Huntington’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams enjoyed a great day on Tuesday with both squads turning back their counterparts from Smithtown East in Suffolk League III play.
The Huntington boys’ team jumped out to an early lead before holding off their hosts to grab a 45-40 victory. The Blue Devil girls’ battled through an uneven performance that saw wild swings between the teams before Huntington finally locked down a 44-36 win in Louis D. Giani Gymnasium.
The Blue Devil boys’ opened an 18-7 first quarter lead and then continued their hot shooting in the second frame, building a 31-12 halftime advantage.
Smithtown East came roaring back, outscoring Huntington in the second half by a 28-14 margin. But it wasn’t enough as the Blue Devils hung on for a much needed five point victory.
Freddie Amato led all Huntington scorers with 17 points. Mekhi Harvey had 10 points and Mike Abbondandelo, Gerard Federici and Chad Rowe all had six points each.
Amato connected for three baskets from beyond the three point arc. Rowe had a pair of three-pointers and Federici dropped a sixth one.
Abby Maichin Paces Blue Devil Girls
The Huntington girls’ team led 11-5 after one quarter and 22-21 at halftime. The Blue Devils went on to outscore Smithtown East in the second half, 22-15.
The game saw several dramatic swings with the Bulls scoring nine unanswered points during one stretch and eight straight points during another.
The victory improved Huntington’s overall record to 10-7 and 6-5 in league play. The Blue Devils need to win one of their final three games to clinch a playoff berth.
Abby Maichin led Huntington with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Alexandra Heuwetter had 10 points and Paige Lennon added nine points. Katie Seccafico scored eight points and Jordan Forte had three points and Nicole added another three points and a dozen rebounds.
Maichin, Lennon, Forte and Seccafico all notched three point baskets. Heuwetter had six points from the free throw line.