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A Few Clouds South Side knocks off Elmont
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South Side's Greg Cove works against Elmont's Isaiah Watson during the Cyclones' Conference ABC-I road victory on Jan. 14.
Frank Koester/Herald
South Side has marched to the Nassau County Class A title game each of the past two seasons, only to full short of a county championship. Once again, the Cyclones could be around when county supremacy is decided in February.
The Cyclones opened up plenty of eyes with a decisive 65-50 road victory over previously unbeaten Elmont in front of a raucous crowd on Jan. 14. Senior center Brett Cohen scored 26 points on 12 of 15 shooting, and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead the offense. South Side improved to 8-2 overall and 3-1 in Conference ABC-I. Elmont senior Isaiah Watson led the Spartans with 17 points.
South Side coach Jerry D’Angelo couldn’t have been more satisfied with the win. “It’s a big win from the standpoint of beating a solid team in front of a hostile crowd,” D’Angelo said. “We came into the game knowing we had to contest their three-point shots, contain their penetration, and get the job done on the boards. Defense was really the key. It was all about effort and hustle.”
The Spartans got off to a nice start taking a 14-12 lead after eight minutes. But the Cyclones came alive in the second quarter. After a period of trading baskets, they caught fire from the perimeter. Back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore forward Ryan Spadaford and Cohen capped off a 13-2 run which gave South Side a 31-18 lead with 1:53 to play in the half. The Cyclones, who hit from downtown eight times in the game, led 32-23 at halftime.
South Side continued its hot shooting in the third quarter, scoring the first eight points of the second half to take a 40-23 lead. But Elmont (10-1 overall, 3-1 in conference play) would not go away. After Anthony Elechi banked one off the glass from six feet out, the Spartans got back in striking distance at 45-35 with just a minute to play in the third.
Elmont continued to keep the pressure on the Cyclones in the final quarter, but each time it appeared the Spartans were set to make a big run, Cohen answered. Cohen, who is averaging 16.4 points per game, scored on back-to-back possessions to put the game away after the Spartans had cut the lead to 56-50. South Side also received 12 points from senior Leon Taylor, and five points a key assist from junior Kevin Waxon.
D’Angelo was impressed with the play of his big man. “Brett was definitely the focal point of the offense,” he said. “We thought one of the keys would be for him to establish himself in the post. Not only did he dominate inside, he opened up the perimeter for our shooters to get open looks. He’s one of the best big men in the county.”
South Side will try to complete a season sweep of Hewlett on Friday at home at 6:30 p.m.
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