Carle Place boys basketball's Ryan Leary lifts Frogs to Long Island Class B championship repeat

Ryan Leary was standing on the court at Farmingdale State, wearing one of the nets around his neck while holding a Long Island championship plaque — the finest in fashion and accessories for a winner.

“Yeah, it’s a great look,” Leary said. “You can’t get any better than that.”

This day came with everything the sensational senior from Carle Place could have wanted.

The Frogs followed up their Nassau Class B title with a Long Island Class B title, beating Southampton, 54-47, on Tuesday, making this the first season in program history that the team repeated for both.

But the game also came with Leary’s 2,000th point. The Pace-bound guard needed 16 and finished with a team-high 20.

“It’s just surreal,” Leary said. “Every single championship I get, it just gets better and better and better. Words can’t even describe it.

“I knew how many points I needed, but my main goal, I was just thinking about winning the Long Island championship. If I lose, my career is over. So I wasn’t worried about the points . . . Survive and advance.”

That said, that’s a whole lot of points.

“It’s unbelievable,” Carle Place coach John Cantwell said. “It took him only four years. He did nothing in eighth grade except eight points. But I think the achievement is not the number. It’s the work ethic he put in behind closed doors that made him what he is.

“He’s the best basketball player to ever come out of Carle Place.”

Cantwell and Leary have an agreement.

“The agreement is to get to states,” Cantwell said.

As in the final four in Binghamton. The 17-6 Frogs have won 11 straight and are one step away.

This game also served as a Southeast Regional semifinal. Carle Place will play in the regional final at 1  p.m. on Saturday back at Farmingdale State against the winner of Wednesday’s game between Woodlands of Section I and Onteora of Section IX. Woodlands ousted Carle Place in the state semis last March.

“Everything in practice feels like it paid off,” junior forward Mario D’Alessandro said after contributing 17 points and 10 rebounds. “ . . . We all just really want to get to states and we all will do anything to get to states.”

Southampton got five threes and 23 points from Sae’vion Ward and 13 points from Alex Franklin, but the Mariners ended with league and Suffolk titles and a 16-6 record.

“We played teams that were top echelon, and we played really well for the most part,” coach Herm Lamison said. " . . . They got better as the season went along. I was happy with that. I really thought we had a really good shot to win this thing.”

Caden Saccone scored 11, and the eighth-grade guard gave Carle Place a 36-34 lead with a three to open the fourth. The lead was still two at 40-38, and then the Frogs went on an 8-0 run.

Leary capped the burst with his milestone basket, making it 48-38 with 3:34 left. He stole the ball and drove — 2,000 points.

“Getting 2,000, I didn’t even think it was possible, really,” Leary said. “It was just such a large number to just like comprehend.”

Leary, who also delivered 12 rebounds and four assists, didn’t score in the first quarter, while Ward scored 13. The Mariners led 19-11 after one and then 23-11.

Then, Lamison said, “We just got stale.”

Carle Place switched defensively from zone to man. The Southampton advantage was down to 27-23 at halftime and to 34-33 after three.

“I want to go out my senior year with a state championship,” Leary said. “That’s my main goal. That’s the whole team’s goal.”