After 45-minute delay, Smithtown West picks right back up in win over Northport
Smithtown West forward Patrick Burke prepares to take the free throw against Northport on Saturday at Smithtown West. Credit: George A Faella
The extendable boom swung around from the top of a Hauppauge fire truck and headed up toward the roof at Smithtown West, dropping off two firefighters who were standing in the basket.
The baskets inside the gym weren’t in use at the time because the fire alarm had gone off during the third quarter of Saturday’s game against Northport, sending fans out into the 37-degree wind chill. The home team went to a maintenance shed.
“We were just staying loose, cracking jokes,” said Smithtown West forward Patrick Burke.
The Bulls were on a run before the delay of about 45 minutes over what Smithtown AD Jason Lambert said was a malfunctioning smoke detector. After the false alarm, the teams returned to the court and Smithtown West ran away with a 68-41 victory in Suffolk League I.
Jack Melore scored 26 points, Burke added 18 and a dominant Bulls' defense held the Tigers to 10 second-half points. The Bulls, who were seeking their first county title before they fell to Northport in the Class AA semis last season, are 5-0 overall and 4-0 in Suffolk I.
“We know our end goal is to win the county championship, but it just takes day by day getting there,” said Melore, a junior shooting guard who missed last season due to shoulder surgery. “Just the process of getting there is what we’re focused on.”
The process wasn’t disrupted by the delay.
“You know why? Because they’re a loose bunch of kids and their chemistry is really good,” coach Michael Agostino said.
Andrew Miller, who had 18 points for Northport (4-1, 3-1), hit two free throws for a 33-31 lead. But Melore made a jumper to tie it and sparked a 6-0 Bulls burst.
So it was 37-33. Then the alarm sounded. The game was halted with 3:07 left in the third.
After the resumption, Smithtown West closed the quarter with 11 straight points and scored the first two of the fourth, making it a 19-0 burst and a 50-33 lead.
Burke and Melore credited the Rappa twins, 5-10 Lorenzo and 6-foot Ben.
“The way they guard, it’s very difficult for teams to beat us,” Burke said.
The Tigers built a nine-point advantage early in the second quarter, but the game got away. Coach Andrew D’Eloia didn’t blame the delay.
“It was an unusual set of circumstances,” D’Eloia said, “but we’re not big on excuses.”
