Report: Lindy Boys Fall to CI in Basketball Semifinals

Despite rallying and keeping the game close by the end, the team lost its bid against rival in the semifinals on Friday night.

The team was defeated by the CI Musketeers in the Section XI Class AA Semifinals, 64-58.

The Bulldogs on , , and defending Class AA Champ Half Hollow Hills West on Tuesday, , to move forward to meet its rival for first place in League II action this season.

CI landed in first place with Lindy right behind in second place, with a record of 11-3 and overall record of 14-4.

Coached by Bret Kearney, the team was seeded in eighth place while CI was seeded in fifth place going into the Suffolk County playoffs.

And despite the momentum of a solid season and two playoff wins, the team couldn't hold on to beat CI in the teams' third meeting.

According to a report on LongIslandBasketball.com, the League II rivals both came out strong, each hitting three-pointers to get things started. However, the Musketeers followed up with two quick baskets by Jasean Percell and Brandon Hornedo and settled into the lead, according to the same report.

CI was up by 11-3 in the first quarter when Lindy's Aaron Coughlin scored a fast-break basket and Stew Warren scored to keep the Musketeers from taking control, according to the same report. The quarter ended 14-9, CI.

In the second quarter the Bulldogs kept it close, according to the report, with the help of Brandon Hauser's two three-pointers and Rob Sarneckis' score from underneath to give the Bulldogs a one-point lead with 5:40 to go in the half.

The Musketeers rallied and retook the lead on a three-pointer by Shaun Alexander, according to the report. And despite Lindy's 18 points in the second, according to a report on Newsday.com, the team went into halftime trailing 34-27.

CI kept a six-point lead, 44-38, at the third-quarter buzzer, but Lindy was rallying with the help of Hauser and Warren, according to the reports on LongIslandBasketball.com and Newsday.com.

Lindenhurst rallied again in the last quarter, again with the help of Hauser, who hit a three-pointer, and Warren, who hit two free-throws and scored once more at the 2:19 mark to put the team within one point, according to the report on LongIslandBasketball.com.

With thirteen seconds left it was still a one-possession, three-point game, according to the same report, and Lindenhurst called a timeout. Following the Bulldogs took the shot, but it wasn't meant to be, according to the report.

The 61-58 final score propelled CI to move on while ending Lindy's impressive season and playoff run on Friday, at . Warren ended the game with 24 points while Hauser hit 18, according to the same report.