Whenever our time at Stony Brook is done, we’ll remember Friday nights in Swanson.

The warmth of a packed house. The roar following a monster block or a late-game 3-pointer. The feeling that the whole SBS community is gutting out a victory together. It’s one of the best parts of athletics life at Stony Brook.

Yesterday evening we had such a night as the boys’ basketball team avenged their 60-68 loss from January 18 with an 85-77 victory that closed their PSAA record at 13-3 and clinched the #2 seed in next week’s PSAA Tournament. For all intents and purposes, the playoffs began yesterday as the Bears came into the game tied with LuHi in the league standings with a 12-3 record. The #2 seed and home court advantage throughout the first two rounds of the playoffs was up for grabs, and the game began with that level of intensity, further fueled by a standing room only crowd. The up-tempo play did not translate into much early offense, as the squads resembled overzealous boxers throwing haymakers without making much contact.

A jumper and free throw gave LuHi an early 3-0 lead that held for several possessions before Dylan Kopp opened his Senior Night with a putback. Kopp then electrified the crowd–for the first time–with a two-handed slam that resulted in a somewhat baffling technical foul. LuHi missed both ensuing free throws to prove once again that the “ball don’t lie.” With the Bears leading 6-5, Paul Coty took over the remainder of the opening frame with a layup, fadeaway jumper, and 3-pointer to help the Bears build a 17-10 lead after one. Five different Bears scored in the frame, setting the tone for perhaps the most balanced offensive effort of the season. The Bears would not trail for the rest of the game, but the playoff atmosphere ensured the game would not be decided until the final moments.

A pair of free throws and a 3-pointer carved LuHi’s deficit back to 15-17, but Coty answered with his second 3-pointer to instigate an 11-0 run that gave the Bears a 28-15 lead. Jeremiah Coty dropped in a layup, Nate Small and Paul Coty each swished a pair of free throws, and Fraysser Torres scored a layup out of the LuHi press during the run. Every play, including the two steals during the surge, seemed to raise the decibel level in Swanson. For a moment, you had to wonder if the Bears would simply run LuHi out of the building, but the talented visitors quelled the run with a pair of free throws and a layup to lower their deficit to single-digits. Torres followed with a dunk and the Bear lead did not dip below 10 for the rest of the half. Both teams traded scores before Torres slammed home a second dunk, courtesy of a gorgeous drive and dish by Jeremiah Coty, then followed with a block that brought the crowd to their feet. Both sides traded free throws in the closing seconds as the Bears took a 39-29 advantage into the break.

An extended halftime saw the Brookettes unveil a new dance routine before a 2nd-grade youth basketball team featuring faculty kid Jack Hickey (2 blocks, 1 steal) played a 5-minute scrimmage. The crowd needed the extra time to prepare for a frenetic final sixteen minutes that would see a combined 94 points scored.

LuHi came out of the half with a three-quarter court trap spearheaded by their athletic big man, making it difficult for the Bears to get into a rhythm offensively. The Bears initially extended the lead to 12 following a pair of free throws by Orlando Morris, but a 12-2 LuHi run ensued, leaving the Bears up just 47-45 in a blink. The run quickened the heartbeats of the Blue & White faithful, but Paul Coty again had an answer. The junior connected on his third 3-pointer on his third attempt with all three trifectas immediately following a LuHi 3-pointer. Coty was a one-man answer all night, and the Bears rode his confidence back to a double-digit lead.

Kopp followed with a putback, Morris finished a layup, and Small converted a fast break layup to complete a 9-0 run that gave The Brook a 56-45 lead. A LuHi 3-pointer cut the Bears lead to 58-50, but Kopp answered with a 3-point play to push the margin back to 61-50. LuHi closed the frame with a pair of layups to leave the Blue & White ahead 61-54 entering the final period.

LuHi was relentless in the fourth quarter, scoring 23 points and never conceding until the final buzzer. The Bears were just that much better, and tougher, as they scored 24 points, coming up with a key play every time they needed one. Kopp opened the quarter with what felt like a huge 3-pointer. After LuHi cut the deficit to seven, Kopp converted another 3-point play. When LuHi answered with a layup, Kopp stole the ball and slammed home his second dunk of the evening, giving him the first eight points of the quarter. Two LuHi free throws were answered by a gorgeous spin move and fall away jumper from Small that pushed the margin back to 71-61. Consecutive LuHi layups carved the Bear lead down to six, but Paul Coty–who else?–hit his fourth 3-pointer to yet again personally stem the tide.

Coty’s fourth trifecta in as many tries opened a 10-0 spurt that was capped by a Small 3-pointer with 2:20 remaining that gave the Bears their largest lead of the night at 81-65, uncorking a roar from the crowd and plunging a dagger into LuHi’s comeback hopes. LuHi closed the game with a 12-4 run, but Morris’ four free throws ensured the visitors never came within striking distance as The Brook closed out a massive W.

Kopp led the Bears with 21 points. Paul Coty played his best game as a Bear with 18 huge points off the bench. Morris added 18 and was surehanded amid LuHi’s suffocating defense in the closing minutes. Small finished the night with 14 points, but his defense, energy, and grit, while impossible to quantify, were the backbone of the victory. Torres (8), Jeremiah Coty (2), and Andreas Simoni (2) rounded out the Bears’ scoring.

The Bears are back in action on Monday in a home PSAA quarterfinal match-up against #7 Waldorf at 4:30pm.

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