Luke Seltzer, Pierson fall to Haldane in state 'C' Southeast Regional final
Whalers’ Keanu King (seven points) gets fouled by Haldane‘s Evan Giachinta in state Class C Southeast Regional final on Friday, March 10, 2023. Credit: George A Faella
Junior forward Luke Seltzer walked off the basketball court at Eastport-South Manor beaten but not down.
Pierson had battled back from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to tie the score at 51 on Seltzer’s three-pointer before Haldane pulled away for a 57-53 win in the state Class C boys basketball Southeast Regional final on Friday night in Manorville. Seltzer, who scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds, vowed to lead Pierson back to the state tournament.
“We took on the personality of one of our coaches who has been battling lung cancer,” Seltzer said. “And he’s been an inspiration and great motivation for us all season. And it doesn’t matter how things are going, he helps us keep everything in perspective. We’re a young team and we’ll be back here next year.”
Pierson coach Will Fujita said he was proud of his team and the way it came back. Pierson, which finished 15-9, never led in the game.
“Our assistant coach Kevin O’Halloran is fighting lung cancer for more than a year now and he’s the toughest dude I know,” said Fujita, in his fourth year. “The boys see that fight in him. And he’s a great coach and they love him — we all do. We only graduate one senior, and this group will be in the gym working very hard on Monday.”
After Seltzer drilled the long three-pointer with 2:49 left to tie the score, Haldane’s Matt Nachamkin answered with a quick bucket for the 53-51 lead. Pierson missed a long three that would have given the Whalers their first lead and Haldane’s Matteo Cervone hit one of two free throws for a three-point lead with 56 seconds left.
Seltzer hit two free throws to get the Whalers within 54-53 with 41 seconds left but Cervone hit two free throws with 30 seconds remaining to push the lead back to three.
“We were careless and lazy with the ball in the first half,” Fujita said. “The Haldane guards created pressure and the big men controlled the boards.”
Cervone finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds and Nachamkin had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Haldane, which failed to hit a three-pointer and won with a strong inside presence. “We played a physical game inside and we tried to keep a hand in the face of their best shooter, [Aven Smith],” Cervone said. “He was an excellent shooter and still found a way to get open and keep them close.”
Smith hit six three-pointers and finished with 25 for the Whalers.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
