'Starting to really come together': Hoover boys basketball playing its best at best time
NORTH CANTON — Let's take a look at where the Hoover boys basketball team was about a month ago.
A three-game losing streak left the Vikings fighting to regain their footing. Any long drought could have pushed them near the breaking point.
Now let's check in with the Vikings to see how they're doing.
It's March, and they're still playing. It doesn't get any better than that.
Hoover marched into next week's Division I district at Elyria Catholic with a 59-33 win over Avon Lake on Saturday. The Vikings (17-7) will face No. 2 seed Brecksville at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
If you're going to get hot, this is the time of year to do it. The Vikings have won five straight and eight of nine. Their only loss during this stretch was to Louisville, one of the top teams in the state.
"We're just starting to really come together," senior guard Hudson Pringle said. "We really enjoy playing with each other. We know where each other's going to be when we're playing and we make the right plays."
There's no doubt in head coach Mike Bluey's mind that the Vikings are playing their best basketball at the best time.
"The last two to three weeks we've just made great improvements, and we continue to play better every time out," Bluey said. "The way we're playing on the defensive end is allowing us to win games. We have unselfish guys. You'll probably find a different scoring leader every game."
Bluey admitted he didn't know who Hoover's top scorer was Saturday. For the record, it was junior guard Crew Cain with a game-high 17 points.
Others had a hand in the commanding win. Pringle, junior guard Zac Braucher and freshman guard Hunter Hershberger each had nine points. Six different players hit at least one of Hoover's nine 3s.
"The keys to the offense are making the right play, sharing the ball with everybody and making the right shot," Pringle said.
Saturday's game was a little emotional for Pringle. It was the final opportunity to play on the Dick Snyder Court for Hoover's only senior.
Two Pringle 3s in the first quarter helped the Vikings grab a lead they would never lose.
"Him hitting a couple 3s out of the gate really gave us a good kick start," Bluey said. "What a way to go out for your last game on your home floor."
A 13-3 run in the second quarter helped Hoover grab a 27-13 halftime lead. Avon Lake (11-12) couldn't gain much traction the rest of the night.
There's no doubt the Vikings are enjoying the sweet taste of success when the season matters most.
"Coming into the playoffs, getting a couple of wins and being somewhere nobody expected us to be ... it's awesome," Pringle said.
Reach Mike at mike.popovich@cantonrep.com
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Crew Cain leads Hoover High School boys basketball to OHSAA districts
