Joe Kiely, Nate Grossman, Carter Prizzi help Cold Spring Harbor roll into Class B title game

It took some time for Cold Spring Harbor to find its way. The Seahawks discovered that the right direction was located on the defensive side, and look where they are now.

They’re in the Nassau Class B boys basketball championship game.

Top-seeded Cold Spring Harbor defeated No. 4 Oyster Bay 57-36 in Friday night’s semifinal at Farmingdale State College — the Seahawks’ ninth straight victory.

Senior forward Joe Kiely was among those at the forefront with 12 points and seven rebounds. Senior guard Nate Grossman posted 11 points, eight rebounds and two steals. And 6-8 sophomore center Carter Prizzi contributed 10 points, nine rebounds and five blocks.

So a team that started 4-7 is now 13-7.

“We’ve always played hard, but I think now we know our team has an identity,” coach Jason Mercurio said. “I think in the beginning of the year, we didn’t have an identity. Our identity is our defense. … And Carter developing into a better defensive player, blocking shots and being more active, has helped all the other kids.”

The Seahawks will go for their first county title since 2019 at 8 p.m. on March 7 back at Farmingdale State. They will face the winner of Friday night’s other semifinal between second-seeded Carle Place and No. 3 East Rockaway.

“We talk about making a run at states and possibly winning the first state championship in Cold Spring Harbor history,” Kiely said, calling it “100%” plausible. “We have a group of four seniors in the starting lineup. We all care for each other. We’ve been playing (together) since like sixth grade, fourth grade. And all we do is want to win.”

Oyster Bay (3-15), which got nine points apiece from Griffin Lauder and Chase Lordi, started an eighth grader, two freshmen, a sophomore and a junior. They had just two seniors.

The inexperience showed, as did the Seahawks’ experience.

Kiely scored the first four points of the game. That launched a 13-0 run.

It was 13-1 after eight minutes.

“Holding them to one point in the first quarter definitely set the tone,” Mercurio said.

Grossman went on an 8-0 run to close the half, making it a 25-7 game.

“Every time you have an average age of ninth grade, there’s going to be jitters,” Baymen coach Matt Brust said. “We’ve been fighting it all year. It’s a big playoff game for these kids. It’s a huge learning experience.”