Syosset scores first 17 points on way to victory
Dylan Eisenberg of Syosset works to the basket in a Nassau boys basketball game against host Farmingdale on Friday. Credit: Neil Miller
Just 5:50 had passed inside Farmingdale’s gym, but this boys basketball game basically had been decided.
Syosset dropped Farmingdale in a huge hole Friday night, scoring the first 17 points. The Dalers climbed within nine in the third quarter but couldn’t catch up. The visiting team wouldn’t let them.
In fact, Syosset pulled away again.
AJ AbuSaab scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half and fellow guard Dylan Eisenberg contributed seven of his 18 during the opening run in a 76-58 win for the Nassau AA-I leader.
“I think we got off to such a great start, and we were playing very unselfish,” coach Greg Cardona said after his team improved to 14-2 overall and 7-1 in AA-I.
But after the 17-0 beginning, Syosset’s edge was just 59-58.
“We got beaten in transition a little bit,” Cardona said. “We took a couple of bad shots and they capitalized on our bad shots, and they kind of got themselves back in the game.”
Jake Mangio stood at the forefront for Farmingdale (9-6, 4-4). The sophomore guard scored all of his 22 points in the final three quarters.
Coach Jim Pastier said his Dalers are “moving forward in the right direction” overall, but they began 0-for-10 from the floor. “You can’t start off slow, and Syosset’s a very good team,” Pastier said.
Eisenberg hit a three-pointer to give Syosset a 17-point advantage in the third quarter. Then Mangio scored six in an 8-0 burst to cut it to 46-37.
AbuSaab countered with a three-pointer and followed with a three-point play for a 15-point lead. It was 54-41 after three quarters, and the margin eventually reached 20.
“We’ve got five guys who start who all can do everything,” Eisenberg said. “If one guy’s not playing good, there’s always someone else to pick each other up.”
