HODGDON, Maine — On a snowy, blustery Tuesday evening, the Houlton boys basketball team continued its red-hot start to the season with the Shires romping to an 80-49 victory over neighboring Hodgdon.
The game marked the first time since the 2013-14 season that Houlton and Hodgdon have met on the basketball court for a regular season contest.
Soaring up and over Hodgdon’s Wyatt Foster, front, is Houlton center Cameron Cleary during Tuesday night’s game. Houlton won 80-49. (Joseph Cyr)
The Shires (2-0) jumped to a huge first quarter lead, scoring the game’s first 14 points, and never looked back.
“I was very happy with the balance we had offensively,” Houlton coach Tim Brewer said. “We had some guys hit some shots and hopefully that will boost their confidence moving forward.”
Four players scored in double digits for Houlton. Senior big man Cameron Cleary, a 6-foot, 8-inch center, led the Shires with 17 points and seven rebounds as he controlled the low post throughout the contest. Juniors Nick Brewer and Nolan Porter both had 12 points and sophomores Keegan Gentle and Jaron Gentle both had 10 points. Senior Nick Perfitt had six points, seven assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Hodgdon (1-1) was led by senior Wyatt Foster, who netted a game-high 18 points. Junior Andrew Tuttle added eight and sophomores Jacob Ritchie and Josh Foster each had seven.
“Houlton shot the ball very well,” Hodgdon coach Rob Smith said. “They used their size on the boards to get second chance points. They will be a tough team this season.”
The Shires roared to an early lead to start the game as Porter drained a 3-pointer shortly after receiving the opening tip from Cleary. Porter finished with four 3-pointers on the night.
Houlton’s press caused fits for the Hawks as Hodgdon turned the ball over on several of its first few possessions. The Shires capitalized on those turnovers with either open layups or offensive putbacks.
The Shires led 25-8 by the end of the first quarter. Houlton built upon its lead in the second period, pulling ahead 46-22 by the break. That lead grew to 69-33 after three quarters.
“For us, we can use this (game) as a learning tool,” coach Smith said. “A few timeouts last night were used to teach and discuss in game situations we have not faced. We got to the hoop well, but have to work on decision making on passing for an open look or finishing strong.”
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- Houlton’s Nick Perfitt, left, fouls Hodgdon’s Wyatt Foster, center, as Nick Brewer also defends during Tuesday night’s game. (Joseph Cyr)
Smith said he felt the Hawks did a nice job with its free throw shooting. The Hawks converted 14-of-27 foul shots (52 percent). In comparison, the Shires made 10-of-20 free throws (50 percent).
“This group had never played in a varsity Houlton versus Hodgdon game, so they were able to experience what many of their older friends and family members had been a part of in the past,” Smith added.
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- Hodgdon coach Rob Smith, right, speaks to his team during a break in the action Tuesday evening. Hodgdon fell to Houlton 80-49. (Joseph Cyr)
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- Hodgdon’s Andrew Tuttle dribbles toward the baseline while guarded by Houlton’s Keegan Gentle during Tuesday night’s game in Hodgdon. In the background is Shire Jaron Gentle. (Joseph Cyr)
