By TONY BELLISSIMO
We lost some close non-conference games in December against some strong teams, but I think weve benefited, coach Ed Cosgrove said after the Rams won at Locust Valley last Friday night to improve to 6-0 in Conference ABC-II and 8-4 overall. Were tough when we push the ball and take advantage of our athleticism. It all starts with defense. Were better when we rebound and go right into transition.
The competition is usually in trouble when the ball gets into the hands of West Hempstead senior point guard Jordan Jackson, who has averaged 15 points and six rebounds during a winning streak that swelled to four games with Fridays 56-52 decision at Locust Valley. Jordans our best athlete, Cosgrove said. Hes not your typical point guard, but hes the closest thing we have to it. He really makes things happen. He plays the game at a high level and a high rate of speed.
In the win over the Falcons, Jackson (19.8 points per game) was held to seven points but his teammates picked up the slack. Junior Daniel Minto poured in a game-high 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, big man Jamel Flash added 13 points and Diondre Corbett came off the bench to score eight. Some teams have doubled and tripled Jamel in the paint, Cosgrove said of Flash, a junior. If were not hitting some shots from the outside, it puts more pressure on him so were trying to be balanced.
The Rams had four players score in double figures in a 72-60 victory over Oyster Bay on Jan. 12. Jackson led the way with 20 points. Senior Matt Higgins added 13, senior Matt Bowman 12 and Flash 11. Minto just missed the double digits, scoring nine points, and Corbett, a senior, had a big effort off the bench with seven points. Bowman (17 rebounds) and Flash (16) dominated the glass. Weve got three or four guys capable of a double-double in any given game, Cosgrove said.
In its first action of the new year on Jan. 6, West Hempstead rallied past Great Neck North, 53-45, by scoring the last eight points of the game. Jackson scored eight of his 16 points in a 19-10 fourth quarter. Three days later, Jackson (18), Bowman (14), Higgins (13) and Flash (10) scored in double figures in a 67-53 win at North Shore. Last week, North Shore provided the Rams with some breathing room at the top when it knocked off second-place Roosevelt, saddling the Rough Riders with two losses.
Not that well drop one on purpose, said Cosgrove, but its nice to know we have some margin for error. We havent won a conference title in four years and hopefully we can hang on.
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