Lynbrook falls short in county title push

It was a memorable basketball season for the Lynbrook boys, who fell just short of their dream of winning a county championship.

The Owls, who captured their first conference crown in 10 years and advanced to the finals for the first time since claiming the Nassau Class B title 30 years ago, couldn’t solve Manhasset after a strong start to last Sunday’s Class A championship game before a standing-room-only crowd at Farmingdale State College.

Sophomore Ahmad Crowell scored 18 of his 20 game-high points in the second half to lift No. 4 Manhasset to a come-from-behind 55-42 victory. John Mastando, one of the game’s 10 senior starters, added 12 points for the Indians, who won their first title since the 2010-11 campaign and will battle Wyandanch for Long Island Class A supremacy this Sunday at 6 p.m. at Nassau Coliseum.

“Our kids have always been resilient,” Manhasset head coach George Bruns said. “Lynbrook was playing very well, but we rode out the storm and after we switched to a zone the game changed.”

Second-seeded Lynbrook, which eliminated Mepham, Jericho and Valley Stream South on the way to the finals, got 18 points from senior point guard Rylan Blondo.

“We had a rough shooting game,” Lynbrook head coach Jamie Adams said. “Manhasset does a lot of things well and you’re not going to beat them if you can’t put the ball in the basket.”

The Owls’ large cheering section was buzzing early. Blondo hit a pair of treys and had 10 points in the opening quarter to help build a 17-9 lead. Sophomore Thomas deMenezes (10 points) provided a spark off the bench in the second, scoring five points as Lynbrook’s advantage swelled to 25-15.

“We’ve been down that way before and I think those experiences helped today,” Bruns said.

The Indians scored nine of the next 10 points to get within 26-24 at halftime. The third quarter featured four deadlocks and three lead changes, with the last of the afternoon coming on a Mastando free throw to give Manhasset a 36-35 edge heading into the fourth.

Lynbrook (20-3) managed just one field goal in the final quarter, while Crowell hit 8 of 10 free throws to seal the outcome.

“It was an unbelievable ride,” Adams said. “The support we had from the whole community was impressive. It became an experience to go to our games and it’s a season we’ll never forget.”