READY POSITION: Hun School boys’ basketball player Fergus Duke gets ready to launch a jumper in recent action. Last Sunday, junior guard Duke scored a team-high 20 points as third-seeded Hun fell 73-59 to No. 1 Blair in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) championship game. Hun, now 14-11, will meet Blair one last time as the foes play this Saturday in the state Prep A semis in Blairstown. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

After falling twice to Blair Academy in regular season play, the Hun School boys’ basketball team came out firing when the rivals met last Sunday in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) championship game.

With a standing room only crowd packing Hun’s Shipley Pavilion, the third-seeded Raiders gave the home fans plenty to cheer about as they jumped out to an early 24-18 lead over the top-seeded Buccaneers.

Hun junior guard Fergus Duke said the Raiders brought plenty of confidence into the contest.

“After last night’s game, we were feeling really good,” said Duke. “We won a close game against Hill and it was the first time we have beaten Hill in a while. We came in fired up today and it showed in the first quarter when were just jacking everything and it was going in. The crowd was going nuts, getting us pumped up.”

But powerful Blair regrouped, reeling off 15 unanswered points to take a 33-24 lead and gain momentum. Hun trailed 40-38 entering the second half but went on a 13-9 run to nose ahead 51-49. Blair scored the final five points of the third quarter and never looked back as it pulled away to a 73-59 win.

Duke acknowledged that the Raiders ran out of gas down the stretch as they fell to 14-11.

“We had a good game up until the beginning of the fourth quarter and we started playing their style of game with more run and gun and that’s what killed us,” said Duke, who tallied a team-high 20 points with backcourt mate Bo McKinley chipping in 19.

“They have got a lot of big bodies and their big men did a good job of contesting our shots. They did a very good job of altering our shots as well. They are a deep team and they did a great job of using their depth. They weren’t worn out at the end and we were.”

With Hun have beaten Mercersburg 50-29 and Hill 41-37 to reach the title game, it was a positive weekend overall for the Raiders.

“We played really well; I am very proud of my team, everyone contributed,” said Duke.

“When we played Mercersburg, when we played Hill and when we played Blair, everyone contributed. No one would have expected us to make it this far, especially throughout the season when we haven’t been winning those close games. Last night against Hill, we showed that we have learned. Blair just outmanned us tonight.”

Hun head coach Jon Stone liked the way everyone on his squad battled in the loss to Blair.

“I think our intensity was great; the kids played really hard,” said Stone. “We got off to a great start. Unfortunately we let them back in it. I think we started the second half really well; we had some great energy. We have some kids who are really good players. We ran out of gas a little bit but it wasn’t for lack of effort.”

Stone credited Blair with having some really good players who made the difference down the stretch.

“Number 10 (Virginia-bound Mike Tobey) was good today; Will Kelly getting his third foul today was a really big deal to us because I thought he did a great job on him in the first half,” said Stone, who noted that his team sorely missed Grant MacKay, out with a season-ending knee injury.

“He was getting him to miss a lot of shots; you take a great shot blocker like Will out of the game and it affected us. But credit to Tobey, he is good. Number 24 (Jermaine Myers) is also good; those are the two best players in the league.”

In Stone’s view, his team played its basketball of the year in advancing to the MAPL title game.

“At the end of the season, we have been getting better and peaking at the right time,” asserted Stone.

“That first quarter was as fun to watch as we have had all year. Both teams were clicking, that’s what you hope for at the end of the year. I just hoped they had scored a few less times.”

While that first quarter was entertaining, Stone acknowledged that getting sucked into a run-and-gun battle with the Bucs wasn’t great strategy.

“I think we let them dictate the tempo a little too much and that’s my fault because we ran out of gas at the end,” said Stone.

With the foes meeting one last time on February 18 at Blair in the state Prep A semifinals, Stone is hoping the fourth time will be the charm for his team.

“I think we need to be more patient,” added Stone. “I thought our toughness was pretty good today. We need to be a little smarter and dictate the tempo a little more. I am proud of our guys and the way we competed. We obviously came up short; they were the better team today.”

Duke, for his part, is ready to keep competing against Blair. “I am excited but tired of playing these guys,” said Duke.

“We are getting very comfortable playing them, it will be another good game.”