Port Washington boys basketball falls short in state final

BINGHAMTON — Kenny Daly went off glass from beyond the left side of the arc, got fouled and turned it into a stunning four-point play. Port Washington suddenly was down by just a point to Shaker with 16.1 seconds left in the state Class AAA championship game.

“It definitely gave us hope,” Daly said. “Everybody was like, ‘Wow, we’re going to win this game.’ ”

Port Washington had done some wondrous stuff with a basketball in its hands, claiming the program’s first Nassau crown since 1947 and first Long Island championship since 1946. But the Vikings didn’t win this last game for the ultimate prize.

Those final seconds didn’t work out for them, and Shaker was the team jumping up and down near center court Friday night at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena after a 55-50 victory.

“It’s tough,” Vikings coach Sean Dooley said after his team finished 21-5. “We wanted to win it. We didn’t come up here just to participate. We came up here to win . . . They fought so hard.

“That’s the best team that we’ve played probably all season, especially in this playoff run. They are so good offensively, defensively. They’re well-coached. For us to be in that game all the way to the end is a testament to how good we are.”

The pain was etched on the faces of his players. It was especially difficult for the seniors.

“You’re so close, one-point game at one point there,” Daly said after scoring a career high-tying 23 points, matching what he posted against Jamestown in Thursday night’s semifinal. “Our careers are over. It hurts. I love basketball. I can’t play in front of this many people ever again. It just hurts.”

Shaker survived a double-overtime game against Newburgh Free Academy in the semis before holding off this stiff challenge from Port Washington. So Blue Bison coach Aric Kucel was just overflowing with joy. His Section II program owned its first state championship.

“My entire coaching career has ended in heartbreak,” Kucel said. “And now, it’s just . . . I’m just so proud of our kids. I’m at a loss for words.”

After a timeout, Port Washington fouled Bless Demand with 15.5 on the clock. The junior guard, who saved Shaker’s season by nailing a tying three late in regulation in the semifinal, missed the first and then the second, but he got to the rebound.

Dooley put his hands behind his head in exasperation.

Remember the Uniondale game in 2020? Dooley did.

“Tough,” Dooley said, “because it was a flashback to another semifinal that we lost in the counties because we gave up an offensive rebound off a missed free throw.”

Demand got fouled again at 9.8 and made both, giving him 17 points and his team a three-point edge.

Shaker fouled Cole Reyes with six seconds left. He missed the first and then the second on purpose.

Ryan Shanahan grabbed the offensive rebound for the Vikings and was fouled at 3.7. He missed the first and then the second on purpose, but it didn’t matter. Port Washington was called for a lane violation.

Tye Mariano was fouled before the ball could be inbounded and clinched it with two free throws.

Shanahan said, “At the end of the day, we lost this game. But we’re proud of what we did this year.”

It was 27-24 Shaker at the intermission, but the Vikings managed just six points in the third and trailed 36-30.

“They made shots; we missed shots,” Dooley said. “I think that’s the story of the game.”

Beyond that, the story of the season was special.

“I mean being like one shot away from being state champion, the only way it could be better is if we had that one shot,” Dooley said. “We came in second in the state essentially. We wanted to be first, but being second is better than being 10th, 11th, 12th. So I’m so proud of these kids.”