Boys basketball: Nanuet holds off Clarkstown North comeback bid in 52-43 win

NEW CITY - Nanuet had doubled up on Clarkstown North by halftime, but the Rams never thought it was over.

Clarkstown North began to rally, gradually chipping away at the Golden Knights' lead, until it was within reach. Despite the scare, Nanuet held firm in the final moments and hung on for the 52-43 win.

"When we needed it, we came through," Nanuet coach Dave Masterson said. "I'm really proud of their effort, we had a bit of a layoff here. They were challenged in the second half. Clarkstown North is a good team, and they weren't going to quit. They're well-coached, but I'm proud we were able to respond when we needed.

"We got a little complacent. (Clarkstown North) is not going to quit, nobody in our league is going to quit. That little bit of a lapse allowed them to come back into the game. That's part of it. Fortunately for us, we do have a couple of guys that can answer the call."

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The Golden Knights built a 32-16 lead at the half. Although Clarkstown North was starting to find a groove offensively in the third quarter, Nanuet still held a healthy 15-point edge going into the fourth.

Suddenly, the Rams started to fight their way back into it, with the crowd getting into the game with each made shot and defensive stop. Clarkstown North trimmed the deficit down to six, but couldn't make the key plays to overtake the Golden Knights.

"This was a big game for us coming off of a two-game losing streak against Pearl River and Tappan Zee," Nanuet senior Jason Wain said. "We beat Bronxville on Saturday, but we had to come out strong and we just needed to get this win."

For Clarkstown North, it's the latest in a line of losses, as the Rams try to find a rhythm on the floor after a COVID-related pause that affected the team shortly after the New Year.

"You sit any team out for 10 or 11 days in the middle of the season, they're going to struggle, but my kids are competing," Clarkstown North coach Kenny Amparo said. "Every game that we've lost, we've been within a possession or two at some point in the fourth quarter."

The Rams enjoyed a hot 5-0 start, but were placed on quarantine earlier this month. They weren't allowed to participate in any workouts or practices for 11 days. They returned with back-to-back games against Roosevelt and Albertus Magnus on Friday and Saturday.

Clarkstown North held its first full practice since quarantine on Monday, before returning to game action against Clarkstown South on Tuesday and Nanuet on Wednesday.

The Rams will look to break the losing skid against another opponent.

"I'm a big practice guy, so I feel bad for the kids since we're not working on things and just playing games," Amparo said. "We're in a tough situation where we got to figure this out on the fly. That's the cards we were dealt. At least we're competing. Down 16 at half, then we cut it to six, a two-possession game and got the crowd into it. It's just tough."

Turning point

Nanuet used a large 16-4 run that started late in the first quarter and stretched until midway through the second quarter. The scoring surge fueled the Golden Knights' hot start and allowed them to take a 32-16 lead at the break.

Player of the game

Jason Wain, Nanuet: The senior guard might not have scored the most points, but his impact on the game was palpable. Wain was tenacious on both ends of the floor. He stepped it up in the crucial moments, going 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final minute to ice the game, while forcing key turnovers and drawing charges down the stretch. Wain finished with nine points, five boards, four assists and five steals.

"This is my fourth year on varsity, so I know that I'm the leader," Wain said. "These guys look to me and match my intensity. However I play is how the team is going to play, and I've got four guaranteed games left, so I'm going to play every game like it's my last."

By the numbers

Nanuet (12-4) — Ray McCune paced the Golden Knights with 17 points, three assists and two steals. Dan Nyamollo chipped in 11 points, five boards and four assists. Nick Lanoce and James Moran had five points and six rebounds each.

Clarkstown North (5-5) — Nick Gamez had 16 points, four rebounds and two steals. Frank Bruno added 15 points and four assists. Joe Salerno finished with five points, 11 rebounds and a block.

Quotable

"The big thing is we all like each other," Wain said of the root of his team's success and balanced approach offensively. "We have great team chemistry. We want to share the ball with each other and get each other buckets. That's definitely something we believe in."

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Boys basketball: Nanuet holds off Clarkstown North in 52-43 win