Decker does it again, leading Maple Hill boys basketball past Chatham
Castleton, NY — Maple Hill senior guard Austin Decker went into Wednesday’s rivalry matchup with Chatham averaging 19.3 points per game but would surpass that amount in the third quarter, pushing his team past the Panthers, 53-37(FINAL).
The 5’9″ little big man poured in a game-high 25 points, 21 of which came in the third quarter alone. “It was nice to see him [Austin] do that,” said teammate Nick Butler. “He’s been averaging around 20-21 points or so per game and to see him do that in the 3rd is nice.”
Butler may not have delivered a double-digit performance, but the junior guard scored a pair of clutch 3’s late in the first half, closing the Chatham lead to just 4 (22-18) at the half. “He’s a knockdown shooter,” said Maple Hill coach Scott Hanrahan. “We can pull Austin out of the game, and it’s good to have him be able to step up.”
Decker’s explosive third quarter featured four three-pointers, three buckets and three successful free throws from the charity stripe. “I was just putting my spin on the ball. I wasn’t even thinking about it,” said Decker.
This win marks Maple Hill’s third straight, something Butler credits to offensive production instilled in them at the junior varsity level. “Our offense is just clicking like it used to down on JV. We used to just run the floor on teams, and that’s what we’re doing now.”
The Wildcats (3-2 overall, 3-1 in the Patroon Conference) will travel to Rensselaer on Friday for a 7:00 p.m. game.
-Dylan Rossiter(@ByDylanRossiter)
