Tough start for Seahawks

Carey is off to an inauspicious start to the 2010-2011 boys’ basketball season.

The Seahawks, faced with four consecutive road games out of the gate, lost their third in a row after a 46-42 defeat at the hands of Long Beach last Friday. Senior Kyle DeMeo scored 17 points to lead Carey. 

Carey coach Marty Kelly remains optimistic about his team. “I think we are ready to turn the corner,” Kelly said. “This is a hard-working group that is not content with losing games. Practices have been upbeat and spirited. We just haven’t found any rhythm on the offensive end of the floor. Shots that we ordinarily knock down in practice just haven’t been falling in the games.”

The Seahawks opened the season by travelling to Elmont to take on their district rival in the annual Greg Petrocelli Classic. The Spartans received a game-high 16 points and 11 rebounds from junior Greg Senat as Elmont won 63-46 in the season-opener for both teams. Carey hung tough for a half, but a 23-10 third quarter gave Elmont a commanding 52-29 lead as the teams took the floor for the final quarter. 

The Seahawks cut the lead to 15 points, but could get no closer. Junior Danny Sadlowski led Carey with 13 points. Fellow junior Jess Milonas added eight points for the Seahawks. Dillon Williams and Michael Dugue each scored 11 points for the Spartans. 

Carey then took on West Hempstead. The Rams had opened their season with a road victory over Valley Stream North. The Seahawks played a decent first half and took a 23-21 lead into the locker room. But, again, the third quarter was their undoing. 

The Rams, led by Jan Carlos Brito, who scored seven of his nine points in a 21-11 third quarter, took a 42-34 lead into the final quarter. Sophomore Tyree Glascoe had 11 points and four assists, and Ousmane Camara scored eight points and pulled down nine rebounds. Sadlowski led the Seahawks with a career-high 17 points. 

Still looking for its first win, Carey took on Long Beach, which had also lost two games on the road to start the season. The Marines jumped out to a 21-13 lead at the half, but Carey would make a late run. Playing without 6-foot-6 center James Klein, and with Sadlowski in foul trouble, the Seahawks used a small, quick lineup to battle back to cut a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to one-point with a minute to play.

Carey had four shots off, but couldn’t get one to fall. Long Beach put the game away at the free throw line. DeMeo was terrific hitting five three-pointers to lead the offense. 

Despite the loss, Kelly said he liked what he saw. “We picked up our intensity on the defensive end and caused a lot of turnovers,” Kelly said. “We found out that we can make things happen when we press and trap. I’m still very confident that we can have a good season. We just need that first win.”

Carey plays its home opener against Great Neck South on Jan. 4 at 4:30 p.m.