Strong finish for Calhoun

Calhoun boys’ basketball began the second half of conference play on a roll, sweeping all three games they played last week to clinch a playoff spot and move into a tie for second place in Conference A1.

Though their winning streak was snapped on Monday in a loss to undefeated Long Beach, the Colts’ play of late is a very encouraging sign for head coach Jay Kreutzberger, who knew his team could reach the next level if they played with a little more consistency.

After beating MacArthur on Feb. 25 and New Hyde Park on Feb. 28, both for the second time this season, Calhoun faced Garden City at home last Thursday, one of three teams who defeated them in the first half of the season. Overcoming a slow start that saw Garden City up by five after the first quarter, Calhoun held them to seven points in the second quarter to take the lead and never looked back, winning the game 59-55.

It was arguably Calhoun’s best all-around performance yet, as it excelled in three areas that Kretuzberger said required the most improvement: controlling the defensive boards, preventing second shot opportunities and winning loose balls.

“Thursday night was finally an example of us doing all those things against a tough opponent,” said Kreutzberger, noting his team committed just 10 turnovers, halving their game average. “It was really an example of what it means to put it all together.”

Malik Graham scored 21 points in the game, including 11 in the second quarter and eight in the fourth. “He was really pivotal in those two big quarters for us,” his coach said.

Sophomore point guard Chris Stokel contributed nine points and four assists while committing zero turnovers. “A lot of what we do begins with him,” said Kreutzberger. “For him to be that effective and efficient is really important for us.”

In the Colts’ 50-41 win over MacArthur, Graham led all scorers with 18 and sophomore Finley Sheridan scored 12. Against New Hyde Park, Patrick Sanchez hit six three-pointers en route to a game-high 31 points to lead Calhoun to a 68-53 victory.

In their loss on Monday to first-place Long Beach, 69-56, Graham scored a team-high 28 points – his sixth straight game scoring double figures.

Locked in a three-way tie for second place behind Garden City and Mepham as of Tuesday morning, Calhoun will close the season by hosting Herricks on Wednesday, and then visiting both Great Neck South on Friday and Mepham on Monday in a pivotal rematch that will have playoff seeding ramifications.

With their recent play, Calhoun will enter this final stretch on a high note. “We always felt we had more room for growth than our opponents,” Kreutzberger said, noting the youth of two of his core players, Stokel and Sheridan. “They’re learning every single day and their development was going to have an enormous effect on our team’s improvement. We have only scratched the surface of their potential.

“That’s why we’ve been so determined as a group to shore up our weaknesses,” the coach added. “In doing that, I think we can play with anybody.”