Blackman's double-double leads Hills West
Half Hollow Hills West's Emile Blackman passes the ball against Deer Park. (Jan. 24, 2011) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Emile Blackman can't mask his feelings. "February first, that's when it comes off," the Half Hollow Hills West forward said, smiling with anticipation.
Next Tuesday is the day Blackman has been looking forward to for more than a month. That's when doctors have told him he no longer will need the mask he has been wearing to protect a broken nose he suffered in a scrimmage against Glenn on Dec. 15.
"Nobody is used to playing with something in front of his face. The plastic, the straps, the padding," Blackman said after disproving his own notion by scoring 18 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking four shots Monday as the Colts beat Deer Park, 92-50, in a League IV matchup at Hills West.
He had 27 points and 12 rebounds in a victory over Comsewogue on Thursday. "I'm finally getting the hang of it - adjusting the straps so I can see the court," said Blackman, who usually removes the mask during timeouts or stoppages of play because it is uncomfortable.
Hills West, in raising its league record to 6-1, got outstanding performances from its entire starting five. Senior point guard Anthony Rollino joined Blackman in the double-double department with a career-high 14 points plus 12 assists. Tavon Sledge had 11 of his 24 points during the second quarter, when the Colts scored 25 points and took a 45-25 halftime advantage. Chris Cox contributed eight points and Chris Kaimis had eight rebounds. Impressive sophomore guard Kyle Bradford scored 20 points for the Falcons.
Perhaps the most remarkable statistic for Hills West was its season-high 12 three-pointers, with Sledge and Rollino nailing four each. "They were relaxed and they were confident," Hills West coach Bill Mitaritonna said of his team's long-range accuracy, something that hasn't been seen for much of a season in which the Colts already have lost more games (7-3 overall) than all of last season (24-2).
"They knew they hadn't played well in early January, so the five starters got together with me in school [yesterday] and said they would lead us the rest of the season with defense," Mitaritonna said. "They know they have more to give. This was a complete team effort."
Blackman seemed particularly inspired, leaping high for a couple of put-back dunks and emphatic rejections, which he punctuated with loud shouts. "When he gets the mask off, he's going to explode the second half of the season," Mitaritonna said.
Blackman and Sledge were starters last season when Hills West reached the state Class AA title game before losing. But for seniors Rollino, Cox and Kaimis - seldom-used reserves a year ago - this season represents a return to the prominent roles they had as sophomore starters.
"We're all way better players than we were two years ago," said Blackman, whose uncle is former Knick Mark Jackson. "We were just getting adjusted to each other's game back then. Now we're really starting to click. It's fun to watch them play."
It'll be even more fun for Blackman next week, when the mask comes off and he can really see what's going on around him.
