Carey back in Final Four

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In sports, as in life, where you end up is far more important than how you got started. The 2014-15 Carey High School boys’ basketball team epitomizes this truism.

After a 3-8 start, the Seahawks looked like a team that would be on the outside looking in come playoff time. Fast-forward a month, and Carey, after a 51-36 victory over North Shore in the county quarterfinals last Friday afternoon, is headed to its second consecutive Nassau Class A Final Four.

Nick Spillane scored a game-high 21 points and dished out six assists as the No. 12 Seahawks knocked off the visiting Vikings, while senior forward Tom Gallant scored 13 points and pulled down 19 rebounds. A 12-3 run in the third quarter gave Carey a 42-28 lead, and North Shore never challenged.

The No. 13 Vikings were led by Tyler Rieger’s 13 points. North Shore, which came into the game averaging 63 points per contest, was held to a season low. The Seahawks will take on No. 16 Floral Park this Saturday at 5 p.m. at Hofstra University for the right to play for the county championship.

With all five starters still on the football field in December, Carey head coach Marty Kelly knew it would take time for his team to hit its stride. “We’re healthy and we’ve finally jelled,” he said. “We’re running our sets better and shooting the ball pretty well. We’re just so big, athletic and physical. Our rebounding and ability to get extra shots allows us to win ugly.”

While Carey, which won for the seventh time in eight games, typically grinds out victories, Spillane’s performance was a thing of beauty. The senior point guard, a three-sport athlete who wasn’t on the roster in November, drained five of seven 3-point shots and controlled the pace of the game.

Playing in front of the boisterous Carey Crazies had Spillane feeling good about things. “It’s always fun when we get to play in front of our crowd,” he said. “It’s even more fun when my shots are dropping. I was feeling pretty confident leading up to the game, and knew that if I got open looks, my shots would fall.”

While Spillane was getting it done on the perimeter, Gallant was a beast in the paint. His thunderous two-handed dunk, off a nifty feed from Anthony Catapano, set the tone early. Gallant, who scored a career-high 30 points and grabbed 18 boards in Carey’s opening-round 65-52 upset of No. 5 Seaford, rejected seven shots.

Kelly said he wasn’t surprised by his team’s success. “We don’t have the best basketball players, but man, we compete,” he said. “Every starter plays three sports, and they’re good at every sport. It’s a strong bunch of athletes. To go to the semifinals two years in a row is a big deal. I don’t think it’s ever happened at Carey. This is a special group.”