Trojans Win Season Opener at Buzzer

Senior Brent Lavitt's fadeway jumper at the buzzer led the Blind Brook Trojans to a 38-37 victory over the Harrison Huskies Thursday at home, giving the team its first win of the season.

Harrison forward Max Bruckner's jump shot put the team up 37-36, forcing Blind Brook Head Coach Mike Welsh to call a timeout with less than 10 seconds left.

The Trojans then regained possession of the ball on an out of bounds play with five seconds to go, after junior forward Antoine Saliba missed two free throws following a Brian Lauro foul.

But Lavitt's last shot sank through the net and gave his team a stunning last-second victory.

It wasn't that easy at the start, as both teams kept it close throughout the game, tying each other or trailing by no more than three or four points.

"It was just a battle from the opening tap," Welsh said.

Blind Brook junior Jake Jamilkowski's two-pointer at the end of the first quarter pulled the Trojans within two points of the Huskies.

Saliba then tied it at 10-10 to start another back and forth quarter heading into the half, with the Trojans clinging to a 17-15 lead on Sam Adler's two-pointer with less than two minutes left.

Harrison co-captain and guard Brendan O'Shea's bucket put the Huskies up 28-26 to enter the final quarter.

The Trojans played catch up through the rest of the quarter and into the fourth until Saliba came through at the foul line to tie the Huskies at 28-28 after seven scoreless minutes of action.

Welsh called a timeout after freshman guard Coby Lefkowitz gave the Huskies a 30-28 lead with under five minutes to go.

Saliba then tied it at 30-30 before he fouled Bruckner, whose free throw gave the Huskies a 31-30 lead.

But that lead would vanish as the Trojans led 32-31 on another Saliba two-pointer before O'Shea answered with a shot of his own, putting the Huskies in front by one point, 33-32.

Lavitt drove to the basket over a Huskies defender at the three-minute mark, in what could have been the early sealer of the game, but a foul was called on the play.

The Trojans did not back down after Lefkowitz put the Huskies up 35-32, as senior forward Michael Jacobson fouled Trojan senior Robbie Winston. Winston made both free throws and put his team within one point of the Huskies. 

Junior guard Matt Karpf's foul on Saliba gave the Trojans a 36-35 lead with less than a minute to play after Saliba also made both free throws.

Welsh used one of his three remaining timeouts to rally his team. After Welsh's timeout, Huskies Head Coach Gary Chiarella called one of his own when his players took possession of the ball again, leading to Bruckner's  jumpshot followed by another Trojan timeout.

Chiarella knew how tough a team the Trojans were coming into the season opener.

"We expected it be a very close game," he said.

Saliba finished the evening with 18 points, the majority in the second half even as the Huskies double-teamed him.

"We felt we needed to get him the ball," Welsh said of Saliba.

Lavitt and senior Robbie Winston each had four points for the Trojans, while sophomore Sam Adler contributed eight. Jamilkowski and senior Bryan Silverman each scored two.

O'Shea led the Huskies with nine points. Co-captain and senior point guard Michael Chiarella had eight points; senior forward Ryan Evans seven; Bruckner five; and Jacobson two.   

The 2010 Class C Champion Trojans, who moved up to Class B this season thanks to an increase in enrollment numbers, have a tough schedule to start this year's season. The team next plays in a road game at Pleasantville on Monday at 4:30 p.m.

Harrison travels to Westlake for another 4:30 p.m. Class B matchup Wednesday.