Jamie Bopp, Commack hold Lindenhurst scoreless in overtime in victory

Jamie Bopp felt the ball hit her hand and didn’t think. She started running instead.

The Commack senior forward picked off a pass with just over two minutes left in overtime of Wednesday’s Suffolk II matchup against Lindenhurst, sprinting the length of the court and draining the bucket. The play highlighted the Cougars’ late-game defensive effort as the squad held the Bulldogs scoreless in OT en route to a 59-55 victory.

“I went for it and just kept going to the basket,” said Bopp, who finished with 13 points. “I didn’t really try to think about it because when you do that, you get in your head and start missing. As soon as I saw it, I was praying that I would make it.”

Junior guard Olivia Vasselman, who led Commack with 18 points, added two free throws in OT, but it was the Cougars’ defense that proved to be the difference and a calming force in an otherwise hectic game.

“We said, ‘We have to win this game, and the way we’re going to win is through defense,’ ” Vasselman said. “It was all about pressuring and getting them tired.”

Commack (9-1) forced a handful of turnovers in OT, swarming the ball and bringing pressure from every angle to limit Lindenhurst’s offensive chances. Coach Russ Tietjen credited the Cougars’ depth for their defensive prowess, particularly late in the game, as Commack continued to sub in five players at a time, keeping everyone on the court fresh.

“We’re trying to get people in every minute, so we can pick up the pace,” Tietjen said.  “It’s not always pretty. We also turned the ball over a lot still, but they stayed tough until the end.”

Tietjen also called Commack “resilient” after giving up a lead in the final seconds of regulation.

Ally Carson gave the Cougars a one-point cushion with 54 seconds left in the fourth before Commack forced a turnover by Lindenhurst (6-3). The Cougars couldn’t get the ball up the court though, turning the ball over themselves and, with two seconds left, Lindenhurst sophomore Taylor Santha drew a foul, going 1-for-2 at the line to knot the score at 55.

Despite the miscues, Commack’s defense didn’t miss a step in OT, a performance the Cougars are hoping will be their foundation as they zero in on a deep playoff run.

“We don’t get off you,” Vasselman said. “You think you have a break when you don’t have the ball, you don’t. We’re always nagging at you. We just try to get in their heads, so they don’t think they can score.”