Thursday, October 1, 2026
Huge efforts off the bench by sophomore Tyree Glascoe and senior Mike Mangino allowed West Hempstead to overcome a stale second quarter and beat visiting Glen Cove 59-48 last Friday in the Nassau Conference A-III opener for both teams.
“We’re getting contributions from everyone,” Rams coach Ed Cosgrove said. “I’m still trying to find that dominant five I think we can have, but with the depth we have we’re able to keep the pressure on for 32 minutes.”
Glascoe, a point guard, scored 10 of his game-high 14 points in the second half and added five assists, five steals and five rebounds as West Hempstead inched away for its third win in four games. Mangino, who returned to the court after sitting out last season, had a breakout performance with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Thomas Valerio added 11 points, while Yadiyah Letellier led Glen Cove with 13.
“We were our own worst enemy for a stretch of about 10 minutes,” Cosgrove explained. “I thought we were prepared for everything they were going to do. We had some empty possessions late in the first quarter and in the second quarter, and the next thing you know they storm off into the locker room up by three.”
The Rams led 13-11 after the opening quarter but followed with their second-lowest scoring quarter of the season—seven points—and trailed 23-20 at halftime. They came out for the second half with a purpose, Cosgrove said, and Valerio’s three-pointer on the opening possession of the third quarter set the tone for a 21-12 spurt.
“We executed better and made better decisions,” Cosgrove said of the second half.
Glascoe had a lot to do with it. It was his second straight game scoring in double figures—he had 11 points in a 60-40 non-league win over Carey on Dec. 14—and his minutes figure to increase. “He’s been a big spark,” Cosgrove said. “He’s creating a lot of opportunities for himself and for other guys.”
Mangino picked a perfect time to not only score his first points of the season but to be a force at both ends. “With Mike, it was one of those things where everyone knew his shots were going to start to drop,” Cosgrove said. “He was aggressive and also got to the line. It’s a good sign.”
Senior Greg Cecere was his reliable self, adding nine points and five rebounds, and junior Pat D’Haiti chipped in six points.
“I have a lot of options with the rotation and I’m going to ride the group that’s playing well,” Cosgrove said. “Twelve kids have played all four games so far. Everyone is working hard in practice, and morale is high.”
Seniors Jan Carlos Brita (nine points) and Darnell Davy led the Rams’ second-half surge against Carey. The Seahawks led by two at halftime, but West Hempstead enjoyed a 21-11 third quarter and pulled away. Davy finished with a team-high 12 points and sophomore Ousmane Camara added eight points and nine rebounds.
