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02/09/2019 11:00 PMFor the fourth year in a row, the East Haven girls’ basketball team can call itself a division champion. The Yellowjackets captured the SCC Oronoque Division title by winning divisional games versus Lyman Hall and Amity in last week’s action, clinching the crown with a 73-63 home victory against Amity on Senior Night on Feb. 8. East Haven, which also lost to Hamden last week, has an overall record of 16-3 with one game remaining in the regular season. After that, the Easties will compete in the Southern Connecticut Conference Tournament, followed by the Class L State Tournament.
In addition to being pleased about winning another division championship, Head Coach Anthony Russell also believes that East Haven will be battle-tested for the playoffs after facing three quality opponents—Hamden, Amity, and Mercy—during the final stretch of the regular season.
“It’s very important. I’m glad we’re playing these games. Although they may be difficult, they’re preparing you for that energy, physicality, and importance of postseason games. If you have one off night, anybody can knock you off,” said Russell, whose team went 8-0 in the Oronoque Division this year. “I think there is a lot more parity in the league and, in Class L, there are teams that are 9-10 that are going to be difficult outs in the first round. So, we have to be on our game every night, because it could be the end of our season if we’re not.”
On Feb. 2, East Haven notched its 12th straight victory with 68-61 home win over Oronoque opponent Lyman Hall. The Yellowjackets jumped out to an early lead by scoring 28 points in the first quarter and, although the Trojans kept the game close, East Haven emerged triumphant to clinch at least a share of the division title. Senior captain Makenzie Helms scored a game-high 25 points for the Easties. Junior captain Alexis Pendziwater drilled five 3-pointers to score 15 points, while sophomore Taylor Salato added 14 points. Fellow sophomore Angelina Munoz scored nine in the victory.
Three nights later, East Haven traveled to Hamden for a clash between two of the top squads in state. The Green Dragons claimed a 60-56 victory to end the Yellowjackets’ 12-game winning streak, while dealing them their first defeat in SCC play this season. Salato scored 26 points, and Helms had 25 points for East Haven. Junior captain Bella Ragaini and sophomore Erin Curran scored three and two points, respectively.
Hamden took a 29-22 lead into halftime and was up by nine early in the third quarter. However, East Haven went on a run to tie the game and only trailed 44-42 heading into the fourth. Ultimately, Hamden came away with the four-point win, which marked the Yellowjackets’ largest defeat of the year. All three of East Haven’s losses have come by four points or less this season. Coach Russell knows that the Easties need to continue working hard in order to turn those narrow defeats into exciting victories.
“We have to continue our normal routine—what we run offensively, what we do defensively, and then a good scouting report on what they do and try to marginalize whatever they do offensively,” Russell said. “It’s the same plan of attack for every team we play. We need to know their personnel and try to do things offensively and defensively to put ourselves in a great position to win the game.”
On Feb. 8, East Haven hosted Amity with the outright Oronoque title on the line. The Yellowjackets entered the matchup with a divisional record of 7-0, while Amity was 6-1 with that lone loss coming against East Haven. The Yellowjackets solidified sole possession of the Oronoque Division title by earning a 73-62 win versus Amity on Senior Night. As part of the festivities, the Easties honored senior captains Helms and Jamie Gallo, along with fellow seniors Alannah Doheny and Karen Solorzano, prior to the game.
East Haven forced a slew of turnovers to take a 38-30 lead into halftime. The Yellowjackets committed some turnovers during the third quarter as Amity closed the gap to 55-49 entering the fourth. However, East Haven won the final frame by an 18-13 margin to walk off the floor with the Oronoque crown in its clutches.
Helms finished the game with 32 points and six assists, while Salato scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Munoz scored eight points, Pendziwater scored six points by hitting a pair of 3-pointers, and Ragaini finished with seven points, eight rebounds, and five steals.
“It’s a great night all around. We’re celebrating our seniors who have been in the program. Most have given us four years with Makenzie being the exception, because she’s only been here for two,” Coach Russell said. “We come out and play for them. The whole night is for them, and they start the game, so they can be showcased. We got a win tonight, so it ended up pretty well, too.”
• The East Haven girls’ basketball team’s roster features senior captains Makenzie Helms and Jamie Gallo, fellow seniors Karen Solorzano and Alannah Doheny, junior captains Alexis Pendziwater and Bella Ragaini; sophomores Erin Curran, Francesca Caputo, Brooke Mortimer, Angelina Munoz, Nicole Pendziwater, Taylor Salato, and Samantha Samo; and freshmen Kate Pycela, Camryn Lendroth, Tanner Punzo, and Teresa Vitello.
• Anthony Russell is in his 11th year as the Yellowjackets’ head coach. He is assisted by Jeff Crisafi, Alyssa Guarino, and Cathy Celotto.
• East Haven has posted two victories against Hand (59-37 and 59-53), Branford (60-41 and 66-32), Amity (50-46 and 73-62), West Haven (75-27 and 79-33), Lauralton Hall (77-56 and 60-32), and Lyman Hall (51-48 and 68-61) this season, in addition to one win apiece versus Career (53-33), Mercy (54-52), Bassick (82-43), and Hamden (72-59). The Easties have also taken defeats to New London (66-63), East Lyme (56-55), and Hamden (60-56).
• The SCC Tournament runs from Thursday, Feb. 14 through Wednesday, Feb. 20. The Class L State Tournament begins on Thursday, Feb. 21. The championship game will take place on either Saturday, March 16 or Sunday, March 17 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.