SPRINGFIELD — Hunter Carey doesn’t like to settle for outside shots.
He like’s to play downhill. Whether he’s carrying a basketball or a football for South Hadley, he seeks contact.
That search for contact led to him getting fouled in the paint with 7 minutes, 27 seconds left in the third quarter against Paulo Freire at the South End Community Center on Monday.
Carey went to the free-throw line with 12 points and needed one more to earn his 1,000th career point.
Carey made the free throw – nothing but net – and became the 10th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
Hunter Carey (@carey10_hunter) scores his 1,000th point for @SHTIGERS413. pic.twitter.com/8ZLnQHKnp4
— Gage Nutter (@GageNutterDHG) February 11, 2020
Reaching the milestone at the free-throw line after getting fouled in the paint seemed appropriate to the Tigers senior.
“It was kind of reminiscent to what I’ve been doing all year,” Carey said. “I like contact. I don’t really settle for easy points. I like to take it to the rack.”
Carey was also a standout running back for the Tigers football program the last few years. By achieving the 1,000-point milestone, he became the only player in school history to have a 1,000-yard rushing season in football and to have 1,000 career points in basketball.
“It’s pretty crazy,” Carey said. “I’ve been working my whole life and it’s great to have this accomplishment. I kind of want to be the building block to other players who are fortunate enough to get the same opportunity as me. I just want to carry that forward.”
After he scored his historic free throw early in the third quarter, the game stopped and Carey was swarmed by his teammates. He gave each of them a hug before he embraced Tigers coach Mike O’Neil and his father, assistant coach Dean Carey.
“(Hunter) gives an all-out effort,” O’Neil said. “He’s a great all-around teammate, a great captain and a great leader on the floor. Every day he comes and grinds at practice and makes other guys better and makes the coaching staff better. … He’s a go-getter. The team builds off of that.”
After hugging friends and family, Carey posed for a photo with a banner that hangs in the gym at South Hadley High School. It has all the names of the school’s 1,000-point scorers, including his.
Seeing the banner with his name on it made the achievement more real to Carey.
“It’s crazy to think I actually did it,” he said. “Big props to my teammates, my coaches and family for supporting me. It’s a great accomplishment. It’s all thanks to them.”
Paulo Freire kept Carey from driving into the paint in the first quarter with double teams and tight defense. It forced Carey to pass the ball or take shots from distance. He finished the first quarter with three points.
“They definitely were relying on me to shoot the ball a bit more, and I kind of settled for that a bit,” Carey said. “Once I got into a groove and settled into the game I kind of settled down for my usual play style. It was hard to get into at first, but once I settled in I was able to get those easy hoops.”
The senior quickly upped his point total with fast-break layups and shots through contact in the second quarter. He closed out the first half with 12 points.
Carey went to the free-throw line with the Tigers trailing 40-27. Once the celebration came to a close and play resumed, South Hadley went on a small run, capped off with a 3-pointer from Brady Marion to make it 50-42 late in the frame.
That was the closest South Hadley would get to bridging the gap. Paulo Freire stayed active in the passing lanes on defense, and scored a lot of points in transition and with second-chance opportunities. Paulo Freire went on defeat the Tigers, 84-62.
The game came down to “just getting stops down the stretch,” O’Neill said.
Chandler Wilson (31 points) scored 10 points for Paulo Freire (7-10) in the fourth quarter to keep the game out of South Hadley’s reach. Carey finished with 16 points. Marion scored 15 points (three 3s) for the Tigers (13-5)
South Hadley has two games left before postseason play starts. The program is focused on trying to finishing the regular season strong and heading into the postseason with momentum.
“We are getting closer every practice,” Carey said. “A lot of guys are working really hard, especially our JV. They are doing really well in making us work harder in practice. We are just going to do what we have been doing all year. Keep winning games, practicing harder and get ready for the playoffs.”