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Sports

Seaford Boys Basketball Advances to Quarterfinals

Goldstein scores 35 to lead Vikings to first round win over Hewlett.

When it comes to playoff basketball, it’s all about surviving. 

Robert Goldstein scored a game-high 35 points to lead No. 3 seeded to a thrilling 49-43 home victory over No. 14 Hewlett in the opening round of the Nassau County Class A playoffs. Goldstein went 8-for-9 from the free throw line in the final quarter to lock things up for Seaford. Hewlett was led by freshman Avery Feldman’s 18 points. 

With the win, the Vikings advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1998. Seaford (15-3) will host No. 6 Lawrence (15-3) in the quarterfinal round on Monday at 7 p.m. Lawrence advanced with a 67-58 come-from-behind win over West Hempstead. 

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Seaford head coach Ralph Rossetti was extremely impressed with Goldstein’s performance. “Outstanding. He plays well all the time,” Rossetti said. “Now, he’s starting to play like a point guard. He gets everyone on the floor involved, and he scores. He’s just a great kid; the best we’ve ever had here.” 

Goldstein’s big evening began when he reached the 1,000-point milestone with his first bucket of the game. The senior guard scored nine points in the opening quarter as the Vikings opened up a 13-6 lead after one quarter. 

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Goldstein, whose scoring range begins when he walks in the gym, nailed a three-pointer from 25 feet out to open up the second quarter. But, the Vikings couldn’t shake the young Bulldogs. Thanks to solid inside play by Feldman and sophomore forward Weldon Irvine, Hewlett (7-9) kept things close. Seaford was up 21-15 at the break. 

Rossetti implored his team to get tougher on the boards against the talented Hewlett frontcourt. Seniors Mike Siler, who finished with eight points and eight rebounds, and Jared Saperstein got the message. Siler had four points and four rebounds in the third quarter. The Vikings held a 31-25 lead as the teams took the floor for the final eight minutes. 

The teams went at it like prize fighters in the fourth quarter. Each time Seaford appeared ready to put the game away, the Bulldogs would answer. A long three pointer from Dylan Sasson cut Seaford’s lead to 41-38 with 1:59 to play, but Hewlett would get no closer. Goldstein’s final free throw of the game gave him 405 points for the season to tie the program’s single-season scoring record. 

While Saperstein was held off the scoreboard, he pulled down 10 rebounds and drew a key charge in the fourth quarter. Saperstein’s contributions weren’t lost on his coach. “Jared is the most underrated player on this team,” Rossetti said. “He doesn’t score a lot of points, but he does all the little things that lead to wins. He draws charges, makes the extra pass, and pulls down rebounds. He’s a terrific ingredient to this team.” 

Seaford will now prepare to take on a Lawrence team, which many believe has the talent to challenge for the county title. Rossetti knows it will be a difficult task. “It’s going to be tough,” he said. “They’re very athletic. We’re going to have to take care of the ball, and not give up second and third shots. If we take care of the ball, we’ll be ok. If we don’t, we’ll be in trouble.”

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