Jake Kenyon's 20 points, stout defensive effort lead Roslyn past Jericho and into Nassau Class AA boys basketball semifinals
Jake Kenyon of Roslyn puts up the shot during a Nassau Class AA boys basketball quarterfinal against Jericho on Tuesday at Roslyn. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
The Roslyn boys basketball team could have been rattled after giving up the first seven points to visiting Jericho in the Nassau Class AA quarterfinals.
Instead, Roslyn responded to Jericho’s flurry with a blizzard of its own.
Roslyn coach Greg Tull called a timeout 2:21 into the game to settle the Bulldogs, who scored the next 13 points to grab a lead they never relinquished. Roslyn led by 11 after the first quarter, never allowing the Jayhawks to come within single digits after.
Junior guard Jake Kenyon scored 20 points – including seven in both the first and third quarters – to lead No. 3 Roslyn to a 65-51 win over sixth-seeded Jericho Tuesday afternoon.
“We knew we were the better team,” Kenyon said. “We all just regrouped and knew we were going to come back, and we believed in each other.”
“Composure, and getting back to what the plan was,” Tull said of his early timeout. “There were two instances where they scored where it wasn’t reflective of what the plan was. It was just a quick little 30-second timeout to regroup, speak about where our deficiencies were and just regroup and get better.”
Roslyn (18-3) will face the winner of No. 2 South Side/No. 7 Manhasset in the Nassau AA semifinals, scheduled for Feb. 27 at Farmingdale State College. The Bulldogs are in search of their first county title since claiming the 2009 Class A crown.
“We emphasized that our first goal of many is to make it to the [Farmingdale State] campus, and that’s where we’re gonna be,” Kenyon said.
The Bulldogs got into their pressure defense after forward Zach Kuppersmith (14 points) put them on the board 2:32 into the game. Roslyn scored eight points off turnovers in a 36-second span in the middle of the first quarter, setting the tone for a stout defensive effort.
“When you’re in that press you got to work hard, and it’s definitely one of our strengths,” Kenyon said. “It makes teams uncomfortable.”
Roslyn allowed just 12 points in the first quarter, nine in the second and 11 in the third.
Guard Jason Kim scored 20 points for Jericho, which finished the season 17-5.
Tull, in his second year leading Roslyn, has seen significant improvement from last season’s 6-11 team that missed the postseason. This season, it is safe to say expectations have changed.
Said Tull: “We channel the late, great Kobe Bryant when he said, ‘Job not done.’ The fact of the matter is – the job is really not finished. …
“Hoisting that Nassau County championship has ultimately been the goal from day one.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
