After enduring a four-day tournament, the Hicksville PAL boys’ basketball team emerged as the winners of the 2014 Nassau County Police Activity League’s Holiday Basketball Tournament after a 57-40 win over the Bethpage PAL unit on Monday night at the Town of Oyster Bay Hicksville Athletic Center.
A total of six Nassau County Police Activity League (NCPAL) units, serving the communities of Bethpage, Plainview, Bellmore, Wantagh-Seaford, Hicksville and Oyster Bay-East Norwich (OBEN) participated in the tournament, with Hicksville being the No. 1 seed in the playoffs after pool play the first three nights. Plainview obtained the No. 2 seed, with Bethpage and Bellmore seeded third and fourth, respectively. Hicksville, which went undefeated in the tournament, beat Bellmore 58-42 in the first playoff round while Bethpage (2-1) secured its place in the finals with a 51-38 victory over Plainview (2-1).
“This is a great tournament for all of the players to participate in as well as a good showcase for the youth sport talent that the NCPAL program cultivates,” Sgt. Doug Kenah, NCPAL commanding officer, said. “We want to thank all the teams for participating in this year’s tournament as well as their coaches and congratulate the players for their exceptional level of play they demonstrated on the court.”
This is the fifth year that the NCPAL has hosted a holiday basketball tournament, which is held in honor of Betty Ginnobi, who worked as the Nassau County PAL corporate bookkeeper for 20 years. She worked closely with all the PAL Units and police officers to help keep the PAL running smoothly before being diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and fought the hard battle for as long as she could. In her honor, beginning in December 2010, NCPAL dedicated the annual Holiday basketball tournament after her. She is survived by her husband Joe, son Joey, and daughter Diana.
For more information about Nassau County PAL youth sports and other programs or to inquire about volunteering with NCPAL, please visit: www.nassaucountypal.org.
—From Nassau County PAL
