NILES - The Dec. 8 game between Hubbard and Niles featured a pair of teams intent on pushing the ball upcourt and attacking the rim. And while there was plenty of fast-paced action throughout the night, the contest eventually boiled down to some patient shooting from 15 feet beyond the hoop.
Hubbard made nine fourth-period free throws and converted 16 of 32 foul shots on the night en route to a 69-63 road win at War Memorial Gymnasium.
Though the Eagles didn't exactly blister the nets with their shooting from the charity stripe, they made far more trips to the line than their counterparts. The Red Dragons attempted just 15 foul shots, and were a dismal one-of-eight in the final period.
Hubbard was playing its first game of the season, while Niles fell to 0-2.
"It was sloppy at times. We missed a ton of layups and we weren't that great from the line but the positive thing is that we kept attacking the hoop and we got Niles in foul trouble in a tight game," said Hubbard coach Rick Fox. "We're a pretty young team and that showed tonight. But the key is that we showed poise when we needed to."
Hubbard was paced by a trio of seniors. Chase Myers scored a game-high 23 points. Tyler Loveless added 17 points, while Kurtis Drummond tallied 15 points and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.
Drummond also converted three of four free throws down the stretch to help seal the win for the Eagles.
"Kurtis has been playing varsity since he was a freshman. His experience and leadership showed," Fox said. "Chase and Tyler came up big. We have about six kids we turn to, so we need these three to contribute if we're going to be successful. They were clutch tonight."