Farmingdale boys basketball extends coach Jim Pastier's final season with comeback quarterfinal win
The Farmingdale bench erupts as they complete a fourth-quarter comeback in a Nassau Class AAA boys basketball quarterfinal against host Westbury on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
It's Jim Pastier's last ride as the Farmingdale boys basketball head coach, and the Dalers trailed by 10 points in the fourth quarter of what could have been his final game.
With the crowd chanting, "Let's go Dalers, let's go Dalers," the players knew they couldn't let down their community and head coach.
"He's done so much for us," senior guard Ben Mear said. "We had such a great game plan going into this game, and he has such a great legacy here at Farmingdale."
The fifth-seeded Dalers defeated host No. 4 Westbury in a comeback 44-38 victory in the boys basketball Nassau Class AAA quarterfinals Saturday evening.
"It was a swing of emotions," Pastier said. "They play with their heart on their sleeve. They laid everything out on the court."
The Dalers (16-5) were not ready for their season to end. Next, they'll play the winner of Saturday night's No. 1 Baldwin/No. 8 Syosset on March 1 at Farmingdale State College in the Nassau Class AAA semifinals.
Trailing 35-25 in the fourth quarter, Brendan Lofaro and Yusef Mir knocked down three three-pointers to bring the Dalers within one point with 3:25 left remaining.
"I knew I had to make something happen," Mir said. "I want to help our team win. We all have great energy, and it's good to know that we have each other's backs."
Farmingdale took the lead when Jace Eubanks made a layup with a tough finish to give the Dalers a 38-36 advantage with 2:16 left.
Mear and Lofaro went 5-for-6 at the foul line in the game's final seconds to secure the win.
"We went to the locker room [at halftime] and the coaches gave us confidence," Lofaro said. "I've been [at the foul line] plenty of times before. I had to make them to ice the game."
"I knew I could get it done," Mear said. "We had so many late-night practices working on our free throws. I took some shots that didn't go in, but I hit the ones that mattered the most."
Lofaro had 21 points and six rebounds and Mir scored nine points.
Westbury (14-8) started the game strong, going into a full-court press that prevented the Dalers from setting up their half-court offense. Their defense turned into an offensive surge, sparking a 7-0 run with two minutes left in the first quarter. The run was capped off by a jumper from Zion Mitchell late in the quarter.
Petshley Loussaint scored 17 points and Mitchell added nine points for Westbury.
The Dragons held Farmingdale to only four field goals in the first half. But Farmingdale outscored Westbury 34-16 in the second half.
"Westbury imposed their will on us," Pastier said. "But I have to give credit to our defense. Our defense kept us in it."
Jonathan Ruban covers high school sports for Newsday after graduating from St. John’s.
