Buzzer beaters that decide the game are usually in the fourth quarter or overtime. It was to end the third quarter, however, that the Carle Place Frogs broke a 35-35 tie with a buzzer beating three-point shot to end the quarter. They never looked back—outscored the Cold Spring Harbor Seahawks 23-7 in the fourth quarter—and improved to 3-1 in league play with a 62-40 victory. The three wins matches their output from the 2013-’14 season.
Austin Topel and Alex Dacosta led the way for the Frogs, each scoring 17 points. Seven of Dacosta’s 17 points came in the fourth quarter and effectively put the game out of reach. Lucas Golon added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“This is a 60-70 point scoring team, I keep telling the guys,” said head coach John Cantwell. “It’s just a matter of hitting their free throws more consistently,” he added.
Despite putting together a tremendously executed win, Cantwell admitted it was not a complicated formula. “It’s really not so much X’s and O’s, said Cantwell. “These guys practice hard every day. They come in everyday wanting to win. It’s not so much credit to me—it’s an honor to coach these kids because they play so hard. I never have to talk about effort with them,” he added.
“I’m proud of these kids, I’m proud of the way they act on the floor,” said Cantwell, who previously coached Cold Spring Harbor for six years.
The game was very close for much of it. The first quarter featured some lead changes and back-and-forth scoring. The Frogs led 18-16 after the first quarter thanks to Lucas Golon’s hustle play in which he attempted a three point shot, missed but sprinted towards the hoop and followed it up with a putback. That play encapsulated the type of intensity that the Frogs played with all game.
The second quarter was key for the Frogs because they limited the Seahawks to only four points due to their suffocating defense. They opened up a seven point lead, with each starter contributing one basket.
Cold Spring Harbor was able to tie the game at 35-35 late in the third quarter. They relief mainly on Szanja’s hot shooting to cut into the lead.
Once that buzzer beater went in, however, the game changed drastically.
The team was very adept at passing the ball and playing lockdown defense late in the game—two signs of maturity on the court. Four of the team’s starters are seniors—with the exception of their eighth grade point guard. Cantwell lauded him for his basketball acumen and stated that he “has a head for the game”, despite being at a physical disadvantage in terms of size.
The biggest challenge in this game was containing Cold Spring Harbor’s Wes Szanja. The dynamic scorer was a force all game, finishing with 25 points. Players of that caliber will score their points regardless but late in the game they can be limited if they are in foul trouble or double teamed. Fortunately, the Frogs were able to separate themselves enough that Szanja could not do too much damage in the fourth quarter.
Cantwell noted that senior Mike Delia is coming back from an injury as well as his second-leading scorer. This means the team will only get stronger as the season continues. They will have a tall order in catching Oyster Bay, but to this point the team is firing on all cylinders and heading in the right direction.
