Farvens Ulysse's jumper lifts Malverne past Wheatley in semis
Farvens Ulysse of Malverne takes his foul shot during a Nassau Class B boys basketball semifinal playoff game against Wheatley at Hofstra on Monday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Even during difficult shooting nights, Farvens Ulysse understands that he always has the green light for the Malverne boys basketball team.
On Monday night, he demonstrated exactly why.
With the score tied in a Nassau Class B semifinal, Ulysse sank a contested jumper from just outside the paint with 41 seconds left as No. 2 Malverne beat No. 3 Wheatley, 49-46, at Hofstra’s David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex.
Malverne (18-2) will face Friends Academy in the final at Hofstra on March 2.
"I had a rough game, so I knew that it was the last shot and I had confidence in myself," said Ulysse, who had seven points and three assists. "My coaches had confidence in me. I felt ready, and at the end of the day, I feel like I can take that shot, and I made it. And I thank my coaches for allowing me to take that shot."
Wheatley turned the ball over on the ensuing possession with 17.7 seconds left and fouled Trey Robinson, who hit two free throws to extend Malverne’s lead to 48-44.
After a layup by Wheatley’s Nate Song with 7.1 seconds left, Ulysse hit a free throw a second later for a 49-46 lead. Wheatley then missed a long three-pointer as time expired.
Josh Croom had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Malverne. DeAndre Blagrove had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
Malverne assistant coach Miles Eason said the Mules know they can lean on Ulysse in critical spots down the stretch.
"He knows that when he gets that shot that he needs to take it," Eason said. "We have the ultimate confidence in him."
Malverne took a 17-2 lead with 3:06 left in the opening quarter and brought a 22-10 advantage into the second quarter by utilizing its size and length.
The Wildcats chipped away before moving ahead for the first time at 36-35 on a free throw by Jimmy O’Connell (13 points).
Wheatley (14-6) stretched its lead to 44-39 with 1:55 left before a three-pointer by Croom and two free throws by Chad Wesley tied the score.
"This was a good, tough win," Croom said. "Now we just need to focus on the next one and winning a championship."
