Hamilton perseveres against Hopewell to win in OT
HAMILTON » With the way the Hamilton West boys basketball team is constructed, the Hornets actually prefer when opponents get in their face and pressure the ball.
So when Hopewell Valley sat back in a zone defense throughout Tuesday night’s game, Hamilton had to persevere through a more unique challenge.
Hamilton escaped with a 44-41 overtime win at home, and although there was nothing flashy about it, the result was encouraging for coach Brandon Johnson against a team that he considered to be a bad matchup.
“I knew the game was going to be like that,” Johnson said. “Their record may say 2-and-whatever, but they’ve got size, they’ve got basketball players. They’re physical, they’re strong and they’re smart kids, so that’s always a tough game to play.”
Hopewell fell to 2-6 with a third straight loss by single digits, while Hamilton improved to 6-2.
The Hornets have allowed only 42.6 points per game and none of their five CVC opponents have cracked 50. They feature four players who at least 6-foot-4, so they have quality length and are one of the top defensive teams in the area.
But their offensive production could ultimately determine how far the Hornets go this year. They hope to make a run at the Central Jersey Group III sectional title, so learning how to adapt to different defensive styles is critical.
“We made the game a lot more difficult at times — just mental lapses,” Johnson said. “When we get tired, we make a lot of mental mistakes. But at the end of the game our guys stepped up and made plays. This is what basketball is about. It’s about that mental battle, me and the other coach going at it, trying to get your team in position to win games.”
In a game with 12 lead changes, including six in the fourth quarter, senior Maurice Williams helped put Hamilton over the top as he accounted for more than half of the team’s scoring in regulation with 19 points.
“I’m a senior so I’ve got to make those big shots,” Williams said. “I told my teammates, ‘Trust me and I’m going to trust you all.’ That’s the end of the story.”
Williams said the Hornets wanted to spread it out and move the ball around to create openings. Hopewell mixed in a box-and-one defense where four defenders play zone and one marks a specific offensive player.
“A team like Hopewell, you’ve got to value the ball because they’re going to limit you to one shot,” Johnson said. “We have to get in those gaps, draw two and then kick and not just be so stationary offensively.”
Hamilton milked clock in the second half by forcing Hopewell to pressure the ball more, which made every possession crucial. Williams buried four 3-pointers including a go-ahead shot that made it 34-33 with 3:30 remaining in the fourth quarter.
“One of his nicknames for us is Takeover because if you watch him, he can go on a stretch where he literally just singlehandedly takes over the game,” Johnson said. “It’s not X’s and O’s, it’s just him making plays out there, and that’s what he did today. He was a senior and made plays. He’s just got to be smart mentally, stay out of foul trouble and keep his emotions in check. Because when he’s locked in and ready to play basketball and lead us, I don’t think there’s a better guard in the area that’s going to do what he can do when it comes to mano-a-mano matchups.”
Hopewell’s Ryan Kuuskvere had a big game in the post with a career-high 14 points, and the Bulldogs briefly retook the lead at 35-34 on a bank shot by Brendan O’Reilly.
Hamilton pulled ahead 3735 with 38.7 seconds left after a corner 3 by Mehki Lott, and then Hopewell tied it up at 37 with 12.5 seconds remaining when Aiden Sullivan cut to the basket for a layup.
In overtime, Ben Boufford game Hamilton the lead with the team’s seventh 3-pointer. Donavine Domine put the finishes touches on the big by knocking down four huge free throws in the final 36 seconds.
Hamilton’s defense held Hopewell to only four points in overtime.
“It’s just constant pressure, nonstop talking, chatter. Just everything — the whole team gets involved,” Williams said. “This is really our year.”
Johnson is excited to see how Hamilton builds on the win when it plays Friday at Trenton — another top contender in the CVC.
“It’s going to be just as physical, but they’re going to get up mano-a-mano,” Johnson said. “We kind of thrive more so in that. These games scare me a little bit more than the Trenton game. We’ve got guys like Maurice, it’s almost impossible to stay in front of him, and he gets other guys easy buckets. I feel like that game will be more at our pace and we should look a little bit smoother offensively.”
ALLENTOWN » Davontay Hutson scored 26 points, Antwan Bridgett added 16, Brazil Fields had 11 and the Tornadoes (5-2) picked up the victory over the Redbirds (2-5). Ray Gooley led Allentown with 12 points. PRINCETON 62, STEINERT 50 PRINCETON » Chris Rinaldi tossed in 16 points, Ryan Guy added 10 and the Tigers (2-2) held off the winless Spartans (0-8). Sean Finnegan had 14 points for Steinert. RANCOCAS VALLEY 54, BORDENTOWN 48 BORDENTOWN » Despite 18 points from Myles Hansford, the Scotties (3-6) came up short against the Red Devils (6-2).