Panthers Basketball Quiets the Noises

(Cromwell's #33 Reese Reyes and #32 Gabe Charleston defend an inbound pass during the Panthers victory over the Noises)

Cromwell High School showcased the best of both basketball worlds last Wednesday night as both the boys and girls programs took center stage inside Jake Salafia Gymnasium, each coming away with convincing victories over Hale Ray.
 
The early game featured the girls, who soundly defeated the Moodus-based Noises, 73-33, behind a smothering defense and 25 points from Vanessa Stolstajner.
 
The win improving the surging Panthers to 5-2. It was the team’s second win in as many nights, also defeating Valley Regional 68- 31 last Tuesday to snap a two-game skid.
 
“We’re coming along. We seem to be getting better each and every game and with a young team that’s what you want to see,” said head coach Kelly Maher.
 
Stolstajner scored all 25 of her points over the first three quarters, allowing her to rest the final eight minutes and providing an opportunity for the bench players.
 
“She expanded her game a lot over the summer and she’s really worked on it. She’s worked on the midrange, driving to the basket, and it’s made her a better player overall,” Maher said of Stolstajner, who is one of two sophomores in the starting lineup, “They’re learning to play well together and we’re starting to work together defensively. We’ve learned a lot from the losses as well, which I think has helped us in the last couple of games.”
 
The Panthers are getting scoring help from a variety of players, including consistent senior Jenna Serrantino and point guard Sadie Budzik, who poured in 15 points Wednesday night.
 
Budzik and fellow sophomore Najla Cecunjanin are shining under the varsity spotlight. The duo, along with junior Jessica DellaRatta, has impressed their veteran coach with their improvement this winter.  
 
“Sadie is running the offense and has also picked it up defensively. Jess is our post player and she’s fighting for the rebounds and setting everything up. Najla has really improved her post moves and the more experience that she gets the better she’s going to be.”
 
Maher wants to see more consistency and energy on both ends of the court, but likes the development and depth of her young team.
 
“We show up in spurts but we need to play with the same amount of intensity the entire game. That will come with a young team, it’s going to be up and down but we’ve grown in that area and we’ll be there by the end.”
 
The Panthers next home game is against rival East Hampton on Tue, Jan 16 at 5 p.m.
 
It will be a good test for the Panthers, who have been able to dig deep into the bench during the last two blowout victories.
 
“It’s going to help us because you don't know who is going to be in foul trouble and you don’t know what is going to happen later in the season,” stated Maher, “The more experience they can get in a varsity game, the more it’s going to help us down the road.”
 
In the nightcap, the boys used a dominant defensive effort in the third quarter to silence the visitors 80-41.
 
John Pinone’s squad had a healthy 20-point lead at the half and clamped down defensively in the third, limiting Hale Ray to a mere six points in the quarter.
 
“Our staple has always been defending and we know we’ll always be in games if we can defend. We did better in the second half and when we do that we get steals and easy baskets in transition,” Pinone said after the team’s fifth win of the season, “We know we’ll always be in games if we can defend. We just need to give maximum effort of the defensive end and let the chips fall where they may on the offensive end.”
 
Noah Budzik scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half to lead all scorers and talented, young bench players Naimir Heyliger and Gabe Charleston thrived in the second half.
 
Heyliger had a terrific all around game, finishing with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists. Charleston added 13 point and seven rebounds.
 
“Naimir is coming along and he’s still learning to play the point guard position. It’s his first year as a varsity player so it’s a total transition to what he’s used to seeing. He’s a better fit in games that are more up and down and free flowing and he did well tonight,” added Pinone, who likes his depth this season, “We can play eight guys comfortably and that’s an advantage for us.”
 
All eight are capable shooters, making the Panthers deadly from the perimeter.
 
Austin Roy was hot the field in the win over Hale Ray, scoring a season-high 14 points, which included a pull-up jumper to beat the first quarter buzzer.
 
“Those are the only type of players that we have, we don’t have a 6’5 center that can play with his back to the basket,” Pinone joked about the amount of wing players on the roster, “Gabe is becoming one of those players, but he’s a sophomore and he’s still learning to play that game and to play that position. Believe me we would like to have a couple of bigs that could post up be and take a lot of pressure off of our perimeter game because if we don't shoot well it will be a much more difficult for us to win games.”
 
The team may lack a huge presence in the middle, but Charleston, Reese Reyes, and Nick Wright provide the Panthers much needed length on the inside. The three combined to block six shots in Wednesday night’s victory.
 
Offensively the 80-point output was a season-high, but defense is still the name of the game for Panthers, who will next host Coginchaug on Thursday, Jan 11 at 7 pm.
 
“We’re still a work in progress and defensively we’re not where we need to be. We should be a better defensive team all around and we need to get more physical,” stated Pinone, “We’re just not a team that really goes after the rebounds. We just don’t have that edge that we need inside to go get the ball. It comes down to who wants it more and not all the time do we want it more. We struggle to keep people to one shot, but when we do that we’ll be a really good team.”
 
On top of guiding the boys to five wins in their first six games, Pinone is also organizing an alumni game.
 
Former Panthers players from 1959-2017 will partake in the charitable game, which will be sandwiched in between the JV and varsity contests against Old Saybrook on Friday, Jan 26.
 
“We’re hoping for a big, big turnout. We’re going to stream it to the auditorium in case we have over flow and people can sit in there and watch it,” Pinone said of the impending reunion game, which will tip a 5 pm, “We’re going to have a reception in the cafeteria after and we’re hoping the players will bring their friends and family. I think it will be nice for everyone.”

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