The MacArthur varsity boys basketball team is returning to the playoffs after a two-year absence. The Generals clinched a playoff berth with a 67-48 win at Herricks on Jan. 23. The victory lifted MacArthur to a 6-3 record in Conference AA-III.
Senior guard Brian Perez scored 21 points and contributed five steals in the victory. His scoring output established a career high, surpassing his 19-point game at East Meadow on Jan. 24. It marked the most points scored by a General since Tom McAndrew had 33 points against East Meadow in that same game last season.
MacArthur and Herricks were tied at 34 at halftime, but the Generals surged ahead with a dominant third quarter. Senior guard Ryan Cunningham’s three-pointer with 5 minutes, 59 seconds remaining in that period gave MacArthur a 42-39 lead and the Generals never trailed again. Perez’s field goal at the buzzer
gave MacArthur a 15-point cushion entering the final quarter.
Cunningham and senior guard Jack Wall contributed 11 points apiece. Wall nailed three first-quarter three-pointers to rally MacArthur from an early 10-2 deficit.
Three days earlier, MacArthur beat Calhoun, 58-41. Senior guard Dean Peluso had a game-high 14 points as well as eight steals and six
assists in that Jan. 20 victory.
