The streak is finally over. After seven consecutive attempts to qualify for the state tournament, the West Haven girls basketball team is now in.
With an 86-22 victory over Harding Tuesday afternoon, West Haven advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2017. West Haven finishes the regular season at 8-12.
West Haven had 10 different players in the scoring column and was led by Amani Abuhatab with 23 points. Kassidy Carrano scored 12 points, Davina Mendez had 10, and Tenique Gates and Dealyce Howard each scored nine.
After the first quarter, in which West Haven took a 13-4 lead, the game was never in question as a 28-3 second quarter run by the Westies increased the lead to 41-7 at the half. A 25-4 run in the third quarter gave West Haven a 66-11 lead and ensured the trip to the postseason for the first time in three years.
Abuhatab, who also recorded 13 rebounds and four steals in the contest, had five of her team’s points in the opening quarter, then led the second quarter explosion with seven points. Carrano had six points in the quarter, and Howard added five.
West Haven held Harding to single digits in points in each of the first three quarters and allowed just seven points in the first half.
The run in the state tournament was a short one for the 28th-seeded Westies as they fell to fifth-seeded Trumbull, 52-34, in the opening round of the Class LL state tournament. West Haven converted on just 8-of-24 free throws in the contest.
Abuhatab led West Haven with 14 points, Carrano had nine points, and Howard added six points in the season-ending loss.
The goal of any team in the regular season is to be peaking at the right time. The West Haven boys basketball team is doing exactly that.
With an 82-50 victory over North Haven Tuesday evening, the Westies won their seventh straight contest and improved to 13-5 on the year.
As has been the case throughout the season, the Westies received a complete team effort and were led by Malcolm Duncanson with 22 points. Shea Sheffield added 15 points, Marlin Walker had 11, and Laron Holmes scored nine in the victory.
While the Westies struggled at the free throw line, hitting on just 11-of-23 shots, they connected for 11 3-pointers, led by Sheffield with four, and Duncanson, Walker and Allen Meyers with two apiece.
West Haven team advanced to the quarterfinals of the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament with a 50-34 victory over North Haven Thursday evening at West Haven High.
Duncanson led the way with 17 points, while Khalel Francis added 12 points, and Sheffield had 10 points.
Behind eight first quarter points from Duncanson, West Haven jumped out to a 16-10 lead. Buckets by Duncanson, Walker, and Javon Calhoun had West Haven out to a 6-0 lead.
The Westies pulled away in the second quarter when a basket by Francis had the Westies up 23-17. The Indians pulled within five points in the third quarter, but a basket by Duncanson, and a 3-pointer by Francis had the Westies up 34-24 in the third quarter.
Sheffield hit a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for a 45-31 advantage.
West Haven boys basketball team was hoping to make a run to the Southern Connecticut Conference finals. A tough team in Hamden stood in the way.
West Haven trailed early and had to fight back from a 15-point deficit to even the game in the fourth quarter. West Haven never took the lead, and the battle back from a 21-7 deficit could not be completed.
Sheffield led the Westies with 22 points, including five 3-pointers, while Duncanson added 17 points, and Manny Belcher had 10.
Having lost two straight and four of five entering last Tuesday night’s contest with Amity, the West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team knew the game was coming at the right time.
Looking to get going in the right direction once again, the Westie Sharks rallied from an early deficit, then scored twice in the third period to defeat Amity 7-5 at the Edward L. Bennnett Rink.
Brooke McNabola led the way with three goals, Taylor Nowak and Jenna Hunt each had a goal and two assists, and Hannah Davey made 24 saves to help WH/SHA improve to 12-6 on the season.
The last time Guilford and West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy met was a classic affair which did not end in the favor of the Westie Sharks at Webster Bank Arena.
While Guilford rallied for an overtime victory in the first meeting, it was the Westie Sharks who rallied to force overtime last Friday evening. The result, however, again belonged in favor of the Indians.
Despite WH/SHA scoring twice in the final 1:56 of regulation, Guilford used an overtime tally to top WH/SHA 7-6 at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven. With the loss, WH/SHA fell to 12-7 on the year.
Megan Froehlich led the offense with two goals, while Nowak had one goal and four assists. Davey was outstanding in goal with 43 saves.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy opened the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament with a 7-0 victory over Hand at the Edward L. Bennett Rink in West Haven.
Nine different players were in the scoring column as WH/SHA advanced to play Guilford in the semifinals of the tournament.
Jenna Hunt led the offense with three goals and one assist, Jianna Cohrs had a goal and two assists, and Meghan Dupre finished with a pair of assists. Hailey Alfano and Davey combined to make 10 saves.
There will be no Southern Connecticut Conference championship for the WH/SHA girls hockey team. Looking to top Guilford after a pair of gut-wrenching losses to the Indians, the Westie Sharks did not have to worry about any last-minute defeat.
Trailing early and never having the lead, third-seeded WH/SHA fell to second-seeded Guilford 8-3 in the SCC semifinals in East Haven last Wednesday evening.
Froehlich led the offense with a goal and an assist, Mackenzie Gardner had two assists, and Davey made 15 saves, but it was not enough in the lop-sided loss.
Guilford scored the first three goals of the game, including taking a 2-0 lead after one period of play. WH/SHA finally got back into the contest in a span of 3:06, scoring twice, and cutting the deficit to 3-2 with 3:07 left in the second period.
The Indians rebounded by scoring twice in the final 1:27 of the middle period for a 5-2 lead, and increased the margin to 7-2 in the third.
Nowak scored off assists from Gardner and Froehlich to get within 7-3.
The season came to a crushing end for the Westie Sharks Monday evening in a heart-breaking 1-0 loss to seventh-seeded East Catholic. The tenth-seeded Westie Sharks dominated play with 49 shots on goal, but could not get one to find the back of the net.
Davey played well in goal for the Westie Sharks with 20 saves, but East Catholic scored the winner with 33 seconds to go on a rush by Mary McKiernan.
This one may sting a little bit. After returning to game action for the first time in eleven days, the West Haven boys’ hockey team played a thriller against Xavier.
Unfortunately for the Westies, they could not bury several glorious opportunities and played to a 1-1 tie with the Falcons. Despite everything which felt good about the contest, including 50 saves from Jared Pliszka, the tie pretty much sealed West Haven’s fate as the ninth seed in the Division I state tournament.
In all likelihood, West Haven will open the tournament with a road contest at Greenwich. A victory over the Falcons would have put the Westies in a position where a home contest in the tournament would have been a possibility.
After a scoreless first period in which Pliszka made 14 saves, Pliszka denied a 2-on-1 just 3:33 in, then made another stop in front with 7:38 left in the second.
While Pliszka was doing his thing, the Westies could not capitalize offensively as D.J. Carfora was denied on a 2-on-1 with Ben Carfora.
West Haven finally took a 1-0 lead when Ben Carfora created in front, then took the initial shot which was tapped in by Colin Hines for a 1-0 lead with 6:29 left in the second.
Both teams put the pressure on in the third, but the only goal belonged to Xavier as a short-handed tally evened the contest with 4:35 gone by.
The Westies then had three breakaway opportunities to either take the lead or win the game, but could not convert.
Nick Boanno was stopped with 9:40 remaining by a pad save, as was Kaden Morgillo with 3:05 left. Morgillo was then turned aside in overtime with 2:50 remaining.