Wolf Pac can’t close out Huskers in AA quarterfinal OT loss

The Wolf Pac had its chances.

The Mahopac High School boys basketball team rolled into the Yorktown High gym last Thursday (Feb. 26) – a place the Huskers haven’t lost since Dec. 1, 2023 – and had a chance to end the Huskers’ long home winning streak and their season in the Class AA quarterfinals.

But despite No. 7 Mahopac sending the game into OT with a last-second putback from Ethan Dedvukaj that made it 51-51, it was the No. 2 Huskers who broke a 55-55 tie in the extra stanza, scoring the last four points to snatch a 59-55 win.

Yorktown (20-2) advanced to Monday’s semifinals to take on No. 3 Clarkstown North at the Westchester County Center (losing 53-41). Mahopac closed its season at 14-8.

The Wolf Pac got out to a strong start and led the game until Yorktown earned its first tie (37-37) with 36 seconds left in the third. But Mahopac didn’t give up the lead until there was just 3:02 remaining in the fourth, when the Huskers went up 45-43 from the line.

Yorktown hit three free throws with 15 seconds left, giving the Huskers a 51-49 lead, which set up Dedvukaj’s buzzer-beater.

But tied at 55-55 in OT, Yorktown hit a big shot with 1:01 left to go up 57-55, then after a Mahopac miss, went to the line with 15 seconds on the clock and hit two free throws to make it a two-possession game.

“We had our opportunities,” Pac coach Matt Calabro said. “We put ourselves in position to win. We felt we outplayed them and the stats back that up. At the last moment we had opportunities at the rim and couldn’t convert.

“Free throws were also difficult at the end,” Calabro went on. “They got way too many points from the line and that was tough to overcome on the road. It was a devastating way to end for the guys – a hard one to get over. The kids know they had an opportunity to get to the County Center.”

Dedvukaj, a junior, came up big with 20 points (including a key 5-of-8 from three) and seven rebounds. Senior Matt Reilly had a huge night with 17 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and five blocks, while junior Justin Beberman came up with 15 points to go with seven boards, and senior Drew Lichtenberger added eight points and 10 rebounds.

“Reilly was dominant, especially in the first half,” Calabro said. “He really set the tone. Ethan really got going in the second half (Mahopac opened the half with four consecutive threes), and Justin was great with the points but also on the boards and on defense.”

Calabro said the Pac did just about everything right, making the loss a tough one to swallow. “Looking at the stats, we’d expect that game to be a win,” he said. “You have to give some credit to Yorktown for finding a way to pull the game out. But it’s a hard way to end. I love these kids, and it’s always hard to lose the seniors, but especially hard with this group.”