Hurricanes put the clamps on Springfield

Boys basketball at Springfield.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20150122/SPORTS02/701229869

Published January 22, 2015 in the Rutland Herald Hurricanes put the clamps on Springfield By POODY WALSH Correspondent SPRINGFIELD — Less than three weeks into the season Hartford boys basketball coach Steve Landon knew that if his youthful (one senior) Hurricanes were going to have any success they would have to make defense a priority. “When you play defense you don’t have to score as many points,” explained Landon. And the Hurricanes played plenty of defense Wednesday night as they shut down Springfield, 46-28 in a Division II game at Dressel Gym. Hartford started out the season with two straight wins then lost seven of its next eight and along the way Landon and his coaches decided the way they were playing was not working. “We were launching 30 3s and 70 shots a game and still not winning,” said Landon. “We were in most of the games (except for Burr and Burton), but not winning. That’s when we decided to make defense the focal point of our game.” So even though the Hurricanes are 4-7 it is a record that is not a record of disappointment. “We’re making progress,” said Landon. “I’m satisfied where we are. We had three kids play eighth-grade basketball last year.” Meanwhile Springfield finds itself in an offensive funk. In the last three games the 3-8 Cosmos have scored 27, 28 and 28 points. And it’s hard to think that help is on the way as the junior varsity team scored just 12 points in losing 34-12. “We’re certainly struggling to shoot the basketball,” said first-year Springfield coach Tim MacDonnell. “We’ve got to try and figure it out.” The Cosmos were also hampered by having their top player, Josh Rivers, spend most of the game in foul trouble. Rivers picked up his second foul with 5:24 left in the first quarter and didn’t return until the third quarter and quickly picked up two more and was back on the bench with 4:18 to go in the period. He went back into the game at 5:45 of the fourth quarter, but picked up his fifth foul at 3:25. In all, he played less than that 10 minutes and had six points, which was second on the team to the 13 scored by Ed Shambo. “Josh is a big part of our offense,” said MacDonnell, “and when we don’t have him we’re in some trouble.” MacDonnell put some of the blame on himself for the lack of offense. “I’ve got to do a better job of putting the guys in position to score,” he said. “We’ve just got to try and be consistent.” Despite the final score it was a game that still had some mystery to it because the Hurricanes were not exactly burning the nets. It was a 9-4 game after one period and just a nine-point difference at 26-17 at the half. The third quarter was dismal offensively as there were just 12 points scored, eight by Hartford. Even with 4:30 to go in the game the Cosmos were within range at 38-28, but the Hurricanes ran off eight straight points to put it away. The only senior on the Hartford is Connor Brooks and Landon gave him credit for keeping everything in check. “We don’t play defense by mistake,” said Landon who added that, “Brooks controls the game.” Junior Bryce Landon was the top Hartford scorer with 12 points while Jacob Perkins had eight. Both teams play again on Saturday as Mount Anthony comes to Hartford and Oxbow to Springfield.