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Overcast and Breezy Sailors embark on winning course
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Senior Mike Bonomo made the most of his time on the floor against Calhoun on Dec. 30, scoring 23 points in 16 minutes of an 81-46 win.
Jeff Wilson/Herald
With six wins in seven games including a 2-0 start in Nassau Conference AA-II, there’s no denying Oceanside has come out of the gate as sharp and intense as any basketball team in the county.
The Sailors, seeking their first playoff appearance since the 2005-06 campaign, have outscored the competition by an average of 18.5 points per game so far and hit their high-water mark Dec. 30 when they rolled to an 81-46 non-league victory at Calhoun. Senior Mike Bonomo (23) and juniors Greg Gilbert (17) and Gene Garay (11) all hit for double figures in a game that saw Oceanside enjoy its highest-scoring quarter—31 in the first—of the season.
“We’re playing hard and getting results,” coach Dan Keegan said. “I don’t think any team in the conference is head and shoulders above the rest. We’ve got a big week upcoming with three games and we’ll look to keep the momentum going.”
Bonomo, who has scored at least 12 points in all but one game and poured in 24 in a conference-opening win over MacArthur on Dec. 15, led the way at Calhoun despite logging just 16 minutes of action and taking 11 shots. “Mike was incredibly efficient,” Keegan said. “He’s playing great basketball and is a nightmare of a matchup. Teams are doing anything they can to contain him, but he’s so versatile. We haven’t faced anyone capable of stopping him both inside and out.”
The Sailors spent a large portion of practice time during the holiday break working to increase their tempo, and the Colts couldn’t keep up with the opening experiment. “We’ve committed to push the ball more,” said Keegan, “but that doesn’t mean we have to force shots.
“Sometimes when we push it, it’ll just be to explore. If nothing’s there we’ll hold the ball and run our offense.”
Whether the pace is frantic or methodical, Oceanside’s in good hands with a three-year starter at the point in Garay. “He’s got nearly 50 varsity games under his belt and has become a great decision-maker,” Keegan said. “He’s close to mastering the offense.”
Senior guard Dan Frisch is close to perfecting taking a charge. He’s done so a dozen times already, and senior Danny Collins comes off the bench to provide an offensive spark at the position. Collins scored 12 points at MacArthur and helped ice a 56-43 conference victory over Hicksville on Dec. 18 with a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter.
Holding Hicksville, led by standout John Petrucelli (19 points), to 17 first-half points and below 50 for the game was pleasing to Keegan, who credits Gilbert and senior center Glenn Bornstein with leading the defensive effort day-in and day-out. “I can live with the 19 Petrucelli had—he took a lot of shots,” Keegan explained.
The Sailors, whose only loss in December came against St. Peter’s of Staten Island, are home to face Herricks on Friday at 7 p.m.
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