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02/28/2020 11:00 PMAfter winning its first three games in the SCC Tournament, the East Haven girls’ basketball team squared off against Hamden with the conference title on the line in a rematch of last year’s final. Unfortunately for the Yellowjackets, this year’s game ended with the same result as 7th-seeded Hamden defended its crown by earning a 40-36 victory over No. 4 seed East Haven at Branford High School on Feb. 26. East Haven, which lost in the SCC final for the third-straight season, has an overall record of 16-8 as the team enters play in the Class MM State Tournament this week.
With the game tied 9-9 after the first quarter, Hamden outscored East Haven 10-2 in the second quarter for a 19-11 halftime advantage in the SCC championship game. The Yellowjackets won the third quarter 9-6 and then trimmed the Green Dragons’ lead to three points in fourth, but were unable to complete the comeback. Junior Taylor Salato scored 16 points, while fellow junior Erin Curran had 14 points for East Haven.
“We had three starters in foul trouble. We had some kids who played sparingly play a multitude of minutes,” said Head Coach Anthony Russell, whose team had defeated Hamden twice during the regular season. “We couldn’t generate anything offensively. I think Hamden was aggressive and physical. We couldn’t get to the basket.”
As tip-off approached, fans from both schools filled the gym and began to get louder and louder. When the ball went in the air, the crowd erupted as they started watching a rematch that was a year in the making.
The first quarter saw East Haven and Hamden engage in a physical battle as both clubs forced multiple jump-balls. Salato scored the first four points of the contest, but the Green Dragons responded with a 7-0 run that was spearheaded by junior Diamond White. Salato would go on to score seven points in the opening period as the two sides went to the second in a 9-9 tie.
Hamden started to take control of the game during the second quarter, using an 8-0 run to win the frame by a 10-2 margin and take a 19-11 lead into the halftime break. With a few starters in foul trouble, Coach Russell turned to younger players like sophomores Tanner Punzo, Kate Pycela, and Teresa Vitello, along with freshman Arielle Dupree. While Russell was quick to commend these athletes for their effort in such a tough atmosphere, he knew that the Yellowjackets needed to make some adjustments at halftime.
“I told them as much as we have been in foul trouble and as bad as we played from an execution standpoint, we were still right there,” Russell said. “We have come back this year when we have been down double digits.”
East Haven kept fighting and was able to close the deficit in the third quarter. Led by four points by Salato, the Yellowjackets outscored Hamden 9-6 in the third and were only down 25-20 heading into the fourth.
As the Easties tried to rally, Hamden’s Rebecca Oberman-Levine came up with a big block that resulted in a basket to increase the Green Dragons’ lead to five with three minutes left in the game. Oberman-Levine finished the night with 11 blocks and 18 rebounds for Hamden, which solidified the victory by hitting several free throws down the stretch.
“I don’t think we came out with the same type of aggressiveness that we did in the semifinal game against Hand,” said Coach Russell, whose team had defeated Hand in the SCC semis two days earlier. “We kind of dictated tempo in that game. I felt like in that game, [Hand was] on their heels and, in this game, we were on our heels. We weren’t going to the basket hard, we weren’t being physical. It’s a testament to [Hamden]. We beat them twice in the regular season, and they came out and played hard. They were the aggressor.”
Only four players scored for East Haven against Hamden. Along with Salato’s 16 points and Curran’s 14, the Yellowjackets received four points from senior Alexis Pendizwater and two points by fellow senior Bella Ragaini.
“You’re not going to win if two of your players are combining for 85, 90 percent of your points. We have to get contributions from everybody,” Russell said. “I don’t think we ran our offense with the same kind of assertiveness that we did in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. I think that was the difference. “
Despite the loss, Russell thinks that East Haven’s journey through the SCC Tournament taught his team a lot going into the Class MM State Tournament. By beating top-seeded Hand in the semifinal round, the Yellowjackets proved that can defy the odds and defeat the top squads in the state.
“I don’t think anyone expected us to be here,” Russell said. “I think we’re a solid team. I’m so proud of these kids for carving out their own identity. We may not have all the big names we had in the past two or three years, but these kids are forcing their way, and they’re doing a wonderful job.”
East Haven jumped out to a 17-6 lead after the first quarter when it faced Hand in the SCC semifinals at Jonathan Law High School on Feb. 24. The Tigers won both the second (11-9) and third (9-3) quarters to make it 29-26 through three, but the Yellowjackets outscored Hand 20-9 in the fourth to walk off the floor with the win and advance to the final.
East Haven is the No. 10 seed in the Class MM State Tournament and will start the draw by hosting No. 23 Capital Prep for a first-round game at on Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m. With a victory, the Easties would play the winner of No. 6 East Catholic and No. 27 Avon in the second round at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6. The quarterfinals are on Thursday, March 12; the semis take place on Monday, March 16; and the Class MM championship game will be held at Mohegan Sun Arena on either Saturday, March 21 or Sunday, March 22.
After losing in the SCC final, Coach Russell said the Yellowjackets are preparing for states with an understanding that every game is a must-win from this point on.
“A loss like this hurts. You don’t want to feel it again because, if you do, you know the season is over,” said Russell. “We have to focus on Capital Prep. We need to get that physicality back, because they’re going to be a physical and athletic team. We need to excel physically when we play them or anyone else.”