Dylan McLennon's solid second half helps Sewanhaka rally past Lynbrook

Dylan McLennon’s nervous energy disappeared after halftime.

The junior scored 12 points in the second half and helped Sewanhaka to a 57-54 comeback win over Lynbrook at Uniondale High School on Saturday afternoon.

“The second half, we came in and really put on a show,” McLennon said. “We had a good talk in the locker room about [Lynbrook’s] offense and their defense and how they would play us. We came out and fixed everything.”

The two schools competed at the 10 for #10 Tip-Off Tournament, honoring former Uniondale basketball player Jo-Jo Wright, who died in a car accident in January 2021.

McLennon scored 18 points and earned Sewanhaka player of the game honors for his second-half performance. Jordan Tucker had 22 points for Sewanhaka, which led the entire second and third quarters.

Sewanhaka outscored Lynbrook 18-12 in the fourth quarter, claimed the lead with 6:19 remaining and did not trail after that.

“They stayed together, they stayed focused and they never played like they were down,” Sewanhaka coach Jay Allen said. “They just locked in and kept that mental toughness going.”

Tucker, one of five junior starters, quarterbacked Sewanhaka’s offense from the top of the key inside Lynbrook’s zone defense.

“Once I saw an opening, I just went,’’ he said. “I didn’t think twice, I didn’t overthink it. I just took the opportunities that were given to me.”

“[Tucker’s] versatility makes him very tough to guard,” Allen said. “There aren’t many players who are multi-faceted like that, where you can get to the rim, make moves like a post player, drive, hit the pull-up and then hit the outside shot.”

Sophomore forward Dylon Stanley earned Lynbrook MVP honors and led the Owls with 13 points. Four seniors started alongside Stanley.

The Owls shot 75% from beyond the arc in the first quarter and opened a seven-point lead shortly before halftime. Lynbrook, with help from Eli Sherman-Murphy’s 12 points, led by eight with 3:44 left in the third quarter.

But as McLennon’s nervous energy shifted to intensity, Sewanhaka earned a bounce-back win after losing to Hempstead on Tuesday.

“We had a lot of energy coming out of the third [quarter] and a lot of intensity. More intensity than [Lynbrook] had,” McLennon said. “I’m very happy that we got this win and showed them what the younger team could do.”