Shooting woes costly for Hewlett

Struggles from behind the arc as well as the foul line proved costly for Hewlett in its 67-57 loss to visiting Glen Cove in a Nassau Conference A-III boys’ basketball game last Friday night.

The Bulldogs, who led by 14 points late in the first quarter, shot 3-for-19 from three-point range and converted just 10 of 24 free throws on the way to slipping to .500 (2-2) in conference play and 8-2 overall. The hosts were held to seven points over the final eight minutes. Senior Ryan Steinberg had a game-high 20 points, and senior Joe Pasquale added 18 points and eight rebounds in the defeat.

“Besides not shooting well, the biggest reason this game got away is we weren’t able to get the ball inside enough after they switched to zone,” Hewlett head coach Bill Dubin said. “We also gave up more fast-break points in this game than we did all of last season. They had too many easy baskets.”

The Big Red, which took the lead for good on a technical foul shot by Corey Dinkins with 7:20 remaining, had four players score in double figures led by Dinkins’ 17. Josh Martin added 15, Malik Jackson 13, and Rodney Ray 10. Glen Cove went 17-for-22 from the foul line and missed just one of its last eight attempts.

“Foul shooting has been a problem for us all season long,” Dubin explained. “Right now we’re probably under 60 percent. We’ll try to do the best we can, but the percentage increasing is something that mainly needs to be done during the offseason.”

Steinberg was the only player on either team to get to the line in the opening quarter, going 2-for-2, and he scored 11 points as Hewlett raced to a 17-3 lead after seven minutes. Martin sank a pair of treys, and Jackson and Ray hit baskets, allowing Glen Cove to close the quarter on a 10-2 run to trim its deficit to six.

The Bulldogs stretched their lead back to double digits midway through the second quarter, but the game was knotted at 32 after Martin’s third trey of the evening with 47 seconds remaining in the half. A pair of Pasquale free throws gave Hewlett a 34-32 lead at intermission.

The third quarter was a rollercoaster ride. After falling behind for the first time, the Bulldogs scored 10 of 13 and led 48-43 after senior Bar Itzhak’s basket. Dinkins scored six straight to provide another lead change, however a layup by senior Messiah Clark allowed Hewlett to bring a 50-49 edge into the fourth. It would be its final lead of the game.

“We certainly played well at times, but we’re in a bit of a shooting slump right now,” Dubin said. “For us to be successful, we need all hands on deck. We have the potential to be as good as any team in the conference.”

Last Friday’s game was the 15th annual Hoops for Hopes fundraiser to benefit SIBS Place. The Peninsula Kiwanis again served as the main sponsor for the event, which raised approximately $5,000.