LAKE HUNTINGTON – It was a relaxed Saturday afternoon in Lake Huntington where the Sullivan West Bulldogs hosted the Seward Spartans for a boys’ basketball matchup. It was a non-league game for Sullivan West, but they still brought the intensity. Seward was a tough team, but the Bulldogs had the coordination, drive and athleticism to get the job done. Sullivan West was able to take the hard earned 65-61 win over Seward on their home court. 

The first quarter was an intense back and forth with Sullivan West taking a fast early lead. Seward seemed to be focused more on outside shooting while Sullivan West’s focus was driving to the paint and fast breaks. But Sullivan West soon lost their early lead and ended the first quarter down by three points. The second half proved to be much more of a back-and-forth shootout. Seward would sink a deep three, and Sullivan West would answer with one of their own. The Bulldogs’ Seamus Johnston and Jesse Milk proved to be instrumental from behind the arc, shooting multiple deep three-pointers for the home team. 

With one quarter left to play and Sullivan West down by three points, it was anyone’s game. Luckily, the Bulldogs’ Mitchell Everett and Alec Hubert were able to get back-to-back layups in the paint to bring Sullivan West to within one basket. With just two minutes left on the clock, the score was tied 57-57, and the energy on the court was electric. Sullivan West’s Calvin Powell stepped up to sink a 2-point shot, followed by a fast break that put Sullivan West up 62-58. Fortunately for Sullivan West they were able to maintain their lead and finish out the game with a 65-61 win over Seward. 

After the game, Sullivan West Coach Ronj Padu said, “It’s nice to finally get back on the winning side of things. We had a good week of practice, and it showed tonight. We definitely have to work more on our consistency, but this is a good group of guys, and I think we have a good chance this season.”