The Mohonasen boys basketball team regained some luster at Bethlehem’s expense.
The Mighty Warriors broke open a close game with a 20-7 third quarter run on their way to a 67-50 victory over the Eagles Friday in Rotterdam.
The win ended a tough stretch for Mohonasen (6-5 league, 9-6 overall). The Mighty Warriors had lost five of their last six games after starting the season 7-1.
I think it was good for the kids, said Mohonasen coach Ken Dagostino. `What they were dealing with was the fact that our six losses came by 30 points (combined), and people were wondering what happened. These guys bend, and they bend and they bend ` and they keep coming back.`
Bethlehem’s struggles continued, though, especially near the basket. While the Eagles (3-8, 3-11) received big efforts from their guards, their forwards were limited to four points by Mohonasen’s defense.
`If the shots aren’t falling and we’re not getting to the foul line, it’s a tough go for us,` said Bethlehem coach Jeremy Klugman.
Cameron Couball’s shots were falling early for Mohonasen. The junior forward scored eight points in the first quarter to help the Mighty Warriors take a 19-8 lead.
Bethlehem closed the gap in the second quarter thanks to Joe Kane. The junior guard knocked down a pair of three-pointers as part of a 14-point period to help the Eagles trim Mohonasen’s lead to 32-31 at halftime.
`He’s got the potential to knock shots down in a row like that,` said Klugman.
`Defensively, we had a mental lapse,` said Dagostino. `Our big guys were all over the place, and we lost track of their two big guys, Kane and (Kevin) Stempsey.`
Mohonasen got back on track in the third quarter. The Mighty Warriors spread their scoring between Couball, Pat Barnes and Dan Anunziatta, while preventing Kane and Stempsey from getting on track. Those factors combined to give Mohonasen a 52-38 lead.
`We went a little bit more to man-to-man (defense), and we did a good job with that,` said Dagostino. `They’re a difficult team to go man on, but for whatever reason we did a good job on them.`
Barnes sealed Mohonasen’s victory with a big fourth quarter. The senior center scored 10 of his 18 points, including a pair of dunks to liven up the Mighty Warriors fans.
`We were hopeful that we could neutralize their middle, but Pat Barnes is the premier center in the league,` said Klugman. `He can do a lot more than score, too. He rebounds the ball well, and he is a good passer.`
Couball led Mohonasen with 22 points, while Kane matched that total to pace Bethlehem. Stempsey contributed 13 points for the Eagles, and Gleason Judd added three three-pointers for nine points.
Bethlehem and Mohonasen returned to action Tuesday. Bethlehem hosted Suburban Council Blue Division leader Saratoga, while Mohonasen traveled to Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.“
