Vince Corso scores 29 points and Jesse Brooks adds 15 as Half Hollow Hills West boys basketball upsets Hauppauge
Half Hollow Hills West sophomore Vince Corso shoots a basket over Hauppauge junior Michael Oliveto during a Suffolk boys basketball game on Wednesday at Half Hollow Hills West. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Jesse Brooks calmly dribbled the ball up the floor with 9.2 seconds left in the first half. No one could rush him, not even the two defenders he split in the halfcourt before floating in a shot before the buzzer
The junior point guard’s teardrop gave Half Hollow Hills West a 22 point lead over Hauppauge at halftime, only their second halftime lead of the season.
“We knew who they were coming in,” Brooks said. “They were 10-1. We knew it was a must-win. We were 4-7. Coach was just pushing us all week to get this win and come out on top.”
Vince Corso scored a game-high 29 points, including seven three-pointers, to lead host Half Hollow Hills West to a 68-50 win in Suffolk League IV boys basketball Wednesday. Brooks added 15 points. Cole Wood scored 21 points to lead Hauppauge (10-2).
The Colts (5-7) had their best start to a game this season, coach Bill Mitaritonna said. They opened in a man-to-man press that pressured Hauppauge’s ball handlers before reaching their halfcourt sets.
The defense, in tandem with falling shots, led the Colts to a 24-8 lead after the first quarter.
“I think we’ve kind of figured it out,” Mitaritonna said. “It always happens, in our program, with our help-side defense on Martin Luther King weekend. It always clicks in, two months in. And boom, Dr. King’s birthday was two days ago. The defense felt good from the start. So, when we’re playing great defense, we can do a lot of things on offense.”
When shots weren’t falling, Colts freshman Gavin Engelhardt was there to grab offensive rebounds and reset the possession.
“[He] is a budding star in front of our eyes,” Mitaritonna said. “He’s just a beast. That’s what I call him — a beast. He just has a knack to do it. We just have to put him in the short corner and he’s just able to levitate. He doesn’t even jump. He levitates.”
While it’s an important win, Brooks said he’s not thinking much about the playoffs or even past the next game. Half Hollow Hills West will host Eastport-South Manor on Friday. The Colts defeated the Sharks 75-70 on the road on Dec. 13.
It’s just another game for Brooks and the team to grow together.
“Building comfortability is just trusting your teammates,” Brooks said. “Knowing I’m always going to have them on my side and know where they’re going to be helps me as a player to understand the game.”
