Floyd girls basketball's Chloe Campbell dominates on boards to help Colonials reach Suffolk 'AAA' final
Milania Farrow of Floyd is pumped after scoring and being fouled in the fourth quarter of a Suffolk Class AAA girls basketball semifinal against Ward Melville on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Mastic Beach. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
For the first time in history, the Floyd girls basketball team is going to the county finals.
No. 2 Floyd defeated No. 3 Ward Melville, 56-45, in the Suffolk Class AAA semifinals in Mastic Beach on Saturday. Floyd (18-4) will face No. 1 Whitman at Stony Brook University in the championship game at 8 p.m. on Friday.
With offense at a premium, host Floyd’s defense was impenetrable, leading it to the biggest win in program history to date. Junior center Chloe Campbell was right in the middle of the defensive effort, as she completely took the paint away. Campbell finished with 10 rebounds (seven defensive), a steal and four blocks.
She also added nine points and an assist — all in the offensive paint.
“I was ready to be physical, I just wanted it,” Campbell said. “I was just doing things that I know I’m good at. I had to go up strong and play my best. It feels like I just won the lottery.”
With Campbell controlling both ends of the paint, Floyd held Ward Melville (17-4) without a made field goal through the game’s first 14 minutes and 11 seconds. Once that streak finally broke with 1:49 left in the second quarter on a three-pointer by Ward Melville sophomore guard Molly Combs, Floyd’s lead shrunk to just four points, 16-12.
That woke Floyd’s offense up. With just under 30 seconds left in the first half, sophomore guard Milania Farrow hit a running floater from the right baseline, and later followed up with a catch-and-shoot three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.
That energy carried into the second half, sparking a 22-5 extended run that lasted through the 2:36 mark of the third quarter, giving Floyd a 40-19 lead. During that stretch, junior forward Savannah Pantey got hot, scoring eight points, all of which came through contact around the basket.
Pantry finished with 12 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block.
“I’m really excited, and I’m so proud to be a part of this program,” Pantry said. “We know this has never been done before, and I’m very proud to be a part of this group.”
Mike Anderson is a high school sports reporter who has covered 12 sports so far at Newsday. He was the sports editor of Stony Brook University's campus newspaper for two years.
