By DAN BARILE
Eagle Times Correspondent
WINDSOR, VT — If you were watching the Hartford Hurricanes (8-1) for the first time this season on Wednesday, Jan. 10, it was hard not to come away impressed. The Hurricanes scored the first 18 points of the game and never looked back during an 80-33 victory over Windsor.
Hartford’s full-court pressure gave Windsor fits as they trapped the Yellow Jackets all over the court and forced several turnovers. With just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Windsor broke into the scoring column when Brady Olmstead put the backboard to good use on a 3-point attempt. Tanner Moody and Anthony Cook also managed to score for the Yellow Jackets before the end of the period, but the damage had been done as Hartford held a 20-6 lead
The Hurricanes’ second string followed an impressive display from the starters by scoring the first seven points of the second quarter. Hartford continued to apply significant defensive pressure throughout the period as they entered halftime with a 39-12 advantage.
Hartford kept their foot on the accelerator as they reeled off 12 consecutive points to open the second half. Windsor’s Corey Lockwood interrupted the run with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter by draining his first of two 3s on the night. The rest of the quarter was a back-and-forth affair that resulted in Hartford entering the final frame with a 63-31 edge.
Kole Fotion scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter for the Hurricanes, but it was Ayodele Lowe who nearly put the Hartford crowd into a frenzy. The 5’7” point guard attempted his best Spud Webb impersonation, but narrowly missed a dunk attempt despite appearing to launch off a trampoline. Hartford controlled the game the rest of the way as they cruised to a 47-point victory.
“The biggest challenge is they’re athletic and they’re very disciplined with their trapping and their pressing,” said Windsor Head Coach Larry Dougher about the talented Hurricanes squad. “We know playing against the tougher competition is going to be good for us come playoff time.”
Despite the tough loss, Dougher was particularly pleased with the play of one of his reserves.
“I thought Sam Peckinpaugh, coming off the bench, played a really good floor game in a very physical game. I was really proud of [how] Sam played against that physicality. He did a good job of controlling the game from the point guard position.”
Dougher also highlighted the rebounding efforts of Anthony Cook and the outside shooting of Corey Lockwood.
Brady Olmstead was the top scorer for Windsor with 9 points, and he was followed by Anthony Cook (7), Corey Lockwood (6), and Noah Jenks (5). All 11 of Hartford’s players scored for the Hurricanes, led by a game-high 17 points from Kole Fotion.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier as Windsor (4-5) has another game against one of the top teams in Division 2 on Friday, Jan. 12, when they host Fair Haven at 7 p.m.
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