QUINCY — When a team is still undefeated at this stage of the game, every team is going to throw its best punch at it.

Hanover’s boys basketball squad weathered the early storm Friday night and kept its perfect season alive with its 14th straight win. Senior captain Ryan Mutschler dropped 22 points to go with five rebounds, while his classmate Cole Madden added 16 points as the Hawks (14-0) pulled away in the second half for a convincing 64-47 victory over longtime nemesis Quincy.

“We came out to a tough start in the first quarter defensively,” Mutschler said. “But we really picked it up in the second half, and that led us the whole game.”

The two rivals entered play in a heated race for Patriot League supremacy. Hanover itself was ranked atop the Div. 3 power rankings with a rating of 9.1281.

Yet, Yhan Medina helped Quincy (9-5) get off to a roaring start, as the junior captain drained six quick points in the opening frame to help the Presidents jump out to an early 19-15 lead through one quarter.

As they have done time and time again this season, the Hawks punched right back. Mutschler found his groove from the field, while Liam Chiappini provided a nice spark off the bench as Hanover opened the ensuing frame with an 8-0 run to jump ahead, 23-19, with about three minutes remaining in the half.

With five seconds to play before the break, Madden drilled a three-pointer from distance, providing the Hawks a 28-25 lead at intermission.

As the third quarter got underway, Samuel Light threw down a thundering one-handed slam during a fast break, and Hanover was off and running.

“I haven’t seen that from him,” Mutschler said with a laugh. “I mean, he really got up there. That was a big energy boost.”

Madden caught fire from the field in the frame, sinking three consecutive triples from long range to help key a 15-4 run in the opening minutes of the stanza. As fast as one could blink, the Hawks were suddenly in command with a 43-29 advantage.

“My teammates found me,” Madden said. “I was open, and I just shot with confidence. They’ve been finding me all year, and I’m just super proud of them.”

Even when Quincy began to find its footing again offensively behind Medina to close the third, Hanover kept building upon its lead. Mutschler beat the buzzer with a last-second layup, as the Hawks constructed a 52-34 edge entering the final frame.

“I think we really just got going in the second half,” Hanover coach Nick Hannigan said. “We found Cole a few times, and he’s capable of getting hot like that, hitting two or three in a row. That gave us a little bit of a cushion. But they bought into the defensive end, and I keep saying over and over this year – it’s a staple.”

Medina finished with 16 points to go with nine rebounds to pace Quincy, while Sean Conroy had 12 points. Malcolm McMorrow added nine points and 10 boards for the Presidents.

With 1:55 left in regulation, Mutschler threw down a two-handed dunk in traffic to put the finishing touches on the victory. It’s the longest winning streak that Hanover has enjoyed since winning the Div. 3 title in 2017.

“We’ve never won this many in a row since I’ve been here,” Hannigan said. “Which again, is a testament to the league itself. The league’s always very good, and it’s good again this year. But this group has been with me for three years now. They’re experienced. They’re not rattled, they’re battle-tested. It’s easy to trust these kids.”