The offense had gotten off to a slow start, managing only 31 points through the first three quarters.

However, the defense fueled the offense as the Marlboro Iron Dukes scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, half from the free-throw line in a 51-45 win over the Chapel Field Lions in a non-league boys’ basketball game on Wednesday at Marlboro High School.

“It feels good to get a win,” said Christopher DeNatale, who led the Iron Dukes with 17 points. “Obviously, it wasn’t our best game. We missed some shots, but we just had a lot going on defense. We got the win.”

DeNatale did most of his damage in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 points and going 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Miles Brooks was just as good in the fourth quarter, hitting 4 of 6 from the charity stripe. He finished with 14 points.

“It kept the lead extended,” Marlboro coach Ryan Brooks said. “That was huge at that point, because it was down to under a minute, and we knew that they had to sit there and try to play the foul game to come back in to extend the game. We converted.”
The third quarter belonged to Ny’eem Douglas, who scored eight of the Iron Dukes’ 12 points in the period. He finished with 10.

Even with all those second-half contributions, the Iron Dukes couldn’t shake the Lions, who outscored Marlboro in the second quarter after falling behind, 13-6, in the first.

The teams played even in the third and entered the final period with Iron Dukes leading by four points entering the fourth quarter.

Then the Iron Dukes got a break.

After Matthew Ciaromboli hit a jumper to extend Marlboro’s lead to six points, the defense trapped Chapel Field’s Mikey Bonagura at the sideline, and he was called for a 5-second violation.

He bounced the ball hard and high in frustration, earning a technical foul and sending Brooks to the line, where he hit 1 of 2.

“When your shots aren’t falling, you got to always make sure you hang your head on defense,” coach Brooks said. “The defense kept us in the game, and then we were able to convert when we needed it most.”

Then on the next play, Miles Brooks was could by Jonah McDuffie, hitting both. Then on the next possession, he was fouled by Bonagura, and hit one.

By the end of that stretch, the Iron Dukes led by 10 points, their largest of the game at that point.

“(The key was) just hard work,” DeNatale said “Just get stops, push push the floor, and make some shots.”

McDuffie led the Lions with a game-high 23 points.

“He’s obviously their best player,” DeNatale said. “He mainly had all their points. He played a good game, but we got a couple of stops.”

The Iron Dukes beat the FDR Presidents, 46-45 on Friday in Hyde Park.

Ciaromboli led the Iron Dukes with 16 points and Miles Brooks added 11. Artries Robertson led FDR with 20 points and Brice Rider added 11.

They finished the week on Saturday with a 55-25 loss to the Tappan Zee Dutchmen.
“We’re finally getting back to full strength,” coach Brooks said. “We had some injuries and some guys sick for about a month. We didn’t have a full squad, but now we’re back to full strength. We’re coming together and starting to gel. The chemistry is starting to really get there. So, we’re putting it together at a nice time.”