MacArthur doubles win total

MacArthur’s boys’ basketball team is looking for a strong finish to a 2024-25 season that has seen year-to-year progress competing in one of Long Island’s most challenging conferences.
The Generals (6-10 overall) entered the final three games this week with double the win total of last season with strides from a team that will return plenty to the court next winter. Fifth-year head coach Brian Maini said he is proud of how the team has competed in Conference AA-III, a deep league that features multiple county championship contenders including four-time reigning Class AAA champion Baldwin.
“This league is no joke as it’s going against some of the top teams in Nassau,” Maini said. “There’s definitely a culture change going on with this team and we are heading in the right direction.”
Maini said the team showed plenty of mental toughness in a 53-44 home victory against Mepham on Jan. 16 in which the Generals trailed by nine in the third quarter before rallying back to lead by one at the end of the period and outsourcing the Pirates in the fourth quarter, 20 to 10.
MacArthur was led in the come-from-behind win by 20 points from 6-3 sophomore forward Raj Singh, who has had a stepped up role this season after starting a few games as a freshman. Senior guard Mike Kondyra, who surpassed the 1,000 career point mark with 42 against Long Beach Jan. 27, also was big agaisnt Mepham with 15 points including a clutch late three-pointer that extended MacArthur’s lead to six. Junior guard Danny Lopez finished with the game with eight points on the strength of six free throws.

“We faced some adversity and then fought through and got it done so that was a nice win for us,” Maini said. “I was proud of our guys for bouncing back and sticking together and getting the win.”
The Generals also defeated Mepham, 45-30, on Dec. 10 after jumping out to a 24-0 lead to start the game. Kondrya led the offense with 21 points followed by 11 from Singh and seven by sophomore shooting guard Vinny Szucs scored seven points including a huge three late in the fourth quarter, who sunk a key late three-pointer as the Pirates were mounting a comeback.
The final road game of the season will see MacArthur travel on Thursday to Jericho, an opponent the Generals hung tough with on Jan. 11 in a 61-48 loss trailing just 40-36 going into the fourth quarter.
The final game is slated for Monday evening in Levittown at 7 p.m against Great Neck North, who MacArthur was also competitive with in a 63-55 defeat on Jan. 13 in a game that was tied at halftime.
“I think the team’s chemistry,culture and competitiveness is definitely heading in the right direction and this year was a building block,” Maini said. “Tthere’s no doubt in my mind that they’re going to fight till the end and look to end the season on a winning note.”