Long Island boys and girls basketball: Hardwood Heroes
Jaclyn Engel of Ward Melville gets out on a fast break in the third quarter of a non-league matchup against Floyd on Jan. 2, 2026 in Mastic Beach. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
BOYS BASKETBALL
JACK BELL, Whitman
Bell took finals MVP honors at the Frank Gugliotta Tournament last weekend, posting a career-high 35 points against Jericho. He added 17 points against Patchogue-Medford.
JOVAN BREWSTER, West Islip
It’s been a busy week for Brewster, who followed his 26-point game against Comsewogue Monday with a 20-point game Wednesday against Hauppauge before scoring 11 of his team’s 34 points Friday against Eastport-South Manor.
RYAN CURCIO and JONNY EHLERS, Commack
The Cougars enjoyed two overtime wins this week. Curcio scored 11 of his team-high 22 points in the second overtime period against Newfield, and Ehlers had a game-high 25 points against Sachem North.
ALEX FRANKLIN, Southampton
Franklin dominated with 32 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in an overtime win over a talented Center Moriches team. He had 11 points and 11 assists against Bayport-Blue Point and ended the week with 27 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and five steals against Port Jefferson.
CHRISTIAN FREY, Mineola
A 31-point game had Frey lead the Mustangs to a win over Clarke. He added 17 points in a loss to Valley Stream North.
RYAN LEARY, Carle Place
Leary became Carle Place’s all-time leading scorer in December and has continued to add to his total. He had 23 points, 10 rebounds and eight steals against Oyster Bay.
CAMERON SERRANO, North Babylon
Serrano dropped 30 points in an important League II win against Copiague, his 11th straight game with at least 20 points.
CHARLIE SHAPIRO, Great Neck North
In a cross-town rivalry between Great Neck North and Great Neck South, Shapiro made the difference, posting 30 points, 10 rebounds and two steals.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
RILEY CURRIER, Kings Park
Currier led Kings Park to a win over an undefeated Shoreham-Wading River, hitting two free throws to tie the score with 30 seconds left in a 25-point, 14-rebound double-double performance.
JACLYN ENGEL and JENNA GREEK, Ward Melville
Engel had 25 points and five assists, and Greek added 19 points and eight rebounds against Huntington on Monday. The duo followed it with 19 points and six assists, and 20 points and seven rebounds, respectively, Wednesday against Sachem North.
HAYDEN KONG and ELSA LO, Great Neck South
The eighth grade duo rose to the occasion in its crosstown rivalry against Great Neck North, scoring 13 and 12 points, respectively.
ELLIE LENNON, South Side
Lennon led her team in scoring with 14 points in a massive win over Manhasset — props to Reese Long, who hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to win the game — and added 17 points in a win over Bethpage.
SOPHIA RANDAZZO, Patchogue-Medford
With 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals, Randazzo left her mark in a 67-59 win over Connetquot. She added a team-high 13 points in a loss to Sachem East.
SARIAH REED, Holy Trinity
Her game-high 29 points, nine steals and six assists against West Hempstead on Tuesday helped set up teammate Emma McDermott’s buzzer-beating three-pointer.
SAMANTHA RICHARDSON, Seaford
Richardson posted her fourth double-double for the Vikings this winter, posting 15 points and 17 rebounds against a talented North Shore team.
ELIZABETH VITALE, Locust Valley
Her game-high 16 points, plus eight rebounds and 11 steals, led Locust Valley past Friends Academy.
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
