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03/12/2018 12:00 AMThe Old Saybrook boys’ basketball team opened up play as the No. 8 seed in the Division V State Tournament last week and defeated Windsor Locks in its first game of the tourney, before losing to East Hampton in the quarterfinals.
Following a first-round bye, the Rams began states by hosting 9th-seeded Windsor Locks in the second round on March 8 and prevailed by the final score of 62-52. Two days later, Old Saybrook squared off against top-seeded East Hampton on the road and dropped a 75-55 decision against the undefeated Bellringers. The Rams completed their campaign with an overall record of 16-8.
Old Saybrook came out strong by outscoring East Hampton 18-15 in the first quarter when the teams met up for the fourth time this season. However, the Bellringers went on a big run in the second quarter to take a 41-29 into halftime and then led the rest of the way on their way to improving to 23-0 this year.
Rams’ Head Coach Patrick Quinn thought that his squad showed plenty of fight on both offense and defense, but unfortunately, Old Saybrook’s shots just weren’t finding the bottom of the net.
“The guys played their tails off from the tip to the final seconds of the game, and I couldn’t be more proud of their efforts on both ends of the floor,” said Coach Quinn. “Just by looking at the numbers, our shots weren’t falling. It was just one of those nights—a lot of shots rimming in and falling out. Obviously, we had to have an above-average shooting performance to beat such a great team in East Hampton.”
Old Saybrook received some strong performances from key players in the defeat. Victor Pascoe put up a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Rams. Shane Henderson had 18 points, while Anthony Karg scored nine points to go with five assists and three rebounds. Keaton Roarick had nine rebounds, and Dan Cote added seven points for Coach Quinn’s club.
Old Saybrook came into the game with a solid plan of attack against its familiar foe. However, the Rams really needed everything to go right in order to hand East Hampton its first defeat of the season.
“The game-plan was to keep them off the glass and transition quickly up the court in an effort to get quick buckets and get to the line, hopefully, getting at least one of their starters in foul trouble,” said Quinn. “We did a nice job of taking charges and limiting turnovers against a team that forces a lot of them.”
Earlier in the week, the Rams won their State Tournament opener by defeating Windsor Locks 62-52 in a second-round game at Old Saybrook High School. The Rams received a big performance from Henderson, who poured in 29 points to go along with seven boards and four assists. Pascoe had 13 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in the victory. Karg also had 13 points to complement his four boards and five assists, while Keaton Roarick had six points and seven rebounds for Old Saybrook.
Looking back at the season, Coach Quinn feels proud about what his team accomplished. The Rams played well throughout the year, and their 16 victories reflect that. Coach Quinn said that his athletes showed their dedication to their town and displayed great sportsmanship along the way, no matter the outcome.
“We had a great season and turned some heads in the process. I am extremely proud of this group and the way they represented the town of Old Saybrook,” Quinn said. “They were united, classy, and extremely hard-working. After the loss, I told them that I wouldn’t trade a single one of them for any player in the state, and I genuinely meant that.”
From the Sidelines
During the regular season, the Old Saybrook boys’ basketball team tallied victories against Haddam-Killingworth (61-35), Valley Regional (62-53), Portland (68-55 and 66-54), Creed (55-50), Westbrook (55-39 and 53-27), Coginchaug (51-44 and 47-43), Hale-Ray (58-42 and 61-51), Morgan (69-52), and Amistad (62-55).
In the Shoreline Conference Tournament, the Rams scored an overtime victory in the quarterfinals by defeating North Branford 60-59, before losing to East Hampton in the semifinals, 72-61.