Sewanhaka boys basketball's Nehemy Fresnel records double-double in season-opening win

In a game that comes down to the wire, having both the biggest guy and the smartest guy on the court can make all the difference.

The Sewanhaka boys basketball team had to earn every inch of its 55-48 opening night victory at Hempstead, with much of the burden being placed on junior forward Nehemy Fresnel.

Though Sewanhaka coach Jay Allen asks a lot of his 6-7 Swiss Army knife, the job got done when the game ran through him. Fresnel, who finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds, two assists and six blocks, also made a trio of three-pointers to help space the floor.

Despite scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds in the first half, Fresnel left a lot more out there with some missed free throws, while also having a bit of trouble boxing out on missed shots.

Allen held his star accountable in the locker room, and the results were immediate.

“Coach told me that I had to lock in, I have to be stronger and I have to have a good mindset for us to win this game,” Fresnel said. “That made me realize, so I talked to myself and said, I need to switch up. So in the second half … I played with confidence.”

In the third quarter, Fresnel made all three of his three-point attempts and totaled 11 points, four rebounds and three blocks to help give Sewanhaka a 39-29 lead.

Allen was thrilled with Fresnel’s strong finish.

“If he’s going to be one of the best players in the county, he’s got to be held accountable like one,” Allen said. “He played great, especially in the second half. There’s no doubt about it: it won the game for us. He did great challenging shots. Obviously, with his skill set, he can mix it up inside and be an outside threat, but he’s also very unselfish.”

Sewanhaka point guard Miles Gurley had five assists, five rebounds, two blocks and a steal. And with Sewanhaka leading just 49-48 with 48 seconds remaining, his game IQ helped clinch the victory.

While facing a full-court press, Gurley found Lance Williams open on the fast break and hit him in stride, setting up an easy layup to make it 51-48. After a block by Fresnel held Sewanhaka’s three-point lead, Gurley dropped a dime down the court to Dante Anderson, who laid it in to make it a two-possession game with 20 seconds left.

Braylon Metellus scored 14 points and Anderson added 12 for Sewanhaka. Amare Collins had 18 points and Jonathan Davis added 14 for Hempstead (0-1).

“I was just trying to make sure my guys stayed calm and coolheaded,” Gurley said. “My guys just filled the right spots and did things the right way, and they worked with me without even speaking, so I just found them and hit them.”