Big overtime win for VSN

Valley Stream North rallied from a nine-point deficit to squeeze out a 51-50 overtime victory over visiting Roosevelt in a Nassau Conference A-IV boys’ basketball game last Friday night.

Junior center C.J. Byron poured in 21 points and ripped down 11 rebounds to lead the Spartans, who snapped a two-game slide and improved to 4-2 in conference play and 4-9 overall. Senior guard Sean Douglas added 12 points and six rebounds. North outscored the Rough Riders 5-4 in the four-minute OT.

“We needed this one to get back on track,” VSN coach Fabian Jara said. “We brought back only one starter and the guys are learning how to win. That’s not an easy thing to accomplish with the level of experience we’ve got.”

Sophomore Anthony Martelli, the team’s lone returning starter, had 10 points against Roosevelt and helped turn things around by leading the defensive pressure along with Douglas and junior point guard Marvin Eveillard. “Not once did we lose sight of the fact we can out-run them,” Jara said. “Once we pressed them properly, we got some turnovers and converted them into points.”

Bryon, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds in a win at Roosevelt on Jan. 8, burned the Rough Riders again in what Jara called his best game of the season. “They couldn’t contain him,” Jara said. “C.J. was too tough down low.”

The game was pivotal for North, which lost two straight after opening the conference slate with three consecutive wins. Jara attributes the strong start against conference foes to a rugged non-league schedule that included games against West Hempstead, Hewlett, Bellmore-JFK, East Meadow and Carey. “We played some high-quality teams and bigger schools in non-league,” he said. “We didn’t get any bragging rights points, but we did gain experience points. I was a little concerned about our confidence, but I think the kids realized the talent we were up against in December.”

When the calendar flipped to January, so did the Spartans’ luck. They got 24 points from Martelli in the aforementioned victory at Roosevelt, Martelli and Douglas hit for 18 apiece to lead a triumph over Island Trees, and Douglas popped for 23 in a win over Clarke. The first conference loss came Jan. 18 at Mineola, 55-54, and North let a double-digit lead in the first half slip away.

“We did a nice job in the three wins and a nice job in the first half at Mineola,” Jara explained. “Our help defense wasn’t up to par in the second half at Mineola. Their best player [James Bolva] stepped up. We’re looking forward to the rematch.”

Mineola’s first conference loss came last Friday to Seaford, which is tied with the Spartans for second place. North hosts Mineola on Feb. 8 and Seaford on Feb. 11, with both games set to tip at 8 p.m.

“Reaching the playoffs is the main thing,” Jara said. “The way we’re playing, we should get in. I’d be disappointed if we didn’t.”