The Searl brothers, Connor and Owen, did the heavy lifting for most of the game, carrying the Tuckers on their backs.
Midway through the fourth quarter, they handed the ball off to Justin Fox and Andrew McKenzie, who helped boost Mattituck to a 44-41 comeback victory over host Port Jefferson in a Suffolk County League VIII win Tuesday night.
“It was not one of our best games,” said freshman guard Connor Searl, who scored 19 points. “But we really gritted it out.”
“It was an ugly win,” added his brother, senior guard Owen Searl, who contributed 15 points. “I’ll take it.”
The Tuckers (5-6, 3-3) will take it to the playoffs, clinching a postseason berth for the eighth consecutive season. Mattituck is 3-0 against their fellow Class B schools — Babylon, Pierson and Port Jefferson (3-7, 1-5) — with three games remaining against them. Teams need at least a .500 league record to qualify.
“I didn’t want to have to wait another week for our next game to clinch it,” head coach Paul Ellwood said, referring to the Babylon game on Jan. 21. “It gives us the second half season, gives me more freedom to go deeper on the bench, play a few more guys and find a little more depth going into the playoffs.”
The Searls did their best to keep Mattituck afloat, combining to score 33 of the team’s first 35 points.
“Those two are very capable of carrying us for a whole night, if they have to,” Ellwood said.
Which they did. “We would not have won this game without them,” said senior forward Andrew McKenzie, who scored four of his six points during a 55-second span in the fourth quarter. “We’re definitely lucky to have them this year.”
The Searls are playing together at the varsity level for the first time.
“It’s a joy, it’s a privilege, definitely, to play with him. We’re both unselfish,” said Owen, who notched six assists. “We both want to win, and we just do what it takes. It’s really enjoyable. I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else, for sure.”
Connor added: “We went from playing in the front yard all the time to now being together [on the same team]. The connection is great, and we just really love each other. It’s been wonderful to be out there.”
Port Jefferson might not have thought so. The opening half was a tight affair as the lead changed hands 10 times along with seven ties. The Royals pulled away to a 34-27 advantage with 1:39 seconds remaining in the third quarter behind an eight-point effort by Patrick Johnson (17 points.) But Connor Searl turned into a oneman show in that period, scoring all of the Tuckers’ 10 points, including six in the final 73 seconds, whittling the deficit to 34-33 entering the fourth quarter.
“We zipped off six quickies,” Ellwood said. “We were happy going into the fourth quarter. The kids, you could see them, just relaxed … one quarter, one point. That’s no big deal. We’ll take that every time with any of the Class B teams. We feel like we can win the fourth quarter.”
And the Tuckers did. After Owen Searl drained a five-footer, Dan Rose countered with a basket to give Port Jefferson a 41-35 lead with 5:26 left. Fox changed the momentum during a 14-second span. He put in two consecutive lay-ups, the second off a steal, to cut the deficit to 41-39 with 4:45 to go.
“In the heat of the moment, I’m just playing. I knew that first half wasn’t my best,” Fox said.“I wanted to step it up. I just got a steal and buried it. And I think that really flipped the game for us.”
Then it was McKenzie’s turn. He tied it at 41 on a layup with 4:08 remaining, before sinking two free throws for a 43 41 edge. “The last few games, we haven’t done that well from the foul line,” he said. “Coach has been pushing us to shoot free throws. That definitely helped.” Owen Searl added a free throw with 11.9 seconds to go, giving Mattituck a three-point lead. During a timeout, Ellwood told his team: “You’ve got to disregard the scouting report. Everyone’s a three-point shooter now.”
He was correct. Rose attempted two treys for Port Jeff but missed both. Then came the final buzzer. Having been asked about his emotions after that sequence, Ellwood replied, “Just a sigh of relief.”
And a playoff berth.