Hewlett vs Long Beach

HIGHLIGHTS

Hewlett 71, Long Beach 56: Bill Dubin and the Hewlett boys basketball team was aware of something that others in Nassau boys basketball, perhaps, weren't. "We knew going into playoffs," Dubin said, "we were not a 15 seed." The Bulldogs proved it on Saturday, as Brett Karkus scored 20 of his game-high 30 points in the first half as No. 15 Hewlett jumped out to a 11-point halftime lead and knocked out No. 2 Long Beach in a Nassau Class A second-round game. Karkus was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line, and Ryan Weiss added 17 points and was also 6-for-6 from the line for Hewlett (12-8) which ended the game 18 of 22 (82 percent) from the line. Jaden Barwicki had 20 points for Long Beach, which was unbeaten in Nassau A-I play this season, but finishes 17-3. Hewlett ended the regular season in fourth place in a tough Nassau A-III. "We beat No. 4 Jericho twice and we were still placed No. 15," said Dubin, in his 20th season at Hewlett. "Our league is pretty competitive. We had some rough games against South Side, Jericho and Roslyn, so we were battle tested and ready for the playoffs." Long Beach outscored Hewlett by eight points and climbed within 50-47 after three quarters, but Hewlett made 14 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter and held a 21-9 advantage in the final period. "In the fourth quarter, we make sure certain guys have the all in their hands," Dubin said. "They're pretty much automatic." Dubin's message after the game was about the Bulldogs' consistency in the postseason. "We spoke about the Hewlett basketball tradition," Dubin said. "We've been in the playoffs 14 of the last 15 seasons. Our experience certainly helped us be successful in what we call the second season."