Sailors fine with chasing big dogs

It’s been an up-and-down first half of the season for Oceanside, but such is the competitive nature of life in Nassau Conference AA-I boys’ basketball. In a league composed of defending county champion Uniondale, Freeport, Massapequa, Farmingdale, Hempstead, and Syosset, each night brings another fierce battle.

Sailors coach Dan Keegan isn’t complaining about having to mix it up with the elite teams in Nassau. “I think this is the strongest conference on Long Island,” Keegan said. “It’s the high school equivalent of the Big East. Every coach is prepared, and every team comes prepared to play. We’re not afraid to play anyone, and don’t back down from any challenge. We like the idea of playing against the strongest programs. There are no easy games in this league.”

After a disappointing loss to Syosset, Oceanside showed plenty of moxie in knocking off visiting Massapequa, 65-49, on Jan. 11. Senior Gene Garay poured in a game-high 33 points and dished out eight assists to lead the Sailors. Senior Greg Gilbert added 22 points as Oceanside improved to 5-3 overall, 2-2 in Conference AA-I. Garay was 9-for-10 from the line in the final quarter. Massapequa was coming off back-to-back wins over Freeport and Hempstead.

Garay, who ranks third in the county in scoring with an average of 22.3 points per game, has scored 30 or more points three times on the season. The All-County point guard is shooting a torrid 45 percent from three-point land.

Keegan believes hard work on his perimeter game has made Garay a stronger player. “Gene has always been able to beat guys off the dribble and get to the basket, but college scouts were wary about him being able to do that at the next level,” Keegan said. “He worked extremely hard on improving his shooting, and it has paid off. He’s added another element to his game.”

The Sailors’ other conference victory was an exciting 61-58 win over Hempstead. Garay had 26 points and six assists, and Gilbert chipped in with 18, as Oceanside battled back from an eight-point deficit to beat the Tigers. Senior Brian Nnadi added 11 points. The Sailors hit 22 free throws in the game. Nnadi, who is considered a defensive specialist, has shown some offensive prowess of late, scoring a career-high 19 points in the loss to Syosset.

With a pair of games with perennial power Uniondale upcoming, and another trip around the conference, the Sailors will have to play real well to secure one of the league’s four playoff spots. “We’re in the hunt for the playoffs,” Keegan said. “We’re a very good defensive team when we’re on. Our man-to-man defense has been very strong at times. Rebounding remains an ongoing concern. We don’t have the size to hit the boards with three or four; we need five guys to rebound if we’re going to be successful.”

The Sailors welcome in Freeport on Friday at 7 p.m. The Red Devils won the first meeting, 43-41, last month.