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MANSFIELD - For all of the might and moxie that the North Attleboro High boys' basketball team put into its effort in attempting to upend the Hornets of Mansfield High, the Rocketeers surely might have been better rewarded.

But run, rebound and attempt to keep pace on the floor and on the scoreboard with the Hornets is a daunting task for anyone, not just the Rocketeers this Hockomock League season.

"They're such a fast team, they have so many weapons," related Rocketeer coach Chris Perron after Mansfield scored 44 second half points en route to a 74-58 victory over North at the James Albertini Gymnasium.

In improving to 5-2 overall (4-1 in the Hockomock League), four Hornets reached double scoring digits with senior sharpshooter James McGrath sinking four trifectas to finish with 18 points and junior Jameson Dingle splurging for 16 second-half points (of his 18 overall and nine rebounds).

And that's not forgetting the mayhem that Dave Borkowski (15 points, five rebounds) and Andrew Venter (10 points, six rebounds, four assists) create endline to endline. North (2-6, 2-4) never lead in the contest, but was deadlocked with the Hornets three times during the first half and faced merely a six-point (30-24) deficit by intermission.

But, as Mansfield has been wont to do, the Hornets' extended their defensive pressure full-court, took away the perimeter and chances for points off turnovers during a 21-point third quarter. Borkowski scored six points in that session, while Venter totaled four points, four rebounds and two assists to help create a 51-40 advantage entering the fourth quarter.

The Hornets then delivered a knockout blow to North by scoring 10 straight points early in the fourth quarter, McGrath hitting a three-pointer and both ends of a one-and-one chance, while Dingle dropped in a short jumper inside, then a 12-footer from the right of the lane for a 61-42 advantage at the midway mark.

"North is such a scrappy team," Mansfield coach Mike Vaughan praised the Rocketeers. "They took a lot of things away from us in the first half, their zone, their early pressure."

The Hornets didn't struggle to score against North's 2-3 zone, but the Rocketeers made it awfully difficult for Mansfield to get the ball into the spots that they like. The Hornets shot 6-for-13 from the floor in the first quarter, but committed seven turnovers. In the second quarter, Mansfield shot 7-for-14, but committed another seven turnovers.

North junior forward Madison Brittingham produced 21 points, 12 during the third quarter, while Kevin Connolly contributed 15 points.

"They're such a quick team, we just ran out of gas there in the second half," added Perron, whose Rocketeers may have played their best four quarters of basketball this season - despite the loss, despite the margin. "I think that we earned a lot of respect."

Brittingham was fearless and prolific in the paint during the third quarter and kept North with range of the Hornets. But time and again, Mansfield responded - Borkowski converting two offensive rebounds; Venter driving to the basket for a three-point play and then another bucket after a North turnover; Dingle hitting a three-pointer, Shawn Kelley converting another offensive rebound chance.

North went on an 8-2 spurt early in the second quarter with Connolly hitting a pair of free throws, then finishing off a Zach Achin pass, Alex Gildea knocking down a 16-foot jumper and Achin hitting an eight-foot jumper to knot the score at 17-all at the three-minute mark.

Not once, but twice the Hornets retaliated with surges to regain command - a steal by Rodney Chance set up a Venter bucket in the first seven-point spurt for a 24-17 lead; then Borkowski finished off a fast break feed from Venter and followed that up by setting up McGrath for a bucket inside and a 10-point (30-20) lead. "Both teams played hard, but when we went to our full-court (defense) we wore them out a bit and then we could use our skills, our strengths," added Vaughan.

This was the first of three "rivalry" games in five nights for Mansfield, a roadtrip to Foxboro Wednesday and a return home to face Oliver Ames Friday, "a big week for us," said Vaughan. "Teams like North, like Foxboro can beat us if we overlook them." North returns to the floor Thursday at home against Stoughton.