By Joseph Staszewski
TRENTON, N.J. — Joe Arbitello was yelling for a timeout as T.J. Curry sailed out of bounds with Christ the King down three in the final 30 seconds.
It was not granted.
Instead, Half Hollow Hills West (L.I.) ended up with the ball after a wild scrabble that saw Tavon Sledge jump over Curry’s attempt to hit the ball off his leg.
“I said, ‘Why didn’t you give me a timeout?’” Arbitello said he asked the official. “He said, ‘It’s not the call, it’s illegal.’ He is 100 percent wrong. … It’s a big play.”
Instead, Hills West pulled out a 73-69 win over CK in the Primetime Shootout at the Sun National Bank Center Sunday afternoon. Omar Calhoun scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Royals (18-5). Maurice Barrow scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and Dominykas Milka had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Sledge had 23 points for the Colts (18-0) and Tennessee-bound forward Tobias Harris added 19.
“We had to start going inside and finishing plays because shots weren’t falling,” Calhoun said.
Hills West grabbed its largest lead at 56-47 to start the fourth as Harris, who fouled out with 1:53 left in the game, had five third-quarter blocks. Barrow said they tried to attack Harris after he picked up his fourth early in the final quarter. Calhoun made two free throws after Corey Edwards could not finish a three-point play to get the Royals, which made just one three-pointer, within 71-69 with 52 seconds left in the game.
“I just wanted to keep being aggressive and keep my team in the game,” Calhoun said. “I just wanted to try to do my part and find a way to win by any means necessary.”
Christ the King, which is No. 1 in the Post’s New York City boys basketball rankings, had its chances prior. Curry missed a three-pointer with 1:30 left and both Calhoun and Milka would miss from close range with 20 seconds remaining and a long tip caused the late scrabble. Curry slammed the ball into the court and saw it sail all the way to the other sideline and saved by a diving Mike Catapano for Hills. Tyler Harris, Tobias’ brother, sealed it at the free throw line with 2.4 seconds remaining.
“Sometimes there is nothing you can do,” Arbitello said. “You are due to lose the game.”
The Royals had just 10 points in the first quarter, but led 34-33 at the half with Tobias Harris missing most of the second quarter. Milka began to dominate inside. Sledge, though, who was sensational in a win over Bishop Loughlin earlier this season, was again just that. He shifted through CK defenders for points and assists.
Arbitello questioned his team’s readiness to play, something that also plagued them in an overtime win at Holy Cross Friday. He said one can’t come out flat against good teams and expect to win. The coach felt the game against Hills West shouldn’t have been close. Curry shouldn’t have needed to try to make a leaping save in the final seconds.
“We did it against Holy Cross,” Barrow said of CK coming out flat. “But [we were] lucky we fought it out and won.”
Good fortune was not on their side this time around.
Reach Joseph Staszewski at jstaszewski@nypost.com.
