'Clutch' Seville Williams lifts Amityville over Hills West
Seville Williams said, “We just have a lot of threats,” talking about himself, Amir Dickerson and Anias Duncan, who each had 14 points on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
This wasn’t a playoff game at Amityville. It just felt like one between two strong-willed basketball teams, with the tension lasting until the last shot.
Amityville held off Half Hollow Hills West, 55-52, Tuesday behind 18 points from Seville Williams and 14 from both Amir Dickerson and Anias Duncan.
“This league is a very competitive league,” Amityville coach Jack Agostino said after his team won its fourth straight to move to 11-7 overall and 10-4 in Suffolk IV. “ . . . Every game we’ve played in has been a playoff game like this.”
Williams thinks Amityville will be a dangerous team when the county’s Class AA playoffs arrive after two more games.
“For one, me and Amir, we’re top-averaging guards,” said Williams, who has combined with Dickerson to average nearly 35 points per game. “The rest of our team can score as well. Anias Duncan has been scoring a lot. So we just have a lot of threats.”
This was also a good way for Hills West to get ready for the postseason.
“Absolutely,” coach Bill Mitaritonna said after his team (9-9, 8-6) lost a three-game winning streak. “You’re playing a storied program in Amityville. Jack is a great coach and does a great job with his program.”
Amityville led by 11 with just under seven minutes left. Then the Colts went on an 8-0 run. Mason Reisch, who scored 14, followed his own miss to cut it to 50-45 and Ethan Saintjean, who had 13, scored on a scoop to get it down to three.
Williams countered with a left-side three. Agostino called the senior a “clutch player.”
But Vince Corso responded with a three, slicing it to 53-50. Then Saintjean got fouled going up for a three with 40.3 seconds left and made two — 53-52.
Matt Bean was fouled with 7.1 on the clock and made both shots for Amityville.
A three-pointer for the tie missed. Buzzer.
“We were in a real brawl,” Agostino said. “It was like a playoff game.”
Amityville went up 12-1. Hills West tied it at 17 late in the first quarter. Amityville went up 30-17 in the second quarter. Hills West cut it to 30-28 by halftime.
“The Hills West basketball program is always about never quitting and always giving you great effort,” Mitaritonna said. “ . . . I’m proud of our resiliency. I think it’s just going to prepare us for the playoffs. It really felt like a playoff atmosphere.”
