CHESTER — A slow start doomed Arlington boys basketball on Tuesday night at Green Mountain, as the Eagles dropped a one-possession game 44-42.
Arlington was slow getting off the bus, finding itself trailing 9-0 in the opening four minutes of action and 14-7 after one quarter.
Green Mountain’s momentum carried into the second quarter as the home team built a 30-17 lead by halftime.
The Eagles began to play their brand of basketball in the second half, but the deficit proved too much to overcome. Arlington chipped away in the third quarter behind 7 of Cameron Clark’s 13 points on the night. By the end of the third, the Eagles had trimmed the deficit to just six points, 35-29.
Joe McCray did a bulk of his scoring — 7 of his 9 points — in the fourth quarter as Arlington evened the game with 30 seconds remaining. The Eagles were unable to secure a rebound, forcing them to foul down the stretch. Green Mountain was sound from the charity stripe, and iced the game away.
Cooper Jennings added 15 points for Arlington, and was another factor in the comeback attempt.
“I’m very proud of our effort in the second half,” said Arlington coach Eric Green. “Hoping it carries some momentum into our next game.”
The Eagles will look to bounce back on Friday when they host Sharon Academy at 6 p.m.