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02/16/2018 11:00 PMAs it puts the finishing touches on one of its best regular-season runs in program history, the Guilford boys’ basketball team has earned the inside track on the path toward its first appearance in the Southern Connecticut Conference Tournament championship game. The Indians won all three of their games last week to improve to 18-1 on the season, while also locking down the No. 2 seed in the SCC Tournament and a bye through the first round.
Guilford started last week by winning at Hand 57-34 on Feb. 12, before earning a 53-39 divisional victory over Sheehan at home two nights later. Guilford then routed Fairfield Prep 74-43 on the road on Feb. 16 to secure a share of the SCC Hammonasset Division title with Xavier with their records of 7-1 in divisional play, marking the Indians’ first division crown since 2002. Senior captain Noah Rubino scored his 1,000th career point for Guilford in the victory.
The Indians will begin their quest for their first SCC final bid when they face the winner of Career and North Haven in the quarterfinal round on at Branford High School on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2:30 p.m.
“Going into this year, I believed every game on our schedule was winnable, but in basketball, it’s tough to win this many games,” said Guilford Head Coach Jeff DeMaio. “I did think a big number of wins was attainable, though. I’m not sure where this year ranks historically within the program, but we still have big goals yet to come.”
Senior guard Josh Krause scored a career-high 22 points in Guilford’s one-sided victory versus Hand that kicked off last week.
In the Sheehan win, Krause and Rubino each netted 12 points apiece for the Indians. Guilford struggled to maintain control of the ball by committing several turnovers, leading to a 37-36 Titans’ edge with five minutes left in regulation. However, keyed by back-to-back three-pointers from Krause and junior center Ian Slattery, Guilford finished the game on a 17-2 run and went on to get the double-digit win.
In the division clincher versus Prep, senior forward Sam Dombroski scored 23 points for the Indians, who saw Rubino notch career point No. 1,000 as a member of the program.
“It was an awesome feeling scoring my 1,000th point, but it couldn’t have been possible without my teammates or coaches. I’ve been playing with some of my best friends for 10 years now, and they are the reason for this milestone,” said Rubino. “Earning a first-round bye in SCCs is an outstanding achievement for us. Coach DeMaio told us that this team has a ton of potential, but still needs to outwork everyone.”
The Indians’ only defeat of the season came on Feb. 6, when Xavier hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to record a 63-60 victory in Guilford. The loss stung for the Indians, especially since it came against a divisional opponent, but the team’s veteran athletes looked within themselves and knew what they needed to do to start a new win streak.
“That Xavier loss hurt, because we had the lead and, of course it was against a divisional opponent, but I told them that losses happen,” said Coach DeMaio, whose team defeated Cheshire 65-55 in its next contest. “I also told them that we fell down, but the message is that we want to fall and look forward. We lost to a good team that had quality wins, but then we had a nice bounce-back win against Cheshire.”
Krause and Rubino are both averaging double-digit points per game this season, as are Dombroski and fellow senior Matt Donlan, a guard. Coach DeMaio said that although this group of athletes is currently seeing more success in any previous year, they are anything but strangers to playing under the postseason spotlight.
“There is no substitute for experience and kids that have been involved in playoff games before,” DeMaio said. “Psychologically, the experience helps us this time of the year. These guys know the right things to do and say. They also know how to stay focused on what is important.”
As his club gets ready to dive into postseason play, Coach DeMaio said the Indians are standing firm with their belief that they have the right balance of talent and intangibles to create their own shining moments in the high-school version of March Madness.
“In terms of their mindset, these guys are as tough and healthy in the head as any team I’ve been around. They are confident, but they stay humble, unselfish, and trust each other,” said DeMaio. “We want to continue to extend the season and be successful in the postseason, and I believe we are ready to go.”
From the Sidelines
Guilford’s last division title came when the team shared the SCC Hammonasset Division crown with Hillhouse and North Haven in 2002. Prior to that, the Indians were co-champs with Hillhouse in 1998.
The Indians’ last SCC Tournament semifinal appearance came in 2002, when they lost 55-49 to eventual champion Career.
The SCC Tournament semifinals are slated for Monday, Feb. 26 at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven. The final will also be at the Floyd Little Athletic Center on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.