Jakkai Stith, Jamir Andrews spark Hempstead in win over Freeport
Hempstead's Jakkai Stith looks for daylight during a Nassau AA-1 boys basketball game against Freeport in Hempstead on Saturday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
A close game in the fourth quarter is nothing new for the Hempstead boys basketball team.
Five of the Tigers' first 10 games had been decided by four points or fewer and Saturday’s Nassau AA-II game against Freeport was shaping up to be another.
With just over two minutes remaining and a tie score Jamir Andrews lined up a three from the right wing and let it fly, hitting nothing but net. Less than a minute later he drilled a shot from the same spot, helping his team secure a 53-48 Nassau AA-II win.
"I was just trying to help the team and hit a shot so we could be a little more comfortable," Andrews said. "Having to battle all the way through the fourth quarter is tough. Our goal is always to try and build a lead and keep it."
Hempstead trailed 34-31 entering the final quarter but opened it on a 10-1 run with nine of the points coming from Jakkai Stith. Stith scored 12 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter.
"Everything we do runs through him," Hempstead coach Jared Weir said. "He’s our best player and our leader. He has to do everything for us - he has to score, he has to lead, he has to rebound and he has to pass."
Stith showed off his well-rounded game all afternoon, crashing the offensive glass for putbacks, applying pressure and turning steals into fastbreak layups and regularly getting to the free-throw line.
"We came out in the second half after the first half didn’t go how we wanted it to and played some defense and got some stops and were able to get out in transition and run," Stith said. "We always make sure we play tough defense because as long as we stop the other team from scoring we’ll always be in a game."
Elijah Darby led Freeport (1-5) with 17 points and Jadan Threat added 14.
Defense has been key this season for Hempstead (4-2). Weir admits his team doesn’t have a high powered offense but uses defense and effort to make up for any shortcomings on the offensive end.
"Our defense has to generate offense for us so we know most of our games are going to be close because we don’t generate enough offense to get 60 of 70 points," Weir said. "A lot of our games are in the 40’s and 50’s and we’re fine with that. As long as we’re giving effort we’ll be fine. If we’re going to go far our defense is going to get us there."
Gene Morris joined Newsday's sports department in September 2012 and covers high school sports. He earned a journalism degree from Stony Brook University in 2010.
