CLARK, NJ- Things looked grim as the Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders trailed the Spotswood High School Chargers 38-29 with 5:12 left in the third quarter. They turned to senior Brandon Hund to spark the team on offense and he did just that.
The leading scorer for Johnson scored 26 of his 36 points in the second half, including key foul shots near the end. Hund drained one of two free throws with 33 seconds left as the Crusaders rallied to defeat the Chargers 57-56 Saturday morning in Clark.
As the leading scorer and the go-to guy, Hund is usually the major player to watch for by defenses of the opposition, which means other teammates must be involved in the offense, which came at various points of the second half., something Hund trusts his teammates are able to do game after game.
“Just trusting my teammates, knowing they can get the job done on offense and defense,” Hund said of his teammates. “I have a lot of trust in the guys, especially Tino, to bring the ball up. He works hard all night long.”
Overall, Hund scored ten of his team’s 12 points through the first half of the quarter, with his two free throws giving his team a 49-47 lead, the first lead of the game for Johnson since the second quarter.
Overall, Hund went 17-for-22 at the line, with 11 coming in the fourth quarter to charge his team ahead.
Hund’s effort night after night stands out to his coaches, as the guy needed to set up the plays.
“He’s our veteran, a three-year starter and he’s a good ballplayer,” Johnson head coach Dave Kennedy said. “He’s trying to lead us in a lot of different ways on the floor and one of those ways is scoring points. He’s setting the tone for the next generation of players. I think there’s better play ahead for Brandon.”
Sophomore Tino Puentes stepped through in crucial points, contributing key shots earlier on and hit some big free throws near the end. He added eight points, including 1-of-2 free throws to give Johnson a 52-51 lead with 3:02 left in the fourth quarter.
“You just have to take your time on those free throws and knock them down,” Puentes said of the big moments at the line. “Free throws win games, I’ve been told that my whole life and today, they really came through. They help us play defense because we are a defense-first team.”
With shots not falling and Spotswood controlling the pace of the game earlier, Johnson did not stand down, keeping their composure as the game went along.
Full Coverage of Johnson Boys Varsity Basketball Comeback Win Over Spotswood HS Here
