Deerfield traveled to Suffield, CT Wednesday and lost a close game to a strong Suffield Academy squad. Suffield jumped out to a 12-4 lead, but Deerfield fought back. Will Machnik tied the game at 14-14 with an athletic finish in transition. The Tigers responded with a quick two, and Brady Read immediately evened the score with a high-arching 17’ floater from the right baseline. The Tigers went on a 17-0 run, stretching their lead to 33-16 with three minutes to play in the first half. The Doors continued to fight, and Max Peh scored several important buckets under the hoop. Deerfield was able to cut the lead to 35-25 at the half, thanks to a brilliant 45-foot buzzer beater by Theo Lewis.
Deerfield played relentless defense in the second half; Theo Lewis and Jeff Wang led the team’s effort to limit the Tigers’ three-point shooting. Steals and fast break layups were key to the effort in the second half: Liu hit Wang for an agile step through lefty finish; Lewis hit Mac Hynds for a smooth right-handed layup; and Lewis capped the run with two consecutive steals, a bucket, and an assist to Liu. With only 30 seconds remaining, Deerfield had cut the lead to just 3. Unfortunately, Suffield’s excellent free throw shooting down the stretch sealed the victory.
Lewis finished the game with the team-high 10 points. Liu and Peh chipped in 9 and 8, respectively.