Boys Basketball: Pleasantville Falls to Fox Lane, Continues Rebuilding Process

"Sometimes you've got to learn the hard way," Pleasantville Head Coach Bob Delle Bovi told his players late in the fourth quarter Dec. 22.

The Panthers had hung with Class AA Fox Lane for the entire game, thanks to their physical play and tenacious defense, yet fell to the visiting Foxes 48-38. Fox Lane's Matt Swensen led all scorers with 13 points, while Greg Nicolai and Glen Robinson had 11 points each for the Panthers.

It's been a transitional year for 's team, who lost a starting five that led the school to back-to-back Class B championships games to graduation last spring. With a fresh crop of young players, going up against the 4-3 Foxes looked like a tough matchup on paper.

"That was by far the best team we play, the most talented team," Delle Bovi said. "They have some outstanding wins already, so I was very nervous coming into the game, [and] hoping to keep the game close."

Despite the loss, Coach Delle Bovi was pleased with the performance from his players. "I think the kids played very hard, maybe not as smart as I would have liked to have at times, but very hard."

A defensive battle for much of the first half, both teams were ice cold from the field, resulting in a 6-5 score at the end of the first quarter. After struggling offensively, Pleasantville started to gel late in the first half, as Charlie Montgomery tied the game at 16 with 22.1 seconds to play.

The Panthers and their home crowd were fired up heading into the intermission, only to be silenced by Steven Lamorte's last second hurl from well behind half court, that made it 19-16 at the half. The shocker brought fans to their feet, and smiles to the faces of Fox Lane players as they headed to the locker room.

"I was kind of frustrated [at that point]," said Fox Lane Head Coach Chris Violante, "but I'm glad it went in to give us the lead before halftime."

Matt Swensen carried Fox Lane in the second half, scoring six consecutive points during a 10-2 run in the third. Still, Pleasantville managed to stick around, cutting the lead to 41-36 with less than two minutes to play.

"I thought we controlled the tempo, and I think that's what allowed us to stay in the game," Delle Bovi said.

Tempo was not enough, however, as numerous Panther fouls helped Fox Lane players get to the line and pull away with the win. The Foxes bounced back from a versus their rival Horace Greeley, yet their slow performance on offense raised some questions.

"I'm happy we won, but it wasn't a pretty one," said Violante. "I think when you win a road game it's always a good thing, but they made us look bad. They didn't make us look good today at all."

After Wednesday's match, both teams head into an extended break, with play resuming on January 5.

For Fox Lane, it's an opportunity to rest up for the months ahead.

"It's good for them to heal some wounds and step away from basketball for a little to remember how important it is to you," said Coach Violante.

Pleasantville will use the break from competitive play as an opportunity to come together as a team.

"It gives us time to do a little bit more teaching, and to build up some chemistry," Coach Delle Bovi said.

This season continues to be a learning experience for Delle Bovi and his players, one that Coach Delle Bovi believes will ultimately have huge dividends.

"It's a big transition, and we're learning to crawl right now before we can walk," he said. "We're going to struggle, but I think we're learning each and every game. We're young, so the future's bright and I have to keep that in mind, and I have to keep reminding the kids."