Owen Petretta was six seconds away from late-game heroics.
He caught a pass while on the low post and, with three Hanover defenders clinging onto him, the Bow senior still managed to pump fake, go up to the hoop and draw a foul all while making the basket.
The free-throw line, which had haunted Bow all night long, struck once again as Petretta missed the foul shot and from there the game went sideways as Hanover escaped with a 53-50 boys’ basketball win over the Falcons in overtime on Thursday night.
Bow’s loss was indicative of a few things that the boys’ program has struggled with early this season: free throws, time awareness and a structure. The program, which is on its third head coach in as many years, is in the midst of a culture makeover as well.
Each game is another step toward the vision new coach Scott Drapeau has for the program. And Thursday was no exception.
“I’m proud of the kids because they grind things out,” he said. “They’ve had three coaches in three years; they’re trying to learn another system. They grind; that’s what this team does.”
The Falcons went a mere 28% at the line compared to Hanover’s 57% – with 12 fewer trips. They struggled to make the open shots and got in foul trouble in both halves.
And yet, a loss in overtime counts as a sign for positive things to come in the near future.
“It was just an all-around dogfight,” Petretta said. “It’ll come; it just takes time. It’s the third game of the season, but the season’s going to go by fast, so we’ve got to make adjustments soon.”
The senior forward finished with a team-high 14 points and did well defensively with a few blocks and a stolen pass that set the Falcons in motion at the beginning of the third quarter.
His play also set things up for those around him, including Alex Boisvert, Myles Rheinhardt and Hunter Duncan. Boisvert was solid at point guard with 11 points, and Rheinhardt’s physicality served Bow well as he snagged rebound after rebound.
Duncan opened the third quarter with a pair of 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions, but Hanover had an answer for all of it, and that was to draw the fouls by driving into the lane.
Bow (1-2) will look to snap its two-game losing streak and get back into the win column when it makes a road trip to Plymouth on Saturday. Tipoff is currently scheduled for 4:30 p.m.