H/B takes a beating from Milford

Friday, January 8, 2010

Staff photo by COREY PERRINE Milford's Mike O'Loughlin dunks over Hollis/Brookline's Miles Tobin Tuesday, Jan. 5 at Milford High School. The Spartans ran past the Cavaliers 80-40.

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Staff photo by COREY PERRINE Milford's Dan Desmarais pressures Hollis/Brookline's Matt Haight Tuesday, Jan. 5 at Milford High School. The Spartans ran past the Cavaliers 80-40.

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Hollis/Brookline Head Coach Mike Soucy advises his team at half-time Tuesday, Jan. 5 at Milford High School. The Spartans ran past the Cavaliers 80-40.

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Staff photo by COREY PERRINE Milford's Mike O'Loughlin dunks over Hollis/Brookline's Miles Tobin Tuesday, Jan. 5 at Milford High School. The Spartans ran past the Cavaliers 80-40.

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MILFORD – All anyone needs to know about Tuesday night’s game between the boys basketball teams from Milford High School and Hollis/Brookline High School happened in the first 90 seconds of the second half.

The Cavaliers cut an 11-point halftime deficit to nine on a basket by Daniel Baerthlein just 10 seconds in to the third quarter. By the time H/B scored again, the Cavs were cutting into a 17-point deficit. Milford scored eight points – all on baskets created by the fast-break – in less than a minute and cruised to an 80-40 victory over H/B in Class I action.

Mike O’Loughlin led the Spartans with 21 points and five rebounds while Jamie Holder added 19 points and five boards. The duo combined for 20 of Milford’s 28 points in the third quarter, as the Spartans (3-0) scored 50 second-half points.

Mike Mitchell added 10 points – including two 3-pointers – and had five steals.

H/B got 10 points and seven rebounds from Baerthlein while Brian Liamos had nine markers. The Cavs shot 48 percent from the field through three quarters, but they couldn’t keep pace with Milford’s offense.

“I think we outplayed them in the first half, but they hung tough,” Milford coach Dan Murray said. “We were patient with our shots. We got a lot of good shots in the second half, but it was off a lot of movement. We worked real hard and we’re still a young team. We’re definitely a work-in-progress.”

After the Spartans scored 70 points or more in their first three league games, that’s probably something that other Class I coaches would rather not hear.

“They’re a really good team,” H/B coach Mike Soucy said. “I didn’t have my guys prepared to play for 32 minutes.”

Milford went up early in the first quarter, pulling ahead by 10 points twice before H/B scored the final four points of the quarter to trail 14-8 after eight minutes. The Spartans stretched the lead to 14 points early in the second quarter, but the Cavs stuck around, pulling within 24-17 with 2:20 to play. A 3-pointer by Mitchell with a little more than a second left in the half put Milford up 11 going into the break.

The Spartans opened with a spurt in the third quarter, thanks to their defensive pressure and transition game. Milford forced 11 turnovers by H/B, including nine steals.

Milford will return to action on Friday at home against Pelham, while H/B heads to Con-Val on Tuesday.