Massapequa shoots past Oceanside

It’s been less than smooth sailing for the Oceanside boys’ basketball team, and on Jan. 12, the team was once again hit by an unexpected storm. A second-half three-point barrage from Massapequa’s Michael Baierlein proved to be too much for the Sailors to handle, as they fell on their home court by a 55-37 final. 

Baierlein buried five shots from behind the arc for the Chiefs after halftime, and finished with a total of 19 points in the Conference AA-1 matchup

“It’s tough to defend,” Oceanside head coach Al Lyson said. “A couple of times we were able to get a hand in his face, but he just got hot. He broke our back out there for sure.”

Oceanside had its struggles on the offensive side of the ball as well, scoring just 17 points in the second half. While the team’s energy level was high, its execution was lacking. 

“Missing open shots has been our problem since the beginning of the year,” Lyson said. “You can’t win games missing open layups and giving up offensive rebounds. But, we just got to keep our heads up and keep on trying.”

The Sailors kept the game close early on, with each team scoring 14 points in the opening quarter. Oceanside senior Charlie Franzo was a difference maker in the first eight minutes, providing six points. 

The offense began to slow for the Sailors in the second, but a strong defensive effort allowed the club to enter the half only down by two. Another senior stepped up offensively in the third quarter for Oceanside. Maurice Dause-Lewis provided 10 of his team-high 14 points in the stanza, finding ways to score from both the inside and outside. Unfortunately for his team, foul woes kept him glued to the bench for most of the fourth. 

“Maurice did real well today,” Lyson said. “When he gets hot, he’s a tough guy to guard. We need him to stay on the floor to give us a good chance.”

With Dause-Lewis unavailable and Baierlein continuing to do damage from deep, the Chiefs managed to widen their lead down the stretch. Massapequa finished the game on a 17-7 run, and outscored the Sailors 33-17 in the second half. 

Freshman Jake Tavroff provided six points. Junior Anthorn Garrett also chipped with four points off the bench. The losses continue to pile up for Oceanside, but the team still showcased plenty of fight against the Chiefs, not shying away from physical play.

“We’ve been getting beat up real bad this season, but we hung in there,” Lyson said. “It’s easy for guys to just give up in these situations, and our guys haven’t given up. I give them kudos for that, and hopefully we can keep moving forward.”

The Sailors will have a golden opportunity to turn their season around in the coming weeks, with several conference matchups lying ahead. Oceanside’s next game comes at Hempstead, followed by a home date with Syosset this Friday night.