Lynbrook turns focus to defense

Confident in its ability to put the ball in the basket, Lynbrook’s been emphasizing defense ever since it surrendered a season-high 72 points in a Dec. 20 loss to Conference A-IV frontrunner Valley Stream South.

In four games since, the Owls have allowed an average of 41.5 points capped by last Saturday’s 60-26 victory at North Shore. Senior Rylan Blondo scored 10 of his game-high 22 points in the first quarter and added seven rebounds and four assists, senior James Montgomery had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and senior John Donaldson scored 11 as Lynbrook improved to 9-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play.

“To do things that haven’t been done here in a long time, we knew we needed to tighten up defensively,” Owls head coach Jamie Adams said. “The guys understand they need to play strong defense, especially in big games. We didn’t do anything fancy on the defensive end today, but we forced a couple of shot-clock violations and didn’t allow many second chances. Offensively, we executed and shot well.”

Adams said the Owls recently began charting their defensive series’ and set a goal to make three stops in a row. Against North Shore (5-5 overall, 2-2 in A-IV), which was missing Mark Reali, one of its two seniors and one of its leading scorers and rebounders, Lynbrook set the tone in the opening quarter when it raced to a 19-6 lead and allowed only two field goals.

While Blondo, Montgomery and Donaldson carried the offense in the early going, senior lefty Brandon Pekale made his presence felt in the second quarter with a pair of treys as Lynbrook build a 30-13 halftime cushion. He finished with eight points. “When Brandon’s shooting well, it also elevates other parts of his game,” Adams said.

North Shore’s best quarter was the third when it scored 11 points, including six from behind the arc and three from the foul line. Jarret O’Day, the Vikings’ other senior, hit for 17 points on the day to raise his average on the season to 13.8 per game.

“Lynbrook is a talented and experienced team that entices you to play their style and we fell into the trap,” North Shore head coach Kevin Carpenter said. “The next game is our biggest game and we’re turning our focus to Wantagh. We’re working to get better every day and we have a lot of upside.”

The same can be said of Lynbrook, which hosts the rematch Jan. 31.

The Owls opened the season with five straight victories, including a 72-53 decision over Valley Stream North in the conference opener on Dec. 17 as Blondo (23), Montgomery (18) and Donaldson (18) proved tough to contain.

“We knew we’d be able to score with those three guys and we have others chipping in,” Adams explained. “We have six seniors at the top of our rotation of eight or nine. It’s a hungry group. They want to go places and leave a legacy.”

The Owls play three of their next four at home, including a visit from Floral Park this Friday at 7 p.m.