Sometimes in sports, the ball just doesn’t bounce your way. Other times, different external forces end up shifting the balance of an even fight.
The Eastchester basketball team unfortunately learned this lesson on Saturday afternoon, as the No. 11-seeded Eagles fell to No. 6 Nyack the first-round of the Class AA playoffs, losing a 58-55 overtime thriller to the Red Hawks after a few crunch-time events conspired to put an end to Eastchester’s season.
Leading by two points with just 11.9 seconds remaining, it looked as though Eastchester had secured a stop on what appeared to be the game’s final possession, when an errant shot by Nyack clanged off the side of the backboard and out of bounds, giving Eastchester the ball and a chance to put the game away.
But after a conference by the referees, it was ruled that Eastchester had tipped the ball going out of bounds, and Nyack was awarded possession. Another unpopular call would send Nyack to the line with 10 seconds remaining, and they would hit both shots to send the game into overtime, where they would go on to top an Eastchester team already playing without the services of two starters who had previously fouled out.
Eastchester head coach Fred DiCarlo was displeased with the late-game calls that doomed the Eagles’ upset hopes, noting that he felt his players had done enough to win the contest.
“It was horrible,” said DiCarlo. “They worked so hard out there today, and this was a game that should have been decided by the play on the floor, not by a referee’s calls.”
Taken on its own, the action on the court was electric, with the two teams trading buckets throughout regulation and the overtime period, attacking the game in different ways.
The Red Hawks were bolstered by a terrific show of offensive balance led by 15 points from Peter Boamah and 13 apiece from Clyde Mackin and Aidan Fraser.
Eastchester was led by a 23-point effort from point guard Marcus Rolon, but DiCarlo was effusive in his praise for his bench, as players like Nick Martucci and Robbie Maltese, noting that they embodied the “next-man up” philosophy which has been a focal point of the team all season.“
Foul trouble played a big part today, and we lost two starters with Augie [Pinto] and Peter [Telesco] fouling out. But Robbie and Nick stepped up big in crunch time.” said DiCarlo. “We talk about it all the time; you’re one play from getting in the game. So the focus you need to have in a practice, when you get into a game in the sectional playoffs, that’s when it shows.”
With the loss, Eastchester ends the season with a 12-8 overall record. Nyack will move on to the Class AA semifinals and will take on No. 2 Rye on Feb. 27, after press time.
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