Dream Ends for H-ton Boys' Basketball
The dream is over for the Huntington boys' basketball team as the Blue Devils fell to Longwood in a Suffolk Class AA quarterfinal game, 54-39.
Head coach Brian Carey tried to pull a proverbial rabbit out of his hat for a third time this post-season after the Blue Devils had earlier upset Copiague (64-63) and No. 4 Central Islip (56-50) to force other playoff teams to sit up and take notice.
Huntington players wore determined looks as the game got underway. Longwood tried to use its speed to gain an early advantage, but the Blue Devils hung tough. Neither team could knock the other off balance in the opening minutes.
A large crowd of Huntington students trekked east for the game, standing throughout the co
ntest and loudly cheering every Blue Devil point. Carey urged his team on, but Longwood's tough defense stymied Huntington (10-11) at nearly every turn.
Carey kept his starting five on the court for much of the game, hoping to turn things around. Huntington had plenty of chances to gain control of the contest, but turned the ball over several times and missed a series of layups. Still, the Blue Devils kept the score close, sinking most their shots from the foul line and doing enough to keep the Lions from pulling away.
Huntington started slowly, but still led after the first quarter, 10-8. However, the Blue Devils never seemed to run on all cylinders, missing several shots under the basket and failing to get into an outside shooting groove. Longwood (13-6) nursed a 25-22 lead at halftime after a solid second quarter.
The teams battled it out in the third quarter, but Huntington fell further behind and trailed 33-28 entering the final frame. The Lions put the game away with a 21-11 run over the last eight minutes.
Patrick Reilly led Huntington with 13 points. Devon Nelson pumped in 12 points. The Blue Devils' failure to connect on any three-point baskets hurt the team. Huntington had many opportunities to hit shots from downtown and gain some momentum, but the balls either skidded off the rim or missed completely.
The Blue Devils were effective from the foul line, outscoring Longwood, 17-11. A basket here or there could have made a difference and changed the complexion of the game, but Huntington just couldn't hit most of the shots it needed to. Skylure Pannell scored five points and Connor Birchard, Kiernan McGovern and Kenny Charles combined for another nine points.
While Carey most certainly wasn't happy losing, he could only be pleased with the performance of his troops in the post-season. The Blue Devils won a pair of games few people thought they could and played tough against Longwood, who had upset No. 5 Riverhead to advance to the quarterfinals.
Huntington's players walked off the court with their heads held high. After coming into the playoffs seeded last, the Blue Devils gained more than a few admirers with their feisty style of play and refusal to back down.