Raiders Make It to the Final Four

Hugh Lindo's three-point play with 17 seconds remaining proved to be the game-winner, as Enfield hung on for a 52-50 victory over Ansonia in the quarterfinals of the Class M boys basketball tournament Friday.

Fourth-seeded Enfield (23-3) will take on Career Magnet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. Career (22-1), the top seed, edged Weaver Friday, 55-52.

Lindo's heroics capped a wild fourth quarter that saw five lead changes, a three-point basket by each team and an effective strategy employed by Enfield coach Cory O'Connell in the final seconds.

Midway through the third quarter, Ansonia took the lead for the first time since the 2:50 mark of the first period. The Chargers upped the advantage to five, but Enfield's Paul Lima drained a three-pointer, then executed a steal and a layup to knot the score 39-39 heading into the fourth quarter.

Three baskets by Tre Preston sandwiched around a pair of Ansonia hoops put the Raiders in front 45-43, but Christian Abdul nailed a three-pointer to give the Chargers the lead once again. Preston tied it with a free throw, and Lima tossed in a long trey to move Enfield back on top, 49-46 with 1:52 to play.

Tarell Vargas and Reggie Finney scored consecutive baskets to give Ansonia a 50-49 lead with 41 seconds left, setting the stage for Lindo's game-winning effort. He took a pass from Lima at the top of the key, drove the right side of the lane and put up a runner that fell through the net as he was fouled by Vargas.

Ansonia coach Todd Manuel called timeout to freeze Lindo at the foul line, but the junior calmly sank the free throw to provide Enfield a two-point margin.

"Those were the scariest minutes of my life," a jubilant Lindo said. "I didn't think I was going to get fouled, but he fouled me. When they called timeout, I thought they were trying to get me off my groove, so I just tried to get back in it."

At this stage, Enfield had committed just three personal fouls in the second half, so O'Connell had the Raiders utilize the three fouls they had to give to eat seconds off the clock.

"I had a little signal where I stomped my feet, because they couldn't hear in the gym," O'Connell said. "They did it to perfection."

The strategy paid off, as Ansonia inbounded the ball for the final time with 4.5 seconds remaining. Finney fired up a desperation heave which bounded off the backboard into the arms of Montell Dobbs, but his fallaway putback attempt bounced off the rim as the horn sounded, punching Enfield's ticket to the Class M Final Four.

"That last rebound and shot seemed like it took about 12 seconds," O'Connell quipped.

Preston was game-high scorer with 21 points, while Lima added 18, including a quartet of three-pointers. Lindo chipped in with 11 points, and was a solid force on the defensive end.

Vargas led Ansonia with 15 points, while Keshant Graham had 14 and Finney contributed 11. The Chargers finished the season with a 14-9 record.