Elmont captures Malverne Tournament

Though many of the names on Elmont’s roster changed, the defending Nassau Class AA boys’ basketball champions have managed to pick up where they left off.

The Spartans have won six straight games out of the gate, the latest an impressive 71-46 victory over Lawrence in the championship of the Hank Williams Memorial Tournament at Malverne High School Dec. 28. Junior Marc Campbell went 4-for-6 from three-point range as part of an 18-point performance, and seniors Christian Watson and Michael Dugue added 12 and 11 points, respectively. Eddie Robinson led the Golden Tornadoes, who put up 100 in their first-round win over the host Mules, with 11 points.

“Defense is what we pride ourselves on,” Elmont coach George Holub said. “As long as our defense is stellar and hard-nosed, our offense will come. We got right after a really good team tonight and forced a lot of turnovers.”

The Spartans were off to the races after junior Tim Lewis hit the game’s first shot. They led by as many as 12 points — 17-5 — in the first quarter as Dugue scored nine and Lewis six.

After Lawrence cut the margin to six thanks to a three-point play by Robinson, who had 31 against Malverne, Watson, Calvin Nyabingi, and Reggie Pierre got into the act for Elmont and sparked another run led by defensive pressure. All three players answered Lawrence baskets with transition points of their own and the lead was 35-21 at the half.

“What we’re doing is still new to some guys,” Holub said. “They’re all learning where their favorite spots are on the floor, but everything starts with the defense. We knew we had to defend well against Robinson and Daniel [Dwayne], their two biggest weapons.”

Campbell, who was without a field goal until he sank his first of four treys late in the second quarter, was on fire to start the third. He scored 11 of Elmont’s first 13 points of the second half, with all but two coming from behind the arch, and the lead swelled to 48-25. Randy Wallace (nine points) helped Lawrence scratch back to within 14, but a midcourt heave by Watson banked in at the buzzer and brought Spartans fans to their feet.

Watson, the tournament MVP, had the first five points of the fourth quarter to take all the wind out of the Golden Tornadoes’ sails.

In the first round, Elmont pulled away late from West Hempstead for a 63-44 victory. Sophomore Tristan Brown scored a team-high 15 points, Dugue added 12, Watson 10, and Josh Previlon seven. The Spartans, who visit Conference AA-III rival Great Neck South this Friday at 6:45 p.m., outscored the Rams 34-19 in the second half.