Toby Foster, Mason Jefferson lead East Hampton boys basketball to overtime win over Westhampton
Mason Jefferson’s sports a ripped jersey in the fourth quarter after repeated physical contact down low in a Suffolk league IV matchup against Westhampton on Monday February 2, 2026 in East Hampton. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
It’s been almost three years since East Hampton’s boys basketball team beat Westhampton, having lost five straight games to the Hurricanes.
Yet as East Hampton senior Mason Jefferson celebrated on his home court with his teammates in front of a rabid student section, his uniform ripped right down the middle between the “H” and “A” in Hampton, it felt like a victory was well worth the wait.
The Bonackers not only defeated Westhampton in overtime, 72-67, but also secured their playoff berth, according to coach Dave Conlon.
Senior Toby Foster had 23 points and four steals, and Jefferson added 21 points and nine rebounds in a game that featured nine lead changes upon entering the fourth quarter.
“It’s great when you have two offensive weapons like that,” Conlon said. “Having the two of them together has been a real treat the last two years and secured a victory for us today.”
Foster scored 13 of his points in the first half, including a step-back three-pointer with five seconds left in the half to give East Hampton (10-9, 8-8) a 36-29 halftime lead. .
Led by senior Levi Emerson, who scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half and overtime, Westhampton (15-3, 12-2) retook the lead early in the fourth quarter as it switched from man defense to zone, forcing Conlon and Foster to adjust.
“There’s always going to be ups and downs; it’s basketball,” Foster said. “There is some stuff you can’t control. But if you keep the intensity, energy up, giving everyone high-fives, that’s the stuff that keeps us going.”
Junior Atas Smoriginas added 19 points and eight rebounds as Westhampton managed without leading scorer Truman Hahn, who was sidelined with an ankle injury.
“It was a tremendous high school basketball game,” Westhampton coach Ryan Hernandez said. “All the credit to East Hampton; they were unbelievable today … Each game presents different challenges, and tonight without Truman in the lineup presented a variety of challenges for us. We’ll go back, watch the film and learn from it.”
East Hampton junior Jackson Carney hit a free throw with 34.6 seconds left in regulation to tie the score at 61 and force overtime.
“He’s gutsy, tough,” Conlon said of Carney. “That kind of energy translates on the basketball court and is priceless for a team like us.”
East Hampton senior Irakli Shiolashvili kicked the final period off with a layup, followed by Jefferson’s fourth three-pointer of the game. Leading 70-67 with 18.6 seconds left, junior Liam Wilson pulled down a rebound for East Hampton and was fouled, sending him to the line where he hit both free throws.
“We’ve worked for this for so long,” Foster said. “And all that work finally paid off.”
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.
