Bay Shore coach Navro Robinson had to make a choice.
With four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter -- and the Marauders trailing Uniondale by 11 -- Robinson decided to take his best player off the court.
Booker Hucks -- his 6'5 senior guard sensation -- already had four fouls and the coach wasn't about to let him pick up his fifth. The rationale: "At that time, I needed defensive stops and I was afraid he was going to foul out. I pulled him out trying to save him for a minute or two, get a couple stops, and hopefully he could bring us to victory."
Unfortunately, the plan didn't work. The Knights eventually pulled away and Hucks fouled out with 42 seconds. The final score: 70-57.
Not that Hucks' absence was the sole reason for his team's collapse. After they made it 46-44 at the end of the third, ill-advised shots, a few turnovers and some missed free throws cost Bay Shore in the end. (The Marauders went 7-for-14 from the line in the second half.)
So, naturally my first question to Robinson after the game was: 'If you could do it all over again….?
His response: "If I could do it again, yeah I probably would've just left him in and let him foul out."
But who says hindsight is always 20/20?