Schools

FHHS Boys Basketball Topples Martin Van Buren, 70-58

Rangers get strong on glass, at charity stripe for bounce-back victory.

Forest Hills High School (3-1, PSAL) bounced back from a tough loss late last week by toppling Martin Van Buren High School (2-3, PSAL) on the road Tuesday night, 70-58. The Rangers badly needed a win against the Vee Bee's after l in a game that they led for all but the last 71 seconds of regulation.

It was also Forest Hills High School's last game before a more than two-week layoff, and the Rangers needed to go into their break on a winning note.

Hero: They were able to take home the victory thanks to the inside presence of senior forward Jose Torres, who is averaging double-digit numbers in points and rebounds this season. Those talents were on display Tuesday night as the powerful Torres hung 22 points on the Vee Bees, to go along with 12 rebounds.

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Turning Point: Martin Van Buren High hung around for most of the first half, trailing by eight going into the break. The Rangers strong press and aggressive defense broke their backs in the third quarter, however. By the time the fourth frame rolled around, the Rangers were sitting on a 19-point lead, more than enough to coast to a victory.

Bottom Line: With Torres working overtime on the glass and scoring second-chance points, and a strong defense preventing any perimeter scoring from the Vee Bees, Forest Hills rolled to victory. They did fall back into old habits in the fourth quarter, however, being outscored 25-18 late in the game. If the Rangers can learn to keep up the intensity through the whole game, they'll be a force to be reckoned with in 2011.

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Key Stat: 12-15 from the free throw line. Free throw shooting has been the Rangers Achilles' heel this season. Tonight, they won the game by the exact number of foul shots they made. That's no coincidence.

Who's Next? The Rangers will take on Bayside High School on the road, Jan. 4, 2011.

Box Score:

Teams Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final Martin Van Buren 13 14 6 25 58 Forest Hills 20 15 17 18 70



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