Cavs basketball couldn’t hold on to their first half lead and lost to Souhegan at home.

Hollis Brookline High School’s boys basketball team hosted Souhegan last Friday, January 22, in search of a win that would put the Cavs above .500 for the first time since January 5. Going into the contest, HB was 3-3, while Souhegan was 4-2.

Coming off of a big 72-37 win against ConVal on January 14, HB tried to build off of their momentum. They knew they faced a tough Souhegan opponent, and would have to limit their mistakes if they wanted to win the game.

As the game began, both teams played shutdown defense. Even with lots of ball movement, neither team could penetrate the other’s defense and break the perimeter early in the quarter. With half of the first quarter already played, HB held a slim 4-2, showing just how strong both defenses were playing. As the quarter wound down, Souhegan’s defense began to play sloppy, and HB started drawing fouls. The quarter ended with the Cavs holding the 10-5 advantage.

Unlike the first quarter, the second quarter got off to quick scoring, with both teams dropping two points within the first thirty seconds. While Souhegan continued scoring, shortening their deficit, HB struggled to add to their lead. After failing to score for over five minutes, HB’s lead was shortened to 14-12, before Nick Fothergill ‘17 hit a three pointer with 1:23 left to play in the half. That was the end of the Cav’s scoring for the half though, and Souhegan tallied three more points before the buzzer sounded. The half closed out with Hollis Brookline holding a 17-15 lead.

While tight defense and aggressive play were themes in the first half, the third quarter started out far different. Both sides had more than their fair share of air balls and turnovers, as both teams had clearly lost their first half rhythm. Souhegan soon found their groove though, and went on a 6-0 run to start the half, taking the lead 21-17. HB didn’t score their first points of the half until their were 5:30 left in the third on a baseline jumper by Luther Payette ‘16. Hollis Brookline continued to turn the ball over though, and their deficit grew to nine with two minutes remaining. As the quarter closed out, HB scored five more points, but were losing by a score of 32-24.

The fourth quarter was more of the same, as Souhegan scored first again, this time starting with a 7-0 run. With five minutes to play, HB had fallen to a fifteen point deficit. With time winding down and the game running away, it became clear that HB wouldn’t be able to recover. The Cavs used this as an opportunity to give some time on the floor to their younger players, as building for the future is a big focus this year. The game ended with Souhegan winning 51-31.

HB now stands at 3-4, but are still in a competitive place in the standings. Souhegan improved to 5-2, and stands as one of Division II’s best.