Golden Tornadoes One Step Away from Title

The Golden Tornadoes are so close they can taste it.

Samson Bialostok scored 11 points and pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds to lead No. 6 Lawrence to a 63-46 win over No. 15 Great Neck North in the semifinal round of the Nassau County Class A playoffs at the Clark Center on the campus of SUNY-Old Westbury. Senior guard Ahmad Shamseldin led all scorers with 14 points. Sophomore Eddie Robinson added eight points and 10 rebounds.

With the win, Lawrence (17-3) advanced to the Class A title game. The Golden Tornadoes will meet No. 1 Manhasset (18-2) at 3:30 p.m. on March 5 at Hofstra University. Manhasset advanced with a dramatic 66-65 win over Floral Park in double overtime. Great Neck North was led by Ariel Mardkhai’s 11 points. 

Lawrence head coach Pete Linderman was pleased with the way Bialostok played. “Samson carries himself with a quiet demeanor on the court, but he comes up big in huge spots,” Linderman said. “He’s really played well for us. He’s playing out of position, but athletically he’s as sound as anyone on the floor for us. He plays hard all the time and tonight he came up huge.” 

Great Neck North’s playoff run was this postseason’s most improbable story. Despite a 5-7 record in league play, the Blazers, who earned the last playoff slot out of a very strong Conference A-III, knocked off No. 2 South Side, and then advanced to the semifinals with a convincing win over Valley Stream North. 

Unfortunately for this season’s Cinderella team, the clock started to approach midnight midway through the second quarter. Holding a two-point lead, the Golden Tornadoes embarked on an 11-2 run to go into the locker room with a 28-17 lead at the break. 

With Great Neck North fighting hard to get back in the game, and Lawrence’s big three of Robinson and Shamseldin twins’ Ahmad and Ibraheem being held in check, Bialostock took over. The senior forward scored seven points, grabbed six boards and dished out three assists in the third quarter to lead the Golden Tornadoes to a 44-32 lead at the end of three quarters. Four of Bialostok’s rebounds came on the offensive end. 

Bialostock knew it was time for him to shine. “Rebounding is really the most important factor in basketball,” he said. “I consider myself a role player. If I’m grabbing rebounds and limiting their second chances, and giving us more opportunities to score on the offensive end, I’m doing my job.” 

With Bialostock dominating the glass, and the Shamseldin brothers having their way with hard drives to the basket, Lawrence built a 54-36 lead midway through the final quarter and was never challenged. 

Bialostock believes Lawrence is set to win its first county title since 1968. “I watched a lot of Manhasset’s game with Floral Park,” he said. “They’re both very good teams. Manhasset is going to be a tough opponent, but I have thought since day one that this team was going to do something special. I still feel that way. I think we’re going to take it.”