Printer Friendly Version - Old Saybrook Boys’ Hoops Riding Five-Game Win Streak; Girls’ Track Takes First at H-K Invitational

Senior captain Shane Henderson and the Old Saybrook boys’ basketball team are on a five-game winning streak after securing victories against Haddam-Killingworth and Valley Regional during last week’s slate. Henderson had a huge week with 61 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists between the two wins. Photo by Kelley Fryer/Harbor News

The Old Saybrook boys’ basketball team extended its win streak to five consecutive games by posting victories over Haddam-Killingworth (H-K) and Valley Regional in last week’s action. The Rams now stand at 6-3 on the year and are just two victories away from making the Division V State Tournament.

On Jan. 14, Old Saybrook grabbed a 69-59 road win against H-K. The Rams saw Shane Henderson and Davis Brown score 54 of the team’s 69 points in a contest that was competitive into the third quarter. Old Saybrook trailed 19-18 at halftime, but outscored the Cougars 21-13 in third quarter to take a seven-point lead. After winning fourth quarter 20-17, the Rams headed home with a 10-point win.

Henderson scored 29 points, grabbed five rebounds, and handed out six assists for the Rams. Brown had 25 points and six assists on the night. Mike Almada had nine points with four assists, while Kam Baker added five points and five boards. Jack Molesky had a big fourth quarter by pulling down six rebounds to preserve Old Saybrook’s lead.

On Jan. 18, Old Saybrook defeated Valley Regional by an 88-79 final in a home game. The Warriors got out to a 12-0 lead, but the Rams settled down, plugged away at the deficit, and were only down 17-16 after the first quarter. The Rams put their stamp on the game by outscoring Valley 23-15 during the second quarter. The two teams ran even throughout a high-scoring second half as Old Saybrook fended off the Warriors for the victory. Henderson led all scorers with 32 points to go with eight rebounds and four assists. Brown put up 25 points for the second game in a row, while Mike Almada had a big game by producing 23 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

The Rams dropped contests against Haddam-Killingworth (H-K), Valley Regional, and St. Bernard last week.

On Jan. 15, the Rams lost a 55-43 home game against H-K. Old Saybrook held a one-point lead after the second quarter, but the Cougars went up 45-38 by the end of the third. Although Old Saybrook closed the lead to four points in the fourth quarter, H-K hung on for the win. Mandy Beck had 15 points, seven rebounds, and seven steals for the Rams. Priscilla Gumkowski chipped in with 10 points. Taylor Cote and Wendy Bowden added five points and four points, respectively.

Three days later, the Rams took a 44-36 loss at Valley Regional. Valley was up 20-15 at halftime and extended its lead in the third quarter. The Rams scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to get within five, before the Warriors finished off the win. Beck totaled nine points with five assists, seven rebounds, three blocks, and five steals in the game. Gumkowski scored 13 points, while Taylor Cote had eight points and six rebounds.

The next day, Old Saybrook dropped a 46-35 decision at St Bernard. The Rams trailed 14-4 after the first quarter and were unable to make up the deficit. Gumkowski had 12 points, and Kayla Holt added nine points. Beck recorded nine points, eight rebounds, three steals, and four assists for Old Saybrook (1-10).

The Rams finished in first place among 25 teams by scoring 71 points at the Haddam-Killingworth Invitational at Floyd Little Athletic Center on Jan. 19. Old Saybrook was bolstered by a handful of first-place finishes at the meet.

Grace Hanratty’s time of 1:38.49 earned her gold in the 600-meter run, and she was just 11 hundredths of a second shy of matching the meet record. The Rams’ 4x800 relay of Tehra Givehand, Emily Stratton, Caitlin Wiley, and Allison Cody finished first with a time of 10:22.72. Stratton also placed first in the 1,000 by running a time of 3:06.17.

Old Saybrook tallied 73 points to take second place out of 28 clubs in the Haddam-Killingworth Invitational on Jan. 19. A few Rams finished in first place to net big points for their squad.

Luke Hanratty claimed a first-place victory in the 1,000-meter run by finishing with a time of 2:42.01. In the 600, Cooper Luciani recorded a first-place finish behind a time of 1:27.65. For the 300-meter dash, Jack Colella ran a time of 37.66 seconds to claim first place.