(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) TY-BREAKER: Hun School boys’ basketball senior star Tyler Melville breaks into the lane in a game this winter. Melville’s sharp shooting and solid defensive play helped Hun finish with a final record of 13-10.

Hun Boys’ Hoops Had Flashes of Brilliance but Came Up Just Short in Critical Moments

Bill Alden

Throughout the winter, it appeared that the Hun School boys’ basketball team had Peddie’s number.

Hun won all three regular season meetings with the Falcons and took a 42-35 lead into the fourth quarter of the state Prep A semifinal clash between the rivals late last month.

“Absolutely thought we were in good shape,” said Hun head coach Jon Stone, recalling the team’s mindset as they headed into the final eight minutes of regulation.

But when it counted most, Peddie turned the tables on the Raiders, outscoring them 20-11 to end Hun’s season with a 55-53 defeat.

“They came out in the beginning of the fourth and got a three and a two and then we had a turnover,” said Stone. “They made some plays down the stretch; we were unable to make some stops when we needed to.”

The loss was a microcosm of a season which saw Hun show flashes of brilliance only to come up short in critical moments.

“It was unfortunate to end that way,” acknowledged Stone, whose team posted a final mark of 13-10.

“We could have easily won that game and we could have won the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title game. It was a good season; it was a good team. We won six or seven in a row at one point but we couldn’t make ourselves great.”

The Raiders did get some great play from post-graduate guards Tyler Melville and Pendarvis Williams.

“Tyler Melville was tremendous,” asserted Stone of the 6’2 native of Plano, Texas.

“It is very rare when your top scorer and top defender is the same person. Pendarvis was also very good for us. They were both first team All-MAPL.”

Hun’s trio of seniors, Ryan Adams, Rob Michel, and Connor Kirdzik, also did a lot for the team.

“Adams made so much progress from last year to this year; he really developed as a player,” said Stone.

“Michel did some great things for us. He always played hard and competed and gave us a lift off the bench. Kirdzik was a big contributor; he also did well off the bench.”

Stone is looking for big contributions in the future from juniors Will Wise and Grant Fiorentinos together with sophomore Myles Melville.

“They are the main three coming back,” said Stone, referring to Wise, Fiorentinos, and Melville.

“I am excited about building around them. They will be a year older and a year more experienced. We will have some other additions; we should be a different type of team.”

The experience of being in many tight battles this winter should pay dividends down the road for the returners.

“They know that we could have won some more games early,” said Stone. “If you win those early games, it can help you down the road. They know what it’s like to be in close games and win close games.”

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