Monday, February 17, 2025
Hewlett’s boys’ basketball team enters the closing stretch of the season well positioned for a playoff berth in Class AA.
A 58-52 win at Bethpage Jan. 16 improved the Bulldogs to 5-3 in Conference AA-V and 10-3 overall. With six league games remaining, Hewlett can punch its postseason ticket by finishing with a .500 or better record.
“As long as we hold serve we will be OK,” said second-year Hewlett head coach Andy DeBernardo. “We’re in a good spot.”
The Bulldogs were paced in the Bethpage win by a 21-point, eight rebound performance from senior Justin Ogilvie Senior Justin Ortiz also had 12 points in a game Hewlett led 30-24 at halftime.
DeBernardo said Ortiz and Ogilvie, who are both reigning All-County players, have been instrumental in leading Hewlett to close wins and playing competitive games against top teams in the conference, Roslyn, Elmont and South Side. The two standouts brings different skillsets to the table with Oritz a top-flight outside shooter and Ogilvie an elite slasher who can create points by driving to the hoop.
“Justin Ortiz got hot at the beginning of the season and Ogilvie has been carrying us the last couple of weeks,” DeBernardo said. “Any team could stop one guy, it's hard to stop two guys, and they have very different games.”
Ogilvie and Ortiz combined for 47 points in a 71-62 win at Manhasset on Dec. 13 that helped Hewlett establish a strong start to league play. The duo was clutch down the stretch sinking nine of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter to clinch the victory.
Hewlett has also gotten strong offensive and defensive contributions from 6-3 freshman center Gabe Bowery, who tallied nine points in a 56-46 loss to Hewlett on Jan. 13 in a game the Bulldogs led 25-23 at halftime against last year’s Class AA runnerup. He also registered 14 points in a 55-48 victory at Plainedge on Dec. 28.
Senior Daniel Lankri has also been pivotal to Hewlett’s solid start to the conference season as a lockdown defender who is also progressing his offensive game.
“He is probably our best defender and he's starting to score six or eight points a game which is going to make us that much better,” said DeBernardo of Lankri. “Over his career he has been a great defender and dives on the floor, taking charges, boxing out. Now he's starting to score a little bit and it's making him a really nice all around player.”
To prepare Hewlett for its crucial late season stretch, Lankri scheduled a tough non-league game against Class AAA opponent Hempstead on Martin Luther King Day. The Bulldogs have a home rematch with Manhasset on tap for Friday night at 7 p.m. before a road test Monday at first place Roslyn, who defeated Hewlett 79-64 on Dec. 16 in what was a six-point game entering the fourth quarter.
“We're looking to not settle and just beat the teams we should beat,” DeBernardo said. “Our goal is to make the playoffs and get a home game because if you get in the playoffs we'll be battle tested already.”
