SAGE ADVICE: Hun School boys’ basketball player Sage Mateo dribbles upcourt in a game last season. Last Monday, junior guard Mateo scored 14 points to help Hun defeat the Phelps School (Pa.) 105-86. The Raiders, now 9-15, are starting action in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) tournament where they are seeded fourth and will host fifth-seeded Peddie in a quarterfinal contest on Thursday. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Hun School boys’ basketball team, last week proved to be a microcosm of an uneven campaign.

On Wednesday, Hun posted a solid win 67-46 win over archival Lawrenceville School before losing 102-64 to West Nottingham on Saturday and then topping the Phelps School (Pa.) 105-86 on Monday.

The victory over Lawrenceville was a highlight for the Raiders.

“It was good to beat an elite team and good to get a win,” said Stone, whose team improved to 9-15 with the win over Phelps. “It was back and forth in the beginning, we struggled a little bit and we pulled away in the fourth. It was a little closer than the score let on.”

While that win felt good, Stone acknowledged that it has been a rocky ride this winter.

“We have gone through some growing pains, we have had some guys sick and hurt, things like that,” said Stone, whose squad posted victories over Blair, Hackensack High, and the Peddie School in the last month. “We have some really good games and some games where we weren’t so good. It has certainly been an up and down year.”

Junior guard Sage Mateo has produced a lot of good games for the Raiders this season.

“Sage has been really good for us all year, he is just very steady,” said Stone of Mateo, who is averaging 10 points a game. “He is a terrific shooter but he does a lot more than that. He rebounds the ball well, he handles the ball, he is a low turnover, high assist guy. He does a lot of good things. He is a good floor leader for us.”

Joining the Hun program this season, sophomore transfer Blake Hargrove quickly emerged as an all-around offensive threat. Hargrove is averaging 18 points per game along with 3.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.4 steals.

“His numbers are really, really good, everything from points to rebounds to steals to assists,” said Stone of Hargrove. “Usually you are happy if one of your players is just high in one of those categories. He typically does it in all four.”

The pair of senior Evan Brown and junior Seth Clarke has given the Raiders a good one-two punch in the paint.

“Evan provides some scoring for us for sure and Seth is both scoring and rebounding,” said Stone. “He is a real presence inside for us.”

With Hun starting action in the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) tournament this week where it is seeded fourth and will host Peddie in a quarterfinal contest on Thursday, Stone believes his squad is primed for a big run.

“We have had some ups and downs here but we are heading in the right direction,” said Stone. “We are poised and ready for the playoff here. When we are at our best, we are tremendously balanced, sharing the ball well on the offensive end and really playing together defensively as well.”