Well, this time the magic didn't hold. The Manhasset High School Boys Varsity Basketball team lost to Great Neck South (GNS) in another very close and hard fought game, 63-60 to end the Indians season.

The Tuesday afternoon quarterfinal game was played in a very warm Bellmore JFK high school gym and the Indians came out equally hot. With four Manhasset players eventually reaching double-figures for the game, the passes were crisp, the shots were falling and the defense was strong. The Indians jumped out to a 19-8 first quarter lead. Senior guard Scott Madison (9 points) was hot from the start, as was center Frank Coughlin (11 points) and point guard Eric Fitzig (11 points, three 3's).

The second quarter began like the first, as forward Marcello Barrera (11 points) and forward Patrick Judge (16 points, two 3's) extended the Indians commanding lead to 28-12. At this point it surely looked like a blowout in the Indians favor.

However, a smart time out by GNS and a defensive change in plans for GNS, changed the whole game. GNS switched to a half-court trapping zone defense that seemed to confuse the Indians. This forced turnovers and bad passes which led to several easy baskets. In a matter of moments, the big lead disappeared and a nip and tuck game was on. The half ended with the Indians clinging to a 28-26 lead.

The third quarter continued as the second ended, with GNS in command and the early Indian momentum gone. The defense and rebounding on both teams became fierce, but the Indians trailed after three quarters, 43-39.

The fourth began with GNS on fire and soon had the lead extended to 10 and more. With three minutes left in the game the Indians were down by ten points. With 1:06 remaining the Indians were still down 58-49, and all looked lost. But this has been a team that has thrived in situations like this all year, and this game was to be no different.

A combination of good coaching strategy, good defense, tough rebounding and long-range shooting brought the Indians back. First, Barrera hit a long three from the left corner, GNS missed a foul shot, and Judge came down and hit a jumper. GNS hit two free throws to go up 60-54. A deep 3-pointer by Judge and two more foul shots by GNS closed the score to 62-57 with 16 seconds still to play. The Indians needed a quick basket and tough-as-nails Fitzig came down court and drilled a 30 foot 3-pointer, to bring the Indians within two points. A quick foul, a hit foul shot, and with eight seconds left, GNS was up 63-60. The Indians, with no timeouts, raced up court and swung the ball to the right side and missed a game tying shot at the buzzer.

For a team that was not highly rated by many going into this season, the Indians, who finished at 14-6 record for the season, exceeded expectations. They won their conference. Coach George Bruns got Conference Coach of the Year and several players received honors. But that's not the story of this team. They thrived on team play, both offensively and defensively. They never said die.

In all, this Indian team will be remembered for the remarkable ability to rally and hustle and never give up when a game seemed lost. They won four games by one point, three more in overtime, another three by three points, and played 13 of 20 games within a five-point spread. They had fun playing and it was fun to watch.