Highlanders Halted in Semis

​Portland High School senior captain Harrison Collins dives to the hoops while being defended by Windsor Locks Evan Courtney. The Highlanders lost to the Raiders in the state semifinals.

The boys basketball team at Portland High School gave No. 1 seed Windsor Locks all they could handle before the Highlanders ran out of gas in the Division V state semifinals, falling 67-56 at East Hartford High School on March 15. 

Windsor Locks’ one-two punch of senior Malike Alassani and sophomore Sincere Monroe provided a nearly unstoppable inside-outside threat that accounted for 42 points as the top-seeded Raiders advanced to the state championship game.

Alassani, a powerful and explosive forward, scored 24 points. Monroe, a lightning quick and fearless guard, added 18.
All-conference point guard Harrison Collins led the Highlanders attack with 20 points, but ultimately breakdowns on both ends of the court doomed the local team.   

“Hats off to Windsor Locks, they’re a great program and well-coached, but I still think we are the better team,” Portland head coach David Bradbury said. “But we didn’t play like it tonight. We missed shots, missed free throws, and allowed them to play to their strengths and they capitalized.”

Portland, the No. 4 seeded team in the tourney, traded buckets with the 17-win Raiders for the first three quarters, trailing by only one point heading into the final frame.

Senior Joe Rusczyk powered the Highlanders early on, scoring eight points in the opening quarter as Portland held a 16-14 advantage after eight minutes of back-and-forth action. 

The first half featured five lead changes and each time Windsor Locks looked like they would pull away, Portland responded by hitting a big shot. 

Collins scored 11 points in the second quarter, highlighted by a pull-up three-pointer from straight away in the closing moments of the first half to narrow the margin to 32-31 at the break. 

The teams continued to exchange shots in the third quarter as Monroe heated up from the field, scoring 11 points in the frame.

Trailing 41-36 with 2:12 left in the third, Portland’s Ben Fecteau netted five straight points on a putback followed by a three-pointer, tying the game at 41. 

Four straight points from Monroe were countered by a long triple by Rusczyk to again make it a one-point margin headed into the fourth quarter.

Bradbury commended his team’s resiliency, adding, “I couldn’t be more proud of the boys, they gave everything they had.” 
Whether it was fatigue or merely a lack of execution, the fourth quarter belonged to Windsor Locks, who held a 22-12 advantage over the final eight minutes. 

The Raiders used an 8-2 scoring surge to start the fourth quarter to create separation and then solidified the win from the foul line in the final four minutes, hitting seven of eight foul shots before Alassani put the exclamation point on the victory with a dunk in the closing seconds. 

“My guys just willed it,” Windsor Locks head coach Dan Copes said. “But so much credit to Portland, they would not go away. They hit some huge shots.” 

The loss ended a historic season in Portland, who won 15 regular season games and advanced to the Shoreline Conference (SLC) championship game for the first time in program history. 

“We took a step forward as a program. It’s not where we wanted to get to and we didn’t reach our goal, but it’s a special time for Portland basketball,” stated Bradbury,

Immediately following the final buzzer, Bradbury shared an embrace with an emotional Collins on the court. 

Collins was a multiple first-team all-conference selection under Bradbury, averaging 21 points per game and also leading the team in assists and steals this season. 

“I told him I love him and that he played his heart out,” Bradbury said of the exchange, “This is not the end for him. The lessons he learned here will go on to help him.”

Collins is one of six seniors whose final game was the tournament defeat. Rusczyk, Fecteau, Ryan Kerr, Austin Vess, William Favale will also be graduating this spring.  

Prior to Bradbury’s arrival, the Highlanders were coming off a five-win season in 2020. Three seasons later, the seniors are leaving the program following 20 total wins (including postseason) this winter.

“All of our success moving forward will be built off the backs of these guys. I couldn’t be more proud of the work ethic they displayed on a day to day basis,” stated Bradbury. “They truly are the foundation of what we are building at Portland.”

Windsor Locks would go on to win the Division V state championship, defeating Shepaug 69-58 at Mohegan Sun Arena on March 18. Monroe scored a game-high 22 points as the Raiders secured the program’s second state title, first since 2001.

​It was the second straight season that the Highlanders would be eliminated by the eventual state champion, also losing to the 2021-2022 champions from Windham in the quarterfinals a season ago.