Bellport basketball loses on the road at Smithtown West

Bellport came into its game at Smithtown West on Tuesday, Jan. 28, in first place in League IV, with an 8-1 conference record and having already clinched a playoff spot.

Smithtown West, on the other hand, was looking to avenge a 58-50 loss to Bellport earlier in the season and the Bulls turned to 3-point shooting to get it done.

Smithtown West connected on seven 3-pointers (five in the first half) and ended the first half on a 13-4 run. The Bulls started the second half on a 7-0 run and built a lead of as many as 20 points in the third quarter.
Bellport battled back in the fourth quarter, cutting Smithtown West’s lead to 7 points at 60-53 with 2:24 remaining, when Sean Glynn stole the ball and took it in for a layup.

Bellport couldn’t get any closer and Smithtown West held on for a 67-59 win.

“[Smithtown West] ended the second quarter well and they carried that momentum into the third quarter,” Bellport assistant coach Rich Brown said. “We tried to fight back, but it wasn’t enough.”Brown said the Clippers will focus on consistency in their remaining games leading into the AA playoffs, which start Feb.13.

“We’ve got to put together a full 32-minute game,” Brown said. “Once we do that, we’ll be in a much better position.”

Three seniors were Bellport’s leading scorers. Glynn scored 19 points, Michael Frankie scored 13 points and Jordan Battist had 8.

The Clippers (8-2 in League IV) are in second place behind Deer Park (9-1). Bellport has two games remaining in the regular season: Feb. 5 at home against Deer Park and Feb. 7 at Centereach.