Patriots boys hoops cruise to victory against Central Islip 46-26
By Bill Landon
When the Ward Melville Patriots traveled to winless Central Islip, it was a different kind of basketball game. It was clear three minutes in that the Patriots would prevail, but head coach Alex Piccirillo pulled most of his starters and throttled the offensive pressure. Leading by 13 points at 17-4 after the first quarter, Ward Melville ran down the 35-second shot clock to single digits the rest of the way so as not to run up the score.
The Patriots easily closed out the game with a 46-26 victory in the Feb. 1 Division I matchup.
Neelesh Raghurama drained four triples and a field goal for 14 points and Devin Lynch added 10. Luke Kordic netted seven points, Logan Seta and Lorenzo Beaton banked four points apiece.
After beating visiting Longwood 54-51 Feb. 5, the Patriots (now 8-6 league) find themselves in fourth place with two games remaining before playoff season begins.
— Photos by Bill Landon
