Rams defeat defending champs

    Senior captain Cameron Mitchell scored 17 points to lead No. 6 West Hempstead to a 69-59 victory over No. 11 Roslyn, the defending champion, in the opening round of the Nassau Class A boys’ basketball playoffs last Friday night.

    Senior Jamel Flash knocked down eight free throws in the final quarter to clinch the win for the Rams, who advanced to meet No. 3 South Side in the quarterfinals on Friday at 5 p.m. at Hofstra.

    West Hempstead coach Ed Cosgrove thought Mitchell was a big key. “There are days where we  shoot the ball real well, and other days that we struggle, “Cosgrove said. “Cameron shot the ball very well today. When the defense is collapsing on Jamel, other guys have to step up. Cameron gave us a big lift. It’s nice to be moving on to the next round.”

    The Rams got off to an outstanding start, and it looked as if they could turn the game into a rout. Mitchell opened the game with a three, the first of 11 treys the Rams would hit. Mitchell scored seven points in the first quarter as West Hempstead ran out to a 20-8 lead.

    The game took a turn in the second when West Hempstead’s athletic guard/forward Daniel Minto went to the bench with a pair of fouls. With Minto on the bench, the Bulldogs began to control the tempo. Roslyn scored eight consecutive points to cut the lead to 20-16 early in the second. The undersized Bulldogs, who got a game-high 25 points from Jordan Richman, would hang around all game long. Roslyn was within striking distance, down just 29-25 at the half.   

    The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Each time the Rams hit a big shot, Roslyn answered with one of its own. With just under three minutes to play, Roslyn junior Adam Carmichael hit a long three to tie the score at 40. But West Hempstead’s Julian Clark would come up big. The senior guard answered with back-to-back three-pointers to give the Rams a 43-37 lead.   

    A clutch three by West Hempstead junior Brandon Zapelli gave the Rams a nine-point lead early in the final quarter. But just when it looked like the Bulldogs were finished, back they came. A pair of threes by Carmichael and senior Tom Gloznek, and back-to-back baskets by Carmichael and Richman cut West Hempstead’s lead to 62-59. However, Flash (21 points) was 8-for-12 from the line over the last eight minutes to put the game away. Minto finished with 11 points, 11 boards, and four blocked shots.

    Cosgrove hopes his team will be able to avenge the two regular-season losses at the hands of South Side. “We’ll have to play well for four quarters,” he said. “We can’t have any lapses. They move the ball, and shoot it very well. Hopefully, we’ll be able to establish Jamel in the post, and have a good day shooting the ball.”