LO AND BEHOLD: Hun School boys’ basketball player Lorenzo Spinazzi goes after the ball in a game earlier this season. Last week, senior Spinazzi tallied 12 points in a losing cause as Hun fell 77-62 to Lawrenceville on January 16. The Raiders, who moved to 2-12 with a 67-64 loss to St. Luke’s School (Conn.) last Saturday, play at the Peddie School on January 24, face Wayne Hills High at Mater Dei Prep in the Valerie Fund Challenge on January 27, and then host the Phelps School (Pa.) on January 29. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Lorenzo Spinazzi was determined to give his all for the Hun School boys’ basketball team as it found itself trailing Lawrenceville 24-16 heading into the second quarter last week.

The 6’4, 190-pound senior guard/forward was all over the court, diving for loose balls, going after rebounds, and driving to the hoop, ending up with seven points in the quarter as the Raiders pulled even 32-32 at halftime in the January 16 contest.

“When you are down, you try to do everything to get back in the game,” said tri-captain Spinazzi.

“That is not just offensively and scoring; you just have to have that energy inside you to get those loose balls, that is the main thing. That energy is why we came back and tied the game at halftime.”

But in the second half, Hun had trouble scoring as Lawrenceville started the third quarter with a 10-0 run and never looked back on the way to a 77-62 triumph.

“You could tell we were all hyped up, we were all excited about it,” said Spinazzi. “It just didn’t turn out our way.”

Despite the setback, which dropped the Raiders to 2-11, Spinazzi saw progress.

“We have had a pretty frustrating season so far; we are trying to do anything to get a win,” said Spinazzi.

“All of my teammates want to win really badly. I know we can beat any team as long as we just bring that energy and we are all just a team. I thought we made good strides today.”

In order to get on the winning track, Hun needs to be more cohesive on the court.

“We have to play every game like our hair is on fire, you have got to be running,” said Spinazzi.

“Something I worked on a lot is just running but it pays off, running for the loose balls. We have got to work on playing more as a team, finding the open man. Maybe you have an open shot, but find an even better shot.”

Serving as a team captain along with fellow seniors Tyler Washington and Max Gussen, Spinazzi is working on providing inspiration to his teammates.

“In previous years, I have been a little more quiet; now there is no time to be quiet,” said Spinazzi.

“You have got to call people out if they do something wrong and if someone does something great, you have got to be patting them on the back and saying good job.”

In Spinazzi’s view, Hun can make some noise in the upcoming Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) and state Prep A tournaments.

“This is my last season here at Hun, it is disappointing that it is going this way,” said Spinazzi.

“But I have no doubt that we will turn it around, I have never had more confidence in anything. I know we will be fine. We started out hard but the teams that end up doing well are the ones that face hardships in the beginning.”