Epic Fourth-Quarter Run Propels Hoosac Boys to Road Win

BUCKLAND, Mass. -- When Mohawk Trail’s Tyler Dubreuil converted a conventional three-point play early in the fourth quarter, his team had a nine-point lead and had to be feeling pretty good on Wednesday night.

 

But it could not have known what was coming.

 

Hoosac Valley went on a 24-1 run to end the game, erasing that Mohawk lead and riding off with a 49-35 win behind 14 points and 10 rebounds from Izaha Stubbs.

 

Stubbs started the game-winning run by driving the left wing and finishing to make it 34-27.

 

He then stole the ball out of Hoosac Valley’s press and layed it in to cut the margin to five.

 

“Basically, I wanted to boost my team up,” Stubbs said. “We didn’t play that well the first three quarters, so I had to step up and do something.

 

“I had to somehow get the team up. It woke us up, and we finally realized that we had to win this game.”

 

Shaun Kastner and Logan Davis each scored 10 in what was a slog for both teams offensively until the third quarter, when Mohawk used a 7-0 run of its own to open a 29-20 lead.

 

Hoosac Valley coach Dave Harte said he thought his team might have looked past the Mohawk and the ‘Canes may have been just plain rusty after not having played since Dec. 27.

 

Whatever the reason, there was no doubt Hoosac Valley needed a lift. And Stubbs was up to the challenge.

 

“You just think about all the pressure that is on his shoulders,” Harte said. “If the other team presses, he’s got to break it. I don’t know how many rebounds he had today, but it seemed like 50. Then he makes two defensive plays to get us in it.

 

“He’s our engine, obviously. He’s the heart of this team. He’s really been a good teammate this year. As far as being a great, quality teammate and a complete player, he certainly is all of that.”

 

On Friday evening at home against Lenox, Stubbs almost certainly will reach the 1,000-point plateau for his stellar career. He ended Wednesday night with 999 points, the last two were big ones.

 

After he scored four straight to get Hoosac within five at 34-29, Mohawk called timeout with 6 minutes, 28 seconds on the clock.

 

On the ensuing possession, the Hurricanes’ press generated another turnover, leading to a bucket by Kastner. Another turnover out of Hoosac’s press led to Stubbs’ second 3-pointer of the game to tie it at 34-34.

 

Mohawk Trail got to the line on its next trip and made one to take its last lead of the night at 35-34.

 

But Davis got to the line with 5:01 on the clock and made both his shots to put Hoosac Valley ahead, and Stubbs converted an assist from Davis on a baseline inbound play to score his final points of the night and make it a three-point margin.

 

Stubbs had an assist, and Kastner scored twice in the post down the stretch as Hoosac Valley scored the last 15 points and moved over the .500 mark for the first time this season at 4-3.