Hoosac Fades in Second Half to Lose to Putnam
ADAMS, Mass. -- How a team finishes the first half is usually a good indication of how the rest of the game is going to turn out to be.So when the Hoosac Valley boys' basketball climbed its way out a 19-9 first-quarter deficit with a solid second-quarter effort, head coach Bill Robinson was probably hoping for something better when it came to the final two minutes of the first half in his team's home game with Putnam on Friday night.
The Hurricanes' cut the lead to six points late in the second quarter, only to see the Beavers close out the first half on a 5-0 run. It ended up being a big blow to Hoosac, which was outscored 21-10 in the third quarter on its way to 71-41 defeat .
"It was a step forward as far as the first half went this evening," Robinson said. "We played competitively with a good Putnam team down 26-20 with two minutes to go in the first half. We then had a mental lapse and allowed an open shooter who made a 3-pointer and then stole the ensuing inbound pass and made a layup to push the lead from six to 11 in a matter of seconds."
The Beavers' flurry at the end of the first half was just the first of a series of knockout punches that kept the 'Canes staggering in the second half. After falling behind 55-34 after three quarters, Putnam put the game on ice by outscoring the hosts 16-7 in the final quarter.
"The second half we were totally outplayed," Robinson said. "Putnam pounded the offensive glass and were getting two, three and four shots every trip down the floor. Their athleticism wore us down and broke our will. There was many positive moments within the game tonight, but there are no moral victories. We need to continue to stay focused, get better, and play two halves each night."
David Murrell scored a game-high 17 points to lead the Beavers, who also got 15 points out of Tavis Frazer. Sophomore guard Matt Braman led the Hoosac with eight points, while classmate Trevor Alibozek chipped in with seven points and seven rebounds.
The Hurricanes play one more time before Christmas Break, hosting Monument Mountain at 7 p.m. on Thursday.