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Threes Are Key for H-K Boys’ Hoops

Head Coach Jim Abbott has installed a new “bombs away” approach for the Haddam-Killingworth boys’ basketball team this winter. The Cougars have been taking and making their fair share of 3-pointers are starting to see better results following a slow start. After losing three of its first four games, H-K has split its last four contests to move to 3-6 and remain in the playoff conversation.

“We’re long and we’re quick, so we’ve gone very much to the 3-point game this year. We’re taking around 30 per game and hitting at a close to 40-percent rate,” Abbott said. “Last year was much different. We only took about 15 per game and only shot around 25 percent.”

The Cougars are averaging a robust total of 60.5 points per game this season. In last week’s action, H-K split a pair of matchups by earning a 60-56 victory in Old Saybrook on Jan. 20, followed by a 76-68 overtime loss at North Branford on Jan. 23.

Junior Jimmy McGoey scored 14 points for H-K in the Old Saybrook game. Fellow junior Alec Erskine had 12 points, while senior Giacomo Volpicelli added 11 points on the night.

Freshman Mason Gorham led all scorers by netting 22 points when the Cougars lost to North Branford in overtime. McGoey had 13 points, Erskine dished out 13 assists, and senior Evan Fleig grabbed 10 rebounds for Coach Abbott’s club.

With 11 games left on the schedule, Abbott feels confident that his squad can secure enough victories to qualify for postseason play.

“This is a very competitive league. Other than Old Lyme, the rest of us are pretty equal,” Abbott said of the Shoreline Conference. “It’s going to come down to what team is better on any given night. We’re still looking for a little more consistency. Once we find it, I’m sure the wins will come.”

Volpicelli has been H-K’s best shooter from 3-point range this season. The senior is typically hitting several treys a game.

“He has a very quick release,” said Abbott of Volpicelli. “Once he’s open, he’s been deadly.”

At 6-foot-4, McGoey has the ability to drive to the hoop, but can also pull up for a jumper. Coach Abbott said that McGoey’s experience is pivotal for the Cougars.

“Jimmy is the only returning starter from last year,” Abbott said. “We lost four starters, including Matt Wills, who was a 1,000-point scorer.”

The Erskine brothers have also been helping to fill in the gaps. Sam Erskine leads H-K’s as one of its senior captains, and Alec Erskine is averaging nine points and nine rebounds per game as a point guard. Trey Callender also serves as a senior captain for the team.

“Sam’s the type of kid who can play both forward and guard,” said Abbott. “He does a tremendous number of good things for us out on the court.”

Coach Abbott said that H-K has been able to loosen up its opponents’ defense with its success from beyond the arc. That strategy also helps create opportunities for the Cougars to produce points in the paint.

“We’re seeing very few zones, mostly man-to-man play. Then with our quickness, we’re able to break and get some inside lay-ups. And because we’re both long and quick, we can run some pressure defenses, mostly half-court traps,” Abbott said. “When the shots go down, it looks really, really good, but if it goes the other way, it looks bad. We just have to work to make it good.”