Puccio Powers Hoosac to First Win of the Year
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — They say good things come to those who wait, but Corey Puccio probably didn't think things could be that good did he?The junior guard stepped up for the Hoosac Valley boys' basketball team in a big way on Tuesday night, connecting on six 3-pointers against Monument Mountain to lead the Hurricanes to their first win in seven tries this season. Puccio, who finished with a game-high 23 points, got his team off to a fast start by nailing three triples in the first quarter, and Hoosac never looked back on its way to earning a hard-fought 62-55 win on the road.
"Obviously we are happy to get our first win," Hurricanes head coach Bill Robinson said. "We led the whole way and had to learn to protect the lead throughout the game. The kids played hard and executed better tonight than we have all season. We also shot the ball well tonight, going 19 of 26 from the free-throw line and hitting 9 of 23 3-point baskets. We've put together three decent efforts in a row and need to continue to build on that and improve each day."
With Puccio and sophomore Sean Ryan-Kut (12 points) combining to drain four threes in the first quarter, Hoosac (1-6) jumped out to 16-7 lead after the first eight minutes of play. Ryan-Kut scored four more points in the second quarter, helping the visitors to a 27-20 lead at the break. Puccio and senior Jesse Larabee (10 points) combined to make four more treys in the third quarter, which bumped the 'Canes lead to 10 points heading into the fourth.
"As expected, Monument turned up their intensity level and made a run, cutting the lead to four points with just under two minutes to play," Robinson said. "But Puccio had the answer by connecting on his sixth 3-point basket of the night in addition to making a lay-up. Larabee (2 for 2), Trevor Alibozek (2 for 2) and Matt Braman (4 for 4) went a perfect 8 of 8 from the free-throw line in the final minute to wrap up the victory."
John Kinne led the Spartans (3-3) with 18 points, while teammate Cam Pease added 13 in a losing effort. Alibozek had a quiet night scoring with just seven points, but he chipped in with a team-high nine rebounds.
Next up for Hoosac is game against Lenox in the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament on Saturday. The game will be held at MCLA at 5:45 p.m.
"Please come out and support your team this Saturday and help us all make a difference in the fight against cancer," Robinson said.