AMHERST — After dropping its first two games of the season, the Turners Falls High School boys basketball team was able to get its offense going in the Pioneer Valley Tip-Off against Mt. Greylock.
The Thunder rode a red-hot second quarter and made key baskets in the final frame to earn a 69-66 win on Sunday morning at UMass’ Curry Hicks Cage.
It was the first win of the season for Turners, which played its third game in four days to start the 2019-20 campaign. The club dropped independent games to Lenox and Monson to open the season.
“The first half we shot the ball well behind the arc,” Turners coach Gary Mullins said. “In the second half, (Greylock does) the same thing and fill it up good from the outside. We’re still making a bunch of foolish turnovers. They kept playing hard and we’ll take it. It’s important for these kids to win a game. We just lost two in a row at home. We needed a little bit of confidence. Hopefully it will help us move in the right direction.”
Senior Anthony Peterson had a strong game for Turners (1-2), scoring 21 points and pulled down 19 boards, earning him MVP honors.
Junior Chace Novak also poured in 22 points for the Thunder, while Brendan Driscoll and Marcus Sanders contributed nine points apiece.
Toby Foehl was the Mounties’ leading scorer with 29 points, knocking down five 3-pointers.
Following a low-scoring first quarter, the Turners offense found a groove in the second. Six players scored points in the period, and the club drilled four 3’s to send them into the locker room with a 40-28 advantage.
In the third quarter however, the Turners offense went from blazing hot to icy cold. The Thunder made just two field goals in the eight-minute stanza, while Foehl scored 11 points to bring Mt. Greylock back within 48-45 heading into the final quarter of play.
In a tightly-contested fourth quarter, it was Novak who found his shooting rhythm. The junior accounted for 13 points in the quarter, and consistently had an answer anytime the Mounties got within striking distance.
“He’s capable of doing that,” Mullins said of Novak’s explosion. “He’s capable of shooting the ball well and getting hot. He got some confidence and he made some big 3’s for us.”
The Mounties took a 53-52 lead early in the fourth off a 3-pointer from sophomore Derek Paris, but it didn’t last long as Novak banged in a 3 on the ensuing possession to retake the lead for the Thunder.
It would be the last time Greylock held a lead, as Novak drilled a deep two and then Peterson converted an and-one that quickly put Turners up 60-53.
Foehl scored five in a row to get the Mounties within two late, but once again Novak countered with a 3 to halt the Greylock momentum.
It became a free throw game late, and Mt. Greylock was again able to get within 68-66 with 10.1 seconds on the left.
As the Mounties tried to get the ball to Foehl in an attempt to either tie or win the game, Thunder senior Jaden Whiting intercepted the pass and was immediately fouled, making a free throw with 1.3 ticks left on the clock to secure the win for Turners.
“We should have closed it out a lot easier,” Peterson said. “Basketball is a game of runs. You’re always going to face some tough situations. That’s a great early season test to overcome. It was all team effort, playing defense, helping, talking. Everyone on the team did something well today.”
Mullins was pleased with his team’s effort, and the veteran coach hopes it’s something his squad can build off moving forward.
“I thought they worked hard on defense,” Mullins said of his team. “We rebounded harder than we had the last couple games.”
Turners heads to Baystate Academy in Springfield for its first true road game of the season on Tuesday night.