Sunday, March 23, 2025
Freeport boys' basketball defeated Oceanside, 61-41, last Friday, bringing the 10-6 Red Devils one step closer to a surprise playoff berth in Nassau Class AAA.
The Sailors had a clear plan to set the tempo early, but Freeport point guard Noah Patterson ended the night as conductor with 21 points and six steals.
"When you have a good group of kids, you can do anything," Patterson said. "This team is really good. Anything is possible. A lot of people doubt us, but when we really want to lock in, we can lock in. I think we'll be great."
To earn the resounding final score, Freeport had to overcome a highly uncomfortable start. Oceanside successfully contained Patterson through eight minutes and Shawn Browles, Freeport's second highest scorer, briefly exited with an injury. The Red Devils had more fouls than field goals when they limped out of the first quarter with a meager 8-7 lead.
The outlook changed entirely early in the second quarter as Freeport began to find space for Patterson. Jacob Jordan came off the bench and drained three shots from beyond the arc in five minutes. Joshua Osei-Sefah earned two quick baskets in the paint.
Spreading Oceanside's defense allowed Patterson to finally break through with a tricky reverse layup. The young star's relentless defense was even more impactful, forcing the Sailors to commit multiple turnovers.
In an instant, the Red Devils were well ahead after a decisive 12-0 run. They didn't look back from there.
As both teams tired, Patterson's presence on the floor became overwhelming. Already up 28-12 coming out of the half, the five-foot-six sophomore went on another run, singlehandedly scoring nine unanswered points. Later on in the third, he reconnected with Browles, who returned to the game and finished with 11 points.
Patterson ended the night with an exclamation in the fourth, putting a defender on skates at the top of the key and knocking down his third three-pointer to put Freeport ahead 50-25. The Red Devils emptied their bench soon after to secure the 20-point victory.
"He has a high IQ and high motor," Freeport head coach Daryl Johnson said of Patterson. "Everyone's trying to play us with different defenses and we're still finding ways to get him going."
Despite making a defensive stand early, Oceanside only made three shots from the field in the first half and lost dozens of possessions to turnovers. The Sailors are now 1-14, but head coach Ed Risener noted the team's relative youth and clear areas for improvement.
"Patterson's a really good player, so our focus defensively was to take him out of the game early," Risener said. "I think we did that effectively, but offensively, we turned the ball over too many times to give ourselves a chance."
Oceanside junior forward Josh Gamarra took better command of the paint in the second half, finishing as its highest scorer with 20 points. Jayden Major and Zach Minsky came off the bench with six and four points, respectively, while handling brutal matchups on Freeport's perimeter.
