Elmont one win from championship

Opponents have had trouble matching Elmont’s balance and depth all season long, and further proof came in Monday’s Nassau Class A boys’ basketball semifinal playoff game against Hewlett at Hofstra.

The top-seeded Spartans had three players score in double figures, led by senior Dean Walker’s 15 points, and pulled away from the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter for a 54-45 victory. Senior Dominique Williams had 11 points and junior Anthony Elechi added 10 for Elmont, which advanced to meet No. 2 Westbury for the crown on Saturday at Hofstra at 3 p.m. Hewlett’s Michael Eckerle led all scorers with 20 points.

“I’ve got confidence in anyone I put on the floor,” Spartans coach George Holub said. “We’ve gone 10-deep all season long and we’re not going to change what we do.”

Elmont’s third win over the Bulldogs this season and 18th in 20 games overall was aided by 30 turnovers, the majority of which came in the second half.

“I thought we did a solid job beating their press,” Hewlett coach Bill Dubin said. “Most of the time we gave the ball away, we just lost the handle. We’re not going to beat anyone with that many turnovers. 

“This game was a lot like the other two we played. We were right there for three quarters, but they’ve got a bunch of players who can hurt you.”

Elechi did most of the damage early with three baskets in the first quarter while holding Eckerle scoreless, yet Elmont’s lead was only 12-11 through eight minutes. The fifth-seeded Bulldogs got an offensive spark from an unlikely source in the first half when senior forward Max Noble pumped in all eight of his points, marking a season high, and moved in front 23-22 at the break thanks to a pair of Eckerle free throws.