LONGWOOD LIONS
Last season: 15-7
Coach: Patrick Hayes
KEY PLAYERS
Andrew Knox G 6-1 Sr.; Jordan Manderson G 5-10 Jr.; Jarnel Rancy F 6-7 Sr.; Elijah Whitty G 6-3 Sr.; Isaiah Whitty G 6-3 Sr.
ABOUT THE LIONS: Isaiah Whitty, averaged 12 points and six rebounds; Elijah Whitty, who averaged 12 and four. Dec. 9
Longwood 62, Connetquot 59: Elijah Whitty’s 23 points, six rebounds and three steals led Longwood in a non-league opener. Ke’Andre Penceal added six points and made two free throws with a minute remaining to extend the Longwood lead to 62-57. Dec. 5
Longwood 58, Commack 41: Elijah Whitty had 18 points and five rebounds, and Jarnel Rancy added eight points, 11 rebounds and six blocks to lead Longwood(6-1) in Suffolk I. Aidan Keenan led Commack with 23 points. Jan. 9
Complete effort from Longwood: Whitty twins lead balanced attack; Rancy big boost
Rubin, Roger. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 21 Jan 2019:
Longwood seniors Isaiah and Elijah Whitty were almost certainly going to play well together. The identical twins, born moments apart and now standing 6-3, have been in sync since it all started. However, there is much more to the ensemble play of this season’s Lions and that was clear on Sunday.
Longwood has height, athleticism and talent. What sets it apart is the way the group plays together. They cover for one another on defense and always look to make the extra pass on offense. Both of those things were front-and-center in the early going as they reeled off 16 unanswered points in a span of 2:50 against host Uniondale and rode off to a 73-55 victory over the defending Nassau AA champion in the Richard Brown Nassau-Suffolk Challenge on Sunday.
The Lions (13-1) haven’t won a Suffolk title since 2000 and third-year coach Patrick Hayes said this group is fixated on ending the drought. “This group has bought into the idea of putting in the work and playing for each other, unselfishly,” he said. “There were a lot of assists, a lot of people helping each other to help the team today.”
As a result, it’s a group without a single star. Isaiah Whitty and Elijah Whitty each scored 18 points and Jordan Manderson had 17 points, including five three-pointers. But 6-7 center Jarnel Rancy, who had seven points, might have been the player who influenced the game most by altering shots in the paint and grabbing rebounds to start fast breaks and get second chances.
“He saves our butts a lot,” Isaiah Whitty said. “Without him on defense, we’d be in real trouble.”
Isaiah Whitty had the first four points and then Elijah had six points on layups off the break and Manderson six points on a pair of threes in the 16-0 run that made it 17-2 just 4:31 into the game. The young Knights (12-2), who got 22 points from Rolando Meyers-Turner, never got closer than 34-27 in the second quarter.
“When we play like that, we’re confident, we’re smart and we’re together,” Elijah Whitty said. “When we play like that we can beat anybody.”
The Lions’ starting five – including Andrew Knox – has been a unit since they started as freshmen on the junior varsity. It’s the reason they play so well together. But a season ago, when they expected their breakthrough and tied for the Suffolk AA-I crown, they managed only one postseason win.
“Last year there was ‘hero ball’ where we played too much like individuals,” Manderson said. “Losing then got us in the right mentality for this season. We’re a unit that won’t break apart now.”
Whitty twins, Rancy excel: Lift Longwood as Brentwood takes first loss of season
Rubin, Roger. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 30 Jan 2019:
Longwood got its biggest opportunity of the season to date with Tuesday’s rematch against Brentwood and seized it.
The Lions looked overwhelmed in the early going and then overwhelming in the fourth quarter as they handed the Indians their first defeat, 71-58, before a raucous home crowd. North Babylon’s loss to Bellport hours earlier had left Brentwood as Long Island’s last unbeaten boys basketball team.
Longwood (12-1) earned a measure of payback for a five-point loss at Brentwood (12-1) and evened things at the top of Suffolk AA-1. Both already have earned spots in the playoffs and could meet again with greater stakes.
“I think we’re the best team in the county right now,” said Longwood‘s Elijah Whitty, who had a game-high 22 points. “[Brentwood] is always good, but I think we made a statement today.”
“After this you can see that we are one of the county’s top teams,” Lions coach Patrick Hayes said. “Brentwood – that’s a very good team. But now you can see that we are right there.”
Isaiah Whitty scored 19 points and Andrew Knox had nine for Longwood. Bryce Harris had 21 points, and Jordan Riley 17 points for the Indians.
The Whitty twins – 6-3 seniors – power the Lions’ offense, but it was the second-half defense and rebounding of 6-7 Jarnel Rancy that made the difference. Rancy had six blocked shots and turned Brentwood offensive rebounds – plentiful in the first 16 minutes – into a rarity after halftime.
Brentwood scored six points off offensive rebounds in an early 13-0 run as it took a 13-2 lead. It had a dozen second-chance points when it led 31-26 at halftime. Then Rancy put his imprint on the game.
“I was nervous about this opportunity in the first half and I didn’t do what I know I can,” he said. “Then I got more comfortable, focused on what I had to do.”
“It’s the best he’s played,” Hayes said of Rancy’s play after the break. “They were killing us with second-chance [baskets] before he got going. We believe in him and he came through. He could take us big places if he does what we believe.”
Elijah Whitty’s layup off a fast break broke a 45-45 tie with nine seconds left in the third quarter, and Longwood opened the fourth with an 18-4 run to pull away. Elijah Whitty had eight points and Isaiah Whitty seven in the run.
“After we lost the first time we played them, we were in tears – it was like losing a playoff game,” Knox said. “We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve set something straight for now.”
Dean helps lead Hills East back to title game
O’Brien, Owen. Newsday, Combined editions; Long Island, N.Y. [Long Island, N.Y]. 21 Feb 2019:
The Half Hollow Hills East boys basketball players never were caught up in what they didn’t have back from their state finalist team last winter.
After graduating a senior-heavy lineup, including Newsday Player of the Year Savion Lewis, the Thunderbirds wanted to repeat last season’s success and were determined not to let anybody tell them differently.
“Teams thought we weren’t as good as last year because we lost a lot of players,” said guard Shane Dean. “But everybody, the seniors, the bench, everybody played well today and we really locked in from the start.”
No. 5 Hills East secured its chance to play for a third straight Suffolk AA championship with a 50-47 victory at top-seeded Longwood Wednesday in a Suffolk AA semifinal. The Thunderbirds (19-4) will play No. 2 Brentwood 5 p.m. Sunday at Farmingdale State College.
“We play as a team,” said Dean, who had 15 points. “We always play to win, so we look for each other. It doesn’t matter who is scoring, getting points, assists. We just want to win.”
Shamar Moore-Hough added 15 points and Max Caspi had 11 points and nine rebounds in the win.
“We knew we had those three guys, we just had to fill in the pieces,” coach Pete Basel said. “Our motto is still rebounding and run and having fun, and that’s what we’ve been doing. We knew we’ve been there before, and that was kind of the talk for us the last couple of games.”
After Longwood opened a 23-15 lead with 4:37 remaining in the second quarter, the Thunderbirds closed the half on a 13-2 run, taking a 28-25 lead into the break. Hills East then started the third quarter on a 13-3 run, taking a 41-28 lead with 3:13 remaining in the third period.
Longwood (21-2) had a chance to tie the score, but missed a three-pointer at the buzzer. Elijah Whitty led the Lions with 23 points.
“We just wanted to control the game and get out and play as a team,” Moore-Hough said. “Coach told us to come out and play with our heart, so we just pushed and pushed and fought.”
The Thunderbirds’ goals aren’t accomplished yet. They want to win another Suffolk AA title, and have the chance to return upstate to possibly win a state championship this season.
“People doubted us, but we’re back now,” Moore-Hough said. “So it’s time to work.”