Mingo Leads Farmingdale Basketball

Dalique Mingo threw down a baseline dunk that shook the backboard and the gym. Just 19 seconds later he pierced Syosset’s heart with a dagger-like three-pointer.

The Farmingdale High School senior guard may be Nassau’s best player. His first-quarter performance Thursday left no doubt he was top dog on this court.

Mingo scored 10 of his game-high 25 points in the opening quarter as the Dalers boys basketball team downed visiting Syosset, 82-37, in a Nassau Conference AA-I game. 

“He’s playing unbelievable,” Farmingdale Coach Jim Pastier said of his star guard. “Now he’s all over the place. If you want to be the best player in Nassau County, then play like it. And he’s doing that.”

Farmingdale (9-2 overall, 7-0) took a 32-11 lead after eight minutes and never looked back. Pastier’s starters sat out the fourth quarter.

The win comes sandwiched between two even more meaningful games. The Dalers beat perennial champ Uniondale, 64-55, Tuesday. Up next is a date with Suffolk frontrunner Central Islip Sunday.

“It did a lot for our confidence,” Mingo said of the Uiniondale win. “It felt good to beat them in a game that mattered.”

It’s clear the Dalers have taken a step forward since falling to Uniondale in the Nassau Class AA semifinals a year ago.

Two key figures from the county championship football team have brought some swagger to the hardwood. Senior swingman Kevin Petit-Frere had 17 points and 7 rebounds while junior Curtis Jenkins added 4 points and 6 boards.

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But it’s the 6-foot-2 Mingo, a four-year starter, who makes the Dalers a title threat. He poured in a career-best 39 points against Uniondale and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in a Jan. 8 win over Massapequa. 

"He’s the best player in our league by far,” Syosset Coach Bobby Kopp said.

It’s gotten the attention of college coaches. Mingo said he’s considering LIU Brooklyn, Hofstra, Stony Brook, Marist, Rider and Adelphi, among others.

“At the end of the day I’ll do anything it takes to win,” said Mingo, who added 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 assists versus Syosset. “If I have to dive on the floor 5-10 times a game, I will. If it involves rebounding, scoring, it doesn’t matter. Whatever I have to do to win the game.”

     Nassau Conference AA-I Boys Basketball

Scoring -- S: Albernas 1-0-2, Canner 1-0-2, Laine 2-1-5, Greenspan 3-2-8, Breslow 2-0-5, Quinn 4-0-8, Balogh 1-0-2, Zecher 1-0-2, Falk 1-1-3. Totals: 16-4-37. F: Burke 2-0-5, Jenkins 2-0-4, Spadalik 2-0-4, Petit-Frere 5-4-17, Mingo 7-8-25, Dhaliwal 4-0-10, Seelal 3-0-7, Rogers 3-0-8, Creamer 1-0-2. Totals: 29-16-82. Three-pointers -- S: 1 (Breslow); F: 12 (Petit-Frere 3, Mingo 3, Dhaliwal 2, Rogers 2, Burke, Seelal).

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