Coyne’s record night highlights Hawks’ season

Michael Coyne scored the first points of the game between Hawken and Berkshire on Jan. 3 when Jalen Suggs fed him for a layup. During the rest of the Hawks’ 74-52 victory over the Badgers, Coyne didn’t make another shot inside the 3-point arc.

The sophomore guard scored a game-high 35 points and sank 11 3-point attempts. Coyne set a single-game program record and entered the state record book as his 3-point total tied the fifth-best singlegame total in OHSAA history.

Coyne’s game resides among performances by LeBron James and Jon Diebler as fellow players to hit 11 3s in a game.

“After I had about seven after the third quarter, going into the fourth quarter I definitely knew I was hot,” Coyne said. “I definitely knew I was knocking down shots so I just kept shooting, hit four more to close it out.”

A single-game 3-point record was set later in the season, when Columbus Independence’s Andre Trent made 17 in a game Feb. 13.

Coyne scored Hawken’s first 11 points of the game. After his layup, he knocked down three 3-pointers to help the Hawks build an early lead. He added a fourth 3 in the first quarter when he caught in the left corner after cutting baseline and his shot bounced three times on the rim before falling through the net.

Coyne went scoreless in the second quarter before re-establishing his rhythm out of halftime. A corner 3 on Hawken’s first possession of the third quarter preceded a make from near the timeline past the right elbow. Coyne connected on another 25-footer later in the period and added a transition 3 near the sideline to end the third.

When the third period ended, coach Josh Nugent heard “that’s seven” from the scorer’s table.

“I didn’t even realize what that meant,” Nugent said. “Then it kind of registered, ‘Has he made seven 3s through three quarters?’ He was burying them from 25 feet, 24, we were running sets for him.”

Berkshire switched out of its zone to a man defense to account for Coyne’s hot shooting. Still, he opened the fourth with his eighth 3, a make from the corner off a kickout.

After two more makes, Coyne’s 11th 3 splashed through the net as Hawken led by 19 with three minutes remaining. Nugent removed his starters a minute later.

“It was awesome to have a game like that,” Coyne said. “We have a rough season this year but we’re young and we’re going to come back and finish strong this year.”

The victory against Berkshire, in the team’s eighth game, marked the Hawks’ most recent win. Headed into a sectional semifinal against CVCA on Feb. 25, Hawken has dropped its last 14 games and ended the regular season 2-20.

Coyne, who transferred to Hawken from University during the second week of school, played only three more games for the Hawks due to transfer rules. Through 11 games, the 6-foot guard compiled averages of 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from 3-point range.

Nugent, who arrived at Hawken last year following a long tenure on Eric Flannery’s staff at St. Edward, knew he signed up for a rebuild with the Hawks. During half a season, Coyne proved himself a valuable building block in that process.

Despite the results, Nugent is optimistic. He brought Mentor graduate Jason Bratten, his JV assistant, along with him from St. Edward. Hawken also added former St. Ignatius assistants Chris Salata, Brian McLaughlin and Bryan Fisher to Nugent’s staff. In less than a year, Nugent and his staff have already begun bolstering Hawken’s middle-school talent pool.

The team’s practices remain intense and full of energy. None of the Hawks’ starters are seniors and Suggs, junior forward Eli Buchanan and freshman point guard Dominic Johnson displayed promise throughout the season.

“None of us have lost enthusiasm about it,” Nugent said. “We’re super excited, and the kids haven’t, either.”

Coyne