West Hempstead wins third straight

When the 2012-13 basketball season began, West Hempstead head coach Ed Cosgrove anticipated that it would take a little time for his team to jell. The Rams had an up and down first half, which included a three-game losing streak, but the team appears to be peaking at just the right time.

After last Friday night’s 79-48 rout of Valley Stream North, West Hempstead is 10-3 overall, 6-2 in Nassau Conference A-IV, a game behind first place Mineola. Senior guard Tyree Glascoe scored a season-high 32 points and dished out six assists, and Vinny DiLorenzo scored eight points and pulled down 13 rebounds to lead the Rams. Junior Ricardo Richardson led the Spartans with a career-high 21 points. The victory was West Hempstead’s third straight. 

Cosgrove likes the way his team is playing after struggling through a three-game funk. “I hope we’re starting to hit our stride,” he said. “We’re playing better defense, and have cut down on the turnovers. We’ll probably need to run the table to win the conference, so we’re treating every game as a playoff game. We need to play a full four quarters every time out if we’re going to stay on this roll.”

With Glascoe, who is averaging 22 points per game, dominating from the perimeter and in transition, West Hempstead got out to a huge lead and never looked back. The Rams outscored North 20-2 in the opening quarter, and had a 20-point lead at the half. Junior Darren Davy added nine points for West Hempstead. Nine players scored for the Rams.

Cosgrove liked the way the team performed against Valley Stream North after struggling against the Spartans when the teams met back in December. “We played man-to-man, and pressed the first time we played,” Cosgrove said. “This time we came out in a zone, and I think it frustrated them. We also did a lot better at protecting the ball this time around.”

After dropping consecutive games to Port Washington, Roosevelt, and Mineola, the Rams played what was likely their best game of the season when they knocked off a solid Seaford team 68-62. Glascoe led the way with 17 points, and sophomore Anthony Beaubrun scored 16. Junior James Valerio was clutch from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, hitting four consecutive fouls shots in the final two minutes.

Cosgrove knows that playing well in the final four games is essential. “There’s very little separation between the top four teams in the conference,” Cosgrove said. “If we play well, we have a chance to host a playoff game. If we don’t, we could be going on the road to play one of the highest seeds in the county. If we take care of the ball, play solid defense, and continue to play consistently, we should be fine.”

The Rams will host Roosevelt this Friday at 4:30 p.m. The Rough Riders took the first matchup 63-53 in early January.