Thursday, October 1, 2026
Top-seeded South Side got a three-pointer from junior Dami Awosika with 1:21 remaining and sweat out a pair of Hewlett shots in the final five seconds to escape with a 48-47 victory in a thrilling Nassau Class A boys’ basketball semifinal at Hofstra on Feb. 24.
The 13th-seeded Bulldogs, who knocked off No. 4 Island Trees and No. 5 Seaford on the way to the semis, had two chances to keep their Cinderella season alive and reach the county finals for the second time in three years. “We got two good looks,” head coach Bill Dubin said.
Sophomore Alyjah Hill, who led them with 11 points, had a left-handed runner in the lane pop in and out, but Hewlett got a second chance when an off-balance Awoskia traveled with the rebound with 4.5 seconds remaining. Hill then launched a trey from the corner that just missed.
“ With Brandon [Grayson] being injured, Dami’s role has definitely expanded and it was great to see him stick the winning shot after he just had an air ball on a three,” Cyclones head coach Jerry D’Angelo said. “He showed a lot of guts. He also gave us great energy in the second quarter when we desperately needed a spark.”
Awosika finished with 13 points to lead South Side, which advanced to face No. 2 Elmont in last Saturday’s title game. “I’m at a loss for words,” he said after the Cyclones beat Hewlett for a third time this season.
“We knew Hewlett was going to give us their best shot,” D’Angelo said.
Five of Awosika’s points came in the second quarter after the Bulldogs built a 21-11 advantage. After the game was stopped with 4:53 left in the half due to a medical emergency involving a spectator, South Side scored nine of the next 11 points to get within 23-20 at halftime.
The Cyclones opened the second half on a 7-0 run and led by six by the end of the third quarter before Hewlett stormed back. Senior Paul Lonergan (11 points), who had his second strong game in place of Grayson, opened the third quarter with a bucket and added five more points as South Side took a 37-31 lead.
The Bulldogs came out firing in the fourth, getting a trey from sophomore Luca Preziosi and a basket from Hill to get within one. Hill picked up his fourth personal with 6:57 left, but that didn’t stop them from taking the lead thanks to sophomore Matt Mannino’s free throw and senior Troy Feeney’s crowd-erupting three-point play.
Hewlett led 45-43 with less than three minutes to go following a Mannino basket and Feeney free throw. Senior Alex Sorensen (12 points) tied it with two foul shots, but the Bulldogs vaulted back in front 47-45 after junior Zach Bromfeld and Hill both settled for 1-for-2 trips to the line.
“Unfortunately, we have a history of struggling from the line in the playoffs,” Dubin said. “It’s tough to win when you shoot 8-for-13.”
