Upstart Lynbrook heads to playoffs

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After completing a turnaround regular season, the Lynbrook boys’ basketball team is ready for a playoff run.

The Owls reached their first postseason since 2012-13 with a 14-5 overall record on the heels of a two-win campaign. Despite heading into the playoffs off a 59-46 loss to Glen Cove last Friday, Lynbrook head coach Jamie Adams is pleased with how his players have responded during the rebound season. The 12th-seeded Owls will open the postseason with an out-bracket opening round game Wednesday, after press time, at home versus Island Trees.

“I’m so proud of the way they have showed up every game,” Adams said. “I’m so proud of how they leave it all on the floor.”

Lynbrook, which finished 7-5 in Conference A-III, looked poised to head into the playoffs on a winning note when it jumped out to a 17 point lead against Glen Cove before a packed home crowd with many students in attendance. Glen Cove outscored the Owls 29-6 in the fourth quarter including a game-ending run 21-2 run.

“This one is going to sting for a little bit, but one of our goals at the beginning of the season was to make the playoffs and our guys know that that’s the bigger prize right now,” Adams said. “We will learn from this one and then we will be ready for our playoff opponent.”

Shining for Lynbrook in the regular-season finale was senior power forward Rob Sitonio, who tallied 14 points to lead the Owls in scoring including two three-pointers. Sitonio also had a big game in 72-69 losing effort at Glen Cove on Jan. 17.

“Robert is our everything guy,” Adams said. “He rarely comes off the floor and he is our leader on and off the floor.”

Lynbrook runs an up-tempo offense that has produced 50 points or more in 16 games. Adams goes deep into his bench and is pleased with the diverse amount of scoring weapons that have stepped up. The Owls’ scoring depth was evident at the start of last Friday’s game when six different players converted the game’s first six field goals including Sitonio, Matt Higginson, Antonio Vinceslao, Rylan Blondo, John Donaldson and Steven Hendrickson.

“In the beginning of the season I thought two of our biggest strengths were our athletic ability and our depth,” Adams said. “It really has helped us throughout the year.”

Lynbrook’s opening round playoff opponent Island Trees finished second in Conference A-IV and was 8-11 overall. A win for the Owls would set up a rematch with Glen Cove in a first round game on the road Friday at 6 p.m.

Adams credits his players for putting the Owls in playoff position and the program’s resurgence.

“They worked hard in the preseason and the offseason and this is all them,” Adams said. “All of this is because of the 16 guys that wear the white, green and yellow.”