Calhoun rallies past MacArthur

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Trailing at MacArthur by as many as seven points late in the first half, Calhoun got its transition game going in the second half behind Katie Healy and pulled away for a 51-41 victory in a Nassau Conference AA/A-III girls’ basketball matchup on MLK Day.

Healy scored a dozen of her game-high 18 points in the second half, including half off steals, pulled down 11 rebounds and got plenty of support from fellow seniors Honora Campbell (11 points), Christine Argentieri (10) and Lauren Pitti (9) as the Lady Colts improved to 9-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play. Junior Jessica Tolve (13) and senior Mackenzie Tierney (10) scored in double figures and senior Angela Cozza added nine for the Lady Generals, who lost their third conference game in four tries and slipped to 5-6 overall.

“We had a little trouble handling their pressure at first, but then we calmed down and starting making some defensive plays and making baskets,” Calhoun head coach Pete Magnuson said. “We put in a new defense last week and we’ve been working a lot on it. We really got our transition game going in the second half.”

Plagued by shooting woes in a three-point loss to Great Neck South last Friday, MacArthur was far more accurate on Monday but was saddled by foul trouble and poor passing in the second half. Tierney picked up her fourth foul midway through the third quarter and fouled out with 1:14 remaining, while seniors Gabby Volpe and Amanda Peluso played almost the entire second half with three fouls.

“It’s a little frustrating because we know we’re capable of beating any team in the conference,” MacArthur head coach Dave Radtke said. “We knew containing Healy would be a key and I thought Cozza did a tremendous job. Fouls really hurt us today. Going six minutes without Tierney in the third quarter made things difficult.”

The Lady Generals trailed 12-11 after a Campbell trey to close the opening quarter but enjoyed a big push in the first five minutes of the second, spearheaded by a pair of Tolve treys and one from junior Dorianna Cardon. With 2:30 remaining in the half, the hosts led 23-16 and Healy had just one basket.

“Katie leads the way for us offensively but we need other girls to score and give us balance like they did today,” Magnuson said. “Katie’s the ultimate competitor and a complete player. She makes big plays every game.”

Calhoun got within 25-21 at the half and stymied MacArthur in the third quarter to take a one-point lead into the fourth. Healy scored the first three baskets of the final quarter and Argentieri capped an 18-5 Lady Colts’ run when she took a bounce pass from Healy and banked in a short jumper for a nine-point cushion.

The Lady Generals scratched back within five, but Campbell followed up her own miss from behind the arc with a nifty put-back with 2:01 to go and Calhoun led comfortably the rest of the way.

The teams meet again at Calhoun on Feb. 9.