Greenport series against Southold, rivals to face off again Jan. 30

Great expectations can sometimes lead to disappointment.

Friday night’s Greenport vs. Southold boys basketball game, however, definitely lived up to the hype.

The Suffolk County League VII confrontation had a little bit of everything. It was played with great intensity and saw heroics from both sides in the Porters’ 62-54 home victory before a huge, enthusiastic crowd.

Junior guard Nelson Shedrick scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, and Kal-El Marine added 10 of his 15 points for Greenport (5-5, 4-1), which extended its winning streak to five games.

The triumph evened the season series between the two schools. Southold (5-6, 3-3) won the first encounter, 49-45, on Dec. 19, with a third contest scheduled for Jan. 30 at Southold.

As the only Class C schools in the county, the two sides are expected to clash a fourth time in the county finals at Southampton on Feb. 29.

“It is big for both teams to know that we can beat each other and to be to be the better team,” Greenport head coach Justin Moore said. “For us to take one tonight, we love it. We’ll take it.”

“This is what every game between us is going to be,” Southold head coach Lucas Grigonis said. “I wouldn’t expect anything else from this rivalry.”

The opening half was played at a blistering pace, which had a downside for both teams.

Greenport suffered from ice-cold shooting, connecting on only 29% (8-for-31) of shots from the field.

“I definitely think it is intensity,” Moore said. “You want to make the shot. It’s a big turnout. In the second half we got a little settled and got ourselves going.”

Southold committed 19 turnovers in the half.

“You have to be able to think and function well under pressure,” Grigonis said. “It’s something that we need to improve on. That’s what these games are going to be. So, get used to it. This is the environment.”

The contest was tied five times and there were nine lead changes before junior forward Taiquan Brumsey (nine points) snapped a 16-16 deadlock with a lay-up with one minute and 31 seconds remaining in the first half. It was part of a 9-0 tear that left Greenport with a 23-16 halftime advantage as Shedrick canned a three-pointer with 12 seconds remaining.

The Porters never relinquished the lead, but the Settlers kept within striking distance. Freshman Kyan Olsen (10 points), a recent junior varsity call-up, sank a trey to cut the deficit to 38-34 with 3:14 left in the third quarter. Marine’s driving shot and Shedrick’s lay-up within a 12-second span late in the period boosted Greenport’s lead.

“My coach always tells me that the third quarter’s the most important,” Marine said. “We came out with energy.”

In contrast to the first half, the Porters shot a torrid 69% (16-for-23) from the field in the final half.

“It just clicked in our minds,” Shedrick said. “We know if we had lost this it will be a possible chance [of being] out of the playoffs. We want to go all the way, trying to make it upstate.”

Shedrick found seams in the defense for back-door lay-ups.

“The shots weren’t falling from outside,” he said. “I’m just going to drive and see what I can get out of it.”

The 6-foot-1 guard has been a revelation, averaging a team-best 16.6 points per game.

“He definitely took a big step,” Moore said. “He takes steps every game. If he keeps getting better, we’ll keep pushing forward.”

After missing every trey attempt in the first half, Marine put away three after the break. When the Settlers pulled within 51-49, Marine sank a huge three-pointer with 2:57 remaining.

“There’s been games I missed five shots in a row,” he said. “This game I was 0-for-4 but my coach always tells me to keep shooting. That positivity helps my confidence.”

Guard Jake Steinfeld’s 14 points paced Southold, and forward Skyler Valderama added 11.

Both coaches were intense, shouting instructions and exhorting their players.

Asked if he could enjoy the game while in progress despite the intensity, Moore replied, “I can see our growth and I see how much better we are at Game 10 than we were at Game One,” he said. “As a coach, that’s what you want to see. I get satisfaction in that but it’s also my job to keep pushing us to the highest level. I get to enjoy that.”