Freeport rallies past Oceanside

Despite another valiant effort, Oceanside just can’t get the ball to bounce its way against Conference AA-I rivals.

The Sailors, after squandering a 17-point second-half lead at Freeport last Friday night, still had a chance in the closing seconds but fell short, 52-50, when junior Maurice Dause-Lewis’ three-point attempt from the top of the key just missed at the buzzer.

Senior Roy Isaac, who scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, won it for the Red Devils on a putback with 18 seconds left. 

“Roy’s a difficult big kid to guard and he came through late,” Freeport head coach Larry Steimer said. “Oceanside played a tremendous game. They changed defenses a lot and never stopped working. They got a great look at the end.”

Sailors head coach Al Lyson used his final timeout with 2.3 seconds remaining and the ball at midcourt. He said the first option was to get the ball to Aronis Espinal (10 points, 12 rebounds), but the senior center was double teamed in the paint and Dause-Lewis (six points, four steals) got open at the perimeter. The final shot hit off the backboard as well as the back and front of the rim. 

“I feel for the kids because they’re bringing it every night and not getting the results they deserve,” Lyson said. “We’ve lost some tough games. They’re giving everything they’ve got.

“Freeport beat us by almost 30 the first time at our place,” he added. “Tonight was their senior night and we come in here without a conference win. But our guys were ready. I’m proud of them.”

It was the fourth consecutive game Oceanside (3-12 overall, 0-8 in AA-I) held a lead in the second half. Senior Kevin O’Keefe scored a game-high 15 points, senior point guard John Grossi added 11, and junior Charlie Franzo chipped in eight.

The Sailors led most of the way. Back-to-back baskets by Dause-Lewis capped a 14-6 first quarter, and Grossi capped a nine-point run to close the second to give the visitors a 28-19 halftime cushion. Freeport senior Tyree Powell-Townsend had nine of his 11 points in the opening half.

“We’ve been a little inconsistent,” said Steimer, whose team was coming off a 21-point defeat at Massapequa three days earlier. “We definitely didn’t take Oceanside lightly,” he added. “We missed too many layups early and it almost cost us.”

The Red Devils (11-5 overall, 5-4 in AA-I) were in deep trouble after a pair of Grossi free throws increased Oceanside’s lead to 42-25 with 4:14 remaining in the third quarter. Senior Rollin Bell, who had a team-high 13 points, then keyed a 14-1 run that brought Freeport within four less than a minute into the fourth.

“Sometimes when things don’t go our way, we bow our heads,” Steimer said. “Tonight we kept sticking with it.”

A three-pointer by senior Nicholas Phillips gave the Red Devils a 48-47 lead with 4:17 left, but Grossi answered with a trey to put the Sailors back in front. Senior Willie Tenzie tied it for Freeport with 2:47 to go, setting the stage for Isaac.