Inside, outside game worked well for Hollis Brookline boys basketball

Nick Fothergill's first 3-pointer came not quiet two minutes into Friday's game between the Hollis Brookline High School and Coe-Brown Academy boys basketball teams.

The basket gave the Cavaliers a 6-2 lead, and in just a few minutes, they'd stretch that lead to double digits, but without the benefit of another outside shot.

Six of HB's next seven points came from inside the paint, forcing the Bears' defense to collapse on the lane to try to shut down the flow of baskets coming from close range.

And once that happened, Stephen Giaconia followed it up with two 3s in the final two minutes of the first quarter, and Fothergill hit another early in the second to put the Cavs up 22-9, as they went on to win 70-49 in the season opener for both teams on Friday.

"We've got a lot of balance because of that," HB coach Mike Soucy said. "I've got two bigs who can score, and I've got guards who can score. Having that balance, they can't focus on one thing, because we'll go to something else."

Despite some sluggish stretches in the second half, HB finished the game with seven 3-pointers, while also scoring 28 points inside the paint.

"We hit a couple of outside shots, so we could get the ball in, and when they doubled inside, we kicked the ball back out," Fothergill said. "Two-way game, we could finish either way, and that helps."

The scoring was distributed evenly, with Fothergill and Giaconia combining for all seven of those 3s and 32 points, while big men Matt Simco and Matthew Dowling teamed up for 35 points.

"It's very difficult (to defend)," Coe-Brown coach David Smith said. "We changed a couple of different types of defense to give them different looks, but it's very difficult. Their first look is inside, but when you've got an outstanding guard like (Fothergill), that helps his game immensely."

What's helped the Cavs overall is maintaining the idea that they are going to continue to do whatever is working. If a the opponent makes an adjustment, then they'll do the same.

"The kids have really bought into some of the things we're trying to get accomplished," Soucy said. "We didn't do everything we wanted to do, but we stuck with some of the basic things, and they worked, so why change it. That's kind of been my message, if something is working, let’s just keep going until they take it away until, and then we’ll go to something else."

HB is back in action on Friday, when the Cavs head to Goffstown for a 6:30 p.m. start.