SOUTH DEERFIELD — When Frontier Regional and Greenfield get together on the basketball court, excitement and drama tend to follow.
That was the case Friday night at Goodnow Gymnasium, as the Red Hawks exploded for 19 points in the second quarter before their defense locked in and used their length to hold a potent Wave attack to just three points in the fourth quarter. It all added up to a 53-41 Hampshire League North victory.
The loss was Greenfield’s first of the season.
“Greenfield is a team that does all the little things,” Frontier coach Ben Barshefsky said. “Their defensive rotations are very strong. Anytime we play them, it’s a grind on every offensive possession. We earned our points tonight.”
Clinging to a 11-10 lead entering the second quarter, Frontier (6-1, 4-0) opened the game up with a barrage of 3-pointers. Following three points from Wave center Mason Meadows (team-high 15 points) to open the quarter, the Red Hawks answered with a 13-0 run to take control of the game.
Brett Robinson got it started with a 3 and Donovan Hoffman knocked down a pair of free throws before Sean Richter nailed a shot of his own. Hoffman then knocked down back-to-back corner 3’s, and suddenly Frontier held a 24-13 advantage.
Hoffman finished the game with 20 points, 15 coming in the first half.
“I trust coaches to give me the ball and my teammates to give me the ball,” Hoffman said. “My teammates set me up and it’s all due to them.”
Both teams traded buckets to close out the second quarter with the Red Hawks holding a 30-19 lead going into the half.
The Wave came out of the break firing, trying to climb back in the game on the road.
Greenfield (6-1, 2-1) scored 19 points in the third, six apiece from Meadows and sophomore Sam Gibson, but every time the Wave closed the gap, Frontier answered with a basket to halt any sort of run.
“We were able to build a little bit of a cushion in the second quarter,” Barshefsky said. “At times in the second half it looked like they were about to go on a run and we countered. I can’t say enough about all the guys making an effort and getting the job done.”
A 6-0 Greenfield run in the third thanks to a pair of free throws by Julius Brewington, a nifty finish by Gibson and a tough finish by Meadows helped cut into the deficit, as the Green Wave trailed just 43-38 entering the final eight minutes of play.
The offense that was buzzing for Greenfield disappeared in the fourth quarter, however, much due to a suffocating Red Hawk defense.
Frontier switched from a 1-2-2 zone to a 1-3-1 defense, using its length to its advantage.
Meadows, who had been getting good looks at the rim, found himself surrounded by multiple Red Hawk defenders on every touch. Peter Carey and Gabe Jones-Thomson used their size to prevent any easy finishes inside.
An early 3-pointer by freshman Maverick Ward had the Green Wave down just 45-41, but it would be the last points the team would muster in the game. Frontier closed on an 8-0 run to capture the key early-season win.
“Switching to the 1-3-1 gave them problems,” Hoffman said. “We’re a long team.”
Greenfield coach Angelo Thomas hopes his team can find a rhythm from behind the arc moving forward, noting that his squad didn’t knock down enough shots to pull Frontier out of its zone.
“We just needed to hit some outside shots,” Thomas said. “We have to have the courage to shoot outside shots and make them. I thought they played hard, we played hard, but they made more plays than we did.”
While the Wave offense went cold, the Red Hawks also struggled putting points on the scoreboard. Frontier made just three field goals in the final eight minutes of action, but were able to hit four free throws to seal the win.
Thomas hopes his team can find consistency and play at the high level they showed at times on Friday moving forward.
“We have to stay engaged the whole time,” Thomas said. “Not taking plays off, taking care of the ball.”