Sports
Forest Hills High School Boys Basketball Steals Win Over Beach Channel, 54-52.
Late takeaway and lay-up lead to close victory in first PSAL game for Rangers.
took home a win in a thrilling game Tuesday night, knocking of Beach Channel High School 54-52 after trailing for most of the second half.
The Rangers, who were playing their first league game without last year's superstar Maurice Harkless, put together a strong performance in the last three minutes of the fourth quarter to steal a win on the road from the Dolphins.
Hero: While several players stepped up in the clutch, Rangers senior forward Denzel Dulin made a couple of key plays down the stretch. They included a massive block to reject a Beach Channel scoring chance, and a late steal in the full-court press that led to an easy lay-up followed by a converted foul shot. Those late three points proved to be a big difference in the game.
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Turning Point: The game was so close for so long, it seemed like neither side would ever break through for the win. Ultimately, the moment that made the biggest difference was when Forest Hills coach Ben Chobhaphand decided to break out the full-court press on defense with just over three minutes left to play. The press overwhelmed the Dolphins, who coughed up the ball multiple times, allowing the Rangers to turn a four-point deficit into a five-point lead and an eventual victory.
Quotable: "I've been coaching seven years and three years we've been here, it always comes down to a shot or a play at the last second," Chobhaphand said. "It's hard to come from Forest Hills for an hour drive, or forty-five minutes, and play a tough team like this. They're always tough."
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Bottom Line: The Rangers gave up some possessions and played much of the game without a great deal of intensity, Chobhaphand lamented. But once the chips were down, his squad came with a little extra effort to secure the win.
"I just felt like, the last three minutes, my kids did not want to lose," he said. "It picked up in intensity. We were sleeping there for a long time."
Key Stat: The Rangers spent a lot of time at the charity stripe, converting 21 of 35 free throws, bringing in just under half of their total points scored at the foul line.
Box Score:
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