Pittsfield Rallies for Win on Grand Night for Hurricanes
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Pittsfield boys basketball team Wednesday spoiled a milestone night for Hoosac Valley’s Adan Wicks, rallying for a 57-52 comeback win on the road.
It looked like it was shaping up to be a special night for Hoosac Valley (9-7) early on. The Hurricanes jumped out to a 16-6 lead, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Adan Wicks that pushed him past the 1,000-point mark early in the first quarter. Wicks scored 10 points in the opening frame and finished with a team-high 22.
Pittsfield (10-5) keyed in on Wicks defensively from the start, but that attention opened the door for others and fueled a 9-0 Hoosac run. With the energy of the home crowd and the celebration of Wicks’ milestone, Pittsfield knew it was facing an uphill battle.
“I wanted to do it at home. All my family came out, and we had such a great crowd,” Wicks said. “I’m feeling great that I hit it, but I wish we came out on top. It was unfortunate we lost.”
After falling behind early, Pittsfield began to claw back late in the second quarter. Quincy Abellie picked up early foul trouble and spent much of the first quarter on the bench, but his return made an immediate impact. Abellie scored six points in the second quarter, including a pair of offensive rebound putbacks that Pittsfield had been missing. The Generals closed the half strong and went into the break trailing by just two, 29-27, a small victory given the early deficit.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game playing up north,” Pittsfield head coach Jerome Edgerton said. “I told the guys we just had to weather the storm. With Adan scoring his 1,000th point, we knew the atmosphere was going to be loud.”
Abellie led Pittsfield with 18 points, while Bri’awn Thompson added 15 and Sam Touray chipped in 11.
Hoosac Valley came out of halftime looking to reassert control. Wicks knocked down another three on the same inbounds play that worked in the first quarter, and a strong inside attack pushed the lead back into double digits. Qwanell Bradley contributed with an and-one and a putback on his own miss as Hoosac appeared poised to pull away.
Pittsfield, however, responded once again. A late steal and transition three before the third-quarter buzzer trimmed the deficit to six and shifted momentum heading into the fourth.
That momentum carried over, as Pittsfield opened the final quarter on a 7-2 run. Braiden Sullivan delivered the biggest shot of the night, knocking down a 3-pointer to give Pittsfield its first lead at 48-46 with under five minutes remaining. Sullivan buried two triples in the quarter, both coming at crucial moments.
“I thought we played great in the fourth quarter,” Edgerton said. “We knew it was a long game and had to stick with what we do. Braiden Sullivan came alive and hit some big 3s for us down the stretch.”
Hoosac Valley cut the lead to three with less than 30 seconds to play, but Abellie sealed the win with a layup and then calmly sank the final free throws to make it a two-possession game with three seconds left.
The victory marked an impressive road comeback for Pittsfield, one they can build on as they prepare to face city rival Taconic next.
Hoosac Valley saw its five-game winning streak come to an end but will look for a bounce-back performance Friday when it takes on Drury.