NATICK —Alex Hilger picked a spot beyond the 3-point line and went about trying to find his jump shot. The Natick High junior point guard had about a minute during the halftime shootaround to rediscover the stroke that had abandoned him for the first 16 minutes of a home game against Wellesley last week.

He sighed when his first attempt clanged off the rim. He called for another ball when his second shot missed. Another brick followed, and he shook his head. When his last try was off the mark, he opened his eyes wide. “Wow,” he said to himself, below the buzzing of the packed field house at Natick High.