A-GAME: Hun School boys’ basketball player AJ Mickens dribbles past a foe in a game last winter. Last Thursday, senior guard Mickens scored 23 points but it wasn’t enough as Hun lost 70-61 to the Haverford School (Pa.). Hun, which fell 86-83 to Northfield Mount Herman (Mass.) last Sunday to move to 3-2, plays at the George School (Pa.) on December 11 and then competes in the 2024 Scholar Roundball Classic at the College of Holy Cross from December 14-15. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

AJ Mickens went scoreless for the Hun School boys’ basketball team in the first half as it hosted Haverford School (Pa.) last Thursday evening.

With Hun down 35-22 at halftime, senior guard Mickens acknowledged that it was a tough 18 minutes for the Raiders collectively.

“The first half we came out and we were really flat,” said Mickens. “We turned the ball over, they were just getting way better looks than we were. I think for us, it was coming out with more energy in the second half.

After scoring five points in the third quarter, Mickens provided a major jolt of energy for the Raiders down the stretch. He poured in 18 points on five 3-pointers and three free throws in the fourth quarter to finish the game with 23 points but it wasn’t enough as Hun lost 70-61 to the Fords.

“This year I feel like I am stepping into a bigger role so I felt like I had to come out and be aggressive,” said Mickens. “I only got up two shots in the first half. I was trying to get them up, trying to give us any boost we could. I was just letting it go.”

In the view of Mickens, the furious rally by the Raiders fell short due to some defensive lapses.

“They are a good team, I feel like any time we scored, they answered us,” said Mickens. “They are a well-coached team. I think if we just got stops when we were starting to score more that would have done it for us.”

While the loss stung, Mickens liked the way Hun battled to the end.

“I think our ability to not give up and keep fighting says a lot about the team,” said Mickens. “There is a lot to build on, a lot to work on. We have such a good group. We are the closest we have been in my three years being here.”

As one of the squad’s most experienced players, Mickens is looking to play a big role in leading the group.

“Each year it has grown, this year is my first year as captain,” said Mickens. “I feel like for me stepping into it, it is like being aggressive, leading the guys, talking, communicating and leading by example; all stuff coach [Jon] Stone and I have been talking about.”

Hun head coach Stone credited Mickens with keeping Hun in the game against Haverford.

“AJ made a ton of shots, which we needed. If he didn’t make any of those we probably would lose by 30,” said Stone. “Nobody else could make shots today. From his shotmaking, we got a little bit of energy. It gave us a little bit of a run. It was too little, too late, we did not have enough time.”

Although Stone liked what he saw in the late run, he was disappointed by how the Raiders played in the early stages of the contest.

“I think we have to focus more on the first quarter, not what happened in the fourth quarter,” said Stone. “Sometimes that is easy when you are down 20 to start letting things fly and playing harder, but you can’t come out with no energy like we did.”

Despite the loss to Haverford, Stone likes the play he has been getting from sophomore Blake Hargrove, senior Evan Brown, junior Sage Mateo, and junior Luke Wafle.

“Blake has been great, he has got a really bright future,” said Stone, whose team moved to 3-2 after losing 86-83 to Northfield Mount Herman (Mass.) last Sunday and will play at the George School (Pa.) on December 11 and then compete in the 2024 Scholar Roundball Classic at the College of Holy Cross from December 14-15. “He is going to be really good for us. Evan is a strong defender and a high energy player. Sage has been playing great. Luke has been terrific for us. We have had a lot of good moments.”

Mickens, for his part, believes that taking lessons from the loss to Haverford can lead to some good moments over the rest of the winter.

“This is good, we knew this is going to be a tough team,” said Mickens. “Coming off a huge win Tuesday night where we won by almost 60 (105-51 over Life Center on December 3), seeing that not every game is going to go our way is something we can use positively as a team if we look at it the right way.”