East Hampton head coach Shaun Russell addresses his team during a timeout in a loss at Cromwell. The Bellringers have won all but two games this winter.
East Hampton girls’ basketball had an 11-game winning streak snapped following a 47-30 loss to Cromwell on Tue, Feb. 8. Prior to the loss, it had been 49 day since the Bellringers suffered defeat and the win streak started with a come-from-behind win over Cromwell on Dec. 28. For Shaun Russell and his young Bellringers, the loss was merely a bump in the road. “It’s a Tuesday night, They don’t hand any trophies out tonight,” Russell said after the loss, “I think anytime you play a game like tonight—that is a mental game, a physical challenge—even if you win, these types of games help. This environment was raucous tonight and for a team with our level of experience it is something that we have to learn to play with and play through. Overall I have no problem with tonight, tonight is a good thing in the long run.” The Shoreline Conference rivals traded blows for the first 16 minutes, exchanging the lead eight times. Jackie Russell, who scored 10 of her team-high 13 points in the first half, put East Hampton up 15-13 when she cut backdoor and received a perfect bounce pass from Liana Salamone with 6:30 to play in the first half. Salamone then gave the Bellringers their final lead of the game when she drained a pair of free throws to make it 20-19 with less than a minute to play in the half. Salamone, a freshman, finished with 10 points in defeat. Cromwell held a 21-20 lead at the half and then scored 25 of the next 33 points, including a 12-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters, to break the game open and hold on for the win. Nevaeh Clark scored 13 and Jessica Grodzicki added 12 as the Panthers improved to 12-2. “Tonight we got beat by a very good team, who played well. They deserved to win. They did a good job at doing the things they are good at and we have to adjust,” added Russell. “We have to stay focused on getting better and we have to learn something from tonight. There are lessons in this game tonight. It’s a reminder of the ways we need to grow and keep working on.” During the 11-game win streak, East Hampton was efficient offensively, scoring over 40 points in each game and scoring over 50 four times, including a 70-point outburst against Portland on Jan. 21. The 30 points the Bellringers scored at Cromwell was their lowest scoring output since the 28 they produced at Valley Regional in the game prior to the winning streak. “Any time that we share the ball I think we are pretty good on that end of the floor,” said Russell, who added that the team made great improvements on the defensive end during the winning streak. “Defensively they have impressed me and their work ethic has impressed me. I like the group we have and love getting into the gym with them. They work hard and tonight was a hurdle that we didn’t get over. There were some challenges and we didn’t meet them.” Following the Cromwell loss, East Hampton rebounded with three-straight resounding wins. On Feb. 9, they dominated Parish Hill by 49 points (69-20), holding an opponent to 20 or fewer points for the sixth time this season. Two days later, they downed Haddam-Killingworth 49-29 behind a dozen points from freshman Katie Ireland and eight points from Jordan Murphy. On Monday, they won a thriller over North Branford, 47-45, coming back from an eight-point halftime deficit to bring their overall record to 17-2 Next up is the Shoreline Conference (SLC) Tournament followed by the Class M tournament, which is slated to begin on March 1. Currently the Bellringers have the best winning percentage in the SLC and are tied for the second-best winning percentage in Class M. Russell hopes to see a confident team on the court once the postseason tourney starts, adding, “Our maturity is building; every day they get a little better. For the most part our defense has been a security blanket, so I would like to see our group feel good offensively.” East Hampton’s Jordan Murphy looks to pass as she is defended by Cromwell’s Adela Cecunjanin on Feb. 8 at Cromwell High School.
0 Comments
Victor Payne- Cromwell (Basketball): Payne scored a game-high 18 points as the Panthers remained undefeated with a nail-biting 47-45 victory over East Hampton on Feb. 7. The sophomore teamed with senior Gianluca Albert (16 points) to do a majority of the offensive damage. Entering the week, the Panthers stand at 17-0.
Jayden Osei-Tutu - Rocky Hill (Basketball): Osei-Tutu scored 24, shooting 56% from the field, as the Terriers picked up their first victory of the season by defeating Bulkeley 56-54 on Feb. 10. The senior added eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the win, and also posted a 16-point, five-rebound performance against Newington on Feb. 8. Ava Giansiracusa - Mercy (Basketball): Giansiracusa scored a team-high 16 points as the Tigers earned a hard-fought 49-39 victory over Hillhouse on Feb 11. The junior combined with Sophie Hedge (12 points) to provide the offense and the Tigers defense played well down the stretch as Mercy improved to 15-4 with the win. Andrew Stribling- Newington/Berlin (Ice Hockey): Stribling scored two goals, including game-winner, and tallied an assist as the Nor’easters defeated Rocky Hill-RHAM-Middletown co-op 7-2. The Berlin High School junior has been an offensive threat for a Nor’easter team that has won 12 of 15 games entering the week. Jack Millen - Wethersfield (Ice Hockey): Millen scored a pair of goals as the Eagles ousted Newington co-op 5-2 on Feb. 12. The junior also cemented a win over Lyman Hall on Feb. 9 when he scored an empty-netter. The two wins last week improved the Eagles to 11-2-2 overall and entering the week the team has yet to lose in 2022. Cromwell's Kayla Nappi guards East Hampton's Jackie Russell during the Panthers 47-30 victory on Feb. 9 On Dec. 28, Cromwell girls’ basketball allowed 24 points in the fourth quarter as East Hampton came from behind to hand the Panthers their first loss of the season. 42 days later the Panthers got revenge, defeating the Bellringers 47-30 last Tuesday at CHS. The 17-point win snapped an 11-game winning streak for East Hampton. “Tonight we got beat by a very good team, who played well,” said East Hampton head coach Shaun Russell. “They deserved to win. They did a good job at doing the things they are good at and we have to adjust.” Nevaeh Clark led a balanced Cromwell attack, netting 13 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals. The sting of the previous loss was motivating for the Panthers, who had won seven of eight following the December defeat. “That was something we talked about since we lost that game. We knew we had to come out strong against this team and put them away early,” said Clark, “We remember what they did in the fourth quarter the last time we played, so we knew we had to shut them down early on and they are young so we knew they could crumble if we kept the pressure on.” Holding a 21-20 lead at the half, Cromwell turned up the defensive intensity in the third and held East Hampton to three points in the quarter. They continued the defensive pressure into the fourth, allowing only seven more points. “In the third quarter we played more of the defensive style we want to play and that’s a credit to [the players]. We pressured the ball and you saw what happened on the other end,” said CHS head coach Kelly Maher. “We knew what East Hampton was going to do coming in. They have two great players and the rest of the team compliments them well. We had to go out and stop it and I think you saw that in the third quarter.” In the first meeting, East Hampton guard Jackie Russell scored 24 points with 15 coming in the fourth. In the rematch, Russell was held to 13 points with only three coming after the first half. Russell was hounded all night by Clark and Jessica Grodzicki, who earned Player of the Game after scoring a dozen points, grabbing seven rebounds, and dishing out seven assists. “It was our main focus because we knew Jackie was their shooter and #5 [Liana Salamone] was their driver. We knew how to shut them down,” said Grodzicki, who added the team has matured since the last meeting. “We’ve really come together as a team. We’ve played better, we’ve practiced better, and on defense our communication has been better.” Adela Cecunjanin added nine points and a team-high eight rebound. In the last meeting, Cecunjanin fouled out during a crucial stretch in the fourth quarter and had patiently waited nearly six weeks for the rematch. “I knew I had to be smarter down low and depend on my teammates as well. We worked on help defense, rotating, and working together,” said Cecunjanin, who added four blocks. Cromwell’s reserves made the difference in the second half as Brynn Kovacs and Kayla Nappi provided instant energy off the bench. Kovacs knocked down a three pointer in the third quarter after she received a pass from Grodzicki, who had just grabbed an offensive rebound following a miss from the foul line. Kovacs’ three was part of a 12-0 Cromwell run in the second half. Nappi started the scoring run after stealing a pass and going coast-to-coast for a layup. “I thought they really changed the game,” Maher said of her reserves, “We were able to get some defensive stops, make some good passes, and hit some big shots. They helped to change that momentum and the more game experience they can get is only going to help us down the stretch because we need them.” Cecunjanin said that Kovacs and Nappi’s minutes allowed the starting five to get some much-needed rest in the second half, adding, “Those are big plays. It brings up the energy and morale and helps us win in these games.” Because of a COVID-related rescheduling, the game against the Bellringers was the first of seven games over a nine-day span for the Panthers. Following the win over East Hampton, the team dropped the next two games before rebounding with a 62-45 win over Canton on Feb. 12. Cecunjanin was dominant in the win over Canton, scoring 18 points and ripping down 14 rebounds. Entering the week, Cromwell stands at 13-4. With the conference and state tournaments right around the corner, Maher wants to see the team play with the same intensity they did in the second half against East Hampton. “It has taken us some time, especially leadership and maturity-wise. Last year was a shortened season, so [the players] didn’t get to experience these type of games as much to learn how to close games out,” said Maher, who has no seniors on her roster, “We’re starting to see that now and when things don't go our way we are learning to respond to that. It’s taken some time to learn that, but I think we are learning. The more games we have under our belt the better we will be.” Adela Cecunjanin scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a recently win over Canton on Feb. 12 Indoor track and field, which had competition canceled last winter because of COVID-19, crowned champions for the first time since 2020. The local schools and athletes had some great performances during the competitions held at the Floyd Athletic Center in New Haven last weekend.
Xavier High School won the Class L meet, besting runner-up Hillhouse (86.5 - 54). Eamon Burke won the 1000 meters with teammate Alexander Ushchak finished as the runner-up. Hunter Feitel won the championship in the pole vault. The Falcons also had two relay teams win state titles as the 1600 sprint medley (Burke, Owen Pestka, Owen miller, Chase Vitale) and the 4x200 relay (Pestka, Miller, Vitale, and Eamon Conneely) each finished first. Middletown High School’s Nyasia Dailey took home a Class L championship in the 55 meter dash, running a 7.27 to hold off Audrey Kozak from Shelton. Rocky Hill’s Marina Perry won the Class M championship in the shot put, besting runner-up Jennifer Whipple of Bacon Academy by over a foot (37-11.25 - 36-03.00). Wethersfield High School senior Holden Speed took home second place in the Class L long jump with a leap of 21’02”, which is a personal best. Cromwell High School junior Jaden Wynn placed second in the 300 meters, placing behind only Weaver’s Malcolm Beckford at the Class D finals. Wynn also placed fourth in the 55 meters. Also in Class S, Rocky Hill’s Bryan Martinez placed third in the 1600 meter run. GHS gymnastic seniors (l-r) Addison Fastiggi, Amanda Steckler, Sophia Urban, and Sarah McKinney were honored as the Guardians defeated Conard on Senior Night on Feb. 12.
Glastonbury High School gymnastics honored four seniors last Saturday, Feb. 12, as the Guardians celebrated Senior Night with a win over Conard. Seniors Sarah McKinney, Amanda Steckler, Addison Fastiggi, and Sophia Urban were recognized prior to Glastonbury defeating the West Hartford-based Chieftains at Gymnastics Express Too last Saturday. Head coach Yvette Sima has a lineup blended with vibrant youth and accomplished veterans. The senior quartet have been productive during competition this winter and helped usher in the next generation of Guardians gymnasts, paving the way for what should be continued success for the program over the coming years. “Not only are they in lineups and we heavily rely on their scores on a regular basis, but their positive attitudes and excitement for the sport has been great,” Sima said of her seniors. McKinney and Steckler are captaining a team that has won five of seven meets this winter. Sima said her captains have embraced the role in more ways than one, adding, “They are great role models and leaders in the gym and out of the gym. They constantly have positive things to say to the other girls. They are going to be missed next year.” Following the restrictive season last winter, which forced meets to be virtual and eliminated postseason competition, the seniors wanted to make their final high school season as memorable as possible. “The four of us actually go to the same club gym, so the four of us grew up together,” McKinney said of the senior class. “We’re close and bring that to the team. We keep each other positive and if somebody is down, we pick them up.” Steckler added that the seniors have welcomed in the new crop of gymnasts, “It’s been nice because a lot of the new girls we’ve known since we were younger and now being their teammates we get to help them out when they need it or work beside them, which is really nice. With the new girls coming in we get to learn along with them and we get to learn more about them and how they are as gymnasts.” In the win over Conard, Glastonbury won 129.2 - 120.5 and had the three best all-around performances. Freshman Francesca Gionfriddo had a meet-high 32.6 in the all-around, posting the top floor routine (8.8) and best vault (8.6). Fellow freshman Julia Pistorius posted an overall 32.1 and sophomore Macey Burns registered a total of 30.9. Junior Sydney Barcikowski posed the top score on the beam (8.5). Sima has been pleasantly surprised with the newer gymnasts, who have consistently been atop the leaderboard in most meets. “Our freshman group and a couple of new sophomores and juniors are very strong. They have a lot of skills and have a lot to offer to the team. Mentally they are strong,” said Sima. Sima added that the well-balanced group is something that the program hasn’t had in a while, saying, “It’s nice because they may be new to our team but they are equals. [The underclassmen] have all earned their spots in the lineup and the upperclassmen have been supportive about it.” Across the board, the individual scores have been steady and the team scores have been robust. McKinney and Steckler, who both do club gymnastics outside of GHS, agreed there is nothing better than the team aspect of high school gymnastics. “When we come into the gym for practice or a meet it’s not about one individual doing their routine, it’s about building each other up,” said McKinney. “At our club gym it’s about individuals, but in high school it is very different. I think it’s cool because we are a really good team when we put everything together. Even if you have a bad meet there are other people that can bring up the team score.” Steckler started gymnastics in the sixth grade, which is a little later than most, but found a home because of the support of the gymnastics community. “I feel like I was taken in and now we are all grown up and a family now. I’m excited to see what the future holds, but it’s also really sad to know we will all be gone,” said Steckler, who added that gymnastics is just as much mental as physical. “Skills can definitely get to your head and it’s difficult to do if your head isn’t in the right spot. Knowing that our teammates are here and will support you no matter what makes it a lot easier.” Saturday’s meet was the last time the seniors will compete for GHS in a home meet. The team travels to the Farmington Valley Invitational this Saturday, Feb 19 (6:30 p.m.) before the qualifying gymnasts head to the Team Divisional Championships at Jonathan Law High School on Feb. 26. The State Open Championships will follow on March 5 at New Milford High School. As their time in Glastonbury is coming to an end, the captains reflected on the past four years glowingly. “It’s been really nice to get one more normal-as-possible season for our senior year. It’s cool to be together one more time and do what we know best,” said McKinney, who coaches club gymnastics currently and will look to get more involved with coaching in the future. “It will be weird because my life has been practice four or five days a week and then a meet on the weekend. It’s been a continuous cycle, even in the summer. I want to stay involved and it’s going to be hard, but at the same time we’ll get to move on to the next journey. Steckler added, “It’s sad because a lot of us girls have been competing since we were young and I’ll really miss it. Chances are I will end up joining a club team [in college] because it is really hard leaving a sport that you have done for so long.” Glastonbury High School’s Sarah Christina has quickly reached new heights as a pole vaulter.
Having not attempted the pole vault prior to the spring of 2021, Christina shocked even herself by winning the pole vault championship at the Central Connecticut Conference track and field finals on Feb. 6. “I was really excited. My friend said my face was pure joy,” Christina said about winning the conference championship, which took place at the Floyd Athletic Center in New Haven. Christina vaulted a personal-best 9-06, besting the competition by a foot. South Windsor’s Maddie Hathorn and GHS’s Celia Ryan each reached heights of 8-06 to finish second and third. The Guardians dominated the meet, easily finishing first as a team with 126.5 total points, besting runner-up Bloomfield by 55 points. Christina, a sophomore, is from Manchester. For the past two school years she has commuted to Glastonbury High as part of the AgriScience Program, which allows regional students to attend GHS and take honors and college prep classes in science-based areas. Christina’s emphasis focuses on animal and plant studies. Since coming to GHS, she has played goalie for the freshman and junior varsity soccer teams at GHS. Christina said joining the soccer program was a great experience, adding, “Soccer got me new friends and doing a new sport really helps you fit in the school and community.” Last spring she added a second sport to her resume when she went out for the outdoor track and field team. It was at that point that the adventurous freshman decided to try something new. “I looked at the list and nobody I knew was trying it and it seemed very interesting,” Christina said of the pole vault. “It was really fun, so I stuck with it.” She added that there was a pretty steep learning curve to the specialized sport, saying, “It may look easy, but when you’re first trying it out you need to figure out how to hold it and then you push up and you get to actually vaulting. It’s very different from what I thought it was going to be.” Christina began to pick up the nuances of the sports, learning techniques from vault coach Bob Gemske and watching as 2021-GHS graduate Mallory Malz, who is currently on the University of Connecticut track & field team, won the Class LL and State Open in the pole vault last spring. After a season learning the ropes, Christina returned this winter without a lot of expectations and within a few months she was a conference champion. Her improvement has been swift. Last spring she had a top vault of 8 feet. She has added 18 inches to her previous peak since the beginning of the winter season, which started just over three month ago. She likened the pole vault to riding a bike, adding, “Once you do it, you remember how to do it. Also my coach teaching and encouraging me to really drive and push and get over the bar has been motivating.” Christina, who also does the triple jump, credits the team for helping her become a champion. “This team is honestly very united and we are all close and really good friends,” said Christina. “We are all encouraging of one another and there is no negativity within the team and coaches want to push you to be your best.” GHS Boys T&F Win on Senior Night
On January 26, the Glastonbury High School boys’ track and field team hosted its first and only home meet of the season at GHS, easily defeating Windsor. This was a very important meet to the boy’s team as many athletes were given their first opportunity to compete. Additionally, this meet acted as the team’s senior night, honoring the twelve senior boys: Michael Sardo (Captain), Kevin Clarke (Captain), Alex George (Captain), Joe Accurso (Captain), Cody Stone (Captain), Jackson Stone, Jack Schafner, Will Haddad, Thomas Ryen, Kevin Graziosi, Jason Zao and Davian Rivera. GHS Ski Team Competes at ‘Shootout’ Members of the Glastonbury High School boys and girls ski racing teams are competing in a series of two races, the Giant Slalom and Slalom. In the Giant Slalom, the boys were represented by Matt Bulger and Alex Bulger, who finished 16th and 29th respectively. The top 30 finishers in this Giant Slalom race qualify to compete the following week in the Slalom race, meaning the Bulger brothers will continue to compete. The scores are combined from the two races to determine the top racers in the league who will represent Team Connecticut. The girls’ team was represented by senior co-captains Katie Murphy and Sara Wertsching, along with freshman Ainsley Latz. Murphy and Wertsching qualified to compete in the next phase of the shootouts by finishing 21st and 23rd respectively in the Giant Slalom race. Zack Doncet, a star goalie for the boys’ soccer team at Portland High School, will be protecting the nets at a collegiate level this fall.
“Excited to announce my commitment to Eastern Connecticut State University to further my academic and athletic career. I want to thank my family, friends and coaches for all their support,” Doncet announced in on Jan. 12. Doncet joins Portland High soccer teammate Caiden Hettrick-Rivera, who also committed to play at ECSU earlier this winter. The two Highlanders head to Willimantic to join a Warriors team that has 11 double-digit wins seasons and five conference titles in the 14 years under longtime coach Greg Devito. “From the second I walked onto campus, I knew I could see myself here,” Doncet said of his decision. “I loved how it had a small school feel to it and I loved what the school has to offer academically. I also liked what the soccer program has become.” Doncet had five shutouts this past fall for the Highlanders, earning a Shoreline Athletic Conference honorable mention selection. "Zack had a stellar four-year career for Portland High. He continuously improved his game and faced every challenge that was thrown at him. This past year, Zack proved he was not only a talented keeper, but a leader as well," said PHS head coach Michael Searson, "There is no doubt he is ready for the next level and I am excited to see what he accomplishes at Eastern." Over the years, Doncet worked tirelessly to hone his goalie skills and even trained at the prestigious TOVO (‘total football’ in Dutch) Academy in Spain during April of 2019. There he studied under former Division I goalie Todd Beane, learning new techniques and styles of the position. Doncet said his time in Spain was “an incredible experience and it really opened my eyes to getting better and growing as an individual.” Off the field, Doncet had been a member of the PHS band for four years, playing the trombone. He said when he is not at school, he enjoys going to the gym and spending time with his family. At Eastern, Doncet is leaning towards a business-related major. Doncet added that he’s ready for his next step, saying, “I’m most excited about being able to push myself to become not only a better player but a person as well.” Bacon Academy's Dominic Colella (center) finished first at the Matt Bishel Bobcat Classic on Jan. 5. Also pictured: Mateo Coty (l) of Lyman Memorial-Windham Tech and Griffin Shafer (r) of Portland.
Here are the Rivereast Standout Athletes of the Week for the week of Jan. 31- Feb. 6: Dominic Colella - Bacon Academy High School (Wrestling): Colella pinned Mateo Coty of Lyman Memorial/Windham Tech to take first place (126 lbs.) at the Matt Bishel Bobcat Classic on Feb. 5. The senior was one of two Bobcats, along with Carson Brown (152 lbs.), to win at the annual event hosted by Bacon Academy High School. Liam Calhoun - RHAM High School (Indoor Track): Calhoun broke his own indoor mile record with a time of 4:26.99 to win the 1600 meter event at the Central Connecticut Championships in New Haven on Feb. 6. The senior broke the school’s record for the second time in a month, holding off runner-up Sean Barkasy of Manchester, who also ran a personal-best time (4:28.07). Before Calhoun, the previous 1600m record had stood since 1992. Owen Brunk - Portland High School (Wrestling): Brunk won his weight bracket (220 lbs.) at the Matt Bishel Bobcat Classic on Jan. 5. The senior, who was coming off an All-State selection in football this fall, pinned Avon’s Nils Jerger to win finish first and was the only Highlander to finish atop the podium at the highly-competitive invitational hosted by Bacon Academy High School. Nicholas Rivard-Lentz - East Hampton High School (Indoor Track & Field): Rivard-Lentz took first place in the pole vault finals at the Shoreline Conference Championship in New Haven on Feb. 5. Rivard-Lentz vaulted to a height of 12-06.00, besting second place Cooper Hawes (12-00.00) of Haddam-Killingworth at the finals at the Floyd Athletic Center. To nominate someone for an Athlete of the Week or with any questions or comments on sports-related topics, email Josh Howard at joshhowardsports@gmail.com RHAM's Ailish Kleinhen is defended by Bacon Academy's Valerie Luizzi (near) and Ashley Lizotte on Feb. 3. RHAM won the game 43-39 behind 20 points from Kleinhen.
Bacon Academy girls’ basketball led for nearly 30 minutes against RHAM before the Raptors stole the game in the closing minutes to win 43-39 in front of a packed, spirited home crowd at RHAM High School on Feb. 3. Senior Ailish Kleinhen drained a three-pointer with 2:24 remaining in regulation, giving the Raptors their first lead of the game as the home team closed out the contest on a 12-4 run. Kleinhen finished with a game-high 20 points, coming off the bench to kick start an offense that was held scoreless for the first five minutes and netted only six points in the first quarter. “We came out flat and missed some shots. We had to keep our energy up and just had to keep shooting,” said Kleinhen, who credited the team’s defensive intensity for keeping them in the game. “We started communicating better. We picked it up on defense and that translated to offense.” RHAM head coach John McNair has a resilient roster that shook off the slow start and continued to stick to the game plan, which was to outgun and outrun a short-handed lineup from Bacon. “All season my message to them is be confident and have fun,” said McNair. “I have trust in them that they can weather these storms. We were getting good looks, we just had to stick with it and hopefully the shots started falling.” Behind prolific scorer Marissa Nudd, Bacon Academy jumped out to a 7-0 lead and held a 10-point advantage after the first quarter. Playing against Bacon’s zone defense, the Raptors missed several open shots to start the game before Kleinhen hit a three-pointer with three minutes remaining in the first quarter to brake the scoring drought. On the following offensive possession, Grace Whitmore canned another triple to narrow the deficit to a single point. Bacon then rattled off nine straight points, four by Nudd, who banked in a shot as the first quarter buzzer sounded. After allowing 16 points in the first quarter, RHAM cranked it up defensively, allowing only 23 points the rest of the way “My philosophy is always defense first,” added McNair. “As a player I love offense and we like to get up as many shots as possible, but I coach defense first. [Defense] is always how we can get back into games or stay in games and tonight we had that defensive effort.” Kleinhen stole a pass to start the second quarter and then drained three pointers on consecutive possessions. All told, Kleinhen scored 13 of the Raptors 24 points in the first half. “I am so proud of Ailish. She deserved to have a game like this tonight,” said McNair. “She’s the type of the kid that I can always rely on to face that adversity and rise about it.” The Raptors took the defensive intensity to another level in the second half, holding the Bobcats to five points in the third quarter. A layup by Kathy Chapman narrowed the gap to 27-25, but again Bacon struck gold in the closing seconds of a quarter when Cara Shea banked in a shot with 3.2 second left in the third quarter. Kleinhen knocked down a three with 4:39 left in regulation, narrowing the deficit to one, and then, following a pullup jumper from Bacon’s Valerie Luizzi, RHAM’s Sarah West hit a triple to tie it at 35. Two possessions later, Kleinhen knocked down her fifth and final from beyond the arc. The senior sharp-shooter said she loves the pressure of close games, adding “I live for games like this. It’s the adrenaline for me, it’s a great feeling.” Bacon’s Ashley Lizotte responded with a layup before Kleinhen set up Chapman for a bucket, giving the Raptors a 40-37 lead. Chapman then hauled down a key offensive rebound before West sealed the game with a pair of free throws. Chapman, who was recently named as a team captain following a game against East Catholic, has become an unsung hero for McNair. “She is a team-first kid who is legitimately here for the success of the team. She is all out all the time and she always makes the right basketball play,” the second-year head coach said of Chapman. West finished with nine points, all in the fourth quarter. The junior was tasked with the tough defensive assignment of guarding Nudd. Nudd scored seven in the opening quarter, but was limited to three the rest of the way. West and Nudd know each other well from playing Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) together. “Honestly the competitiveness of Marissa kept me driven the whole game. Even when my shots weren’t falling, I wanted to make sure my defense was on and once I saw my defense was on that pushed my offense,” said West, who also likes the excitement of close games, “That aspect of being on the edge and battling it out will help us once we play better teams.” McNair praised West for taking on the defensive challenge and staying resilient, adding, “Sarah’s brings so much more than just scoring the basketball. She plays with toughness and grit and she is constantly on the offensive boards.” The border-battle was a matchup of two of the top teams in the state. The win improved RHAM to 14-2 and dropped Bacon to 13-2. Bacon’s head coach John Shea hopes the game is a character-builder for his Bobcats, “We’ve shown that we didn’t have a lot of offense tonight and we’re starting at the bottom. There’s only one way up and that’s to get better so that’s what we have to do. It’s a long season, so we’ll try and get back on track.” Prior to the RHAM game, the Bobcats had won seven straight games and were without the services of senior center Emma Mancuso against the Raptors. Coach Shea has liked what he’s seen from his team in previous game, saying, “They play hard and defensively we can leave our mark. We’ve had some good shooting nights, but not tonight. We just have to shoot better and cut down on turnovers.” Following the loss to RHAM, Bacon rebounded with consecutive wins to improve their record to 15-2. On Feb. 5, the Bobcats beat 56-55 over Ledyard behind a monster night from Nudd, who had career-highs in both points and rebounds, scoring 29 and grabbing 14 boards. Luizzi sealed the game with a late free throw, scoring 11 points to go along with seven rebounds and four steals. Four nights later, they defeated Old Lyme 43-29. Nudd and Luizzi each had 16 points and combined for 18 rebounds. The Bobcats close the regular season with three straight home games, including a bout with Woodstock Academy this Saturday, Feb 12 at 3:30 p.m. RHAM will celebrate their seniors this Friday, Feb 11 when they host East Hartford. Kleinhen, Chapman, Lauren Fenton, Katherine Hancin, and Addison Brown will be recognized at RHAM High School prior to the game, which tips at 6:45 p.m. |
AuthorSports Editor for the Rare Reminder, Glastonbury Citizen, and Rivereast News Bulletin Archives
April 2024
Categories |