McGovern, Hoosac Valley Boys Scorch Hopkins Academy
CHESHIRE, Mass. – With just more than 20 points per game this winter, Carson Meczywor is one of the most dangerous scorers in Berkshire County.
But to hear him tell it, he might not be the best shooter on his own team.
“Joey [McGovern] has been great these past few games,” Meczywor said after a 71-43 win over Hopkins Academy in Wednesday’s Western Massachusetts Class D semi-finals. “He might be one of the best shooters I’ve ever seen.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen him miss in practice, games – he’s money all the time.”
McGovern knocked down five 3-pointers on his way to a 17-point night on Wednesday night.
Meczywor scored a game-high 30 to lead the Hurricanes into Saturday’s Western Mass final against Baystate Academy at MCLA.
The Hurricanes (14-6) know that, win-or-lose on Saturday, they have more work ahead of them in the state tournament that begins next week. But that does not make the regional title any less important, Meczywor said.
“Coming into the last game, we were in Western Mass mode,” he said. “We knew: next one to the next one to the next one. So we keep playing for that Western Mass championship, which has been our goal the entire season.”
Hoosac Valley took the lead for good with a 7-0 spurt late in the first quarter.
Meczywor got things started with a 3-pointer and then scored back-to-back buckets in transition off Hopkins turnovers.
He had 11 points in the first quarter and added seven more in the second quarter to help open up a 31-15 lead.
It was 31-16 when McGovern knocked down a triple and then made both ends of a one-and-one with 11 seconds left in the half to give Hoosac Valley a 20-point lead in the locker room.
The Hurricanes rode their second-quarter momentum to a 9-0 spurt that opened the third quarter and made it 45-16 when Meczywor scored in the post just 1 minute, 46 seconds into the half.
“Coming out of the first half, we were really pumped about our performance,” he said. “We wanted to capitalize that and keep playing well.”
The Hawks settled down after the timeout and got within 20 points late in the third, but Caleb Harrington (nine points) and McGovern hit late 3-pointers, the latter at the buzzer, to send Hoosac Valley to the fourth quarter with a 24-point cushion.
Frank Field scored nine of his 11 points in the second half to help Hoosac Valley stay in control of the game. He also finished with a game-high 15 rebounds and blocked three shots in the win.
On Saturday, the Hurricanes get a third shot at Baystate, which won, 88-63, in Cheshire back in December and survived for a 55-50 win in the rematch on Valentine’s Day. Tip-off at MCLA is 2 p.m.