Hollis Brookline boys basketball shuts down Pelham

HOLLIS - For more than nine minutes Tuesday night, the Hollis Brookline High School boys basketball team was playing the type of game it wants to all the time.

When the Cavaliers' offense fell off, the defense stayed at that level and it led HB to a 54-35 win over Pelham.

PJ Flaum scored 20 points, including six 3-pointers, as the Cavs used a 21-2 run in the first to blow open a close game and the HB defense got back on track to snap a two-game losing streak.

"I think our defensive effort was pretty good and we shot the ball well, at least in the first half," HB coach Mike Soucy said. "That was really a positive sign. I think our defense played pretty solidly and we controlled the backboards, which was huge."

The Cavs (6-3) held the Pythons to single digits in three quarters, and got 11 points from Connor Walsh and another nine from Logan Blake. Pelham (6-5) got 12 points from Jake Vaiknoras while Keith Brown chipped in nine points.

It was a 3 by Brown that made it a three-point game late in the first quarter, when the Cavs took over. Walsh hit a jumper on HB's next trip down the floor, as the Cavs closed the quarter on a 9-0 run.

HB opened the second quarter with a 12-2 run to go up 33-11 with 2:58 left before halftime. The Cavs appeared to be cruising, but they scored just two points over the next six minutes.

"They lose focus every once in a while and we can’t do that," Soucy said. "We were lucky to get away with that (Tuesday)."

Pelham was able to cut the lead down to 12 points late in the quarter, but HB scored the next four to make it a 16-point game at the end of three. Over the final 10 minutes, the Cavs held the Pythons to just eight points.

"It’s our defense that drives our offense and not the other way around," Soucy said. "With kids, sometimes, if they’re not scoring, they relax more on defense and it’s got to be the reverse. We have to always play hard on defense and that’s going to generate more offensive opportunities and energy.

"I worry about what’s our intensity level and what’s our focus. Are we playing with a sense of urgency and a sense of determination? Setting the tone and playing with more intensity is a huge sign and step in the right direction."