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Ward Melville senior guard Robert Soto scores to lead his team with 18 points against Central Islip but fell to the Musketeers in the final two seconds of the Jan. 4 League I matchup. Photo by Bill Landon

Ward Melville senior guard Robert Soto flies to the rim leading his team in scoring with 18 points. Photo by Bill Landon

Ward Melville senior guard Robert Soto flies to the rim scoring two of his 18 points. Photo by Bill Landon

Ward Melville senior guard Ray Grabowski scores two of his 14 points against Central Islip Jan. 4. Photo by Bill Landon

Ward Melville junior forward Paul Otto Nicholson scores against Central Islip in a Jan. 4 League I matchup. Photo by Bill Landon

Ward Melville junior forward Paul Otto Nicholson scores against a Central Islip defender in a Jan. 4 League I matchup. Photo by Bill Landon

Ward Melville junior forward Myles Brown drives to the basket, flies to the rim scoring two of his 7 points against Central Islip Jan. 4. Photo by Bill Landon

Ward Melville senior forward Marcus Velez with a put back against Central Islip in a Jan. 4 League I matchup. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
Ward Melville boys basketball lost a heartbreaker in the final seconds of a League I matchup against Central Islip on the road Jan. 4 despite leading by nine points earlier in the game. The Musketeers battled their way back to tie the game at 66 when Central Islip junior guard Ty-Shon Pannell drained a 3-pointer from well beyond the arc with 2.1 seconds left in regulation.
The Patriots in-bounded the ball and took the Hail Mary shot without success, dropping the league game, 69-66.
Robert Soto led the way for the Patriots with three field goals, a trey and nine free throws for 18 points. Ray Grabowski followed with two triples, two field goals and four points from the charity stripe netting 14 points.