Southside wins senior night thriller, beats Hewlett 62-57

Southside Cyclones beat the Hewlett Bulldogs 62-57 on senior night at Southside High School in Rockville Centre, New York. The win closed a tight game that remained within one possession for much of the second half.

The game also served as Southside’s senior night celebration, where eight senior players and two senior cheerleaders were introduced and honored before tipoff. Coach Jerry D'Angelo and the home crowd celebrated the seniors during the pregame ceremony.

The Cyclones entered the night with a 16-3 record, according to the broadcast, and held a narrow lead in the closing minutes. Hewlett narrowed the margin late and earned a set of free throws that made it a four-point game, but an ensuing timeout did not change the outcome. A late Southside field goal in the final 30 seconds put the Cyclones ahead by five and effectively sealed the victory.

The game featured several lead changes and momentum swings. At halftime the scoreboard showed Southside leading by a small margin (the broadcast recorded a 32-29 halftime score). In the fourth quarter both teams traded baskets and defensive stops; Southside led 56-55 with roughly a minute remaining, and the final sequence produced the decisive points for the home team.

Coach Jerry D'Angelo is listed as Southside’s head coach in the broadcast; Hewlett’s head coach was identified as Andy De Bernardo. Officials for the game were identified as Kenny Apple and Edgar Rojas. The broadcast also acknowledged the Southside video and media volunteers and credited Ryan Boruso for a pregame trumpet performance.

Senior players introduced before the game included Sean Arnott (captain), Jonah Drew, Pat Lehi, Connor Fernandez, Charlie Munro, Ellen Pantaleone, Patrick Sweeney, and Dylan Walsh. The broadcast repeatedly noted the senior-night recognitions and the players’ families escorting the honorees at center court.

The broadcast did not provide a complete box score for individual scoring totals by player. It did, however, single out multiple game moments — including late free throws by a Hewlett player that tightened the score and a late scoring play by Southside that secured the five-point final margin. Attendance numbers, a game date beyond the broadcast’s references to "senior night," and a full statistical line for each player were not specified in the transcript.

Southside’s victory concludes the regular-season finale reported in the broadcast; the team and coaches referenced upcoming playoff play later in the week. The broadcast sign-off was given by the two announcers for the telecast.