Kennedy Lets a Tough One Slip Away

They came that close.

On a night that was filled with intensity and physicality, the Valley Stream North Spartans handed the Kennedy boys basketball team its first loss of the season, 53-51.

With just seconds remaining, Kennedy had the chance to tie the score, but nobody on the court was able to get a solid look at the basket, and the attempt was nullified.

Some Kennedy players were visibly frustrated with the sequence of events that led to their defeat.  

"More people need to take responsibility for their position," Brian O'Gorman, the Cougars 6-foot-10 center, said. "Defense is most important. When you allow them the chance to slip through the cracks, this is what happens."

O'Gorman was a force on the defensive side for Kennedy throughout the contest. He finished the game with five blocked shots, and he made it difficult for the visiting Spartans to get anything going down low.

Luckily for Valley Stream, they were nailing their jump shots.

"We really played with heart," said David Nelson, who led the way for Valley Stream with 14 points. "Our defensive stops were key, and we need to make sure to keep our intensity up."

The intensity was there. As the game came to a close, Kennedy had a chance to tie it, and they lost possession of the basketball. There was a wild goose chase, and bodies went flying. When all was said and done, the game was over, but players needed to be restrained on both sides.

"It was a very intense game," Spartans coach Fabian Jara said. "That Kennedy team was really excellent. This was one of the most competitive games that I have seen in a while."

When Valley Stream turned up its defensive pressure, Kennedy began to turn the ball over, and it cost them.

"We had a ton of turnovers," said Andrew Kruter, who ended up with 18 points in the contest. "We need to slow the game down and play at a tempo that makes us comfortable. We also had a lot of stupid fouls. We need to learn how to play smarter."

Kennedy controlled the score throughout, but Valley Stream was able to linger in the background long enough to finally be able to strike. It was almost like Bellmore JFK didn't know what hit them.

"We fought like hell out there," coach Rory Block said. "It's quite simple why we didn't win this basketball game. They went to the line, and we didn't. They also made shots and we didn't. We need to work on our shot selection."

Another major issue for the Cougars was a lack of communication. There were numerous Kennedy miscues that led to Valley Stream points, and that could have ultimately been the difference.

"We need to talk to each other out there," Kruter said. "The ball isn't going to move by itself."

The Cougars (2-1) will try to get back on track January 4 when they travel to East Meadow.