Lorenzo Washington had 36 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals as the Sacred Heart boys basketball team defeated Weaver, 108-90, on Monday in nonleague action in Waterbury.
Trevahn Duncan added 25 points and Caleb Sampson had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Hearts.
Bristol Central 53, Lewis Mills 41: Donovan Clingan had 34 points for the Rams.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Lewis Mills 48, Bristol Central 17: Abby Jankoski had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Spartans. Lauren Alvarez added 13 points.
Crosby 62, Kaynor Tech 18: Tiahna Pulliam had 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Bulldogs.
Aniyyah Watson added 14 points and Destiny Parris had 10.
Oxford 43, Brookfield 31: Mikayla Walton led the Wolverines with 18 points. Paige Davis added 11 points.
Chase 47, Forman 15: Riy Hicks and Maddie Patrick scored 16 points each for the Highlanders.
Bristol Eastern 69, Plainville 39: Jordan Ouellette had 28 points for the Lancers. Ciara Collins added 20 points and Avery Arbuckle had 10.
Innovation 42, Terryville 33: Amy Roqi led the Kangaroos with 17 points while Zoe Zappone added 12.

By KEVIN ROBERTS
WATERBURY—When Sacred Heart’s Lorenzo Washington emerged from the tunnel leading to the locker room for a postgame interview Monday night, the junior looked like he had been through a tough battle.
Washington scored a game-high 36 points, but did more than just put the ball in the basket in his team’s 108-90 non-league victory over Weaver at Alumni Hall.
Washington tallied eight rebounds, four assists and four steals, and he did it all while playing all 32 minutes. It was enough to get applause from teammates, family and friends when he emerged from the tunnel.
“Points, rebounds, assists, steals and just on-the-ball defense,” Sacred Heart coach Jon Carroll said. “He affects the game in so many facets. Tonight, (Weaver) was in a box-and-one, so he gets to the foul line (17-of-22), pushes out a pile of assists, grabs some rebounds. And it’s not all about the stat sheet. There are some things that never show up on the stat sheet.”
Like diving on the floor in the fourth quarter of a game at Crosby on Jan. 10 that Sacred Heart had control of (they were up 13 points). Washington never comes out, and after getting beat up by Weaver’s box-and-one, he showed it.
“Yeah, and I hope I don’t see any more,” Washington said with a smile about the box-and-one. “That was too much. My body is sore.”
Three Weaver players fouled out of Monday night’s game, and Washington contributed to that. It’s hard to keep up with him.
“His feet are so quick. I think he was called for one hand-check foul,” Carroll said. “The Gittens kid (all-state player Dashon Gittens) is one of the best players in the state, so that’s pretty good going up against him.”
Washington is good with the ball, but he’s just as good without it. Late in the fourth quarter Monday night, Gittens grabbed a rebound, but Washington swiped it away from him and made a layup. It’s not the first time Washington has done such a thing this season, not by a long shot.
“He’s a weapon when he has the ball, and he’s a weapon when he doesn’t,” Carroll said. “You’ve got to know where he is at all times.”
As far as what Washington wants for Sacred Heart, it’s getting to last year’s high-water mark, then going beyond it. The Hearts were knocked out of the Division I quarterfinal round by Trumbull.
“We’re trying to get back to where we were last year, but even better,” Washington said. “We’re trying to get to Mohegan Sun.”
You can bet Washington will be doing all he can to try to propel the Hearts to that championship weekend in March.

NONNEWAUG 93, SHEEHAN 93
200 Medley Relay: Sheehan (Adam DiDomenico, Joey Zellner, Aaron Gamble, Kalen Boman) 1:53.80; 200 Freestyle: Joey Zellner (S) 1:57.15; 200 IM: Adam DiDomenico (S) 2:26.17; 50 Free: Sam McDonald (N) 23.50; Diving: Jordan Dorsey (S) 189.00; 100 Butterfly: Collin Bootsma (N) 1:01.22; 100 Freestyle: Adam DiDomenico (S) 51.82; 500 Freestyle: Joey Zellner (S) 5:45.28; 200 Free Relay: Sheehan (Billy Syme, Ryan Crilly, Aaron Gamble, Kalen Boman) 1:50.10; 100 Back: Sindy Gorka (N) 1:08.30; 100 Breast: Joseph Reily (N) 1:12.36; 400 Free Relay: Sheehan (Derek Torres, John Womelsdorf, Adam DiDomenico, Joey Zellner) 3:50.64.

By KEVIN ROBERTS
WATERBURY—When the final buzzer sounded at Alumni Hall on Monday night, the scoreboards looked like this:
108 points was on the left side, and 90 was on the right side. You read that right, 108-90, in favor of Sacred Heart against Weaver. The Hearts improved to 10-0 with the victory while the Beavers fell to 2-9. That 2-9 is very deceptive.
“They play a very tough schedule,” Sacred Heart coach Jon Carroll said. “All 2-8 teams aren’t built equal, and they’re much better than their record shows.”
The game was frenetic for much of the 32 minutes played, and there were fouls, a ton of them. There were 58 team fouls called (Weaver had 34, Sacred Heart had 24), and 75 foul shots were taken by the two teams. The Hearts went 28-of-43 at the foul line while the Beavers were 21-of-32. Three Weaver players were lost to fouls, and Connor Tierney fouled out for Sacred Heart. There were also four technical fouls handed out, with two for each team.
“There was a lot of free throws, a lot of fast breaks, a lot of transition,” Carroll said. “I thought (Weaver) shot the ball really, really well from the perimeter. We weren’t really expecting that. A competitive game, two high-speed teams, and I think that’s what you saw.”
The final score was not something junior Lorenzo Washington has seen.
“I haven’t seen it, not even in AAU,” Washington said. “I’ve never seen it like that.”
Washington had a big say in Sacred Heart’s 108 points. He scored 36 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. Trevahn Duncan dropped in 25 points for the Hearts.
“He had some big minutes, some big points, some big rebounds,” Carroll said.
So did Caleb Sampson, who went for 20 points and seven rebounds. Weaver’s Dashon Gittens had 26 points, Jalen Moore went for 21 (six 3-pointers), and Chris DeJesus added 19 (three 3-pointers). The Beavers connected for 13 3-pointers.
“People come in here, and we’ve got to expect that we’re going to get everybody’s ‘A’ game,” Carroll said. “I think the first quarter showed that they were ready to play.”
Did it ever. Weaver ran out to a 7-0 lead and led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter, 21-10. Sacred Heart didn’t make its first field goal until there was 4:07 left in the first quarter. Washington drove and banked the ball in, and the Hearts trailed, 12-4. After trailling 21-10, Sacred Heart got five points from Darrien Ponder in the final 55 seconds to close to within 21-15 after one quarter.
The Hearts took their first lead of the game, 31-30, on two foul shots from Duncan at the 4:02 mark of the second quarter. Weaver led for the final time, 39-38, on a basket by Gittens. A Tierney hook shot gave Sacred Heart the lead for good at 40-39 with 2:36 remaining until halftime. The Hearts led, 49-44, at the break.
Sacred Heart began the second half with an 18-2 spurt to build a 67-46 lead. The Beavers did cut the lead to single digits in the fourth quarter, but the Hearts kept pushing the lead back up.
Sacred Heart returns to NVL play on Tuesday at home against Woodland at 7 p.m.
Note: Before the game, a moment of silence was held for former Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant and his family. Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

By KEVIN ROBERTS

The Torrington boys basketball team is still alive for a state tournament berth, but it may have to win down the stretch without one of its top players.

Junior guard/forward T.J. Calabrese, the team’s leading scorer at 14.1 points per game, rolled his ankle with 6:18 left in the second quarter of last Wednesday’s 55-41 loss at Watertown, coach Eric Gamari said. Calabrese is out for now, but will be re-evaluated Friday, according to his coach. Calabrese missed last Friday’s 63-48 home win over Woodland.

“T.J. brings an all-around game,” Gamari said. “He can score, pass, rebound, defend. So we have to use the guys we have to offset that with their skill set, and try to blend as best as possible.

“In his absence, the bench rotation will be shorter and we will have to move guys in different spots to get the matchups that will benefit our player personnel.

Torrington is 4-7 entering Tuesday night’s game at WCA. After the Spartans, the Raiders have remaining games against Naugatuck, St. Paul, Watertown, Ansonia, Wolcott, Derby, Kennedy and Sacred Heart. The St. Paul, Wolcott and Kennedy games are on the road.

By KEVIN ROBERTS
WATERBURY — For the first time during this NVL season, the undefeated Naugatuck High boys basketball team was pushed by its opponent.
Holy Cross got the home fans at Tim McDonald Gymnasium into the game, and it cut a double-digit deficit to seven points with 4 1/2 minutes left in the fourth quarter of Tuesday night’s game.
The Greyhounds made the plays they needed to make, however, and emerged with a 72-60 win over the Crusaders.
Naugatuck improved to 10-0 in the NVL and 12-0 overall. Holy Cross fell to 9-3 in the NVL and 10-4 overall.
Sophomores Ese Onakpoma (game-high 27 points) and Avery Hinnant (22 points, 21 rebounds) didn’t look like sophomores when it mattered most.

[This post contains video, click to play]

BY JASON LEVY
LITCHFIELD — The top two Berkshire League boys basketball teams threw their bodies around for 32 minutes on Tuesday night.
It wasn’t pretty as the balance of power in the league hung in the balance.
In the end, Wamogo’s defense was able to grind down Nonnewaug, and the defending league champions built a two-game lead over the rest of the league with a 53-40 win at Wamogo High.
“That was a huge game,” Wamogo’s Charlie Coffey said. “It put us up two games in the league. It was an ugly game against a tough team, but we got it done.”
Coffey finished with 11 points and five assists for the Warriors (9-3, 8-1 BL).
Cole Higgins scored seven of his 10 points in the first half, and Ethan Collins scored 10 of his game-high 13 points in the second half.
Wamogo excelled off the glass, as well, as Ben Roy had nine rebounds and Eric Odenwaelder grabbed eight boards.
But it was the defense that won the day for Wamogo, holding the Chiefs (7-5, 6-3) to just 20 points in each half, with no player in double figures.
Tyler Lindberg, Ethan Ciesielski and Anthony Bambino and scored eight points apiece while Nonnewaug’s leading scorer Jon Khazzaka was held to two points. Colby Steinfeld was out with an undisclosed injury. A lot of Nonnewaug’s offensive struggles had to do with Roy shutting down Khazzaka.
“I just did what I had to do to stop their top scorer,” Roy said. “And that’s what I did. I just commit myself to defense and I say, ‘I don’t want him to score.’ That’s what I put my mind to. I handle it like any other player. I do my job and my job is to lock him down. That’s what my goal is.”
Wamogo coach Gregg Hunt switched Roy onto Khazzaka and Odenwaelder onto Bambino when it was announced Steinfeld was out.
“He’s our best on-ball defender,” Hunt said of Roy. “He takes a lot of pride (in his defense). He held one of the other top scorers in the league to three 3s the other night. The constant for Ben is his defense every night.”
Nonnewaug held a 14-12 lead after one quarter, and the teams were back-and-forth for most of the game. But with the Chiefs leading, 29-27, late in the third quarter, the Warriors went on a 9-0 run, capped by a Mazzarelli 3-pointer, to close out the period and kept the Chiefs at arm’s length the rest of the way.
“I think we were getting good shots all game long,” Collins said. “It was just a matter of driving at people, finishing and kicking out to open shooters. Once we started hitting a couple of shots, that’s when we started to get our rhythm.”
It was evident the way both teams were diving after every loose ball and banging bodies under the basket that neither wanted to cede control of the BL to what is likely it’s toughest competitor.
“It was a physical game, mentally and physically,” Roy said. “We just had to do our best to finish shots and that’s what we did.”
On a night where the stars didn’t shine their brightest, Wamogo’s depth allowed them to hang on for the win.
“This is a team where the guys have to rely on each other,” Hunt said. “And we have a lot of interchangeable parts. Cole Higgins carried us in the first half, Mazzarelli made some huge baskets in the second half. Charlie Coffey played well in spurts, especially in the end. He had assists on three straight possessions late in the game. Everybody has a role and they are willing to accept it.”

Aurelia Barker made a free throw with three seconds left in overtime to lift the Thomaston girls basketball team to a 40-39 win over Gilbert on Tuesday in the Berkshire League.
Barker finished with 13 points.
Ajla Gutic led all scorers with 16 points for the Yellowjackets.
Seymour 84, Watertown 55: Kiley Drezek had 27 points and Arlinda Peraj added 25 for the Wildcats.
Kolby Sirowich had 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Morgan Teodosio grabbed 12 boards.
Marissa Forino scored 22 points for the Indians.
Alana Johnson added 14 points and Paige Daigneault had 10.
Wolcott 47, Kennedy 24: Emiah Soto had 16 points and Alison LeClerc added 14 for Wolcott.
Me’Ryan Caraballo had 10 points for Kennedy.
St. Paul 58, Oxford 40: Janessa Gonzalez had 26 points and Jade Udoh added 19 for the Falcons.
Mikayla Walton scored 24 points for the Wolverines. Paige Davis added 13.
Ansonia 54, Crosby 48: Natasha Rivera and Krystalee Fernadez scored 16 points each for the Chargers. Jojo Sanchez added 12 points.
Tiahna Pulliam had 21 points for the Bulldogs.
Derby 50, Wilby 18: Madison Koval scored 15 points for the Raiders. Kiara Swilling added 12 points.
Housatonic 60, Terryville 29: Tori Dodge had 17 points while Sydney Segalla scored 15 points with 14 rebounds to lead the Mountaineers.
Emma Walsh added 10 points.
Amy Roqi scored 19 for Terryville.
Nonnewaug 55, Wamogo 25: Mallory Tomkalski had 16 points, Fiona Gengenbach 15 and Ashley Hennessey 10 for the Chiefs.
Sam Sylvester had 15 points for the Warriors.
Litchfield-Northwestern suspended: The Highlanders-Cowgirls game was suspended in the third quarter due to an injury. No other details were given.
Kaynor Tech 53, Wilcox Tech 18: Toyin Bilewu led the Panthers with 14 points. Antia Ozuna added 11.
Branford 54, Cheshire 46: Emma Watkinson scored 16 points for the Rams.
Shepaug 40, Torrington 37: Brooke Donaghey led the Spartans with 12 points. Abbey Harty added 11 points.
Kate Mooney scored a game-high 15 points for the Raiders.
Pomperaug 72, Bunnell 47: Maddie Villa led the Panthers with 23 points. Marina Lambiase added 11 points.
Woodland 50, Sacred Heart 40: Andra Bojka scored 19 points for the Hawks.
Jillian Barbarito added 10 points.
Aamya Rivera scored 18 points for the Hearts.
Platt Tech 42, Wolcott Tech 41: Rachel Heaney led the Wildcats with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Abigail Williams added 11 points and 21 rebounds.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Crosby 78, Ansonia 60: Justin Davis scored 37 points to lead the Bulldogs. Andre Pierre added 14 points and Alex Batista 12.
Sheldon Schuler led the Chargers with 17 points.
Sacred Heart 69, Woodland 50: Lorenzo Washington led all scorers with 23 points. Connor Tierney recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Robert Moriarty scored 12 for the Hawks.
WCA 72, Torrington 37: Lawrence Lazaro and Zion Lott had 17 points each and Jonathan Edwards added 16 for the Spartans.
Brian Ballesteros had 14 points for the Raiders.
St. Paul 68, Oxford 54: Noah Waters had 21 points and seven assists for the Falcons.
A.J. Brooks added 18 points and 10 rebounds, Will Barton had 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Patrick Mucherino scored 22 points and Cayden Mitchell had 16 for the Wolverines.
Kennedy 84, Wolcott 61: Synciere Dozier and Jaquane Jones each scored 22 points and Dayven Zielinski added 18 for Kennedy.
Ty Goldberg had 17 points, Brian Perzhilla had 14 and Ryan Ligi 11 for Wolcott.
Wilby 84, Derby 75: Jeremiah Tripp scored 23 points, incluing six 3-pointers, and Jonathan Matias added 18 for the Wildcats.
Shymar Robnison had a team-high 21 points and Taeshaun Sanchez added 18 for Red Raiders.
Terryville 77, Housatonic 39: Dylan Matulis scored 16 points and Sean O’Donnell added 14 for the Kangaroos.
Briceson Barry led Housatonic with 17 points.
Northwestern 45, Litchfield 35: Brandon North had nine points for the Highlanders.
Evan Fischthal scored 13 points for the Cowboys.
Thomaston 76, Gilbert 72: Chad Suckley had 26 points and Keegan Daigle added 18 for Thomaston.
Hunter Smith scored 36 points for Yellowjackets.
Platt Tech 54, Wolcott Tech 21: Anthony Petersen scored nine points for the Wildcats.
Foran 51, Cheshire 46: Colby Griffin led the Rams with 17 points. Cole Feinauer added 12 points.
Pomperaug 72, Bunnell 60: Dion Zhuta had 34 points and 11 rebounds for the Panthers.
Adam Opalka added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Spencer Dragone had 10 rebounds.
Shepaug 58, Abbott Tech 36: Jayden Cornwall led the Spartans with 19 points.
Michael Perachi added 16 points and Owen Hibbard had 13.
Kaynor Tech 73, Wilcox Tech 60: Fernando Cerda led the Panthers with 27 points.
Scott Dalesio and Masai Johnson added 11 points each, Richard Erem grabbed 10 boards.
BOYS SWIMMING
Woodland 98, Naugatuck 88: Jake Arisian won the 200 IM (2:06.17) and the 100 butterfly (56.65) for the Hawks.
Alex Manasoiu won the 100 freestyle (53.20) and 200 free (2:01.64) for the Greyhounds.
Oxford 97, Kennedy 67: Connor Scully won the 100 freestyle (55.25) and 200 IM (2:16.26), and Ryan Wolyniec won the 50 free (24.14) and 500 free (5:41.49) for the Wolverines.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Wright Tech at O’Brien Tech, 6
Chase at Wooster, 4:15
Taft at Berkshire, 2:30
GIRLS BASKETBALL
O’Brien Tech at Wright Tech, 4
Marvelwood at Chase, 3
Loomis Chaffee at Taft, 4
BOYS SWIMMING
Naugatuck Valley League
Seymour at Torrington, 7:30
Berkshire League
Wamogo at Housatonic, 5:30
BOYS ICE HOCKEY
Watertown at North Haven, 3:50
Shepaug at BBD, 5:30
Cheshire at East Haven, 7:30
Housatonic-NW at JBWA, 7:40
BOYS WRESTLING
Masuk at Pomperaug, 6
Thomaston at Northwestern, 6
Nonnewaug at Derby, 6
St. Paul at Gilbert, 6

OXFORD 97, KENNEDY 67
Oxford (Ryan Wolyniec, Anthony Fabrizi, Matthew Darroch, John Covino) 2:01.00; 200 free: Kevin Domack (O) 2:01.42; 200 IM: Connor Scully (O) 2:16.26; 50 free: Wolyniec (O) 24.14; Diving: Jonathan Wolf (O); 100 fly: Adam Macero (O) 1:09.73; 100 free: Scully (O) 55.25; 500: Wolyniec (O) 5:41.49; 200 free relay: Kennedy (Grullon, Balikian, Azizoglu, Walters) 1:52.20; 100 back: Alex Arias (K) 1:29.25; 100 breast: Lucas Balikian (K) 1:27.03; 400 free relay: Kennedy (Arias, Arias, Sabovic, Balikian) 4:40.34. Records: Oxford 4-3 (4-1 NVL).

WOODLAND 98, NAUGATUCK 88
200 Medley Relay: Woodland (Patrick Zieba, Ryan Curtin, Jake Arisian, Noah Scott) 1:46.60; 200 Freestyle: Alex Manasoiu (N) 2:01.64; 200 IM: Arisian (W) 2:06.17; 50 Freestyle: Scott (W) 23.63; Diving: D.J. Mulligan (W) 188.25; 100 Butterfly: Arisian (W) 56.65; 100 Freestyle: Manasoiu (N) 53.20; 500 Freestyle: Spencer Maher (N) 5:25.23; 200 Freestyle Relay: Naugatuck (Manasoiu, Kevin Healey, Steven Herb, Jacob Hall) 1:38.42; 100 Backstroke: Patrick Zieba (W) 1:00.60; 100 Breaststroke: Tyler Cyr (W) 1:10.08; 400 Freestyle: Naugatuck (Manasoiu, Bailey Ceryak, Hall, Haher) 3:40.08.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Naugatuck Valley League
St. Paul 68, Oxford 54
Crosby 78, Ansonia 60
Wilby 84, Derby 75
Naugatuck 72, Holy Cross 60
Kennedy 84, Wolcott 61
WCA 72, Torrington 37
Sacred Heart 69, Woodland 50
Seymour at Watertown, ppd. to Jan. 30
Berkshire League
Wamogo 53, Nonnewaug 40
Terryville 77, Housatonic 39
Northwestern 45, Litchfield 35
Thomaston 76, Gilbert 72
Others
Platt Tech 54, Wolcott Tech 21
Foran 51, Cheshire 46
Pomperaug 72, Bunnell 60
Kaynor Tech 73, Wilcox Tech 60
Shepaug 58, Abbott Tech 36
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Naugatuck Valley League
Derby 50, Wilby 18
Woodland 50, Sacred Heart 40
Ansonia 54, Crosby 48
Seymour 84, Watertown 55
Wolcott 47, Kennedy 24
St. Paul 58, Oxford 40
Berkshire League
Nonnewaug 55, Wamogo 25
Housatonic 60, Terryville 29
Thomaston 40, Gilbert 39 OT
Litchfield at Northwestern, suspended
Others
Kaynor Tech 53, Wilcox Tech 18
Pomperaug 72, Bunnell 47
Platt Tech 42, Wolcott Tech 41
Shepaug 40, Torrington 37
Branford 54, Cheshire 46
BOYS SWIMMING
Naugatuck Valley League
Oxford 97, Kennedy 67
Woodland 98, Naugatuck 88
Berkshire League
Wamogo 100, Shepaug 85

NAUGATUCK 72, HOLY CROSS 60
Naugatuck (11-0): Avery Hinnant 9 4 22, Ese Onakpoma 10 6 27, Robert Sanders 0 0 0, Derrick Jagello 4 0 10, Keywan Garris 1 0 3, John Mezzo 0 0 0Justin Barth 2 1 5, Julaquis Minnifield 2 0 5. Totals: 28 11 72.
Holy Cross (10-4): Akili Evans 9 3 22, Arthur Pappas 4 0 8, Sam Henderlite 1 0 2, Kyle Lombardi 6 3 19, Jahvon Myrthil 1 0 3, Vin Diogostine 0 0 0, Drevon Yeldell 0 0 0, John Greene 1 0 2, Ashton Sannasi 0 2 2, Kaiden Dunn 0 0 0, Cole Foster 1 0 2. Totals: 23 8 60.
Naugatuck 17 21 17 17—72
Holy Cross 14 16 12 18—60
3-pointers: N—Onakpoma 1, Jagello 2, Garris 1, Minnifield 1; H—Evans 1, Lombardi 4, Myrthil 1.

SACRED HEART 69, WOODLAND 50
Woodland (5-7): Jason Palmieri 1 0 2, Nate Bodnar 3 0 6, Trey Mastropietro 0 0 0, Nick DeLucia 0 0 0, Robert Moriarty 5 0 12, Joey Giuliani 3 1 7, Brady Anderson 1 0 3, Nathaniel Smith 10 0 20, Sam Trumbley 0 0 0, Cray Mastropietro 0 0 0. Totals: 23 1 50.
Sacred Heart (11-0): Lorenzo Washington 8 7 23, Connor Tierney 6 3 16, Trevahn Duncan 3 0 6, Caleb Sampson 8 3 19, Steve Alseph 1 0 2, Osa Igbinewuare 0 0 0, Styles Marshall 0 0 0, Darrien Ponder 1 0 2, Davon Ellison 0 0 0, Alex Gonzalez 0 0 0, Arik Daggan 0 0 0, Sheriff Bilewu 0 1 1. Totals: 27 14 69.
Woodland 8 10 17 15—50
Sacred Heart 10 20 23 16—69
3-pointers: W—Moriarty 2, Anderson 1. SH—Tierney 1.

CROSBY 78, ANSONIA 60
Crosby (9-3): Justin Davis 13 6 37, Jonathan Rivera 2 0 6, Jose Soares 2 0 5, Alex Batista 4 3 12, Andre Pierre 6 2 14, Jason Robinson 1 0 2, C.J. Wilson 0 2 2. Totals: 28 13 78.
Ansonia (5-6): Sheldon Schuler 7 2 17, Darell McKnight 6 0 14, Jadin Blackwell 2 0 4, Noah Wagnblas 6 0 12, Elijah Ellis 3 0 9, John Maitland 0 0 0, Riley Smith 2 0 4. Totals: 26 2 60.
Crosby 16 20 22 20—78
Ansonia 16 11 16 17—60
3-pointers: C—Batista 1, Rivera 2, Soares 1, Davis 5. A—Ellis 3, McKnight 2, Schuler 1.

WCA 72, TORRINGTON 37
Torrington (4-8): Charlie Mathieu 0 0 0, Nick Balducci 4 0 8, Justin Mattiello 2 1 5, Elian Pena 1 0 2, Cooper Suminski 0 0 0, Mohamed Traore 1 1 3, Jacob Groebl 0 1 1, Brian Ballesteros 2 10 14, Ben Smith 2 0 4. Totals: 12 13 37.
WCA (5-6): Jonathan Edwards 8 0 16, Zion Lott 6 0 17, Darrell Coombs 1 1 3, Gerald Council 2 0 4, Rafael Prado 0 0 0, Trevone Hightower 1 0 3, Carlos Calle 2 1 5, Lawrence Lazaro 5 3 17, Cyrus Smith 0 0 0, David Matabula 0 0 0, James Kee 1 0 2, Carmelo Mojica 2 0 5. Totals: 28 5 72.
Torrington 10 6 13 8—37
WCA 14 24 21 13—72
3-pointers: WCA—Lott 5, Lazaro 4, Hightower 1, Mojica 1.

ST. PAUL 68, OXFORD 54
St. Paul (6-5): Rudy Otero 1 1 3, Will Barton 6 2 17, AJ Brooks 8 1 18, Noah Waters 7 2 21, Tommy Lorenzetti 1 0 2, Jack Noli 3 0 7, Alex Partyka 0 0 0. Totals: 26 6 68.
Oxford (2-11): Cayden Mitchell 6 0 16, Tanner Soracco 2 4 9, Matthew Michaud 1 1 3, Patrick Mucherino 8 6 22, Hunter Keller 1 0 2, Dylan Salgado 1 0 2. Totals: 19 11 54.
St. Paul 23 15 16 14—68
Oxford 13 19 15 7—54
3-pointers: SP—Barton 3, Brooks 1, Waters 5, Noli 1. O—Mitchell 4, Soracco 1.

KENNEDY 84, WOLCOTT 61
Kennedy (5-9): Kyle Brown 1 0 3, Aaron Brioso 3 0 7, Synciere Dozier 9 4 22, Jaquane Jones 9 4 22, Dayven Zielinski 7 4 18, Lennox Serrano 0 0 0, Johnarieus Davis 0 0 0, Gavin Todd 4 0 12. Totals: 33 12 84.
Wolcott (1-12): Mike Greene 1 0 2, Eric Perzhilla 1 0 3, Ryan Ligi 5 1 11, Brian Perzhilla 3 6 14, Nick Nobrega 0 0 0, Jack Moore 0 0 0, Ryan Lofgren 1 2 4, Tyler Chance 4 0 10, Ty Goldberg 5 7 17, Rron Zhuta 0 0 0. Totals: 20 16 61.
Kennedy 18 21 20 25—84
Wolcott 21 10 12 17—61
3-pointers: K—Brown 1, Brioso 1, Todd 4. W—E. Perzhilla 1, B. Perzilla 2, Chance 2.

WILBY 84, DERBY 75
Wilby (6-5): Calvin Hicks 4 0 8, Jeremiah Tripp 8 1 23, Juan Carlos Rivera 1 0 2, Gio Cruz 4 1 11, Raekwon James 4 4 12, Jonathan Matias 7 3 18, Justin Parker 5 0 10. Totals: 33 9 84.
Derby (3-9): Shymar Robinson 9 2 21, Kilian Okech 4 0 12, Davont Addison 4 0 10, Taeshaun Sanchez 6 3 18, Ken Little III 3 2 8, Rayon Barnes 0 2 2, Henry Smith 0 0 0, Trayvon Pharr 2 0 4. Totals: 28 9 75.
Wilby 18 20 23 23—84
Derby 19 14 19 23—75
3-pointers: W—Tripp 6, Cruz 2, Matias 1; D—Robinson 1, Okech 4, Addison 2, Sanchez 3.

NORTHWESTERN 45, LITCHFIELD 35
Northwestern (6-7): Levi Delaney 1 3 6, Jake Brodnitzki 2 3 7, Clay Maloney 1 0 3, Cam Mulligan 0 2 2, Colin Wilson 2 0 5, Curtis Blische 2 0 4, Trent Valliere 1 0 2, Brandon North 3 2 9, Joe Ogonoski 3 1 7, Lavoie 0 0 0. Totals: 15 11 45.
Litchfield (3-8): Ajani Campbell 0 0 0, Jason Thompson 3 0 7, Matt Rousseau 0 0 0, Daniel Dieck 1 5 8, Harrison Barnes 0 0, Zajans Crapo 2 3 7, Evan Fischthal 5 3 13. Totals: 11 11 35.
Northwestern 10 13 10 12—45
Litchfield 4 7 9 15—35
3-pointers: N—Delaney 1, Malone 1, Wilson 1, North 1; L—Thompson 1, Dieck 1.

TERRYVILLE 77, HOUSATONIC 39
Housatonic (1-10): Ivan Pascasio 2 1 5, Russ Sears 1 0 3, Austin Bayer 1 0 3, Briceson Barry 6 2 17, Liam Murphy 0 0 0, Derrick Webb 5 0 11. Totals: 15 3 39.
Terryville (7-3): Dominick Dao 2 0 6, Albert Molina 5 0 12, Zack Rinkavage 4 1 10, Dylan Matulis 7 1 16, Devonne Dao 3 0 7, Devin Dao 0 2 2, Sean O’Donnell 6 2 14, Jake Rinkavage 1 2 4, Jacob Toth 3 0 6. Totals: 31 8 77.
Housatonic 8 9 11 11—39
Terryville 19 16 30 12—77
3-pointers: H —Barry 3, Sears 1, Bayer 1, Webb 1; T —Dom Dao 2, Molina 2, Rinkavage 1, Matulis 1, Devonne Dao 1.

THOMASTON 76, GILBERT 72
Gilbert (4-6): Anthony Carfiro 2 0 6, Kyle Valickis 2 0 4, Carlos Sarmiento 6 0 13, Hunter Smith 15 2 36, Dylan Crowley 2 2 6, David Lukoski 1 0 3, Sean Plourde 2 0 4. Totals: 30 4 72.
Thomaston (5-7): Keegan Daigle 7 4 18, Ryan Bethin 2 0 5, Brendan Fainer 5 3 13, Ty Harkness 4 0 9, Isaiah Johnson 1 3 5, Chad Suckley 8 9 26, Ian Bethin 0 0 0, Nate Scarola 0 0 0. Totals: 27 19 76.
3-pointers: G—Carfiro 2, Sarmiento 1, Smith 4; Lukowski 1; T—Harkness 1, R. Bethin 1, Suckley 1.

WAMOGO 53, NONNEWAUG 40
Nonnewaug (7-5): Brendan Burke 0 0 0, Jackson Baker 1 2 4, Ryan Tomkalski 2 0 6, Ben Conti 1 0 2, Tyler Lindberg 3 2 8, Jon Khazzaka 1 0 2, Aiden Colby 1 0 2, Ethan Ciesielski 3 2 8, Anthony Bambino 4 0 8. Totals: 16 6 40.
Wamogo (9-3): Logan Marti 0 0 0, Charlie Coffey 5 1 11, Matt Mazzarelli 2 3 8, Cole Higgins 4 0 10, Jeff Mosiman 0 0 0, Ben Roy 1 2 5, Ethan Collins 5 2 13, Eric Odenwaelder 2 2 6. Totals: 19 10 53.
Nonnewaug 14 6 9 11—40
Wamogo 12 12 12 17—53
3-pointers: N—Tomkalski 2; W—Higgins 2, Mazzarelli 1, Roy 1, Collins 1.

PLATT TECH 54, WOLCOTT TECH 21
Platt Tech (6-5): Isaac DeGuaca 2 5 10, Kemain Murphy 9 0 22, Josue Aponte 2 0 4, Akili Clarke 0 0 0, Nylon Wilson 5 3 13, Brian Ficaro 0 0 0, Treshawn Alexander 0 0 0, Azak Thompson 0 0 0, Jordan Fortunato 0 0 0, Carlson Mateo 0 0 0, Gavil Powell 0 0 0, Jo Quinones 2 1 5, Don Alicea 0 0 0. Totals: 20 9 54.
Wolcott Tech (2-9): Jordan Schaer 0 0 0, Anthony Petersen 3 2 9, Luis Sanchez 1 0 2, Thaddeus Kimberley 1 0 3, Mike Cappetto 1 0 2, David Sidoti 1 0 2, Blake Sanford 1 1 3, Sebastian Acre 0 0 0. Totals: 8 3 21.
Platt Tech 15 12 17 10—54
Wolcott Tech 4 6 9 2—21
3-pointers: PT—DeGuaca 1, Murphy 4. WT—Peterson 1, Kimberly 1.

SHEPAUG 58, ABBOTT TECH 36
Abbott Tech (6-5): Damar Whitaker 4 1 10, Nolan Lopez 0 1 1, Tony Aversano 0 0 0, Carlos Madera 2 0 4, Anthony Frasier 2 0 4, Blake Taylor 6 1 17, Isaac Ottega 0 0 0. Totals: 14 3 36.
Shepaug (8-3): Jayden Cornwall 7 2 19, Cole Donaghey 2 0 4, Owen Hibbard 5 0 13, Michael Perachi 7 1 16, Cole Davenport 1 0 2, Luke Schneider 0 0 0, Logan Pacific 2 0 4, Noah Levine 0 0 0.
Totals: 24 3 58.
3-pointers: AT— Whitaker 1, Taylor 4. S—Hibbard 3, Cornwall 3, Perachi 1.

POMPERAUG 72, BUNNELL 60
Bunnell (4-8): Kapita Kalemba 0 0 0, Tyler Staggs-Burgess 4 0 8, Jaden McDowell 4 1 9, Derrik Gyimah 4 0 9, Ceezar Samson 0 0 0, Kevin Lanham 7 3 19, Nick Rodrigues 0 0 0, Henry Dorvil 0 0 0, Tiyorne Coleman 5 4 15. Totals: 24 8 60.
Pomperaug (7-5): Dean Koulouris 0 0 0, Adam Opalka 4 5 13, Cam Collette 1 0 2, Andrew Doan 5 1 11, Dion Zhuta 12 8 34, Noah Fradkin 2 1 5, Spencer Dragone 3 1 7. Totals: 27 16 72.
Bunnell 9 12 21 18—60
Pomperaug 19 16 21 16—72
3-pointers: B—Lanham 2, Gyimah 1, Coleman 1. P—Zhuta 2.

KAYNOR TECH 73, WILCOX TECH 60
Kaynor Tech (6-5): Scott Dalesio 5 0 11, Fernando Cerda 11 0 27, Richard Erem 4 1 9, Eddie Cabrera 0 0 0, Nathaniel Gairing 0 0 0, Jared Gomez 2 4 8, Masai Johnson 4 3 11, Jaden Jones 0 0 0, Mike Morales 3 1 7, Jaylon Cooper 0 0 0. Totals: 29 9 73.
Wilcox Tech: Nate DeMaio 3 1 8, Isaiah Thomas 6 0 12, Carlos Cintron 3 0 6, Isaiah Felix 5 2 13, Joe Skerra 4 1 11, Todrique Jones 3 2 8, James Thurston 1 0 2, Totals: 25 6 60.
Kaynor Tech 14 27 10 22—73
Wilcox Tech 11 14 18 17—60
3-pointers: KT—Cerda 5, Dalesio 1. WT—Skerra 2, DeMaio 1, Felix 1.

SEYMOUR 84, WATERTOWN 55
Watertown (2-12): Marissa Forino 5 12 22, Lilliana Spagnoletti 1 0 2, Alana Johnson 7 0 14, Paige Daigneault 3 2 10, Mary Massaro 0 1 1, Cayla D’Elia 2 0 4, Ashley D’Elia 1 0 2, Alex Welcome 0 0 0. Totals: 19 15 55.
Seymour (11-3): Kolby Sirowich 5 5 15, Jacey Cosciello 1 1 3, Alyssa Johnson 0 1 1, Bella Andrade 0 0 0, Kiley Regan 1 0 2, Jackie Okula 1 0 2, Morgan Teodosio 4 1 9, Lauren Golebieski 0 0 0, Arlinda Peraj 11 2 25, Kiley Drezek 11 2 27. Totals: 34 12 84.
Watertown 12 18 12 13—55
Seymour 15 23 29 17—84
3-pointers: W—Daigneault 2. S—Peraj 1, Drezek 3.

WOLCOTT 47, KENNEDY 24
Wolcott (5-9): Emiah Soto 6 1 16, Emma Dadonna 0 0 0, Mayci Abou-Arrage 4 1 9, Alison LeClerc 4 2 14, Adriana Ferrucci 0 0 0, Sarah Lagasse 0 0 0, Amanda Sullivan 1 1 4, Julie Sullivan 0 2 2, Leah Goldberg 0 0 0, Gianna Gervaise 0 0 0, Mimi Reilly 0 0 0. Totals: 15 7 47.
Kennedy (4-9): Vivian Bunker 2 1 5, Javilet Soto 1 0 2, Amaryllis Rivera 1 2 4, Angela Smith 0 0 0, Nicole Wilmot 1 1 3, Victoria Soto 0 0 0, Me’Ryah Caraballo 5 0 10, Angelica Pena 0 0 0, Hayley Graham 0 0 0. Totals: 10 4 24.
3-pointers: W—LeClerc 4, Soto 3, A. Sullivan 1.

ST. PAUL 58, OXFORD 40
Oxford (5-9): Mikayla Walton 9 3 24, Maddie Sastram 0 0 0, Jess Kondic 1 0 3, Emma Lobraico 0 0 0, Paige Davis 5 3 13, Olivia Garcia 0 0 0, Alexis Sanders 0 0 0. Totals: 15 6 40.
St. Paul (13-2): Kailyn Bielecki 0 0 0, Olivia Heslin 3 2 8, Sophia Gerst 0 1 1, Janessa Gonzalez 12 1 26, Lillian Sirois 0 0 0, Sam Naples 0 0 0, Zoey Rubins 1 0 2, Olivia Stump 0 0 0, Alexis Tierpack 1 0 2, Jade Udoh 8 3 19. Totals: 25 7 58.
Oxford 9 7 11 13—40
St. Paul 12 14 10 22—58
3-pointers: O—Walton 3, Kondic 1. SP—Gonzalez 1.

DERBY 50, WILBY 18
Derby (5-8): Madison Koval 6 3 15, Kiara Swilling 5 0 12, Lucy Lane 3 1 9, Izzy Chevarella 1 0 2, Emily Borowski 2 0 4, Kelseana McBroom 2 2 6, Casey Cook 1 0 2, Morgan Garofalo 0 0 0, Genna Chevarella 0 0 0. Totals: 20 6 50.
Wilby (0-14): Jynia Gibbs 1 1 3, Zaela Flores 0 0 0, Lianna Burgos 2 0 4, Sarai Hernandez 0 0 0, Mariah Barreto 0 0 0, Angelina Patterson 0 0 0, Mariana Rivera 0 0 0, Melanie Gomez 0 0 0, Amarae Mattei 0 0 0, Tayler Saunders 4 0 8, Aleysha Rivera 0 0 0, Shakira Negron 0 0 0. Totals: 7 1 18.
Derby 18 12 13 7—50
Wilby 4 5 5 4 —18
3-pointers: D— Swilling 2, Lane 2. W—Gomez 1.

WOODLAND 50, SACRED HEART 40
Sacred Heart (10-3): Aamya Rivera 7 3 18, Brooke Ferrare 1 0 2, Mikayla Mobley 3 1 7, Shera Tripp 2 2 6, Ally Daniels 2 0 5, Emily Ronalter 1 0 2. Totals: 16 6 40.
Woodland (11-3): Gabby Mastropietro 2 1 7, Kylie Bulinski 1 0 2, Andra Bojka 8 1 19, Ava DeLucia 2 2 4, Riley Kane 3 2 8, Jillian Barbarito 4 0 10. Totals: 20 6 50.
Sacred Heart 7 11 8 14—40
Woodland 13 2 17 18—50
3-pointers: SH—Daniels 1, Rivera 1. W—Mastropietro 2, Bojka 2.

ANSONIA 54, CROSBY 48
Ansonia (9-5) : Natasha Rivera 6 4 16, Jojo Sanchez 4 2 12, Jayda Sanchez 2 0 4, Lilly Romanowski 1 2 4, Hailey Bellido 1 0 2, Krystalee Fernandez 5 3 16. Totals: 19 11 54.
Crosby (3-11): Tiahna Pulliam 6 5 21, Destiny Parris 4 0 8, Aniyyah Watson 2 0 4, Brianna Jackson 3 0 8, Glorines Rivera 1 0 2, Takaia Lewis 1 1 3, Iyanna Figueroa 1 1 3. Totals: 18 6 48.
Ansonia 11 13 14 16—54
Crosby 10 13 10 15—48
3-pointers: A—Jojo Sanchez 2, Fernadez 3. C—Pulliam 4, Jackson 2.

HOUSATONIC 60, TERRYVILLE 29
Terryville (2-11): Taylor Barnett 1 0 2, Ally Drake 2 0 4, Amy Roqi 8 0 19, Alice Benson 0 0 0, Zoe Zappone 1 1 3, Mya Moore 0 0 0, Kassie McCarthy 0 0 0, Tiffany Pires 0 1 1, Mackenzie Garceau 0 0 0. Totals: 12 2 29.
Housatonic (7-5): Sydney Segalla 7 1 15, Tori Dodge 6 0 17, Emma Walsh 4 1 10, Emma Crane 2 2 6, Josie Marks 1 0 2, Mackenzie Ongley 4 0 8, Maggie Bickford 0 0 0, Hayley Swaller 1 0 2. Totals: 25 4 60.
Terryville 10 6 7 6—29
Housatonic 16 16 16 12—60
3-pointers: T—Roqi 3. H—Walsh 1, Dodge 5.

NONNEWAUG 55, WAMOGO 25
Wamogo (2-11): Sam Sylvester 4 5 15, Paige Mitchell 0 0 0, Jona Mucka 0 0 0, Juli Weik 1 2 4, Justine Lago 0 5 5, Rita Dziedzic 0 0 0, Sammy Brady 0 1 1, Jaylee Zeigler 0 0 0, Isabella DiNicola 0 0 0, Emily Jury 0 0 0. Totals: 5 13 25.
Nonnewaug (11-1): Ashley Hennessey 4 0 10, Samantha Conti 1 1 3, Mallory Tomkalski 6 0 16, Monica Untiet 0 0 0, Abigail Scheurich 3 0 6, Maddie Woodward 2 0 4, Madeline Roden 0 0 0, Emily Wisniewski 0 0 0, Anna Culkin 0 0 0, Fiona Gengenbach 6 1 15, Erin Classey 0 0 0, Charlotte D’Alexander 0 0 0, Madison Dannenhoffer 0 0 0. Totals: 22 2 55.
Wamogo 7 7 4 7—25
Nonnewaug 7 19 17 12—55
3-pointers: W—Sylvester 2; N—Tomkalski 4, Hennessey 2, Gengenbach 2.

SHEPAUG 40, TORRINGTON 37
Shepaug (10-3): Marissa Perachi 1 0 2, Eilish Crossley1 0 2 , Rachel Andrews 1 1 3, Brooke Donaghey 4 3 12, Lucy Puskas 2 0 4, Janelle Frankland 0 0 0, Haylie Lasky 2 2 6, Abbey Harty 5 0 11. Totals: 16 6 40.
Torrington (6-8): Marissa Burger 3 0 6, Suzie Navin 1 0 2, Rachel Brewer-Karimi 1 0 2, Brianna Murelli 1 0 2, Olivia Smith 0 0 0, Julianna Latina 1 0 2, Kate Mooney 6 2 15, Maddie McLaughlin 1 1 3, Leah Pergola 2 0 5, Amelia Bouli 0 0 0. Totals: 16 3 37.
Shepaug 11 8 12 9—40
Torrington 11 4 10 12—37
3-pointers: S—Donaghey 1, Harty 1. T—Mooney 1, Pergola 1.

THOMASTON 40, GILBERT 39 (OT)
Thomaston (9-4): Emma Kahn 2 2 6, Emma Sanson 2 4 8, Emily Root 2 1 6, Sydney Stevenson 1 0 2, Aurelia Barker 4 2 13, Kaya Johnson 0 0 0, Elyse Krasnowski 2 1 5, Alexis Boulanger 0 0 0, Haley Grecco 0 0 0. Totals: 13 9 40.
Gilbert (4-10): Abbey Beecher 1 1 3, Kimmy McCarthy 2 4 8, Sam Lukowski 2 2 6, Sydney Eisenlohr 0 2 2, Ajla Gutic 7 2 16, Maddie Propfe 0 0 0, Leslie DeSanti 0 0 0, Madison Fritch 2 0 4, Angela Zhovkly 0 0 0. Totals: 14 11 39.
Thomaston 11 7 7 12 3—40
Gilbert 11 12 8 6 2—39
3-pointers: T—Barker 3, Kraswowski 1, Root 1.

KAYNOR TECH 53, WILCOX TECH 18
Wilcox Tech: Jocelyn Rosado 0 3 3, Yarelis Carrero 1 0 2, Ayanne Parker 1 0 2, Maddie Sage 1 0 3, Tahara Robles 2 0 4, Na’Sya Buckes 2 0 4. Totals: 7 3 18.
Kaynor Tech (6-7): Antia Ozuna 4 3 11, Dessire Rodriquez 1 0 2, Danielle Salvati 3 3 9, Darlene Fernandez 0 0 0, Claire Feledie 2 0 4, Toyin Bilewu 7 0 14, Se’Raya Steward 3 3 9, Lillibeth Moreno 1 0 2, Kerly Borja 0 0 0, Allie Wester 0 0 0, Lilliana Moreno 0 0 0, Tasya Teasley 0 0 0, Vanessa Concepcion 1 0 2, Marlyn Brodnax 0 0 0. Totals: 22 9 53.
Wilcox Tech 5 6 7 0—18
Kaynor Tech 12 19 10 12—53
3-pointers: WT—Sage 1.

BRANFORD 54, CHESHIRE 46
Cheshire (3-10): Grace Lurz 3 2 8, Kaylee Clark 3 1 7, Ariana Perlini 1 1 3, Tess Givens 1 4 6, Emily Grayson 0 1 1, Toni Wetmore 1 0 3, Emma Watkinson 6 2 16, Rylee Post 1 0 2. Totals: 16 11 46.
Branford (3-10): Lily Moove-Markey 3 1 7, Mikayla Brown 0 1 1, Ava Stratton 2 0 5, Izzy Manne 1 0 3, Gabby Lucertin 1 4 7, Karly King 6 14 28, Allie Bietz 1 0 3. Totals: 14 20 54.
Cheshire 7 10 13 16—46
Branford 17 12 13 12—54
3-pointers: C—Wetmore 1, Watkinson 2. B—Stratton 1, Manne 1, Lucertin 1, King 2, Bietz 1.

POMPERAUG 72, BUNNELL 47
Pomperaug (8-5): Marina Lamiase 4 2 11, Cara McGettigan 2 1 5, Molly Flanagan 1 1 3, Sydney Lounsbury 1 4 6, Jada Stietzel 3 2 8, Maddie Villa 6 7 23, Jess Evans 0 0 0, Claudia Schneider 2 2 7, Maddox Legg 2 0 4, Megan Reilly 2 0 4. Totals: 23 19 72.
Bunnell (7-7): Amanda Zdru 6 3 15, Toni Greene 2 1 5, Yovanna Cruz 1 1 3, Mariana Trovarelli 3 0 6, Adriana DeBernardull 2 1 6, Kristin Zack 2 0 4, Andrea Serreti 2 1 6. Totals: 18 7 47.
Pomperaug 20 16 15 20—72
Bunnell 6 15 8 16—47
3-pointers: P—Villa 4 Lambiase 1, Schneider 1. B—DeBernardull 1, Serreti 1.

PLATT TECH 42, WOLCOTT TECH 41
Wolcott Tech (8-5): Teja Petersen 2 3 7, Abigail Williams 4 3 11, Sierra Doyle 3 0 6, Yennifer Sarmiento 1 0 2, Rachel Heaney 7 1 15, Armani Gainey 0 0 0, Gianna Spagnola 0 0 0, Emily Anderson , Juliana Minard . Totals:17 7 41.
Platt Tech: Brianna Almezy 2 0 6, Alana Caamano 0 0 0, Raven Dawkins 4 0 10, D’Avian Hudson 0 0 0, Jaelynn Mitchell 8 10 26. Totals: 14 10 42.
Wolcott Tech 14 5 12 10—41
Platt Tech 7 12 9 14—42
3-pointers: PT—Almezy 2, Dawkins 2.

By KEVIN ROBERTS

The Naugatuck High boys basketball team is 12-0 with eight games left in the regular season, and unselfishness is a huge reason why.

Holy Cross threw every bit of pressure it could at Naugatuck on Tuesday night at the Tim McDonald Gymnasium. The Greyhounds did turn the ball over 22 times in an uncharacteristic performance, but when they handled the pressure, they scored.

“They were passing the ball, doing what we expect,” Naugatuck coach Mike Wilson said. “We’re a pretty unselfish team, and it pays dividends when teams try to press us a little bit.”

Holy Cross coach Ryan Olsen certainly noticed the unselfishness that Naugatuck possesses.

“They get along so well, they share the ball so well,” Olsen said. “That’s why they’re so successful.”

Wilson paid the complement back to the Crusaders, stating that they’re as good a team as the Greyhounds are.

Naugatuck’s ability to play unselfish basketball extended to its bench on Tuesday night. Junior Jay Barth, whom Wilson considers to be his super sixth man and the best defensive player he’s had in years, had several nice assists while he was in the game. He also threw down a memorable one-handed jam following his own steal to put Naugatuck ahead, 63-50, with three minutes left in the game. Holy Cross had been down only seven points, 57-50, a minute and half before Barth’s dunk.

“It brings our energy up, and it makes us want to play more,” Greyhound sophomore Avery Hinnant said about Barth’s dunk.

Hinnant put an exclamation point on the game with his own two-handed slam in the final 30 seconds.

“We don’t give up no matter what,” Hinnant said. “We just keep pushing, we keep pushing through.”

Hinnant’s energy was evident on the backboards, where he yanked down 21 rebounds. He also blocked shots and showed off some good dribbling skills for someone who is six-foot-six. Hinnant’s ability, along with that of his teammates, shows why the Greyhounds are so hard to deal with.

“They’re very talented, but there’s a lot of talent in the league, around the state,” Olsen said. “That doesn’t always win games. But when you get talent that’ll work together and play for the coach, lots of good things are going to come out of that.”

Naugatuck led by four points, 34-30, at the half, and knew it needed a quick start to the third quarter. Sophomore Ese Onakpoma scored six of the first eight Greyhound points in the third quarter to extend the lead to 42-33 and force a Crusader timeout.

“We had to get a big stretch on them. We had to ignore the crowd,” Onakpoma said. “They were getting in our heads, but we needed to keep moving on.”

With the win, Naugatuck kept moving on in an undefeated stretch that has reached 12 games.

[This post contains video, click to play]

By STEVE BARLOW

SALISBURY – The cellphone service can be spotty, fast-food joints aren’t even a rumor and the only traffic light in town is of the blinking variety.

Yet the most northwest part of the Northwest Corner, while remote, can surprise you. For instance, it is home to two of the best prep boys basketball teams in New England: the Hotchkiss and Salisbury schools.

“I had never known about this world and then you show up and it’s like, ‘Wow,’” said Salisbury coach Kyle Dudley, who took over last season.

Founded in 1891 and 1901, respectively, and only a five-minute drive apart, Hotchkiss and Salisbury have long been educating the elite from across the nation and overseas. That geographical diversity is reflected in the hoop teams, too.

[This post contains video, click to play]

Hotchkiss’ roster includes players from England, Singapore, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Michigan, New York, Maryland and California. Salisbury’s is dotted with players from Lithuania, Cameroon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New York.

Heck, some are even from Connecticut.

“I played on the national team in Britain, but this is special,” said Vasja Pandza, a 6-foot-8 swingman for Hotchkiss, who was born in Slovenia, but moved to England while still a child.

Pandza, headed to Seattle University next year, is one of four Division I-committed players who suit up for the Bearcats, who are so loaded that one of the four, Dusan Neskovic of Bosnia, comes off the bench.

Neskovic, a 6-7 forward (although positions are essentially meaningless on this team), will play at Dartmouth next year. Both he and Pandza are at Hotchkiss for just a postgraduate year.

Pandza played at Kiski Prep in Pittsburgh last year, while Neskovic was playing in his homeland’s club system, where at 18 he was in line to sign a pro contract.

“I decided I wanted to come to the United States, so that I could play basketball and study at the same time,” he said. “It’s hard to do that in Europe.”

Balkan Prospects, a scouting service, lined up Neskovic with Hotchkiss coach Yassine Talhaoui, a native of Germany who played and coached in Europe before coming to America for grad school.

The other Bearcats headed to Division I are Miles Brewster, a 6-4 senior from Brooklyn going to Boston University, and Kyle Jenkins, a 6-7 senior from Higganum going to Lafayette.

Three years ago, Brewster’s father sent a highlights video of his son to around 20 schools. Only two responded; Talhaoui, newly named head coach at Hotchkiss, was one of them.

“This has allowed me not just to get better as a basketball player and be challenged academically,” said Brewster, “but it also allowed me to be exposed to more colleges.”

Jenkins, who played two seasons at Xavier High in Middletown, was similarly motivated. Prodded by an AAU coach toward Hotchkiss, Jenkins decided the remote location was actually a plus.

“It’s quiet. It’s easy to stay focused,” he said. “You can get your basketball right, get your grades right and get ready for the next level.”

That was Talhaoui’s intent when he arrived on campus from Hartford’s Watkinson School, where as girls coach he won two New England championships in eight seasons.

Unlike CIAC schools, prep schools can recruit. Coaches fill their rosters by frequenting middle school tournaments and AAU showcases as well as through coaching contacts.

Talhaoui, who’s also the school’s director of multicultural recruitment, compensates for his school’s remoteness by stressing to recruits how it will prepare them for the future.

“We want to minimize the culture shock they’ll experience in college,” he said.

To that end, Talhaoui has twice taken his teams on summer tours of Europe. (Last year, the team danced underneath the Eiffel Tower.) In the fall, the school holds “open gyms,” which attract dozens of college coaches.

During the season, the Bearcats’ staff keeps track of everything from points to rebounds to charges taken to “kill counts,” which are three defensive stops in a row.

“I tell my players to take advantage of a crazy coach who’s a basketball junkie,” Talhaoui said with a grin.

The Bearcats, 14-2 and ranked second in Class A in New England, play in Fowle Gymnasium, which is connected to the gleaming, multimillion-dollar Mars Athletic Center, but a world apart with its vaulted ceiling and only four rows of bleachers total.

When Talhaoui arrived, you could count the number of fans at a game on one hand. Now, the student section (aka the Fowle Frenzies) spill onto the floor, and two students at courtside pretend to be ESPN broadcasters.

“I have never played in an atmosphere like this,” said Pandza. “It gets very loud.”

Salisbury’s Dudley agrees.

“It was the loudest gym we’ve played in,” he said, recalling the 79-64 loss in December at Hotchkiss in which the Crimson Knights led their archrival in the second half.

Dudley, a native of Scarsdale, N.Y., came here last year from Middlebury College, where he had been an assistant. Salisbury went 11-10 in his first season, but is 12-3 and ranked ninth in Class A this winter. (It was as high as fourth before two recent losses.)

Dudley’s squad shares the Flood Athletic Center, another facility that is the envy of many colleges, with the school’s top-ranked boys ice hockey team.

While there are no Division I players among the Crimson Knights, 6-8 senior forward Brandon Roughley is headed to Williams, a D-3 power, and 6-4 senior Justin Oliveros is also being wooed by D-3 schools.

Two others, 6-2 junior Ford Cousin from Boulder, Colo., and 6-6 sophomore Jean-Marc Togodgve from Cameroon, are potential college players, too.

“I felt to really develop, I needed to play against college-level players every single day,” said Roughley, who’s from Dalton, Mass., in neighboring Berkshire County.

Togodgve was going to play in Italy, but older brother Samuel, a Salisbury grad, steered him to Connecticut.

“Education is not the same in my country and sports is not the same,” said Togodgve. “People care more here.”

In recruiting athletes, Salisbury must overcome the hurdle of not being coed. Or is it a hurdle?

“Not having girls can be difficult,” Roughley acknowledged, “but we’re all here for the same reason: to become better men and make the transition to college.”

O’BRIEN TECH 55, WRIGHT TECH 31
O’Brien Tech (7-6): Miranda McGuire 9 6 29, Amaya Hernandez 2 0 4, Contessa Davis 5 3 13, Angie Smith 0 0 0, Gianni Gomez 1 2 4, Kaniya Dangerfield 1 3 5. Totals: 18 14 55.
Wright Tech: Nohelia Mazariegos 1 0 2, Jessie Quezada 4 3 11, Kadasha Lomax 3 1 7, Helen Diaz 0 1 1, Neshe Bryant 3 0 7, Shania Lunce 1 0 3. Totals: 12 5 31.
O’Brien Tech 14 18 10 13—55
Wright Tech 5 5 12 9—31
3-pointers: OT—McGuire 5. WT—Bryant 1, Lunce 1.

CHASE 56, MARVELWOOD 7
Marvelwood (2-5): Jade Kennedy 1 1 3, Anna Brown 0 0 0, Isabella Houck 0 0 0, Maddie Malinowski 2 0 4, Lilly Karcheski 0 0 0. Totals: 3 1 7.
Chase (6-4): Eliza Slewinsky 3 0 6, Lariya Hicks 7 0 14, Maya Tucker 2 0 4, Mina Zeng 1 0 2, Sherly Xiao 0 0 0, Maddie Patrick 12 2 26, Alexandia Richard 0 0 0, Ali Dassatti 2 0 4. Totals: 27 2 56.
Halftime: Chase, 34-7.

KENT 45, WESTOVER 38
Westover: Ellie Dunn 3 2 7, Kayla Surajnoth 0 0 0, Mia Izzi 6 2 16, Katie Protzmann 2 0 4, Julianna Hodak 3 1 7,Piper Skilton 0 0 0, Charlotte Brown 2 0 4,Katie Hunter 0 0 0. Totals: 16 4 38.
Kent: Sascha Botero 3 4 11, Cece McAndrews 2 1 5, Anna Lin 2 0 4, Sammy Thompson 1 0 2, Molly Garrahy 1 0 2, Hannah Cocherer 1 0 2, Lee M. 8 3 19.Totals: 18 8 45.
3-pointers: W—Izzi 2, K—Botero 1.