Girls’ Basketball

The East Haven girls’ basketball team won all three of its games last week to improve to 7-2 overall with a record of 2-0 in the Southern Connecticut Conference Oronoque Division. The Yellowjackets need just one more win to solidify their place in the SCC and Class L State tournaments this year.

On Jan. 7, East Haven hosted West Haven and crushed the Blue Devils by the lopsided margin of 75-27 in an Oronoque matchup. The Yellowjackets’ defense limited West Haven to just six points in each of the first three quarters, while their offense ran up and down the floor to build a 66-18 advantage entering the fourth. Sophomore Taylor Salato scored 16 points, while junior Alexis Pendziwater netted 14 points for East Haven. Junior Bella Ragaini scored 13, senior Makenzie Helms and senior Alannah Doheny had nine points apiece, while sophomore Angelina Munoz finished with eight points and 10 rebounds.

On Jan. 9, the Yellowjackets posted a 59-53 road victory against Hand to complete a season sweep of the Tigers. Helms scored a game-high 31 points to lead East Haven to the victory.

Two days later, East Haven was back on the road to face divisional opponent Lauralton Hall and defeated the Crusaders 77-56. The Easties built a 43-27 lead through the first half and put the game away by outscoring Lauralton 23-13 during the third quarter. Helms scored 32 points in the win. Munoz and Pendziwater both had 13 points, plus Ragaini added eight points for the Yellowjackets.

Boys’ Basketball

East Haven took three defeats last week and is now 3-5 on the year.

On Jan. 7, East Haven dropped a 70-52 decision at Law. Senior Nate Furino finished the night with 13 points, and sophomore Alias Ford had 10 points for the Yellowjackets. Senior Hunter Santana and sophomore Nick Furino scored nine points apiece.

East Haven returned home and took a 58-43 loss to Lyman Hall on Jan. 9. The Yellowjackets held a three-point edge at the break, but were outscored 33-15 during the second half. Ford finished the game with 17 points.

Then on Jan. 11. East Haven lost to Notre Dame-West Haven by a 72-32 final in an SCC Oronoque Division game.

Boys’ Ice Hockey

The East Haven-Old Lyme-Old Saybrook-East Hampton-Morgan-Valley Regional (EH-OL-OS-EH-M-VR) co-op ice hockey squad earned a tie and took a loss in last week’s action. The team has a record of 5-4-1 this season.

On Jan. 9, the Yellowjackets hosted North Haven and played the Indians to a 2-2 tie at DiLungo Rink. EH-OL-OS-EH-M-VR scored the first two goals of the game in the second period. Old Saybrook sophomore Cory Benni scored the first goal, after which East Haven sophomore Dave Amatruda netted the second goal. Valley Regional senior Ricky Persico had an assist on both of the goals. North Haven tied the game by scoring twice in the final period. East Haven junior Logan Hamilton made 17 saves in net.

Three days later, the Yellowjackets took a 7-3 home loss against West Haven. EH-OL-OS-EH-M-VR outshot the Division I Blue Devils 41-34 in the loss. East Haven senior Chris Giglietti, Old Lyme junior Alec Speirs, and Morgan sophomore Ryan Egan all scored a goal in the game, while Amatruda had an assist. Hamilton made 27 saves between the pipes.

Girls’ Indoor Track

Sophomore Kisha Francois earned a victory in the long jump at SCC Developmental Meet No. 2 that took place at Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven on Jan. 8. Francois won the long jump with a leap of 16 feet-5.5 inches to go with a second-place finish in the 55-meter dash behind a time of 7.51 seconds.

Other Yellowjackets who competed at the meet included sophomore Samantha Franceschi in the 55 (26th, 8.07) and 300 (38th, 49.08), freshman Emily Mazzucco in the 55 (53rd, 8.29) and high jump (12th, 4-6), freshman Morgan D’Auria in the 55 (109th, 8.77) and high jump (36th, 4-0), and freshman Princess Aggrey in the long jump (56th, 19-2.75).

Boys’ Indoor Track

East Haven was represented by several athletes at the second SCC Developmental Meet of the season at Floyd Little Athletic Center on Jan. 7.

The Yellowjackets turned in some solid showings in the 55-meter hurdles at the meet. Senior Evan Damian placed fifth with a time of 8.51 seconds, junior Ian Loehmann finished eighth (8.76), and sophomore Radames Figeuroa came in 11th place (8.93) in the event

East Haven’s other competitors at the meet included Loehmann in the high jump (16th, 5-2) and long jump (19th, 17-7.5), senior Steve Johnson in the 300 (22nd, 39.30) and long jump (13th, 18-4), junior Nathan Santos in the pole vault (14th, 8-6), long jump (27th, 16-8.5), and 300 (43rd, 41.55); Figeuroa in the 300 (71st, 43.68), sophomore Dhruv Patel in the 55 hurdles (35th, 10.46) and 300 (161st, 49.18), senior Zach Valles in the 1,600 (106th, 5:43.83), senior Bryce Donovan in the 1,600 (133rd, 6:11.47), and freshman Erick Caguana in the 1,600 (143rd, 6:38.71). The Easties’ 1,600 sprint medley relay team of junior Mike Castellano, Damian, Johnson, and Valles placed 25th with a time of 4:14.43.