CHESHIRE, Mass. – After scoring 17 points combined in Hoosac Valley’s last two games, 1,000-point scorer Frank Field had just two points with about two minutes left in the first half of Wednesday’s Western Massachusetts Class D semi-final.
Then, he took over the game.
Field scored the last six points of the first half, including a buzzer-beater to give the Hurricanes the lead for good, and he scored 20 points in the second half of a 67-46 win over Monson.
Field finished with 28 points, 17 rebounds, a pair of blocks and a few assists as top-seeded Hoosac Valley (18-2) won its 10th straight to set up a date in the regional semi-finals on Saturday against Duggan Academy.
Joey McGovern hit four 3-pointers and scored 16 points to go with five assists. And Qwanell Bradley scored 12 while grabbing nine rebounds and blocking a couple of shots.
But it was a Field night for the Hurricanes after he found his rhythm.
Hoosac Valley coach Bill Robinson said he lit a fire under the senior pivot at half-time.
“I don’t know where he’s been the last couple of games,” Robinson said. “He’s been there defensively. But, offensively, he hasn’t been himself.
“It’s just time to take over. That’s what we told him: It’s time to take over. You want to play in the Western Mass, you want to play in the state final – there’s no days off now. You’ve got to go after it.”
It looked for a while on Wednesday like the Hurricanes would be able to win going away without a big scoring night from their big man.
Field assisted on a McGovern basket in the opening moments of the second quarter to give the Canes a 26-13 lead, and they stretched it to a 14-point margin moments later when Bradley scored from the foul line.
But the Mustangs answered with a 10-0 run that featured five points from Austin Meacham (11 points, 13 rebounds). His bucket in the post made it 27-23 with 2 minutes, 30 seconds left in the half.
Field put back his own miss to stop the run and had another putback moments later to give the Hurricanes a 31-26 lead.
Monson then got five straight, with a 3-pointer from Sebastian Nava tying the score, 31-31 with 13 seconds on the clock.
After a scramble for control of the ball on the right wing, Field hit a mid-range jumper as time expired to send Hoosac Valley into the locker room ahead, 33-31.
He then came out of the locker room with four quick points to make it a two-possession game and scored on a spin move in the lane to cap an 8-2 run that put the Hurricanes ahead, 41-33, midway through the third quarter.
Field scored 11 points in that quarter, which ended with Hoosac Valley ahead, 49-41, after he set up McGovern for a late 3-pointer.
Monson briefly got back within six to start the fourth, but the Hurricanes went on another 10-0 run, this time ending in a Field 3-pointer to make it 59-43 with 3:50 left in the game.
The Mustangs got as close as 13, but the Hurricanes scored the last eight points to put it away in a game that was closer than the 21-point final margin indicates.
Next up for Hoosac Valley is Duggan Academy in the first ever meeting between the two programs. The third-seeded Jayhawks (18-2) advanced on Wednesday with a 50-49 win over Pioneer Valley.
“It’s not a surprise,” Robinson said. “[Allen Miranda] is back. Miranda’s a tough cover. He’s a very good guard. They’re long. They’re different. I’ve only seen them play once, so I’ve got to do some homework on them. We have two days to get ready for them, and we’ll see what happens.
“It’s a different animal that we haven’t seen much of – a taller, pressing type of team, kind of chaotic. And they’re just going to drive the ball right at you. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”
