If Rye seniors Sebastian Lewis, Carson Miller, and Henry Shoemaker had been hooked up to heart rate monitors during the fourth quarters of any of the Garnets’ six postseason victories this year, it’s not a scientific certainty there would be any measurable data.
The higher the stakes and more pressurized the moment, the calmer they get, and the better these three kids seem to execute.
In Rye’s come-from-behind 51-47 regional championship victory over Smithtown West on Friday in Yorktown, the Garnets struggled to find their offensive flow for nearly 24 minutes of play. Entering the fourth quarter, Rye was behind 37-30 against the Bulls, the No. 3-ranked team in New York Class AA.
Shots wouldn’t drop, untimely and unforced errors were mounting, and there realistically might have been just eight minutes left in the Garnets’ season.
But with a late 9-0 run, Rye surged ahead of the Bulls in the closing minutes to hand them their second loss of the season and advance to the state semifinals for the first time since 1989. The Section 1 champion Garnets will face either Amsterdam, from District 2, or Nottingham, from District 3, at 11:45 a.m. March 20 in Binghamton’s Visions Veterans Memorial Arena.
As much as Rye’s offense struggled early on Friday, the Section 11 champions from Smithtown West couldn’t shake free from the Garnets’ first-half zone defense, either. The surprising defensive wrinkle from Rye coach Tom Proudian practically eliminated the Bulls’ up-tempo transition game.
If the Garnets were having a challenge scoring, then they would see to it that Smithtown West was challenged as well. Mandated to do so or not, Rye was keeping the game within their reach.
Then, with 6:20 remaining, Miller hit a three – and then a two. A couple of back-and-forth, sweaty-palm minutes later, with just 2:47 left, Lewis converted his first bucket of the night and was fouled. He made the free throw, and in a heartbeat, the game was tied, 45-45.
A minute later, Shoemaker scored, was fouled, and made the free throw as Rye completed a 9-0 run to go ahead, 48-45.
It was the most consequential 9-0 run allowed by Smithtown West all year. The Bulls, who entered the night with a 23-1 record, were held more than 30 points below their season average of 78 and never led again.
The final 1:30 were the only 90 seconds that Rye was in control.
Not a bad time to play your best basketball of the season.
