Jesse Roggendorf of Great Neck South finishes a lay up...

Jesse Roggendorf of Great Neck South finishes a lay up on a fast break against MacArthur during a Nassau Conference AA-III boys basketball game on Saturday at MacArthur. Credit: David Meisenholder

When the Roggendorf twins take the court together, the game turns into a skills showcase.

Jesse and John Roggendorf from Great Neck South were at it again on Saturday afternoon in Levittown when they combined for 48 points to lead their team to a 67-39 win at MacArthur. Jesse, a 6-1 guard, led all scorers with 27 points and collected five rebounds and an assist to his brother John: a 6-5 forward who picked up 21 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

Both twins also got it done on defense, as each tallied four steals and a block to help keep Great Neck South (14-0) undefeated.

They were off and running from the opening tip-off, as each of them made plays to help give their squad a 20-5 lead going into the second quarter. Just eight seconds into the game, John found junior guard Alex Lo open on the right wing for an easy catch-and-shoot three-pointer. With just 2:32 left in the first frame, John picked a passing lane perfectly and took it all the way to the rim before jamming it down emphatically to make it 14-4. Two possessions later, John rejected a layup at the rim and Jesse scooped it up, raced from coast to coast and layed it in.

As the road team, starting strong on being intense early was part of Great Neck South’s plan.

“I think coming off the bus, we need to have energy off the bat,” John Roggendorf said. “I think our team did a good job of that.”

The brothers combined to lead a 10-3 run to start the second quarter to make it 30-8. However, MacArthur (6-8) responded with 12 unanswered points thanks to a pair of deep threes and a layup from senior forward Mike Kondrya, who had 19 points and hit four three-pointers. 

With just 23 seconds before halftime, John got the ball in the low post and flashed some fancy footwork to set up a left-handed hook shot. Then, with two seconds left, Jesse took an inbound pass to the rim and finished at the bell to restore the five-possession lead at 34-20.

“They were pressuring me today, and I had smaller defenders on me, so I just had to take advantage when I got those looks,” he said. 

The lead never shrunk below 12 points again for Great Neck South, who also got 10 points and three steals from Adrian Wei. Jesse ended the starters’ day with just inside of three minutes to play, when he crossed over a defender from the right corner, walked the tightrope down the baseline and laid it in with the left hand.

Great Neck South coach Mike Holleran praised the twins after the game.

“They’re always solid,” Holleran said. “They got a little frustrated at times today — they’ve got that whole sibling thing going on — but they’re just solid. They’re great kids, and they open it up for the others on the team, too.”

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