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02/10/2019 11:00 PMThe Valley Regional boys’ basketball team squared off against a trio of Shoreline Conference opponents last week as the Warriors continued prepping themselves for the playoffs during the home stretch of the regular season. Valley took a 42-36 loss against an undefeated Cromwell squad, before posting a 53-38 victory versus Coginchaug and a 43-41 win against Morgan to move to 13-4 on the campaign. With three games to go before the postseason, Valley will continue vying for high seeds in both the Shoreline Conference and Division V State tournaments.
On Feb. 5, Valley hosted Cromwell and dropped a 42-36 decision versus the top-ranked team in the Shoreline Conference standings. The Warriors were missing their leading scorer, junior Gavin Grabowski, who was out with the flu.
Cromwell outscored Valley 11-2 during the first quarter, but the Warriors punched back by winning the second quarter, 14-9. Trailing 21-16 at the half, Valley chipped away and was only down 27-26 entering the fourth. The Panthers pulled away in the final frame to take the six-point win. Senior captain Kevin Fasulo scored 14 points to go along with five steals and three rebounds for the Warriors. Junior Cade Ensinger had 11 points, six rebounds, and three steals in defeat.
Head Coach Kevin Woods said that Valley turned in a great effort against Cromwell, especially on defense, although the Warriors’ offense struggled and made it a little too easy for the Panthers to score in transition.
“We played an outstanding defensive game. Gavin was out with the flu. We could have used his scoring, but we still had our chances to win that game,” said Woods. “Our defense kept us in it. We had a few too many turnovers, and too many of their points came off our turnovers.”
The six-point margin marked the closest win of the season for Cromwell, which has been beating most teams by double digits. Still, Coach Woods said that Valley isn’t taking any consolation in that fact.
“Playing a top-10 team in the state to a close game isn’t good enough. We want to win them all,” Woods said, “At this point, these guys aren’t satisfied with a moral victory. They won’t settle, and they wanted that one bad. I like where their attitude is right now, but I guess that’s my attitude, too.”
Three days later, the Warriors headed to Durham and scored a 53-38 road victory over Coginchaug. The Warriors built on their defensive effort from the Cromwell game by stifling the Blue Devils throughout the contest. After taking a 17-11 lead in the first quarter, Valley held Coginchaug to just a single point in the second quarter for a 30-12 lead at halftime. The Warriors finished the night with the 15-point win.
Grabowski returned to the floor and poured in 29 points to go along with four rebounds and five steals. Coming off of the flu, it would have been understandable if Grabowski was a step behind. However, Coach Woods said that was hardly the case for the junior.
“We had Gavin back, and that helped a lot,” said Woods. “He’s also worked hard to be a good defender. He’s a really tough kid. He works out nonstop and takes care of his body. For him to bounce back like that is a testament to him keeping himself in shape.”
While Grabowski stood out on offense, Fasulo, Ensinger, and junior Chris Sparaco impacted the game in a variety of ways, as well. Fasulo finished with eight rebounds, five assists, one block, and three steals, while Sparaco scored six points and hauled in 12 boards. Ensinger scored eight points to go with six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.
Coach Woods knows there are ways to make a difference besides putting the ball through the iron. He said that players like Fasulo, Ensinger, and Sparaco epitomize that approach.
“If you just look at offensive stats, you don’t know the importance of guys like Cade, Chris, and Kevin. They don’t get the ball in the basket every game. They create that extra pass and make cuts that create plays for other guys,” Woods said. “They may not get All-League votes for that, but in terms of a team game and winning, you need guys like that. They enjoy scoring, but winning is more important to them, and that’s Valley basketball.”
With the playoffs drawing closer every day, Coach Woods likes the Warriors’ mindset. Woods feels pleased that his team is emphasizing a staunch defensive effort and showing up hungry to win every game.
“If we can maintain this effort on D, the offense will come. Defense wins championships,” Woods said. “We’re a good team. The kids play their heart out. How hard you play and how you go about things has a huge effect on success. In that regard, these guys showed a lot this week.”
On Feb. 11, Valley traveled to Clinton to take on Morgan and scored a 44-42 victory against the Huskies.