D2 Harwood vs D2 North Country – Look Out Bellows

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I got down to Harwood to catch a top-of-the-table D2 matchup between #3 NCU and #4 HU. After Friday night they swapped positions as a result of Harwood's 4th quarter push to put the Falcons away. All eyes were on Bellows, knowing he was a mere six points away from 1,000, and he didn't disappoint. Nonetheless, this was an important team win for HU and a good wake up call for NCU with playoffs right around the corner. Dive in and check out this high-profile D2 matchup. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2406051' first='Tobey' last='Bellows'], 6'2 G - Harwood Union H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's always interesting to see how a player moves through a milestone night such as crossing the 1,000-point mark. Tobey, facing denial defense and zone presses, orchestrated it well. He hit 1,000 off a savvy 3 in the corner, manipulating the defense with a crafty move off the bounce before stepping back into his jumper. Bellows found his offense in the flow of the game, working well off ball with smart cuts to misdirect defenders and distributing it well in order to stretch the defense. Interestingly, it felt like a quiet night for TB as teammates stepped up to hit shots around him. Regardless, Tobey put up 18 points to lead all scorers, four boards, and six dimes. His approach is measured and has shown he can get his offense in so many ways. Dynamic floor general. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Josh McHugh, 6'3 F - Harwood Union H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Everyone knows when a guy has "feel", and McHugh has feel. Josh's court awareness was on full display, finding little cracks to exploit vs the occasional zone defense, off an offensive rebound, or when posting up. He knows where everyone is on the floor, making heady reads to feed to shooters and cutters. Moreover, his mid-range jumper was clicking, falling with the shooter's roll. Defensively stout, Josh's post coverage kept NCU's dynamic forward from catching rhythm and his rebounding was emphatic. Josh provides a steadying presence, and his 10-point, 11-rebound double-double was full of high-IQ plays. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Steele Nelson, 6'2 W - Harwood Union H.S. Class of 2026</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The game was seemingly always within 2-3 possessions until about the halfway mark of the 4th quarter; that's when Nelson caught rhythm. Steele hit back-to-back spot-up threes in opposite corners to stretch the lead in a flash. That floor spacing and shot making alleviated some pressure as HU only had a small lead all game. Moreover, Nelson showed himself to be a lengthy defender who handles his own. Solid performance with a couple big shots. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Haidin Chilafoux, 6'0 G - North Country Union H.S. Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were plenty of stretches in this one where Haidin was in control of the game. Chilafoux's offensive creation was in full swing as he broke defenders down with nice hesitations and change of pace to slice to the rim, finishing with impressive english with either hand. Moreover, he read the second layer well to dish for assists. Haidin flashed the jumper a bit too, lacing a 3 off the bounce. Tough defensively with great instincts in various situations, Chilafoux put up 15 and is coming into his own as NCU's floor general and vocal leader. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brayden Pepin, 5'11 G - North Country Union H.S. Class of 2024</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pep got the defensive assignment on Bellows and I thought he did pretty well. Brayden was glued to his hip when playing man-to-man, denying him a full 84x50. Pepin's defensive prowess kept Tobey seemingly at bay, limiting his fga. Even though Tobey got 18, it was off of what felt like five makes and late-game FTs. In addition, Brayden's slashing was in high gear. He got by the initial defender with quickness and used his athleticism to finish inside at an efficient clip. Pepin's 13 alongside his defensive work had NCU in the mix for 29 minutes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hayden Boivin, 6'4 W/F - North Country Union H.S. Class of 2025</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were numerous flashes from Boivin that illuminated what the dynamic 2025 is capable of. There were a few possessions where NCU went fullcourt zone press with Hayden at the head of it. Boivin showed the athleticism and length there, moving his feet well, reading when to trap, and causing significant disruption. Plus, Hayden held down the paint quite well, providing quick and timely help as well as some monster stuffs at the cup. Offensively, he got to work at the rim, converting on a couple nice post moves and some slashes en route to his nine points. He's playing within the system, yet I want to note I've seen his offense click from all over the floor. Dynamic on both ends. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->