Deutsch’s Buzzer-Beater Bounces Bethpage, Lifts Jericho to 53-50 Playoff Win

BY MARCUS KRANZ ’27

On Thursday, February 19, the Class AA No. 4 seeded Jericho Jayhawks defeated the No. 13 seeded Bethpage Golden Eagles in the opening round of the playoffs. The Jayhawks started off strong, but by halftime, they found themselves down by one. However, in the third quarter, the Jayhawks’ offense picked up, and they ended the quarter up by eight points.

In the fourth quarter, Jericho started to pull away. However, Bethpage then came roaring back in the final minutes to cut their 11-point deficit down to one. With the pressure mounting, Max Deutsch ’27 was fouled and went to the line to shoot pivotal free throws. Deutsch missed his first, but regrouped and knocked down the second, extending the Jayhawks’ lead by two, resulting in a score of 50-48. Bethpage responded by tying the game at 50, courtesy of Justin Serio, who had 24 points on the night.

With the clock winding down, team captain Casey Deutsch ’27 pulled up from deep and hoisted a prayer. The shot banked off the backboard and dropped in as time expired, igniting the crowd into a frenzy as the Jayhawks advanced. Deutsch finished the game with a brilliant 25-point performance.

After the game, Deutsch reflected on what was going through his mind as he took the miracle shot. “I thought that I was doing what I needed to do for my team,” he said. “It was big.” 

Shifting his focus toward upcoming challenges on the Jayhawks’ playoff journey, Deutsch added, “We survived, and now we move on to the next.”

As of now, Jericho is set to host the No. 5 seeded Manhasset on Tuesday, February 24, at 7 p.m. in a packed Jericho white-out atmosphere. That is, unless the game is rescheduled due to the current white-out blizzard conditions outside.

Stats provided by Newsday.