Calhoun rolls past VSC

No. 12 Calhoun came away with an upset 59-37 win against No. 5 Valley Stream Central last Friday night, and will move on to the quarterfinal round of the Nassau Class AA boys’ basketball tournament. The backcourt duo of Kyle McGinley and Eric Ohlendorf led the way for the Colts, combining to score 30 points.

“We were making our shots when we were open,” McGinley said. “We just kept on building our lead in that third quarter.”

Calhoun held just a six-point advantage at halftime, but would take control of the game in the third. It would finish the quarter on an 11-0 run, led by the sharp shooting of Ohlendorf.

The Colts would continue to expand their lead in the fourth, as a stunned Valley Stream Central crowd sat in silence. An Eagles team that had won eight of its last nine games to end the regular season struggled to keep up with the speed, athleticism, and effort that Calhoun brought after blowing out Herricks earlier last week.

McGinley and Ohlendorf both finished with a game-high 15 points. Senior Brian Downey also put forth a big effort for the Colts, adding 11 points, and frequently fighting and diving on the floor for loose balls. 

Senior Kevin Blocker led Valley Stream Central with 12 points. Senior Andre Garroway and junior Winston Jones also finished with 7 points apiece. 

Just two days earlier Calhoun took on Herricks in a play-in game, and was able to come away with a surprisingly easy 83-48 victory to keep their season alive.

“We really sort of found determination this past week,” Calhoun head coach Jay Kreutzberger said. “I think we took that momentum from the Herricks game and just rode it into this one.”

The Colts defense was able to frequently force the Eagles into turnovers. They were also able to contain 6’6 forward Eriq Williams, who had been a force on the glass his previous two games.

One key moment in the third quarter occurred when Williams looked to go up from under the hoop for what appeared to be an easy layup. But, the much short McGinley was able to get a hand on his attempt, and knock the ball out of bounds. 

“He beat me baseline, and I wasn’t going to let him get two points on me, because it was a close game at that point,” McGinley said. “I was determined to get that ball and I did.” While Kreutzberger realizes his team lacks the size that many of their opponents have, he still feels confident in his group’s ability.

“We feel that we have athleticism to play with any team in the county,” he said. “We got guys who play bigger than their frames and show a tremendous amount of physicality.”

As for Valley Stream Central, despite the difficult end, head coach Hayward Alfred still views the season as a success. “We finished 9-3 in our conference, with a lifetime of memories that we can look back on,” he said.