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01/26/2020 11:00 PMIn his first year as head coach of the North Haven girls’ basketball team, Tom Blake has guided the Indians into the playoffs. North Haven clinched its spot in the Class L State Tournament after earning wins against Amity and Career last week, solidifying its bid with the victory versus Amity.
The Indians snuck into states by winning seven games during the regular season last year, but they made it with room to spare this time around. With his club’s record of 8-4, Coach Blake is hoping that North Haven’s success will carry over into the postseason.
“We’re ecstatic about it. It was one of our goals that we set at the beginning of the year,” said Blake of making states. “The kids earned it. We don’t want to stop at eight. We want to keep going.”
In their first game of the week, the Indians hosted Amity and defeated the Spartans by the final score of 47-31 at Fred Kelly Gymnasium on Jan. 21. North Haven started the game strong and held a 16-7 lead after one quarter of play. The Indians won the second quarter by a 20-15 margin for a 36-22 lead at halftime.
Junior Carly Fresher and sophomore Eveani Okwuosa led the way on offensive for North Haven by scoring 12 points apiece. Defensively, North Haven held the Spartans to single-digit scoring in all but one quarter and allowed just nine points in the second half.
Okwuosa did more than just score for the Indians. In addition to her 12 points, the sophomore had 10 rebounds for a double-double to go along with three assists, three blocks, and two steals in the victory.
“She has probably been our most consistent player. I know what I’m going to get from her every night,” Blake said of Okwuosa. “She’s only a sophomore, and she’s only going to get better. She’s always consistent, she’s always getting rebounds for us. I’ll give her the toughest person to defend, and she goes out and does her business. She gives us a lot inside, which is what we need.”
Junior Sarah Puzone scored eight points for North Haven against Amity. Senior captain Collen Lucey had six points with five rebounds, while fellow senior Zoi Burns added five points.
North Haven’s game versus Career was a rematch of an earlier contest that saw the Indians get the victory. In round two, North Haven earned the same result by claiming a 40-27 road win over the Panthers on Jan. 23 to punch its ticket into the state tourney. The Indians were up 12-4 after the first quarter and increased their lead by outscoring Career during both the second (12-9) and third (8-4) quarters to pull away for the victory.
Puzone led the Indians in scoring with 12 points, and Okwuosa was right behind her with 10 points. North Haven didn’t allow more than 10 points in a quarter and forced 10 steals in the game. Okwuosa had four steals to complement her seven rebounds. Coming off the bench, Puzone was North Haven’s top rebounder by corralling nine boards for Coach Blake’s squad.
“She’s been terrific, not only in that game but all the games. I bring her off the bench, because she has energy,” said Blake of Puzone. “She’s the point of the press. She’s got long arms and a good nose for the ball. She’s always around the ball, which is why she has those statistics.”
Freshman Emma Liedke scored seven points for North Haven in the Career game. Senior Giuliana Ciarleglio chipped in with six points.
The Indians played tough defense in both victories, allowing no more than 15 points in a quarter, while collecting 20 total steals. Coach Blake said that North Haven has implemented a press defense this season, leading to more steal opportunities.
“We’re pressing at half court, and we’re not allowing our opponents to come in and set up,” said Blake. “Either our opponent will turn the ball over or we’re making them rush, and they’re taking bad shots. Our defense has carried us. We haven’t let up a lot of points.”
Blake added that North Haven has been focused on getting steals in practice. He said it’s important that the Indians recognize the passing lanes, find ways to create turnovers, and then turn them into points.
While forcing turnovers has been key for North Haven’s defense this season, Coach Blake is also emphasizing the importance of the Indians minimizing their turnovers on offense.
“I tell the kids all the time, ‘When you go to pass the ball to one of your teammates, you have to look where the defender is,’” he said. “It’s a big thing on our list that we’re really trying to hold down.”
The Indians were excited when they qualified for states. Blake wants them to continue getting better with every game as the postseason draws closer.
“We have to do the things we do well, and we have to limit our mistakes,” said Blake. “It’s one game at a time. We can’t afford to make mistakes, we can’t afford to have a bad game. We have to sharpen all our skills. The State Tournament has great teams in it.”
For now, though, Coach Blake feels proud of his team for making states in his first campaign as head coach.
“When I was first looking at the team, I said, ‘I think we can do it,’ and they’ve been tremendously receptive to what I’ve brought,” Blake said. “I’m excited. I teach down here in Fairfield, and I can’t wait to leave to get up there for practice.”