AJ AbuSaab scores 25 points, guides Syosset to boys basketball win over Hempstead

AJ AbuSaab practiced a few layups and hit a few three-pointers as the gym remained mostly silent. It was just him, his mullet and his pink sneakers alone on the court as both teams remained in the locker room.

Over an hour later, the gym wasn’t quiet anymore. It was anything but quiet. Despite the chaos, AbuSaab and Syosset delivered a playoff-caliber 73-65 road win over Hempstead in Nassau AAA-I on Monday.

“AJ AbuSaab had a big impact in holding the composure,” coach Greg Cardona said. “ . . . Everyone looked for him at the end of the game.”

The senior captain finished with 25 points despite plenty of defensive attention.

“There’s always double- teams, people trying to strip it. I knew coming into this game that it was going to happen a lot,” AbuSaab said. “Just kept my cool, trusted my teammates with the shots, found the open guys and came out with the win.”

Neither team could separate itself in the first half, entering halftime tied 30-30. A strong third quarter helped Syosset enter the fourth quarter with a six-point lead. The visitors did not falter in the second half despite the efforts of Hempstead’s Ja’Quan Morgan, who finished with 28 points, including 12 free throws.

Syosset’s Will Pettinato added 21 points and was a threat from all over the court. Cardona called Pettinato “one of the best turnaround stories I’ve ever coached.”

“He was a borderline rotational player last year, kind of got hurt,” Cardona said. “He really changed his attitude this year. He’s an All-County player if the season ended today.”

Hempstead struggled with foul trouble all game, particularly in the second half. Ziyair Jones, who averages the second-most points per game (14.8) on the team, was hit with his fourth foul with six minutes to go in the third quarter and sat until the final eight minutes.

Cardona credited senior captain Cooper Smith, who played solid defense throughout the game and helped the team when emotions began to run high. It was an experience Cardona was grateful to have.

“Any time you get a playoff atmosphere early in the season, it’s only going to benefit you down the stretch,” he said.

Hempstead is 7-6 overall and 4-1 in Nassau AAA-I. Syosset is 8-4, 5-0, and if AbuSaab has his way, a loss in Nassau AAA-I isn’t coming anytime soon.

“I want to go undefeated [in conference] this season,” he said. “We have a team that can win counties. We have a team that works hard every day in practice and trusts each other.”