McLean's hustle sparks Harborfields' semifinal win
Eric McLean (30) shoots over Islips's Andrew Oberg (24). Harborfields defeated Islip 65-58. (February 24, 2010) Credit: Kathy Kmonicek
Threes rained, shots were swatted and guards snaked through the lane with stutter-steps and crossovers. But never was the raucous crowd more loud than when Eric McLean, a role player, did seemingly the simplest of things: hustle and cash in at the foul line.
With Harborfields holding a five-point lead in the waning seconds, Patrick Ryan missed his second free throw and the ball caromed off the side of the rim, ticketed for the right sideline. But there was the 6-6 McLean, sprawling out to snare the ball about a foot from the line. He made the recovery and was fouled with 11.2 seconds left.
As the "goodbye" chants rang out, McLean calmly sank two clinching free throws as the top-seeded Tornadoes staved off Islip, 65-58, last night in a Suffolk Class A semifinal.
Harborfields, which advanced to the final for the second time in three seasons, will face Bayport-Blue Point at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Farmingdale State.
"I just knew I needed to get that rebound and if I could hit those free throws, we'd be a step closer to where we want to be," said McLean, who scored four points.
Harborfields (17-2) led 57-48 with 1:44 left after Ryan's floater in the lane, but No. 5 Islip never allowed them to get comfortable. Matt McPartland (12 points) answered with a three and added a free throw with 1:24 left to pull the Buccaneers within five. That brought on the "No, you can't!" chants from Harborfields fans, which elicited a "We just did!" return from the Islip contingent.
But Matt McLeod (seven points) put an end to the back-and-forth, dropping in a finger roll with 51 seconds left.
"I was struggling all game," said McLeod, one of several Tornadoes who sported a playoff mohawk. "I set a screen for Matt Curry and Ryan set a pick for me. Lucas (Woodhouse) got me the ball and I was wide open to the basket."
David Powell swished a three-pointer with 4.9 left for Islip (13-7), but Curry applied the finishing touch, hitting two free throws with 0.8 left. Fitting, as it was he who picked up the scoring inside as Harborfields' up-tempo offense was slowed in the second half by Islip's shifting zones.
"If there was a hole in the defense, I was just trying to crash it," said Curry, who had 22 points and eight rebounds. Woodhouse had 13 points and 10 assists and Nick Fessenden added 10 points and seven rebounds.
Islip hasn't beaten Harborfields since 2008 but came within a point in their last regular-season meeting. "I hate Harborfields with a passion," said Andrew Oberg, who had 10 points.
The rivalry has become so heated signs were posted outside the gym directing Islip fans to the right bleachers and Harborfields' to the left. Even the cheerleaders went at it at halftime, countering each other's cartwheel-somersault combos.
"When everyone is like this," Curry said, "it gets the intensity up."
