CHESHIRE, Mass. – Joey McGovern scored 23 points Thursday in Hoosac Valley’s 74-53 win over Belchertown. 

 

“By far Joey's best game, he was on tonight, hit his shots and made some great passes on the break too,” Hoosac Valley coach Bill Robinson said. 

 

After a slow start from the Hurricanes in the first few minutes, they picked it up with baskets by Adan Wicks, who scored the first five points. Then McGovern got started with 6 points in the quarter. The quarter ended 15-8, Hoosac leading. 

 

Another slow start for the Hurricanes at the beginning of the second, let Belchertown score seven to tie it up. That didn't last long though before Frank Field made back to back buckets and finished the quarter with nine points. Going into half the Hurricanes lead 29-26. 

 

“[They] caught us off guard a little bit, we weren’t comfortable,” Robinson said of the Orioles’ switching defenses. But he trusted that his veteran team would, “handle the ball and get the ball where it’s got to go.”

 

Both Shea MacLean from Belchertown and McGovern from Hoosac came out hot, leading in a back and forth third quarter. MacLean had 10 for the Orioles and McGovern had 12 for the Hurricanes. However, the efforts of multiple Hurricanes combined for 28 points in the quarter and put them up 57-37 to end the quarter. 

 

In the fourth, the Hurricanes had a balanced offensive effort with six from Trevor Moynihan, four from Bradley and three from McGovern. 

 

Four of the Hurricanes ended with double digits: Field with 17,  Wicks had 12, Moynihan 11 and McGovern’s 23. Bradley just missed finishing in double figures with nine points. 

 

Hoosac Valley (4-0) is off until Wednesday when it hosts Monument Mountain.