North Shore topples Clarke

Junior David Aufiero sank a pair of treys and sophomore Will Scarola added two baskets and a free throw to produce a game-changing, 11-point run for North Shore in the third quarter last Saturday morning as it upped its Nassau Conference A-IV boys’ basketball winning streak to four with a 51-38 decision over visiting Clarke.

Aufiero scored all but two of his team-high 14 points from behind the arc, Scarola netted a season-high 13, and junior Jarrett O’Day chipped in 11 for the Vikings, who improved to 5-3 in A-IV and 7-8 overall. The Rams (2-6 in A-IV, 4-10 overall) got a game-high 15 points from sophomore Brian Sullivan but saw their modest two-game win streak snapped.

“We didn’t have the greatest start to the season, but our guys never stopped working and they’re seeing it pay off,” North Shore head coach Kevin Carpenter said. “Our defense in the third quarter today allowed us to get into a good rhythm. Everything sparked from the defensive side. We made stops and limited them to one shot.”

Clarke, which upset Island Trees in overtime and also defeated Mineola last week, trailed the Vikings by as many as four points in the second quarter but rallied to pull even by halftime and led 26-23 two minutes in the third following consecutive baskets from senior Jon-Claude Kouyoudjian.

“We played the game we wanted to play for about 28 minutes,” Rams head coach Joe Hausbrouck said. “There was about a four-minute stretch in the third where we lacked execution and they made a series of shots.”

Aufiero tied it at 26 with his patented baseline trey and Scarola put North Shore ahead for good with a pair of free throws midway through the third. Aufiero got a fortunate bounce on his next long-range shot for a 31-26 lead and Scarola scored the final three points of the quarter to give the hosts an eight-point cushion heading into the fourth.

Sullivan and senior point guard Samir Pejcinovic drained three-pointers early in the final quarter as Clarke began to chip away at the margin. However, a traditional three-point play by O’Day and Scarola’s put-back of a rare Aufiero miss allowed the Vikings to build a double-digit lead at 43-32.

“Our ball movement was much better in the second half,” said Carpenter, whose team knocked off Clarke in the first meeting, 41-35, on Dec. 21. “We had all five guys involved and we capitalized with what they gave us.”

While free throw shooting has been an issue at times, Carpenter noted, it wasn’t the case on this day. North Shore shot 9-for-10 from the line in the fourth and a sizzling 15 of 17 overall. Senior Matt Bell was 4-for-4 on the way to posting eight points.

North Shore travels to A-IV leader Valley Stream South on Thursday for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff, while Clarke hosts West Hempstead on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m.

“I don’t think the fight we brought today was anything to be disappointed in,” Hasbrouck said. “Sometimes it doesn’t get the result you want.”