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01/21/2017 11:00 PMThe Branford boys’ basketball team entered this season with an inexperienced squad as senior captain Jake Sullivan was the only returning starter on the roster. After winning three of their first four games, the Hornets lost their next four, and so they were in desperate need of a victory entering their matchup at Foran on Jan. 17. Branford got back on the winning track by posting a 57-54 overtime victory versus Foran, after which Head Coach Jake Palluzzi’s squad prevailed at Law, 84-57, to even its record at 5-5.
“It was a real big win for us,” said Palluzzi of the Foran victory. “A really good, gutty win for us against a good team, especially being on the road and down numbers. And that’s something that could hopefully springboard us.”
The Hornets struggled early against Foran and trailed 14-9 after the first quarter. Branford then won the second quarter 17-12 and the game went to halftime tied at 26. Branford grabbed a three-point lead in the third quarter, but the game’s biggest excitement came in the final period.
Down by six in the middle of the fourth, Branford stormed back behind a three-point play from Sullivan, along with three-pointers by fellow senior captain Ryan Sember and junior Damien Maniscalco. Sullivan later converted another three-point play that tied the game, after which senior Trevor Brown denied Foran a chance to win it by making a great block as the game went to overtime.
In OT, Sember nailed a clutch three and junior center Samuel Roach hit a crucial layup that helped the Hornets take the lead. When Foran missed a three-pointer at the buzzer, Branford had sealed a 57-54 victory against its Quinnipiac Division foe.
Sullivan led Branford on the score sheet with 17 points, but he wasn’t alone. Sember finished with 14 points for the Hornets, while Maniscalco scored 13, and sophomore Jordan Donnelly added seven. Despite battling an injury, Brown had 11 rebounds, a couple of steals, and a big block as he gutted it out down the stretch.
“We had contributions from everyone we needed to,” Palluzzi said. “It was a really good team effort and team win and we needed that against a good team and that’s the way we have to play if we’re going to beat teams as we move forward. Everybody’s got to play their roles and do what they need to do and, as a group, come together.”
Coach Palluzzi knew that Branford had to stop Foran’s 6-foot-6 forward Zachary Tavitian in order the win game. The Hornets limited Tavitian to just five points by forcing him into foul trouble and constantly denying him the ball. Roach gave a great defensive effort for Palluzzi’s club by totaling five blocks and seven rebounds to go with some quality assists.
“That was one of our focuses. We tried to make sure we knew where [Tavitian] was at all times, keep him off the glass, not let him get easy touches, and make sure he was a priority on defense,” said Palluzzi. “And I thought we did a really good job throughout the game.”
Three nights later, the Hornets were back in Milford for another game against fellow Quinnipiac Division opponent Law and came away with an 84-57 win to move to 2-2 in divisional play. Once again, Sullivan had a big game by scoring 27 points for Branford, which led 21-11 after the first quarter on its way to the lopsided victory. Sember (18 points), Roach (10), Donnelly (10), Maniscalco (9), and Brown (8) rounded out another balanced effort for the Hornets, who got back to the .500 mark with the win.
Coach Palluzzi knows that his team would like to have a few more wins at this point of the season, but feels confident that the Hornets can finish with their heads above water if they replicate their effort from last week.
“Would we want to be above .500? Absolutely,” he said. “But are we OK where we are? Yeah, if we keep progressing like we have last game.”