KENNEBUNK — Marshwood High boys’ basketball coach Bobby Pratt said earlier in the week his team needed to find some complementary scoring.
With two starters out because of COVID, the need for extra contributions was even greater.
Pratt got what he was looking for in Thursday’s 62-57 Class A South win against a solid and full-strength Kennebunk squad.
“We did find some nice scoring touch today,” Pratt said. “Just a total team effort I thought. It was great.”
Marshwood, which had not scored more than 51 points in its first six games, improved to 6-1 on the season. Kennebunk slipped to 4-3 with its second straight loss.
The Hawks’ leading scorer Aidan Sullivan did his part, scoring 18 points, including a strong inside bucket against tough defense with just over a minute to play after the Rams had trimmed an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit down to two points.
But it was the way that regular reserves Chris Reuning, Cooper Aiguier and Jared Herrin stepped into bigger roles that made the difference. Reuning and Aiguier started and scored 13 and seven points while logging big minutes. Herrin, a 6-foot-4 junior, added four points and an inside presence off the bench in his second varsity game.
“Jared, Cooper, Chris, the three of them, were just huge tonight and definitely big keys to our success,” Sullivan said.
In addition, regular starting guard Trevor Wozny looked for his offense at opportune times and scored 11 points, including a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer to give the Hawks a 51-45 lead.
“We scouted them to stop their two best players and they actually beat us with the depth of their team,” said Kennebunk Coach David Leal. “Some of their guys really stepped up.”
The Hawks pushed that lead to 57-46 with just under five minutes to play. That’s when Kennebunk’s Keegan Andrews knocked down consecutive 3-pointers and the Rams extended their defense to cause some turnovers. Jason Singer (9 points) answered with an important basket for Marshwood before three free throws from Connor Keefe and two from Landon Schwartzman trimmed the lead to 59-57 with 1:44 to play.
Keefe led Kennebunk with 29 points. In the first half he was virtually unstoppable, using a quick first step and a variety of at-the-basket finishes to score 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting. In the second half, Wozny took on the assignment of guarding Keefe and slowed him just enough, making the shots more difficult.
Unlike Marshwood, Kennebunk couldn’t find a consistent second or third scoring option. Shooting 4 of 23 on 3-point attempts also didn’t help. Andrews was next on the scoring column with eight points.
“We need to be a little more patient on offense,” Leal said. “We’re still a good team but some of our shot selections haven’t been great the past two games.”
Pratt said he hopes to have his full team back to practice on Saturday, ahead of two tough games next week against Class B power York and Class A South leading Falmouth.
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