Deficit no Problem as Blue Devil JV Tops Islip
Call them the Comeback Kids. The Huntington junior varsity boys’ basketball team battled back from a nine point third quarter deficit to top Islip, 58-56 as center Jeremy Rhodes pumped in the game winning basket.
“It was a hard fought game during which we were down a large part,” Blue Devil coach Jimmy Creighton said. The team found itself in serious danger of losing when Islip expanded its lead to nearly double digits late in the third quarter, but Huntington turned it around with some fancy shooting and suffocating defense.
Islip was “extremely aggressive, pressing almost the entire game,” Creighton said. Huntington worked hard to get back in the game, with clutch defensive plays, blocked shots, steals and forced turnovers. Little-by-little the team closed the gap.
The Blue Devils were led by freshman point guard Thomas Thurmond’s 20-points and rugged defense. Rhodes chipped in 10-points and blocked four Islip shots. Creighton credited Tom Grossman with a “terrific day” for his five points, five blocks and exceptional defense, which led to numerous Islip turnovers.
Huntington also benefited from the Devon White’s nine points and strong rebounding, half a dozen points from both Dan Smith and Jamal Brown, respectively, and a pair of points from Shea Sair. “Overall it was a strong team effort which involved great defensive play in the second half,” Creighton said.
The exciting game came down to the wire, as the Blue Devils held their collective breath when Islip lofted the ball from three-point range as time expired, but Huntington exhaled in unison as the ball fell short of its mark.
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