Long Beach drops playoff opener

Long Beach’s first trip to the postseason in three years was short-lived.

Junior guard Andrew Fellus scored 17 points and added four steals to lead No. 6 Herricks to a 56-41 victory over No. 11 Long Beach in the opening round of the Nassau Class AA boys’ basketball playoffs Feb. 16. Sophomore forward Tyquan Scott led the Marines with 18 points.

Long Beach coach T.J. Burke gave the Highlanders all the credit. “It’s hard to get too upset when the other team plays a little bit better,” Burke said. “They just outplayed us. The moment may have gotten a little too big for our young guys. We start three sophomores. Until tonight, we didn’t seem frightened or intimidated at all. Tonight, I think their youth got in the way of their talent. It’s not a bad thing. It’s part of the growth process.”

Despite being outplayed in all facets of the game in the opening half, the Marines (9-9) closed out the first half on an 8-0 run, and trailed by just a point at 21-20. Scott, who was named an All-Conference selection earlier in the week, had 10 points in the opening half.

The third quarter was where the game turned. The Marines, who were looking to keep the ball out of the hands of Fellus, who came in averaging 21.4 points per game, challenged Shawn Mathew to beat them. The senior forward did just that. Mathew was 4-for-5 from the field and scored 10 points in the quarter as Herricks extended its lead to 40-32 at the end of three.

Long Beach center Tariq Cole, who was held in check for much of the game, came to life early on in the fourth quarter. The 6-foot-7 sophomore pulled down an offensive rebound and laid the ball in to get the Marines within five at 44-39 with 3:55 to play, but Long Beach would get no closer. 

The Highlanders closed the game out on a 12-2 run, largely in part to clutch free throw shooting by Fellus, to advance to face Elmont in the quarterfinal round. Fellus was 10-for-11 from the line for the game. Cole, who also earned All-Conference recognition, finished with 12 points.

Despite losing senior point guard Daryl Brown, an All-County honoree who averaged 18 points per game, the future looks rosy on the hardwood at Long Beach. With junior guard Desmond Moore, Cole, Scott, and fellow sophomore Stephan Pitts, a defensive specialist who showed signs of breaking out offensively, all returning, the Marines should be in good shape.

“The future looks good for us,” Burke said. “We’re returning three sophomores who started. The guys who got minutes off the bench are going to have to step in and fill the other spots. Everyone has to work hard at getting stronger in all areas. We can’t take the court with one outside shooting threat and expect to do well.”