Plainview Falls to MacArthur in Boys Basketball

It's not really thinking outside the box to say you have to box out to be successful in basketball.

It's something is going to have to work on as the season continues, as offensive boards led to second chance opportunities for MacArthur, as the Hawks fell to the Generals, 55-45 in Conference AA-II action Tuesday night in Levittown.

It was a track meet early, perhaps a bit too fast for Plainview, who committed several turnovers in the opening minutes.  The Hawks hung tough, and Greg Rankel's layup tied the game at 12 early in the second.

The Generals prowess on the glass allowed them to take control for much of the period, cashing in on second chances, and opening a double-digit lead.  Plainview's hit a three to settle his club down, and the Hawks were only down six at the break.

The second half opened with a flurry, as each team went on a run.  First came MacArthur, as Kevin Monahan hit a three, and a General steal led to a William Cheshire layup, giving the home team a 34-23 lead.

Then came Plainview's run, as a three and a pair of Rankel free throws narrowed the gap to 34-28.  Rothman and Rankel led the Hawks with ten points each. 

Rothman's runner as the third period ended, followed by a three at the start of the fourth kept the Hawks close, but Cheshire answered with one of his own, and MacArthur went on a 10-0 run to put the game away.

"It's unacceptable that we can be out-rebounded like that," Hawks coach Mike Harris said.  "You've got to give credit to MacArthur to get on the boards, they really outworked us."

Ben Strack had eight points for Plainview, and Bernstein added seven off the bench. 

Records: Plainview (2-5), MacArthur (4-3)

Hero: William Cheshire.  The MacArthur guard led all scorers with 16, and hit three times from beyond the arc.

Turning Point: Cheshire hit a three early in the fourth to put MacArthur up by 11.  Rob Rothman had hit a three to pull Plainview closer, but Cheshire's basket helped key a 10-0 run as the Generals prevailed.

Quote: "[Our] guys had mental lapses where they weren't getting to spots [defensively]," Harris said.   "We had lapses where two guys were in one area...that's something we're going to have to work on even more."

Bottom Line: It certainly wasn't a blowout overall, but it was in spots, as big runs in the second and fourth by MacArthur kept the Hawks at bay.  Plainview needs to work on boxing out on offense, and their interior defense if they hope to stay in contention.

Key Stat:18.  That's how many rebounds MacArthur forward Kevin Roach registered, to go along with 14 points.  He gave his team second chances, and denied Plainview a few of their own.

Who's Next: Tuesday 1/11 vs. Baldwin, 4:30 p.m.

Box Score:

Plainview JFK...10...13...9...13.....45

MacArthur...........12...17..12...14.....55

Top Scorers:

Plainview JFK: Greg Rankel  10          MacArthur:  William Cheshire 16

                                      Rob Rothman 10                                       Kevin Roach 14

                                      Ben Strack 8                                                Kevin Monahan 11

                                      Justin Bernstein 7                    

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