SPRINGFIELD — Sam’i Roe went to the Spalding Hoophall Classic and put on a show for the fans at Blake Arena. He did it all for Hopkins Academy, scoring inside, pullup jumpers and gliding finishes at the rim.
But it wasn’t enough as the Golden Hawks lost 63-60 to Palmer in boys basketball action at Springfield College on Thursday.
“Palmer came to play and we were a step slow,” Hopkins coach Angelo Thomas said.
It was the first loss of the season after a string of lopsided wins for Hopkins (7-1).
“We have two more months left in the season,” Thomas said. “We have to be mentally prepared to battle the whole game if we want to get to where we want to get to. We have to be disciplined in what we do.”
The Panthers had a double-digit lead for most of the game until the third quarter when Roe took over. The 15 points scored by Roe were the only points scored by the Golden Hawks.
Two long jumpers from Roe gave Hopkins a 48-45 lead early in the fourth quarter. But the Panthers regrouped and took the lead back.
Roe had 31 points with 17 rebounds.
Palmer had multiple big men who helped neutralize Jon Morrison (six points). Drake Bucknam (10 points) and Dylan Tenczar (nine points) rotated in the paint for the Panthers.
John Earle had 16 points in the first half, but the perimeter threat got crowded by Palmer’s defense in the second half.
Irvin Compass, playing in his third game after serving a five-game suspension, struggled to find his role in Hopkins’ first battle of the season. The senior didn’t score.
“This was his first real game,” Thomas said. “He’s been in blowouts. This one mattered. He’s got a lot to learn. We have a lot to learn as a team.”
A free throw by Ryan McCarthy gave Palmer a three-point lead with less than 30 seconds to play. The Golden Hawks had a chance to tie it at the end but a wild shot attempt missed the rim.
McCarthy had nine points for the Panthers. His athleticism gave the Golden Hawks trouble.
Matt Niemczura led Palmer with 14 points. Palmer scored in multiple ways, hitting four 3-pointers and getting a lot of points in the paint.
