Hurricane power past Dream, 112-80
BROCTON — The Chautauqua Hurricane (2-2) took an early lead, which they wouldn’t relinquish the entire game, as they soundly defeated the DuBois Dream, 112-80, Saturday in a Premier Basketball League showdown at Brocton High School.
The Hurricane came out hot in the first quarter, led by former Washington Wizard Edwin Ubiles. Ubiles, who played out a 10-day contract in the NBA and is a former Developmental League MVP, dominated the first frame, scoring 17 points in the period as Chautauqua took a 33-10 lead into the second.
“(Ubiles) set the stage for us offensively right from the beginning,” Hurricane coach Jerome Moss said. “He came out aggressive and was making shots while also getting everyone else involved in the game. It’s very important for Ed to be able to do that for us and everyone else rallied around him.”
With the score at 38-14 early in the second, it was Reuben Berry’s time to take over.
Over the following seven possessions, Berry showed a variety of skills, cashing in on a baby hook, pull-up jumpers, a free throw and a 3-pointer as he scored 10 points during the stretch.
While Berry and Ubiles did work on offense, the Hurricane played great team basketball in limiting DuBois to only 27 points in the first half, with the score sitting at 61-27 at halftime.
“I though we came out with a lot of energy right from the beginning of the game and we were able to set the tone for the game from there,” Moss said. “We knew they had good 3-point shooters so we had to get out on them and defend, make sure we got a hand in their face and not give them a lot of room to get off their shots. We executed that very well.”
In the second half, the Dream managed to use their size and began to hit paydirt in the paint.
Outsizing anyone on the Hurricane, the Dream’s post combination of Julius Francis and Josip Lucic-Jozak were all but unstoppable at times throughout the second half.
At 6 foot 11 inches, Francis was a monster inside.
Possession after possesion the Dream brought the ball up the court, tossed it into the post and Francis used his size and strength to back his man down and finish at the rim.
Six-foot-9-inch Lucic-Jozak proved to be a handful inside as well, as he used his footwork and ability to finish with either hand to keep the Hurricanes off balance.
“They were able to get their big guys down deep and got a lot of one-on-ones. In the beginning of the game we were doing what we were supposed to do in doubling down and not allowing them to turn,” Moss said. “As the game went on the guys got relaxed and everyone saw what happened from there.”
Despite being soft to the post game in the second half, the Hurricane managed to build a game-high 49-point lead late in the third period and led 87-41 entering the fourth.
With the lead firmly in hand, and backing off on defense, the Hurricane allowed DuBois to score 38 points in the fourth but the victory was never in doubt.
While the score may not have been close, the fans had a lot to cheer for as the players exhibited skills rarely seen in the area.
Whether it was an alley-oop dunk by Chautauqua’s Maurice Greene, Francis’ thunderous slam or Ubiles’ pulling up from 30-feet out, the crowd was entertained the entire contest.
Ubiles led all scorers with 25 points to go along with four assists and three rebounds in just 23 minutes. Anthony Hodge added 19 points and six assists in the win while Berry chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds. Also factoring in the win was Darrenus Brundidge’s 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Dream were led by Francis’ 21 points and 20 rebounds. Josip Lucic-Jozak added 20 points and six rebounds in the loss while Reuel Moore posted 13 points and six assists.
The Hurricane are back in action next weekend with two home games against Providence on Friday and Washington, D.C.