Commack Boys Varsity Basketball Prevails Against Lindenhurst, 52-50

In a quintessential nail-biter that came down to the very last five seconds, Commack hosted Lindenhurst in a League I Conference showdown.  Commack (2-2) and Lindenhurst (2-3) were both looking for their first conference victory.

The game, however, did not start off as exciting as it ended.  The first period only saw nine points scored by each team.  Lindenhurst opened up the scoring with a three-pointer that put the team ahead very early on. Commack quickly responded, as Head Coach Pete Smith made sure starters Nick Arnold and Dillon Hertel--all skilled offenses--ran a tight, high-pressured defensive attack. 

Commack warmed up by the second period, forcing turnovers, taking Lindenhurst off of their offensive game and going on an 8-0 run to start the period.  Commack was up by 17-10 with 5:40 to go and looked to be in control, building their lead with foul shots being made by Christian Outcault and sparkplug Connor McQueeney, who consistently contributed every time he stepped on the floor.  Lindenhurst, however, made the last two minutes interesting  by taking advantage of Commack's missed shots, hitting free throws and scoring on a fast break that saw Commack's lead shrink to just two points.

"We just wanted to continue our game plan and have them overplay the perimeters," Commack Coach Pete Smith said about his team's plan for the second half.  "We needed to get to the basket and really make them play us defensively." 

Lindenhurst opened up the third period tying the game but quickly saw themselves fighting from behind and letting up a two-pointer and a three-point play thanks to a foul.  The third period was non-stop, end-to-end action with Commack leading 39-31 going into the final eight minutes of play. 

In the fourth, two Lindenhurst teams came out.  The first allowed Commack to take a 49-38 lead--their biggest of the night; the second hit repeated clutch three- pointers, allowing them to get within one point of Commack in the last minute.  With five seconds left for Lindenhurst to tie, Hertel made the steal of the season and hit a foul shot leaving Lindenhurst one second to tie the game on the inbound that McQueeney grabbed, wrapping up a narrow 52-50 win.

"I was just trying not to let them get a three pointer or a big shot," Hertel said after the game.  "We ran out the clock and won, it was a good team win."