Kearny Is Upset by Helix

Helix forward Lloyd Lake was still out of breath Friday as he hugged his teammates and celebrated the seventh-seeded Highlanders’ 64-61 upset over second-seeded Kearny in the quarterfinals of the boys’ Division II section basketball playoffs.

“When we thought (the Komets) were dead, they kept coming back,” said Lake, who led all scorers with 26 points. “We weren’t even supposed to have a winning season. Tonight, everybody contributed. Everybody on this team. Everybody!”

The senior’s eyes were watery with tears of happiness after taking a 2-minute, 30-second ride on an emotional roller coaster. With 2:30 left in the game, Lake made a layup and was fouled by Kearny point guard Ali Nayab.

Before he went to the line, Lake pranced out to center court, did the splits and--in front a packed and very large crowd in No. 2 Kearny’s gym--slapped each of his teammates with low fives. Then Lake went back to the line and made the free throw, completing a three-point play and giving Helix (19-6) its biggest lead--nine points.

Then Lake watched as Nayab buried two three-pointers, and the Komets (26-3) cut Helix’s 59-50 lead to 62-61 with 20 seconds left.

But with eight seconds left, Marc Baskin, a junior reserve guard, went to the line with a one-and-one and the chance to be Helix’s hero. Baskin, who finished with four points, made both shots and the Highlanders held on while the Komets missed three shots at the other end as time ran out.

“I figured they were going to be really tough,” Lake said. “But it was our free-throws at the end, and we wouldn’t quit.”

Helix outscored Kearny, 21-5, at the free-throw line, yet it was Helix that had the early foul trouble. Three of its starters had two or more fouls while no Kearny player had more than one foul with Helix leading, 28-26, at halftime.

The problem for Kearny all night was shooting. The Komets shot 33%. At times, it looked like Kearny’s basket had an imaginary lid. Kearny became frustrated, and its shot selection deteriorated in the second half. Nayab, who led the Komets with 18 points, was four for 20 from the field before he swished his late three-pointers.

Nayab was a picture of frustration as he was twice whistled for reaching in during two apparent steals. Then, with 29 seconds left and Kearny trailing by five, Nayab was called for an illegal dribble.

“I don’t know what we shot; it had to be in the 20s,” Kearny Coach Bill Peterson said. “Somebody smarter than me said ‘All good things come to an end.’ We had a hell of a year. I’ll take (26-3) next year. I think the law of averages caugut up to us.

“We won 18 straight ballgames.”

Kearny, playing without senior center Steve Marshall (chicken pox), led only three times: 2-0, 18-17 and 34-33. That last lead came 2:03 into the third quarter and preceded a 12-2 run by Helix. Seven different Helix players scored during that run that made it 45-36, Helix.

Lake was right. Everybody contributed.