Long Beach falls short in playoffs

When the 2014-15 basketball season began, Long Beach head coach Larry Steimer had his eyes on earning a spot in the playoffs. Securing a .500 record in a conference that included Elmont, Westbury, and MacArthur would not be an easy task, but Steimer believed a postseason berth was obtainable.

The Marines did not disappoint. Long Beach went 6-6 in Conference AA-III play and earned the No. 11 seed in the Nassau Class AA playoffs. Despite an outstanding effort by the visiting Marines, No. 6 Plainview JFK, which trailed by three points entering the final quarter, pulled ahead and earned a 59-49 win

Senior Allen Durutovic scored 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds for the Hawks. Long Beach was led by sophomore Norman Wilson’s 17 points.

Steimer was pleased with the program’s progress in his first year at Long Beach. “We had a tough time getting started, with injuries, illnesses, and a tough schedule, but I’m proud of the way the team came together,” Steimer said. “We didn’t have that one go-to player, so it was a different guy every night leading the way. I’m happy with the way the team progressed throughout the season.”

Wilson, who was called up the varsity as a freshman, had a solid season in his first year as a starter. In a mid-season loss to MacArthur, Wilson, who led the team with 11.6 points per game, scored a career-high 22 points. Wilson earned All-Conference recognition.

Andrew Lavelle, who also picked up All-Conference honors, was one of Long Beach’s most consistent players. The hard-working senior hit for 20 points or better on three occasions, including a 24-point effort in a 62-49 road win over Calhoun. Lavelle’s uncanny ability to get to the foul line resulted in pair of games where he hit 14 free throws. He made 45 percent of the team’s charity tosses.

Like Wilson, junior Seamus McDonagh is a player Steimer is excited to have returning next season. The 6-foot-4 forward, the third of Long Beach’s All-Conference recipients, made terrific strides, and figures to be one of the team’s main cogs in 2015-16. McDonagh dropped a career-high 19 points to lead the Marines to a 56-50 win at Herricks.

With Wilson, McDonagh, junior Marquise Charles, and sophomore Shaquan Barron returning, and some talented guards from the JV making the move up to the varsity, there’s reason for optimism on the hardwood at Long Beach.

“We didn’t get that big signature win that we were hoping to get, but this is where I pretty much figured we’d end up,” Steimer said. “We battled and fought all season long, and got into the playoffs. We don’t have a lot of height in the program, but we have a lot of talented, athletic guards. I’m looking forward to working with the guys in the spring, summer, and fall to prepare for next season. I’m definitely excited about the future.”