Boys basketball: Hamilton falls to Pierson in Class C regional final heartbreaker

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS - Two years ago, Hamilton was a favorite to go all the way. The Red Raiders were just one win away from reaching the Class C state final four, when the COVID-19 pandemic came and put sports to a sudden halt.

On Saturday, Hamilton found itself in a familiar situation — one game away from a trip to Glens Falls, but unfortunately this time, the heartbreak came in a matter of seconds.

Against Section 11 champion Pierson in the NYSPHSAA Class C regional finals at Yorktown High School, Hamilton had its heart broken by a third-chance buzzer-beating basket by Leo Butler, who lifted the Whalers to 65-63 win on Sunday.

"Congratulations to them, tough shot in a big moment," Hamilton coach Keith Wright said. "Just not our way today. We didn't quit. We had an outstanding year, we just came up a little short."

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Hamilton took an early lead behind stellar three-point shooting by Christian Davis. The Red Raiders held a 30-26 lead at the half.

The Red Raiders stayed in front for most of the game, until the fourth quarter, when Pierson started to rally. Wilson Bennett knocked down a shot to give the Whalers their first lead of the game with 5:31 left in the fourth quarter.

"We always have a shot, and we feel very confident in our defense," Butler said. "We know good defense will beat athleticism any day."

Hamilton cooled off offensively, but prevented Pierson from pulling away. The Red Raiders kept it close, before Chris Ward knocked down the game-tying three in the closing seconds of the game.

However, in the final possession of the game, Pierson managed to get a couple of shot attempts off. The Whalers missed their first two shot attempts but came away with offensive rebounds. On the third missed shot, Butler provided the game-winning basket at the buzzer.

"The shot clock was off, so we wanted to take the final shot," Butler said. "We put up two shots, I was able to come in and clean up with an offensive rebound. I snuck in the back, and I just put it up because I knew there was not much time left. It feels awesome, this is what you dream about."

What it means

Pierson's storybook season continues. After winning its first Long Island title in more than 40 years, the Whalers continue onto the state final four. Unfortunately for the Red Raiders, their season falls short of the final four once again.

Hamilton will graduate three seniors: Chris Ward, Jaylen Savage and Wood-Marc Leger.

Player of the game

Wilson Bennett, Pierson: Butler had the heroics, but Bennett was a force all game long. He finished with a game-high 34 points, dealing most of his damage in the post. He also had eight boards and two steals.

"It's do or die, I'm not going out losing," Bennett said of his performance. "We're getting to states, and we're going to bring this back to Pierson. I'm playing in college, but this is my team, this is my family, these are my brothers and I'm going to win for them."

By the numbers

Pierson (19-2) — Cecil Munshin had nine points and eight rebounds. Leo Butler finished with six points, eight rebounds and four assists. Charlie Culver had six points, nine boards, six assists and two blocks.

Hamilton (18-6) — Christian Davis led the Red Raiders with 24 points. Jaylen Savage had 18 points, 14 boards, three steals and two blocks. Chris Ward tallied 12 points, five assists and four steals. As a team, Hamilton shot 9 of 20 from the free-throw line.

Quotable

"We've been fighting all year, so I'm not surprised," said Wright, about his team's ability to battle through the momentum swings of the fourth quarter. "I just wish the outcome was different."

"This feels great," Bennett said. "Coming off of a Long Island championship that we hadn't won in 44 years, then coming in here and being able to do this against a really good team, it's awesome. They put up a fight. That second half, we just had the energy. They hit tough shots, but we were able to get them down the stretch and that last-second bucket by Leo was icing on the cake."

Up next

Pierson will take on Section 4's Newfield in the NYSPHSAA Class C semifinals on Friday at 1 p.m. at Glens Falls' Cool Insuring Arena.

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5, or on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Boys basketball: Hamilton falls to Pierson in Class C regional final