NORTHAMPTON — Amherst Regional boys basketball coach Jamahl Jackson pulled Zayd Sadiq aside before Thursday night’s game against Northampton.
“I need you to go out there and show that you are the best player on the floor,” Jackson said to the sophomore guard. “Can you do that?”
Sadiq said he could.
From the beginning of the game, Sadiq played like he was the best player on the court. He attacked the paint with a purpose. He maneuvered through the outstretched arms of Northampton defenders and scored with acrobatic twists and turns. The sophomore finished with a game-high 31 points and led the Hurricanes to a 58-35 victory over rival Northampton.
Connor Tobin scored 12 points for the Blue Devils (4-10, 1-3 Valley). Jake Brittain chipped in 11 points.
Sadiq’s attack-minded style got the Blue Devils into foul trouble. The sophomore scored a game-high nine points at the free-throw line.
“Driving, that’s what I’m good at,” Sadiq said. “That and creating off the dribble.”
The Hurricanes pulled away in the second half, but the first quarter was tightly contested. Tobin hit a corner 3-pointer for Northampton to put the Blue Devils ahead 13-10 with 1:40 to go in the frame.
Amherst (5-7, 2-2 Valley) had trouble rebounding early. Jack Nagy checked in mid-way through the opening frame and helped the Hurricanes win the rebounding battle. He finished the game with four offensive rebounds.
“Nagy is getting into basketball shape,” Jackson said. “He’ll be important coming down the stretch, him and Nolan Klaes, where we can go to a lineup with a little bit more size.”
Trips to the free-throw line and aggressive defense helped Amherst grab the lead and extend it in the second quarter. The Hurricanes used a full-court press and double teamed Northampton players at midcourt and in the corners to force turnovers. Free throws from Sadiq, Isa Castro-McCauley (seven points) and fast-breaks layups put the Hurricanes ahead, 26-17, going into halftime.
“That was part of our game plan; let our offense be created by our defense,” Jackson said. “Put our focus and energy into our defense and holding them to one shot every time. That will make offense easier. When we focus on defense, it flows better. That was a point of emphasis for us coming into the game.”
The third quarter was when Amherst started to hit its stride. With three minutes to go, Sadiq drove into the paint from the baseline and scored through traffic. The Hurricanes stole the ball on the following possession. Castro-McCauley got the ball on the wing and made a 3-pointer to put the Hurricanes ahead, 42-23.
“That’s what defense can do for you,” Jackson said. “When we stole that and scored again, everyone is jacked now. Now it’s like, let’s get them to turn it over again. We’re trying to feed off of that.”
There was no looking back for Amherst after the third quarter. Tobin and Brittain each made a 3 in the final frame to give the Blue Devils some energy, but six points from Sadiq, all at the free-throw line, helped keep Northampton at bay.
“(Sadiq) is an outstanding player,” Northampton coach Rey Harp said. “We had a bunch of guys that were playing him, but he’s creative. … He got to the foul line, the baseline, he pulled up over the top a couple of times. He gave us problems that were the start of our defensive issues. … We’ve got work to do in a lot of areas.”
Amherst and Northampton each entered Thursday’s game with two-game losing streaks and were tied at 1-2 in the Valley League. Jackson conveyed to his team before tipoff the importance of the game.
“Urgency. … That’s all I expressed to the team,” Jackson said. “We are still in a position where we can get a playoff spot, but this is one of those games, because of the magnitude, we have to show up. We have to show up and play. We can’t let them play harder than us.”