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Grizzlies’ Boys’ Hoops Gains Split of First Two Games

At the start of the 2021 boys’ basketball season, Guilford Head Coach Jeff DeMaio’s primary goal was ensuring that the Grizzlies could put a competitive team on the court in every game. So far, so good.

Guilford started off its season by playing a pair of road games during the first week of play. The Grizzlies earned a 56-37 victory at Sheehan and then were edged out by Hand by a 43-42 score later in the week.

In Guilford’s first game of the season, the Grizzlies defeated Sheehan by the final tally of 56-37 in a road game. Sophomore guard Justin Hess led the Grizzlies with 14 points in the victory. Junior guard Theo Freeman scored 11 points to help Guilford come away with the convincing win.

“We got off to a fast start,” Coach DeMaio said. “We finished the game with eight 3-pointers, and we played excellent team defense. It was a solid start.”

The following day, the Grizzlies were back on the road to face Daniel Hand and took a 43-42 defeat against the Tigers. Despite the loss, Coach DeMaio said that Guilford played a competitive game and was in the contest from start to finish. Senior captain guard Jake Ciocca scored nine points for the Grizzlies in the game.

“It was a tough loss for us on the road versus our rival. We had an opportunity to win, no doubt, but we just couldn’t close them out,” said DeMaio. “We played well and we played hard. We hope to bounce back next week.”

Guilford was scheduled to host Cheshire for its home opener on Feb. 16 (after press time). After that, the Grizzlies are slated to play a game at Wilbur Cross, followed by home games against Branford and Lyman Hall this week.

“We just need to stay positive and continue to take steps forward,” Coach DeMaio said. “One practice at a time, one game at a time.”