South Kent, Conn.- Harvey’s boys basketball team is on a bit of roll as the Cavaliers from Katonah picked up their fourth win on the season Wednesday after beginning the 2012-13 campaign 0-10. And the latest victory came at the expense of the two-time defending HVAL champion South Kent Cardinals in a game that ended in dramatic fashion with a last second shot and a stunning 55-54 victory for Harvey.
When Harvey traveled to Connecticut, the team was not only looking to extend its winning streak, but also to seek revenge against a South Kent team that beat them by 19 points early on in the season. Playing with confidence and passion, the Cavaliers came out focused and determined early on and took a six-point lead into halftime, 31-25.
When South Kent went on a 20 to 4 run to start the second half and took a 10 point lead, Harvey never gave up and kept chipping away at the double-digit deficit. With a minute to go, Harvey’s sophomore guard Rickey Hicks knocked down a deep 3-point shot to tie the game, but South Kent regained the lead with a free throw and then forced a turnover to gain possession with 45 seconds left to go in the game. Harvey’s Jesse Zubren of Pound Ridge intercepted a cross-court pass and had a clear path to the basketball for the winning layup, but Kenan Williams of South Kent picked his pocket and got the steal with 9 seconds left to go in the game. Harvey was then forced to foul, sending Williams to the line. He missed the first but hit the second, giving South Kent a two-point lead with just 9 seconds to go.
Harvey used its final timeout to draw up a game-winning play. When the action resumed, Jake Cohn of Pound Ridge was able to find Austin Forman open in the right corner. He hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds on the clock. South Kent’s attempt at a full court shot failed, and the Harvey players poured out onto the court and celebrated their biggest win of the season.
“The character of this team has developed so greatly in such a short amount of time. I could not be more proud of my team,” Coach Dom Narcisco said. “The resilience, perseverance, and hard work are starting to pay off. This team is determined to improve every day. The adversity that this team has gone through early in the year has made us a stronger and cohesive basketball family.”
Hicks led Harvey with 17 points. Zubren scored 12 and was the top rebounder with 9. Cohn added 9 points and led Harvey in assists with 5. South Kent’s Garrett Fox led all scorers with 24.
Harvey travels to play Forman on Friday.
