Mepham Boys Basketball Fade Away on Road Against Elmont

The Mepham boys basketball team battled tough against Elmont on the road but fell 64-46 Tuesday afternoon.  

The Pirates (0-6) showed the effort that signifies their team, however, the size and athleticism of the Spartans (4-2) proved to be too much in this Conference AA-III match up.  

Mepham started off quick with an 8-2 run in the opening minutes and led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter. The two teams stayed even midway through the second with Elmont taking the lead at 18-17 off of a lay up by junior Michael Dugue. The layup sparked the Spartans who closed the half on a commanding 14-2 run.  

Costly turnovers by Mepham early in the third quarter only helped Elmont’s lead grow larger. Despite strong play from senior Jordan Gilroy, who finished with 10 points, and junior J.T. Elsasser, also with 10 points, the Pirates would get no closer than 15 points as they are still in search for their first win of the season.  

Heroes: Two of Elmont’s big men, seniors Anthony Elechi and Tyler Dechalus, knocked down their shots from outside to contribute 14 points each for the Spartans.  

Junior Matt Morrow, Gilroy and Elsasser all reached double-digits for the Pirates in the losing effort.  

Turning Point: Towards the end of the second quarter, Elmont scored seven quick points to then gain their largest lead of the game. The margin would only get bigger for the home team en route to their fourth win.  

Quotable: “They exploited the weakness in our defense, which we were hoping they wouldn’t do,” Mepham head coach Richard Wojcieski. “We had three goals coming into the game, which were mental mistakes, layups and free throws. We were playing a game within a game and because we didn’t win those we didn’t win the game in the end.”  

Bottom Line: Mepham faltered under the full-court pressure and the quick traps of Elmont, committing 21 turnovers in all. Although the Pirates have shown some improvement on the offensive end, they are looking for the complete recipe to put together winning performances this season.  

Key Stat: The two teams played close in the first and last quarters, but it was the middle two that set them apart. Elmont outscored Mepham 39-23 in the second and third quarters to give them a comfortable lead.  

Who’s Next: Mepham @ Valley Stream Central, Jan. 7, 6:15 p.m.

Box Score

Three-Pointers: M: Elsasser 2; E: Elechi 2, Chambers 2, Dechalus 1.