Rocks lose heartbreaker in overtime

   
Basketball madness came a month earlier than usual, this year, as the schools with the lowest enrollment in the county played what many are calling the most exciting game in recent playoff history.

Josh Feshbach's three-point play with 13 seconds left in overtime lifted No. 1 Friends Academy to a 53-52 victory over No. 2 East Rockaway in a thrilling Nassau Class C title game at C.W. Post last Saturday night. Senior Joe Todero led the Rocks with a game-high 20 points.

“This one really hurts,” East Rockaway coach Joe Lores said. “These boys accomplished so much this season. We didn’t expect the season to end at this point. This group was a special team. I’m going to miss being in the gym with them.”

The game was nip-and-tuck throughout, but the real fun began in the waning moments. With the score tied at 41, the Rocks had a frantic possession that resulted in one of the most unusual baskets ever seen. After a mad scramble for the rebound of a missed shot, the ball ended up in the hands of senior Dylan Giliberti, who was flat on his back in the paint. Giliberti arched his body slightly, and lofted the ball up, over the rim and through the net to give the Rocks a 43-41 lead with 7.6 seconds left.

Just when it looked like the Rocks had the game in hand, more dramatics took place on the other end of the floor. The Quakers were forced into a desperation shot as the seconds ticked down. The shot missed badly, but the ball bounced into the waiting hands of T.J. Hefele. The junior guard’s put back tied the score as the buzzer sounded.

The overtime began nightmarish for the Rocks, as Friends took a five-point lead, and appeared to be pulling away. But East Rockaway went on a seven-point run to take a two-point lead. After Feshbach put the Quakers up, the Rocks had a couple of opportunities to win the game, but couldn’t find the bottom the net.

East Rockaway finished with a 16-2 record (the best in school history), and won the Conference ABC-VI title with a record of 10-0. This marked the first time in program history the team won an outright conference championship. Todero set records for three-point goals in a game with seven, and for a season with 44. His 41 points against Bridgehampton tied a school record for points in a game. Todero, Giliberti and David Blessington all earned All-Conference honors.

Lady Rocks win Class C title
The East Rockaway Lady Rocks won their ninth county championship with a 49-32 win over Friends Academy last Saturday. Senior guard Alyssa Marinazzo scored 13 points, including 10 in the second half, to lead the offense. Senior Alli Pacheco added nine points for the Rocks who improved to 16-2.