Long Island Lutheran earns 15th straight victory on Dylan Mingo's three-pointer
Dylan Mingo of Long Island Lutheran makes a three-point shot to win the game against IMG Academy on Saturday at Long Island Lutheran. Credit: Neil Miller
Dylan Mingo was ready for his moment.
Host Long Island Lutheran, ranked sixth in the ESPN SCNext Top 25, was tied with fifth-ranked IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) with 21.9 seconds left and had the ball.
Kayden Mingo, Dylan’s older brother, dribbled to his left after 7-1 center Nico Onyekwere set a high ball screen with seven seconds left. Kayden took two more dribbles, leaped and fired a pass to Dylan on the right wing.
A few feet behind the three-point line and without hesitation, the junior guard drilled a three-pointer to give LuHi a 68-65 victory Saturday night in an elite-level Nike EYBL Scholastic game in the Bob McKillop Invitational.
“It’s a blessing,” said Dylan, who had 14 points and five rebounds in LuHi's 15th straight victory. “The last home game playing with my brother in high school. I’m blessed to be able to finish out his high school career like that.”
Kayden, who had 10 points, six assists and six rebounds, said: “It’s real cool. Very proud of him, and just so happy for him. It’s a great moment.”
The ball went through the nylon with 2.3 seconds remaining, though the clock continued to run until it expired and a Crusaders dogpile ensued on the other side of the floor. The officials ultimately added 1.3 seconds to the timer, but Nigel James deflected IMG’s full-court pass and time ran out.
“It was like a once-in-a-lifetime moment,” Dylan said. “I don’t know if it’s ever going to be like that again.”
Kiyan Anthony scored 15 points and James had 13, including six in the fourth quarter, for LuHi (18-5, 7-4) to wrap up its regular season. The win guaranteed the Crusaders a bye into the top six of the first EYBL Scholastic Conference Tournament, set for March 5-8 in South Carolina.
“Local kids, right there [from] Farmingdale,” LuHi coach John Buck said of the Mingo brothers. “I remember when their dad brought them when Kayden was going into ninth grade and just looking at these little two middle-school guys and saying, ‘Yeah, I think they’ll be pretty good.’ And they’ve just worked so hard. They work every single day — both here [ and with] their brother [Dalique].
“They’ve blossomed so incredibly. They’ve grown up into young men. And to do it for LuHi, Long Island Lutheran High School, against a massive program like IMG at home on Senior Night for Kayden — it’s really like a movie.”
LuHi went on a 6-0 spurt to take a 65-59 lead with 3:02 left, but IMG (20-6, 5-4) tied it at 65 when Trey Beamer made a three-pointer with 2:10 remaining and Darius Acuff Jr. (21 points) hit a three-pointer with 1:18 left.
IMG had a chance to take the lead, but Onyekwere forced Kareem Stagg into a tough layup attempt with 30 seconds left. Dylan Mingo secured the rebound and LuHi was able to hold for one final shot.
Said Buck: “It’s up there with the wins that we’ve ever had.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
