Frontier Regional boys basketball gets defensive in win over Easthampton
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SOUTH DEERFIELD - Defense has always been a staple of the Frontier Regional boys basketball program.
Despite a meager offense last season, the Red Hawks rode Division 3's second-ranked defense to the postseason. The offense has improved this year and the defense is just as stingy, making Frontier a dangerous team in the Hampshire League.
Easthampton learned first hand Tuesday how dangerous the Red Hawks can be as Frontier jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 55-43 victory.
"We communicated throughout the entire game," Frontier coach Ben Barshefsky said. "From the beginning to end, from an execution standpoint, which is something we have been stressing the past couple days, this was our best game up to this point."
The Red Hawks (5-1, 4-1 Hampshire West) held the Eagles (5-2, 3-2) to 13 points below their season average. Frontier harassed Easthampton standout Casey White all game. The senior guard had very few open looks and finished with a season-low 16 points, 7.5 below his season average. White scored seven points in the final two minutes after Frontier built a 51-33 lead.
"Casey White is a heck of a player and he does not need a lot of room to get off a shot and to even make a shot for that matter," Barshefsky said. "I thought the guys, even on the shots that he made tonight, were contesting them and that's a testament to how hard our guys worked."
Frontier's offense, which has improved by 5.6 points per game over last season, came to life in the first quarter. Justin Mieczkowski scored all nine of his points in the first as Frontier built a 20-7 lead.
Paul Decker, Mieczkowski and Peter Watroba all hit 3-pointers in the first, while Watroba completed a three-point play.
"That's a pretty good way to start the game and obviously our defense carried us the rest of the way," Barshefsky said.
The run was more than enough for the defense. Frontier used its length to bother White, who had a hand in his face on most shots. White scored the team's first five points but was held scoreless the rest of the half as Frontier led 29-13 at the break.
White didn't score again until there was 0.5 seconds left in the third when his two free throws made it 40-22.
"We hustled out there," Mieczkowski said. "We locked down Casey White, who we've been game planning all week for in practice, to make sure we know where he is and to shade him at all times."
Frontier took its largest lead in the third behind the play of its frontcourt. Brad Tremblay fed Ryan Hoar inside for a 33-16 lead. Hoar returned the favor a couple possessions later, then Hoar scored again inside to push the lead to 21 at 37-16 with 3:07 left.
Hoar finished with nine points and 20 rebounds. Mieczkowski and Dan Kieras also had nine points, while Watroba (11 points) and Decker (10) also reached double figures. Frontier, which normally doesn't shoot well from behind the arc, finished with five 3s, one shy of matching its season-high.
"We moved the ball around and got other guys looks," Mieczkowski said. "We were really focused on getting other guys open."
Chris Starcun had 14 points, including seven in the fourth quarter for Easthampton, which has lost two straight since opening 5-0.
Mike Moran can be reached at mmoran@gazettenet.com.
