Hand Boys’ Hoops 4-2 After Handing Guilford First Loss
Since its opening night loss to Cross, Hand boys’ basketball has ridden a hot streak straight through the holiday season and New Year.
Hand dropped a 58-48 decision at Hillhouse on Dec. 30 before knocking off previously unbeaten Guilford, 43-38 at home on Jan. 4 to move its record to 4-2 (1-1 in the SCC Hammonasset Division). The victory clinched a stretch for the Tigers that has seen them take four out of their last five games.
The Tigers opened up divisional play against Hillhouse at New Haven. After jumping out to a six-point first-quarter lead and leading by as many as 13 in the first half, the Academics rallied behind pressure defense to regain the lead and control of the game. A Jeff Allen three-pointer at the halftime buzzer cut the Tigers deficit to five at the break.
The second half was fairly even; however, the Tigers couldn't close the gap against undefeated Hillhouse. Brendan Hughes led with 11 points and Andre Frederick added nine.
“I thought we played our best basketball of the season early on, but they are so deep, they just kept coming at us. They really wore out guards down which led to foul trouble. We panicked a little in the second quarter once we gave up our lead, getting outscored 20-10,” said Head Coach Frank Rossi. “We settled down defensively in the second half, but just couldn't close the gap. A lot of positives came out of this game; we rebounded well and defended better than we have. We still have to improve against pressure and make better decisions, but at this point in the season I don't think we are that far away from being a really good team.”
Hosting Guilford, the game started off with both teams trading baskets and leads for the first 12 minutes. After falling behind 13-11 at the end of the first quarter, Hand's fast-break offense helped ignite a 6-0 run that gave the Tigers a two-point edge headed into the half. Hand's defense proved strong, allowing only four field goals through the second and third quarters, yet Guilford's pressure kept them close. Hand scored the last six points of the third led by Frederick to give the Tigers a 30-24 lead heading into the final quarter.
After a Frederick alley-oop dunk, the Tigers stretched their lead to as many as 11, but Guilford hung around and trailed 40-35 with just over two minutes to play, but Guilford would never get any closer. Phil Crampton, Dante Egidio, and Scott Braren converted free throws to stretch Hand's lead and lock up the game, as Hand has won 12 of the last 13 meetings in this rivalry. Frederick paced the Tigers with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks.
“This game is always ugly. It means so much to both teams; the kids are physical on both ends of the floor, and they really get after it. Our goal was to not let this game mean more to them. We got away from that thought process in the second quarter with just very little discipline on offense. We let their defense dictate too much of the flow,” said Rossi. “Offensively, we weren't as active as we wished which led to poor passing and shot selection. Their pressure just made us anxious. Fortunately our defense kept us in the game; we kept them off the free throw line and limited their second shots. I was proud of our kids' composure particularly in the fourth quarter. We stayed focused and took care of the ball, particularly in the final minutes. This was a great win for us.”
Before the new year, Hand additionally picked up victories at Shelton (62-60) on Dec. 20, along with West Haven (68-55) on Dec. 26 and Hewlett, New York on Dec. 28 (57-50) as a part of Branford’s Holiday Tournament.