64.0°,
Overcast Falcons prove they belong
2-3 midway through conference slate
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Senior Terence Meaney scored 19 points for Valley Stream South in last Friday’s 62-57 Conference ABC-II defeat to Manhasset.
Frank Koester/Herald
Given a quantum leap of two conferences, from Nassau ABC-IV to II, Valley Stream South boys’ basketball coach Dom Fontana wasn’t sure how his team would stack up against high-caliber opponents on a daily basis.
And though it doesn’t show in the win column, the Falcons (6-5 overall, 2-3 in Conference ABC-II) were able to accomplish their initial goal of proving they belong.
“We’ve shown we can compete,” Fontana said after last Friday’s hard-fought 62-57 home defeat to Manhasset. “We just haven’t made enough plays in crunch time. We lost two games where if a play or two went the other way, we’re tied for first place.
“Now that we can say we’re legit,” he added, “I’d like to see us take things to the next level in the second half and get some wins.”
The Falcons trailed most of the way against Manhasset, which won its fourth straight conference game without a loss. They rallied from a 14-point deficit early in the second quarter to tie it at 33, then got back to within one at 55-54 after the Indians used a 13-4 spurt to lead by nine heading into the fourth. “We had a great crowd behind us and rallied a few times,” Fontana said. “It showed character, but again they made big plays down the stretch and we didn’t.”
The game’s top scorer, Manhasset’s Matt Demitroff, sank three-point shots on consecutive possessions inside of two minutes to foil South’s comeback try. He finished with 23 points, Evan Pupelis had 14 and Stuart Hicks 12 for the Indians. Seniors Terence Meaney (19) and Obinna Nwaigwe (17) scored in double figures for the Falcons, who were coming off a heartbreaking loss to Jericho earlier in the week.
“I’m not displeased with how we’re playing,” Fontana said. “We’re getting a lot of praise from other coaches and people who follow basketball. We just can’t disappear for a quarter and beat teams of this caliber. We have to be consistent for 32 minutes.”
The Falcons squandered a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of a 54-52 loss at Jericho on Jan. 12. They missed five free throws in the quarter, while the Jayhawks nailed three shots from behind the arc including two from Andrew Bauman (19 points). Nwaigwe scored a game-high 28 points and ripped down 18 rebounds. “Obi’s starting to dominate around the rim like he did last season,” Fontana said. “Jericho didn’t have anyone that could match his athleticism.”
South, which earned non-league victories over Wantagh, Bethpage, Clarke and Wheatley in December, beat Lynbrook, 56-51, in the conference opener at home and will look to complete a season sweep of the Owls on the road Saturday at 11:45 a.m. Meaney was held to four points in the first meeting, but sophomore Jason Jones and junior Akil County stepped up with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Falcons don’t play again at home until Feb. 2 when Jericho visits for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
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