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02/22/2019 11:00 PMFor the second straight season, the East Haven girls’ basketball team advanced to the championship game of Southern Connecticut Conference Tournament last week. Unfortunately, the Yellowjackets were unable to claim their first conference crown as they took a 65-49 defeat against Hamden in the SCC final at Hamden High School on Feb. 21. With their overall record of 18-5, the Easties get ready to compete in the Class L State Tournament beginning this week.
Top-seeded East Haven fell behind No. 2 seed Hamden 18-10 after the first quarter in the SCC final. Hamden was up 24-12 with six minutes left in the second quarter, but East Haven closed out the half on a 14-5 run to cut it to 29-26 at intermission.
East Haven was only down by a point at 36-35 late in the third quarter. However, Hamden (21-3) finished the period on a 12-0 run to take a 48-35 lead into the final frame. Hamden’s run began when Taniyah Thompson outbattled a pair of Yellowjackets for a loose ball following a free throw.
“That was kind of the turning point,” Head Coach Anthony Russell said. “We’re not doing the little things that need to be done in order to win—rotations defensively, boxing out on the defensive end, being smarter on our offensive possessions. Against a team like Hamden, that adds up pretty quickly, and you’re fighting an uphill battle to get back into it from there on.”
Hamden outscored East Haven 17-14 in the final frame to finish off the victory and win its first SCC title. The two teams had split their regular season series with the Easties defeating Hamden 72-59 in a home game on Jan. 23 and then dropping a 60-56 decision in Hamden on Feb. 5.
Prior to the conference final, East Haven senior captain Makenzie Helms was named the SCC Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year. Helms, a guard, will play Division I basketball at the University of Nebraska next year. She scored 18 points in the game, while sophomore Taylor Salato had 16 points for the Yellowjackets. Junior captains Bella Ragaini and Alexis Pendziwater added five points apiece, as did sophomore Erin Curran.
“I think it was one of those nights were all our players looked to distribute the ball to Makenzie, instead of trying to do something themselves. I think their guards did a good job defending her. They were physical,” Coach Russell said. “[Hamden Head Coach Amanda Forcucci] threw a few different guards at her to guard her, and credit to them. They did a nice job defensively and made plays to win the game.”
A key component of the Yellowjackets’ success is their ability to pressure the ball and force turnovers, especially with their press. However, Hamden used the strength of its 6-foot forwards, Thompson and Makaela Johnson, to beat East Haven’s press over the top.
“Their backcourt is bigger than most of the teams that we play. Makaela and Taniyah are both 6 feet, so when our 5-foot-5 guards come to trap them, they can see over the top,” said Russell. “I thought we didn’t rotate very well in our pressure defensively. I thought a lot of times we could’ve had some steals, but we didn’t rotate properly. But they’re good. They’re athletic, they’re solid, they’re going to make a serious run for the Class LL state championship. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t win, but everything’s a learning experience, especially going to the [Class L State Tournament].”
To advance to the SCC final, the Yellowjackets rallied for a 57-45 victory versus No. 5 seed Wilbur Cross in a semifinal contest at Law High School on Feb. 18. East Haven trailed Cross by a 26-21 margin at halftime. The Yellowjackets were down 32-23 in the third quarter, but went on a 17-5 run, and held a 40-37 lead heading into the fourth. East Haven outscored the Governors 17-8 during the final frame to come away with the win. Helms scored 22 points for East Haven. Salato had 17 points, while Ragaini added six points on the night.
Last year, East Haven lost to Mercy in the championship game of the SCC Tournament, before going on a run to Mohegan Sun that culminated with the team claiming the Class M state title. As his team gets ready to enter the Class L bracket, Coach Russell is looking for a repeat of what transpired in 2018.
“I think they need to realize the profoundness of losing again,” Russell said. “Because there’s no tomorrow if it happens again.”
East Haven is the No. 5 seed in the Class L State Tournament and hosted No. 28 seed Stratford (7-13) in the first round on Feb. 25 (after press time). With a win, the Easties would host the winner of No. 12 Foran and No. 21 Guilford for a second-round matchup at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 28. The quarterfinals are set for Monday, March 4, the semifinals will be played on Friday, March 9, and the final will take place on either Saturday, March 16 or Sunday, March 17 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville.
• The East Haven girls’ basketball team’s varsity 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.
• Helms earned All-SCC First Team honors and was named the conference’s Player of the Year this season. Salato and Pendziwater made the All-SCC Second Team.
• 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 entered the SCC Tournament as the No. 1 seed and earned a bye through the first round. The Yellowjackets notched a 74-38 quarterfinal victory versus Foran on Feb. 16, prior to playing Cross in the semis and Hamden in the final last week.