Elmont rolls into semis after beating VSS

The matchup between No. 4 Elmont and No. 5 Valley Stream South, a pair of schools just 3.5 miles apart, had more intrigue than the typical quarterfinal round basketball playoff game on Feb. 22. Each team had won a pair of Nassau titles over the past four seasons, and the Spartans knocked the Falcons out of last year’s tournament.

While the stage was set for an epic battle, host Elmont wasn’t to be denied on this day. Led by senior guard Victor Olawoye’s game-high 29 points, the Spartans ran out to a big lead and never looked back in their 79-49 victory over visiting South. William Cook added a career-high 15 points as two-time defending county champion Elmont advanced to the Class A Final Four.

The Falcons, who came into the game having won 12 of their past 13 contests and knocked off Hewlett in their opening round game, got 15 points from Matt Benavides. Valley Stream South won the Conference A-IV title, the second league championship in school history, and finished with an overall record of 16-5.

South head coach Matt Johnsen gave Elmont its due. “We felt we had them scouted well and knew what they liked to do, but they just played an outstanding game,” Johnsen said. “They couldn’t miss from the perimeter. They put a ton of pressure on us, and it wasn’t just Victor lighting it up. It was their entire lineup. They just kept knocking down jumpers.”

With Olawoye burying threes and Cook hitting midrange jumpers, the Spartans took a 20-8 lead after one quarter and didn’t slow down. Point guard Jevon Santos did a nice job getting all his teammates involved in the second quarter as Elmont went into the locker room with a commanding 35-16 lead at the half.

The Falcons got their offense going after the break, but stopping the Spartans was another story. Elmont made 10 three-point baskets for the game. South’s Aaron Davis, the Conference A-IV player of the year, scored eight points. Teammate Elijah Johnson added 12. Elmont (15-6) will
take on No. 1 Garden City (20-0) in the semifinals. 

Head coach George Holub thinks the matchup with Garden City, a team that beat Elmont twice during the regular season, should be a tight one. “I think it’ll be one of those games that comes down to the final few possessions,” Holub said. “We’re getting a little better as a team every day. Both teams know each other really well. We can’t be careless with the basketball. That’s what hurt us down the stretch last time we played. If we turn it over and let them get out in transition, we’re playing into their hands.”

If the Spartans advance, they’d face Sewanhaka or Floral Park for the county title this Saturday at 4 p.m. at SUNY Farmingdale.