FHHS Boys Basketball Outshoots Martin Van Buren

Forest Hills High School boys varsity basketball team bounced back to defeat Martin Van Buren High School 73-63 this week, after falling behind early.

The Rangers, who have been inconsistent against weaker opponents this season, fell behind 13-7 in the first quarter, and were forced to bounce back in the second half.

Hero: While Denzel Dulin took home the most points overall with 19, senior Devin Johnson played an underrated role in the game, dishing out 6 assists, grabbing a pair of rebounds and most importantly, going a solid 6-for-6 from the foul line during the game.

The Rangers have struggled from the free throw line all season, and Johnson’s consistency at the charity stripe proved to be a difference-making lift.

Turning Point: The Rangers were down 13-7 after a slow first quarter, and only managed to secure a tie by halftime. While the VeeBees hung around for the third quarter, Forest Hills blew them out of the water with a 26-point fourth quarter. The Rangers defense also held their opponents to just 17 points in the final frame.

Bottom Line: In a game that could have turned out poorly, the Rangers managed to get their heads out of the clouds and come out swinging in the second half, securing a big victory as the season starts to wind down and the playoff picture starts to take shape.

Key Stat: The Rangers went to the foul line 39 times in the game, a place where they’ve struggled all season. Against the VeeBees, they managed a 77 percent free throw percentage; nothing to write home about, but a big improvement over other games this season. If the Rangers had shot near 50 percent, the outcome of the game would have been strongly in doubt.

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