Long Beach handles Kennedy

After building a 12-point halftime advantage last Friday, Long Beach withstood Kennedy’s best punch in the third quarter and eventually pulled away for a 54-34 road victory in a Nassau Conference AA-III boys’ basketball game.

Senior guard Daryl Brown tied a career-high with 22 points, including 17 in the first half, and sophomore forward Tyquan Scott scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Marines, who improved to 3-1 in conference play and kept the Cougars winless in four tries. Senior Chad Fuschillo’s eight points paced Kennedy, which endured a 12-for-49 shooting night.

“I was concerned about this game because they’ve played everyone tough,” Long Beach coach T.J. Burke said of the Cougars, who’ve lost to Westbury and Great Neck South by three points apiece and were locked in a tight game with defending county champion Elmont until late in the fourth quarter. “We started strong and finished strong,” he added. “They made a good run and we were able to sustain it. We’re playing really well.”

While Kennedy has been competitive in every game, leading two conference rivals at halftime, coach Rory Block said putting more points on the board is crucial to achieving success. “Long Beach deserves credit for playing tough, aggressive defense, but at the same time we need to find ways to score,” he said. “We’ve had strong quarters in every game, and the kids continue to work hard, but it’s difficult to win when you shoot 25 percent.”

Brown came out shooting to stake Long Beach to a 15-5 lead after the opening quarter, scoring nine points and assisting on baskets by Scott and senior center Tariq Cole. “He’s been a real catalyst and leader,” Burke said of Brown, who is averaging 20.2 points per game. “He’s doing the right things on and off the court. It’s good to see.”

The Marines’ cushion swelled to 25-10 late in the second quarter before the Cougars started to knock down some shots. Senior Zack Hecht converted a put-back off a rebound and junior Ralph Faiella, who hit for 21 points against Elmont, drained two jumpers.

Down 28-16, Kennedy opened the second half with a burst of energy led by Fuschillo. He buried a trey to ignite a 10-2 run and added another to close it, forcing Burke to burn a timeout to settle his team. Fuschillo also had a steal and lay-up, and senior Ben Canarick a 10-foot jumper, during a much-needed spurt that awoke the crowd.

Long Beach responded with a seven-point run before junior Ethan Jones dialed long distance for Kennedy to make it 37-29 heading into the fourth. But the Marines stepped on the gas to start the final quarter, as Brown, senior Will Sims and sophomore Stefan Pitts all hit shots from behind the arc to up the lead to 17.

“It feels good to contribute,” Brown said. “We’re playing hard and trying to do our best to get to the playoffs.”

Next up for Long Beach is a home game against Great Neck South Friday at 6:45 p.m. Kennedy is back in action Friday as well when Carey visits at 7 p.m. Assistant coach Bob DeBonis said the Cougars’ work ethic has been tremendous, and he’s hopeful better results will come.