The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
No gray area: Brown leaves Hornets blue
Hawken coach Shawn McGregor knows how opponents will try to guard the Hawks.
Multiple sets of eyes will train on point guard Hugh Brown in hopes of preventing him from taking over.
Extreme attention from defenders is Brown’s reward for scoring 30 points or more in three of Hawken’s first five games.
What makes the Hawks dangerous, though, is Brown is a pass-first point guard.
Brown handed out three assists before he attempted a shot Dec. 19 at Kirtland. He proceeded to score a gamehigh 23 points to lead four Hawks in double-digit scoring as Hawken won, 71-58.
“I tend to just get my teammates going first,” Brown said. “That makes it easier for me to create later in the game, get in open space and play.”
Brown finished with eight assists, made four 3-pointers and now averages 24.5 points per game. T.J. Perusek scored 15 points, Michael Snyder added 11 and Charlie Ross chipped in 10.
As impressive as Brown’s own scoring has been so far, what’s impressed his coach is his ability to distribute and involve teammates. Brown’s unselfishness has keyed Hawken’s threegame winning streak that’s followed a 0-3 start to the season.
“He’s just a really good basketball player that makes people around him better,” McGregor said. “That’s all I can say about him. He’s phenomenal.”
Brown connected with Perusek and Snyder for layups to open the game. Brown made a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points to spur Hawken’s 14-4 run that put the Hawks ahead, 24-11, after a quarter.
Kirtland rebounded to match Hawken’s 15 points in the second quarter. Hornets coach Nick Gallo employed a fullcourt press that generated layups off Hawks turnovers.
Kirtland closed the third quarter on a 10-0 run, capped by Matt Krulc’s buzzer-beating layup, and trailed, 51-42, headed into the fourth.
Hawken countered with an 8-0 run to begin the final period.
Brandon Samsa’s free throws pulled the Hornets within 10, 64-54, before the Hawks iced their win with free throws by Brown and Perusek.
Adam Mueller led Kirtland with 13 points and Samsa finished with 12. The Hornets dropped their second consecutive game as they continue to try to find rhythm.
The football team’s run to the Division VI state championship game kept some of Gallo’s rotation players out of practice and delayed the start of Kirtland’s basketball season. Injuries, namely to point guard Dominic Capretta, haven’t helped.
“I just feel like we’re in a hurry in everything we do right now,” Gallo said. “That’s just because we’re a little bit out of sync because of guys being down. But we’re playing hard.”
“He’s just a really good basketball player that makes people around him better. That’s all I can say about him. He’s phenomenal.” Hawken coach Shawn McGregor, on guard Hugh Brown after the Hawks’ win Dec. 19 at Kirtland