup against Staten Island Academy— a team that handed Eagle a 70–48 loss earlier this season. Spisto knows the challenge ahead, but believes his team is ready.

“They’re a very, very well-coached team,” Spisto said. “Coach Mike Mazella has done a terrific job. They’ve come from a similar place to where we were — they got their first tournament win last year — so they’re going to be disciplined, and it’s going to be a tough, interesting matchup.”

Perez echoed his coach’s confidence when discussing what it will take to upset the No. 5-seeded Tigers.

“We played them two weeks ago and lost,” Perez said, “but this time we’re going to come out with intensity and energy and play the way we did today. It’s going to be a different ballgame.”

The contest between SIA and Eagle will be at 4:30 p.m. at Port Richmond High School on Thursday.

Stats corner

In addition to Perez’s 16 points and seven boards, Justin Webley led the team with 18 markers, while Juneek Daniels added 17 points and 10 rebounds in a three-headed scoring performance.

Javon Jordan contributed 13 points and Anthony Riley added 12 markers, eight assists and four rebounds, rounding out a high-scoring night for Spisto’s starters.

Dante Jones provided Eagle’s lone bench scoring, finishing with four points.