Freeport holds off Hempstead

The Freeport boys’ basketball team traveled to Hempstead last Saturday already holding a victory over the Tigers and completed a season sweep with a 62-51 Conference AA-I win.

The last time these teams met, Freeport narrowly edged out a 60-57 victory at home on Jan. 4. In the rematch, head coach Larry Steimer and his squad was looking for a more definitive statement and accomplished just that.

Early on, Hempstead’s zone defense was causing problems for the Red Devils. Hempstead controlled the offensive glass early, building a lead and causing Freeport to take its first timeout.

After the huddle, Freeport was ignited by Rajah Mayo. The senior guard sparked a major run, hitting two quick three pointers to open up the defensive zone of the Tigers. Senior forward Rollin Bell worked very well with his guards, rolling effectively off of high screens to work his way inside and draw fouls.

Strong defensive pressure ensued, as Freeport’s guards chased and hounded Hempstead all throughout the full court. The pressure caused an abundance of steals leading to transition layups for the Red Devils.

“The gameplan was to pressure the ball and try to get some offense out of our defense. That’s important for us” Steimer said.

Fueled by a stout defensive performance and an inspired offensive performance from Mayo, the Red Devils had built their lead to 37-19 by the end of the first half.

Shortly after the start of the third quarter, Bell picked up a costly foul, forcing a quick substitution and sending him to the bench. Hempstead capitalized and created points off of turnovers and second chance opportunities, looking much like the way they started the game. Just as momentum seemed to be slipping away from the Red Devils, there was Mayo once again, hitting a trifecta of three-balls in the third quarter.

When asked about Mayo’s impact on the game, Steimer lauded his senior guard by stating “Every time you turned around he hit a big basket or made a big pass, so he really stepped up today.”

However, Freeport wasn't out of hot water yet. With much grit, Hempstead clawed their way back slowly in the fourth quarter. With just under five minutes to go in the game, Hempstead was at the free throw line with two shots, only down five points. With a hush over the crowd, the first shot was missed. The second one followed suit, and Bell collected another of his 16 rebounds on the day. He helped secure his team’s victory by hitting four free throws within the last two minutes.

Bell finished with 19 points and 16 rebounds, while Mayo scored a game-high 24 points with 15 of those coming from behind the arc. Freeport improved to 9-7 overall and 6-3 in conference play.

The Red Devils are back in action this Saturday when they host Syosset at noon.