Playoff thriller: Jericho bests Bethpage on deep three buzzer-beater by Casey Deutsch

Time seemed to shift into slow motion and the packed gym fell silent as Deutsch’s shot arced high through the air before banking off the glass and into the net at the buzzer.

The Jayhawks and their home crowd erupted while a stunned Bethpage squad stood by with their comeback cut short.

“That’s in my range,” Deutsch said with a smile. “So I let it fly.”

Deutsch’s from-the-logo game-winner capped his game-high 25 points scored through a varied arsenal of contested threes, midrange jumpers, and strong drives.

But before his heroics, Jericho nearly let this one slip away.

After a tightly contested first-half filled with lead changes, Bethpage took a 24-23 edge into the break.

Jericho emerged from the locker room with renewed energy and quickly seized control.

A three-pointer by junior guard Suvir Mohan sparked a run, followed by a reverse layup from senior co-captain Max Spector, extending their lead to six. Deutsch then drained a three to put Jericho up 39-31 at the end of the third.

Senior forward Andy Chen opened the fourth with a bucket in the lane to give the Jayhawks a double-digit lead, 41-31, and what appeared to be a firm grip on the game.

Bethpage, however, refused to fold. A three by guard Ryan Bruno helped the visitors hang around.

Jayhawks junior guard Max Deutsch answered with four quick points on two layups, the first on a clever back cut, and the second on a fastbreak finish on a feed from his twin brother, Casey, who dove on the floor to win a loose ball.

Then, with Jericho leading by 11 points with 5:40 to play, the Golden Eagles’ senior guard, Justin Serio, took over. 

Serio ignited the comeback by converting an and-one to cut the deficit to 8, and then poured in 13 of his team-high 24 points over the final 5 minutes. Back-to-back threes by Serio and senior guard Chase Solliday brought Bethpage within one, 48-49, with under two minutes to play.

After Max Deutsch was fouled driving to the basket and converted one of two free throws, Jericho regained possession of the ball with a 2-point lead and 17 seconds remaining.

But the home side struggled to inbound the ball, first calling a timeout to avoid a five-second call, and then committing the violation anyway after play resumed.

Serio capitalized, taking the ball to the cup for an impressive finish to tie the game at 50-50 with 6.8 seconds left, setting the stage for Casey Deutsch’s unforgettable winner.

Jericho head coach Walter Bachman called it “the top shot” he’s seen by one of his players in his 45 years of coaching. 

Bachman praised his team for their achievements in a season where he said no one expected much of them.

“These young men work so hard,” Bachman said. “They never give up. They play defense. They share the basketball.”

For Bethpage, which suffered the gut-wrenching loss, mounting such a gutsy comeback on the road is a lasting takeaway.   

“It’s heartbreaking to lose in that way, especially for our seniors,” Bethpage head coach John Davenport said. “But our guys played really hard. They didn’t pack it in when they got down. That shows a lot of character.”

Davenport said that after a rough season last year, he was proud of how his team bounced back with a solid performance this season. 

“We got better as the year went on, and we won a lot of close games,” Davenport said. “That’s something to build on next season.”

For Jericho, this season rolls on. In the midst of their celebration, the team didn’t lose sight of the work that lies ahead.

“Tomorrow we’re back to practice and we’ll start preparing for our next opponent,” Casey Deutsch said. 

Up next, Jericho hosts Manhasset in the Nassau AA quarterfinals on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.

“We’ve got to dig in for every second, and not take anything for granted,” Spector said. “It’s all about heart.”