VSC beats Calhoun, closer to playoffs

Sparked by the inside play of junior Xavier Grier (eight points, 12 rebounds) and sophomore Eriq Williams (16 points) and strong perimeter play by senior Michael Russo, visiting Valley Stream Central knocked off Calhoun, 57-42, last Friday night to capture a crucial battle in Conference AA-II boys’ basketball.

The Eagles (6-6 overall, 5-4 in conference play) won for the second time in their last three conference games and stayed in the thick of the playoff hunt, while the Colts (4-8, 3-6) dropped their fourth in a row.

“We have to win as a team and not play hero basketball,” VSC coach Hayward Alfred said. “Every week is a playoff game.”

The Eagles scored 10 of the game’s final 12 points over the last 3:36, and free-throw shooting accounted for six of them. Russo did most of his damage from the line, converting 10 of 12 attempts and hit three baskets — all from downtown — to account for his game-high 19 points. A concerted effort to get the ball down low had Calhoun in consistent foul trouble, as evidenced by Valley Stream Central’s 33 free-throw attempts.

But even if the pace slowed thanks to the parade of free throws down the stretch, it was anything but for much of the second half. A baseline dunk by junior Jonathan Grimsley late in the third quarter opened up the largest margin of the game — a 14-point lead for Valley Stream Central — but it also seemed to spark the host Colts. After Grimsley skied to the rim, Calhoun and its zone defense seemed to come alive. The Colts filled the passing lanes on the defense end of the court and came up with four steals over the next handful of possessions. “We play a 1-3-1 that’s a little different from a traditional 1-3-1,” Calhoun coach Jay Kreutzberger said. “Since I’ve been coaching here, defense has always been our bread and butter.”

That aggressiveness on defense helped fuel a mini-run on the scoreboard, as the Colts scored 14 of the next 21 points after Grimsley’s dunk. A layup by sophomore Brian Downey trimmed the 14-point deficit to just 47-40 with 3:36 to play. “Learning how to win is the hardest part about winning,” Heyward said of fighting off the second half push.