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02/11/2017 11:00 PMBy Chris Piccirillo
Sound Sports Editor
As happy as Jake Palluzzi was to earn his 300th win as the Branford boys’ basketball team’s head coach, he was even happier that the Hornets picked up a crucial victory in their quest to reach the postseason.
Palluzzi, who’s in his 29th year at Branford, picked up win No. 300 with the Hornets when they defeated Foran 45-40 at home on Feb. 7. Although the night marked a major milestone for Palluzzi, his thoughts were centered on how the victory put Branford just one win away from making the playoffs. The Hornets were 7-10 with three games to play at week’s end.
“The win got us closer to the SCC and State tournaments and that’s really what’s most important. If it wasn’t for my brother, I wouldn’t have any idea how many wins and losses I have. I just take it from year to year and game to game,” said Palluzzi, who has 345 career wins between his tenures at Branford and North Branford. “I have a passion for coaching and teaching these kids. It’s what I like to do and do best—get them to perform at a high level and compete to have a chance to win every day. The numbers are insignificant. It just means that I’ve been around a while and been in a lot of games.”
“It’s been a journey and it’s wonderful,” he continued. “People like numbers, but I like winning another game to get us closer to our goal of getting into the State Tournament and the Conference Tournament.”
The Foran win was critical for Branford because it halted a four-game win streak and put the team on the precipice of postseason play. The Hornets also completed a season sweep of their Housatonic Division foe by beating the Lions, who they’d defeated 57-54 in overtime on the road on Jan. 17.
The rematch saw another close contest in which Foran jumped out to an early lead before the Hornets settled down things to hold a 10-9 advantage after the first quarter. Branford continued executing its offense effectively in the second quarter, while also containing Foran’s three-point shooters and 6-foot-6 forward Zach Tavitian, who was held to 10 points on the night. Branford won the second quarter 10-5 and led 23-14 at halftime.
Coach Palluzzi said the Hornets had a bit of a letdown early in the second half as Foran came out fired up and hit a few buckets. By the time the third quarter was finished, the Lions had cut Branford’s lead to 31-27. Branford retook control of the game in the fourth and led by six points midway through the final frame, but after committing a few costly turnovers and missing some key free throws, the Hornets were clinging to a one-point lead with 12 seconds remaining.
Foran had the ball with a chance to win it. After the Lions inbounded, Hornets’ junior point guard Damien Maniscalco made a tremendous steal in the passing lane, was fouled, and hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead to three. Making the situation even sweeter for Branford was that Foran got called for an intentional foul by fouling Maniscalco when he was ahead of the pack and had a clear path to the hoop. As a result, Branford maintained possession and senior captain guard Ryan Sember followed with a lay-up that sealed it by putting Branford up by five with 2.4 seconds to play.
Senior captain guard Jake Sullivan netted 18 points to lead the Hornets in the scoring column. Maniscalco had nine points, while senior forward Trevor Brown scored eight to go with six rebounds. Junior center Sam Roach scored six points and played an outstanding defensive game by blocking 10 shots and corralling eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Jordan Donnelly grabbed eight boards to help Coach Palluzzi’s club get a win that it just had to have.
“It was important. We had lost our last four, but played very good teams, and had a lead [in a 53-47 loss to Amity on Feb. 1], so it was nice to get back on track a little bit. Our hope is to have a nice strong finish to make both tournaments,” Palluzzi said. “It came at a time when we needed it, especially to stop that streak where were playing all the top teams. It was nice to get a team comparable to us—a 50-50 game, as we call it. We wanted that win and we need to win those games to get in the tournaments. It was a significant win for us, especially being home and beating them for the second time this year.”
Later in the week, Branford took a 75-58 loss at non-conference opponent Enfield on Feb. 11. Sember had 19 points, Sullivan scored 17, and Roach added eight points for the Hornets. Needing one win to make the playoffs, Branford hosts East Haven on Monday, Feb. 13; is home for Law on Thursday, Feb. 16; and hosts North Haven on Friday, Feb. 17.
From the Sidelines
Hornets’ boys’ basketball Head Coach Jake Palluzzi played at Branford High School and led the team to a 20-0 regular season as a captain during the 1977-’78 campaign. Palluzzi was later a four-year starter and two-year captain at Southern Connecticut University, which advanced to the Sweet 16 and set the school record for wins in his senior year. Palluzzi was the head coach at North Branford High School for four years, guiding the team to a school record 18 victories in the 1987’-88 campaign, for which he was named the New Haven Register’s All-Area Coach of the Year. Palluzzi’s best season at Branford came in 2011-’12, when the Hornets went 18-6. Overall, Palluzzi has piloted his teams to the postseason 25 times, reached the state quarterfinals four times, and has won one Housatonic League title and one Oronoque Division title. He was named the New Haven Tap-Off Club Coach of the Year in 2004, has been inducted into the Tap-Off Club as both a player and a coach, and was also inducted into the Branford Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.