Glenn boys basketball uses big second half to top Half Hollow Hills West
Jason Mascia #3 of Glenn looks to drive to the net during the fourth quarter of a non-league boys basketball game against host Half Hollow Hills High School West on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. Credit: James Escher
It has been nearly two decades since Charly Rogener took the court as a senior captain for coach Bill Mitaritonna’s Half Hollow Hills West boys basketball team. Now, Rogener stands on the sideline with a different team and, Tuesday, he was aiming to lead Glenn to victory against his former coach.
Glenn defeated Half Hollow Hills West, 72-67, in a non-league New Year’s Eve matinee. It was the first head-to-head matchup as coaches for Rogener and Mitaritonna.
“This was a dream come true for me,” Rogener said. “He was one of my motivations for becoming a coach and I love it. This was a lot of fun.”
Jason Mascia had 20 points and four steals and his twin brother, CJ, had 13 points and two assists. Jakeem Casey had 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Jack Vafeas had 18 points, including four three-pointers, and Ethan Saintjean had 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Half Hollow Hills West.
Glenn took its first lead since the first quarter after Jason Mascia’s offensive rebound and putback made it 53-52 midway through the fourth . CJ Mascia finished a layup through contact and converted a three-point play, followed by a layup by Casey to give Glenn a 65-60 lead with under two minutes remaining.
“We kept playing hard and we trusted each other,” Jason Mascia said. “We moved the ball, made the extra pass and played John Glenn basketball.”
Vafeas connected on a three-pointer to cut the lead to 67-65 with 1:17 remaining. CJ Mascia scored on the following possession and Glenn went 3-of-5 from the free-throw line in the final 40 seconds to ice the victory.
“Coach got on us at the half about boosting our intensity,” Casey said. “We understood that we needed to lock in defensively. We could score as much as we wanted, but that wouldn’t help if we didn’t do what we needed to on defense.”
Christian Jean made a three-pointer to put Half Hollow Hills West ahead 43-32 in the third quarter, tying the team’s largest lead of the game. Glenn closed the quarter on a 12-4 run, punctuated by Casey’s steal and three-point play.
“My voice kind of echoed in the locker room and the team took it personally,” Rogener said. “The energy changed after halftime and we played smart basketball.”
Glenn (6-2) jumped out to an 11-5 lead in the first quarter, thanks to Kameron Napoleon's four early points. Half Hollow Hills West (7-2) closed out the quarter on a 12-0 run, with Gavin Hock connecting on a three-pointer at the buzzer.
“This is the reason you go into education and coaching. I love Charly, he was easy to coach and I’m happy for his success,” Mitaritonna said. “It’s like watching your own child do something special. He does a great job and they played a great second half. They deserved to win.”
Christopher Matias covers high school sports for Newsday after spending time in Athletic Facilities and Operation at St. John’s and in Sports Information at CUNY York college.
