Souhegan boys basketball's win streak extends to 5 with win over Hollis Brookline

AMHERST - If the Souhegan High School boys basketball team finds itself in the playoffs this year, don’t expect the Sabers to crack under pressure.

Ever since starting the season 0-7, Souhegan has treated every matchup with the importance of a playoff game. In their latest test, the Sabers hosted Hollis Brookline, which sat just below them in the standings.

Both teams knew the stakes. A loss at this point in the season could be the difference between making the playoffs or not.

Despite HB’s best efforts, Souhegan passed the latest test, winning 66-43 with a shooting performance that caught coach Peter Pierce and his staff off guard. The Sabers hit 10 of their 3-pointers and outscored the Cavaliers 22-6 in the final quarter.

“We are not a big 3-point shooting team,” Pierce said. “Usually we have to move the ball and move deep to get good offense. (Tuesday) we were a little out of character but we’ll take it. They’re capable (of shooting from deep), it's just not a big part of what we do.”

Drew Reagan hit four 3s for Souhegan, all of which came in the second half. Meanwhile Weston Hickman led the team with 13 points. Six different players connected from behind the arc.

After only scoring two points in the first quarter, the Cavaliers came out running in the second quarter. Finding opportunities in transition, HB scored 10 straight points to start the second quarter, even taking the lead 15-14 at one point.

The Cavs would outscore Souhegan, 21-16, in the second and cut their deficit to three points going into halftime, down 26-23.

“I thought we played three good quarters,” Pierce said. “We came out strong defensively in the first, but we had a hiccup in the second quarter. We knew they like to get out in transition and that’s where they needed to be. We allowed that to happen in the second quarter."

After halftime, opportunities were limited for HB but it managed to keep the game close, down 44-37 going into the fourth quarter.

That’s when the wheels began to fall off for the Cavs.

“We didn’t have the gas tank I thought we did,” HB coach Ryan Kelly said. “We played hard and played (with Souhegan) for three quarters. They were unconscious shooting, but part of that was our gas tanks were dipping. Our ball pressure wasn’t as good.” 

The Sabers hit five 3s in the fourth quarter alone and quickly distanced themselves from HB. The Cavs, who dropped to 4-10, didn’t have the same luck from outside and Souhegan closed any driving lanes they had inside the paint.

James Arthur hit two of the four 3-points for HB and finished with eight points. Dylan Kelly led the team with 11 points.

Coming into the game, the Sabers were riding a four-game win streak that elevated them from the bottom of the standings into a playoff spot for the moment. Rather than throwing in the towel during the losing streak, Pierce’s players banded together, knowing the wins could come.

“They’re playing with some confidence and confidence well-earned," Pierce said. “They were on a seven-game losing streak, staring down three games on the road.

"They have come a long way. It’s a tribute to them. They never lost hope and never thought they couldn’t compete. They knew there was a process.”