DARIEN, Conn. For the second straight year, a stellar regular season for the Darien YMCA basketball team coached by Joe Marzano ended in disappointment in the Fairfield County Basketball League playoffs.
The sixth-grade boys team lost to Carver Center of Norwalk, 66-64, in overtime in a quarterfinal game Saturday at Saxe Middle School in New Canaan. Justin Jordan scored 26 points for Darien, which finished the season at 26-4. Carver advanced to a semifinal game Sunday.
It feels like déjà vu all over again, Marzano said. Theres something about this building that doesnt feel too good for us.
Justin Jordan led Darien with 26 points, and Nick Green added 14. Will Enzor had 10, and Jack Tierney had seven.
Tyrique Langley scored 42 points for Carver Center, which trailed 47-40 with 3:40 to play after a three-pointer by Enzor. Carver scored eight straight points to retake the lead. The teams traded the lead seven times in the final 2:31.
Jordan, who had 14 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, gave Darien a 58-56 lead with 25 seconds left with his third three-pointer. Carver tied it on two free throws by Langley with 15 seconds left. Langley scored 28 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and the rest of Carver had just one.
Darien took its last lead with 2:32 to go in overtime on a free throw by Tierney. Langley scored the next four points to put Carver ahead to stay. Darien trailed 66-61 with 32 seconds left, but Jordans shot with 8.9 seconds left made it 66-64. Carver missed two free throws with 7.2 seconds left, and Darien had one last chance. It could muster only a desperation three-pointer.
A slow start also cost Darien, which trailed 21-13 early in the second quarter before rallying to take its first lead, 25-23, at halftime. We were flat all game for some reason, Marzano said. I dont know if its because we had a first-round bye, but we missed a lot of shots and made a lot of silly passes.
Darien played better in the second half but had no answer for Langley. It also did not help Darien to take on a Carver team that went 17-2 during the regular season and was placed in the A Division of the tournament.
Its a tough loss, Marzano said. But I dont want it to take away from the last two years all that the kids have accomplished.
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