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01/13/2017 11:00 PMAfter losing a heartbreaking game to Morgan last week, the Valley Regional boys’ basketball team bounced back by notching a lopsided victory that featured a historic performance from a member of the Warriors.
On Jan. 10, Valley dropped a 59-57 home contest to Morgan that was won when the Huskies hit a shot at the buzzer. Then on Jan. 13, the Warriors hosted fellow Shoreline Conference opponent Haddam-Killingworth and prevailed 86-65. In the victory, junior captain Colin Sparaco etched his name in the history books by draining nine three-pointers on his way to a 31-point performance. Senior Jordan Moran added 22 points with 10 assists for the Warriors, who broke open a close game by outscoring H-K 42-27 in the second half.
Three days earlier, Valley Regional faced Morgan for the first time this season inside a crowded gym in Deep River on Jan. 10. Both teams came into the game with the urgency to secure a victory, but in the end, Morgan defeated the Warriors 59-57 when senior captain Jake Anselmo hit a tie-breaking buzzer-beater to give the Huskies their first win of the year.
The game was tied 42-42 entering the fourth quarter and, following an intense period that saw the squads trade baskets, it was deadlocked at 57-all with 58 seconds to play. The Huskies inbounded the ball from half court and swung it around the arc. Morgan’s plan was to remain patient and take the last shot. With 10 seconds left and the ball in Anselmo’s hands, junior Tyler Newfield set a high screen, Anselmo came right off it, and sank a shot from just inside the three-point line as time expired to stun the Warriors. Coincidentally, Anselmo had previously hit a shot at the buzzer right before halftime.
The loss marked Valley Regional’s fifth of the season. However, the Warriors got back on track by beating H-K later in the week to stand at 4-5 this year.
“We had a good game-plan coming into tonight’s game. We have the ability to get stops and create turnovers. We just didn’t capitalize on all of them,” Head Coach Kevin Woods said of the Morgan game. “Additionally, Jake Anselmo played well. He might have had his best game yet.”
The entire game was a back-and-forth battle. Morgan struggled to find its offensive rhythm at the start of the game. Valley senior Ryan Kelly scored the night’s first points with a three at the top of the key, followed by a field goal from Sparaco. Nonetheless, Morgan’s momentum was spurred by a remarkable performance from Anselmo as he ended the first quarter with an “and-1” play and then dished an assist to fellow senior John Urban, who knocked down a three-pointer to tie the score at 13 at the end of one. Anselmo finished with a game-high 25 points.
Valley grabbed hold of the lead in the second quarter. Moran, who scored 16 points, was a threat from the outside as he knocked down consecutive threes to put the Warriors up 26-19. However, with just two just two minutes left in the first half, Morgan rallied with an 8-2 run. From just outside the arc, Urban threw a lob pass to junior Patrick Markovics (8 points) for a lay-up. After that, with Valley having exceeded the limit for fouls, Morgan took two trips to the free throw line and went 3-for-4 with Anselmo hitting two of them. Anselmo’s explosive penetration to the hoop, coupled with his ability to stop on a dime to release a smooth shot, made things difficult for the Warriors’ defense. With the clock dwindling down in the opening half, Anselmo buried a three at the buzzer to cut the lead to 28-27 at the break.
Valley’s pressure defense disturbed the Huskies throughout the game, forcing Morgan into double-digit turnovers. However, Coach Beeman’s club was poised entering the second half and continued to claw its way through each possession. With 2:59 left in the third quarter, Morgan took its first lead of the night after Anselmo drained two more foul shots for a 35-34 Huskies’ advantage. Both teams continued going toe to toe and exchanging buckets, resulting in a 42-42 stalemate at the end of the third quarter.
There was plenty of anxiety in the stands throughout a fourth quarter that featured five lead changes. Sophomore guard AJ Fritz hit a three early in the frame to give the lead back to Morgan, but the Warriors struck back on a mid-range shot from junior Brian Tonks, plus another three by Moran. The Huskies responded with back-to-back lay-ups to go up 52-49, yet sure enough, Valley answered again, this time on a three by Kelly (14 points) to tie the game at 52-52. The contest remained knotted until the very end, when Anselmo beat the buzzer to put Morgan on the board with its initial victory of the campaign.
Sports Editor Chris Piccirillo contributed to this story.
From the Sidelines
Additionally from the Morgan game, Ben Weinstein had eight rebounds, Ernest Jean-Pierre grabbed six rebounds with three steals, Jordan Moran had three steals, and Cory Craco added a pair of blocks for Valley.
Along with setting a school record with nine three-pointers, Colin Sparaco also had four rebounds and two steals in Valley’s 86-65 win against Haddam-Killingworth. Also in that game, Brian Tonks scored 12 points and had five assists, while Ben Weinstein added nine points for Valley.
Valley will face Morgan again, this time on the road, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10.