After suffering consecutive losses, the West Haven girls basketball team has responded in impressive fashion. Fresh off a 24-point victory over East Haven, the Westies used a balanced scoring attack to roll past Career, 71-21, on the road.
Twelve different players worked their way into the scoring column as the Westies improved to 10-2 with their second straight victory.
Amani Abuhatab led the way with 17 points, Kassidy Carrano added 10, and Isabella Fiorillo scored nine. Ava Murphy and Jasmyn DaGraca each scored six, while Mya Flemming scored five.
The Westies allowed just three first half points, led 19-0 after one quarter and 29-3 at the half. A 30-5 run to start the second half, was too much for Career to overcome.
Abuhatab scored nine of West Haven’s 19 first quarter points, while Flemming added five. Fiorillo connected on three field goals in the second quarter, and ten different players scored in the third quarter, led by Carrano with six and Murphy with five.
West Haven won its third consecutive contest with a resounding 74-47 victory at Shelton. Ten different players were in the scoring column as the Westies improved to 11-2 on the year.
Carrano led the way with 25 points, Abuhatab added 18, Fiorillo chipped in eight and Ella Morgan six as West Haven rolled to the victory.
West Haven took control of the contest early and never looked back as the Westies jumped out to a 31-12 lead after one quarter. The lead grew to 44-16 at the half and West Haven was well on its way to victory.
Scoring 13 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter, Carrano, along with Abuhatab, led West Haven to a thrilling come-from-behind 59-51 victory over Hillhouse in a Southern Connecticut Conference Hammonasset Division contest.
Abuhatab scored nine of her team-high 25 points in the final quarter as West Haven took over the top spot in the division, breaking the tie with Hillhouse. A West Haven victory over North Haven Friday evening would seal the division crown for the Westies.
The Westies avenged a 31-point loss to Hillhouse just two weeks earlier, but it did not come easy. Following a basket by T’aija Lloyd and a pair of free throws by Trinity Moody, Hillhouse had a 48-42 lead with 4:38 to play.
Abuhatab and Carrano then took over to lead the Westies on a 17-3 run to close the game. Carrano scored 10 points in the run, Abuhatab added five, and freshman Ella Morgan came up with a huge shot to give West Haven a 54-48 lead with 1:22 remaining.
The shot by Morgan was just one of a number of big plays by the freshman as she logged considerable minutes with West Haven in foul trouble. Morgan’s presence led to blocked shots and Hillhouse turnovers which Abuhatab and Carrano turned into points in the final quarter.
Trailing by four, Carrano drained her second of three 3-pointers in the final quarter to get West Haven within 48-47 with 4:03 to go. Abuhatab followed with a bucket and free throw for a two-point lead with 3:29 to go, before Carrano sandwiched two buckets around a Morgan basket to cap a 14-0 run, giving West Haven a 56-48 lead with 46 seconds remaining.
Lost in the 14-point run may be the defensive efforts of the Westies. West Haven controlled the boards in the final four minutes and contained the Hillhouse offense until the Westies made the run.
After Hillhouse’s Nielle Reaves drained a 3-pointer to get the Academics within five points with just over 30 seconds to go, Carrano’s fired the last dagger in any hopes of a Hillhouse comeback when her long-range 3-pointer gave West Haven a 59-51 advantage.
After Abuhatab scored 13 points in the first half, the Academics did a masterful job on the West Haven junior, holding her to just a single 3-pointer in the third quarter.
Hillhouse trailed by five at the half, but went on a 18-10 run in the third quarter to take a 38-35 lead. Reaves scored the first five points of the second half to even the game at 25.
A 5-0 run by the Academics gave Hillhouse a 30-28 advantage, before Morgan’s basket had West Haven on top 32-31 late in the third quarter.
Reaves proved to be a thorn in West Haven’s side all game, finishing the game with 18 points, and giving the Academics a 40-35 lead to start the fourth quarter. Hillhouse’s Dillyn Boyd and West Haven’s Carrano matched 3-pointers, setting up West Haven’s frantic fourth quarter rally.
The goal was clear entering Friday evening’s contest against North Haven. A win would clinch the Southern Connecticut Conference Hammonasset Division title. After a slow start, the Westies got back on track and defeated North Haven, 69-50, at West Haven Hight to improve to 16-2 on the season, and take home the division title.
Carrano led West Haven with 23 points, Abuhatab scored 21, and Dealyce Howard scored 16 in the clincher.
Finding its groove, West Haven used baskets by Carrano and Abuhatab to take a 16-15 lead, before Mya Flemming gave West Haven a 17-16 advantage after one quarter.
The Westies then put the game away in the second quarter, scoring 21 of the combined 26 points, including a 16-1 run to close the quarter for a 38-21 halftime lead.
Howard hit a pair of 3-pointers in the quarter, including one just before the buzzer, and finished with eight points, Howard’s second bucket of the quarter had West Haven up 27-20, before Abuhatab and Carrano connected.
Carrano followed with a steal and assist on a basket by Flemming, Abuhatabh increased the margin to 35-21, and Howard’s 3-pointer put West Haven on top 38-21.
The West Haven boys basketball team won its fourth game in a row with a resounding 80-50 victory over Foran in West Haven. West Haven improved to 7-5 on the year.
The Westies had 11 players in the scoring column with Manny Belcher and Henry Smith leading the way with 17 points apiece. Tavares Tuck had 11 points and Kyle Kearson added eight.
Six different players scored in the opening quarter when West Haven took a 24-13 advantage. Tuck drained a pair of 3-pointers, Henry Smith scored seven, and Roderick Smith had five.
The Westies held a 15-point lead in the second quarter behind a balanced attack. Belcher helped put the game away in the third quarter when he connected on three 3-pointers.
West Haven is starting to find its way. Needing overtime, the Westies defeated Hillhouse, 55-47, to improve to 6-5 on the year.
The victory was West Haven’s third in a row. The Westies were led by Kearson with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Tuck with 14 points. Javaun Calhoun added eight points and Dwight Francis had seven points in the win.
Kearson drained three of his 3-pointers in the opening quarter, while Tuck and Francis also hit from long range. West Haven outscored the Academics by eight points in the overtime, doing most of the damage at the free throw line.
After a tough loss against Bassick, West Haven got back on the winning track with an 86-47 victory over East Haven.
The Westies had contributions from a variety of players as 14 different players were in the scoring column, led by Tuck and Belcher with 17 points apiece.
Henry Smith had 11 points, Jared Butler added nine, and Roderick Smith and Kearson each scored eight.
The Westies jumped out of the gates quickly with 27 first quarter points and never looked back. Belcher scored eight points in the first eight minutes, Tuck drained a pair of 3-pointers and Kearson had four points.
Henry Smith knocked in a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter, Butler scored five points, while Tuck and Calhoun each scored four.
West Haven had plenty of opportunities to pull away against Bassick. The numbers at the free throw line told a different story.
Missing 12 shots from the line, including 11 in the first half, West Haven never put away Bassick, falling 82-80 in overtime at West Haven High.
With the loss, West Haven saw its four-game winning streak come to an end and fell to 7-6 on the year. The Westies were 29-of-41 from the free throw line.
West Haven had three players in double figures, led by Tuck with 21 points and Belcher with 20. Javaun Calhoun added 12 points, Henry Smith had nine, Dwight Francis had eight and Butler chipped in six.
The Westies trailed by one point after the first quarter as they missed four free throws. Belcher had five points in the opening quarter.
West Haven took a 37-31 lead in the second quarter as Henry Smith hit a big 3-pointer and finished with seven points in the quarter.
The Westies never extended the lead and saw Bassick even the game at 50 in the third quarter. West Haven missed just one free throw in the second half, connecting on all 11 in the fourth quarter.
Tuck and Belcher tried to close out the game for the Westies in the final quarter with seven and six points, respectively, but the game went to overtime and Bassick squeaked out a two-point win.
West Haven has had some big wins the past two years. For this season, the biggest win came vs. Fairfield Prep.
Going to toe-to-toe with one of the state’s best teams, West Haven prevailed with a 65-56 victory at West Haven High. West Haven’s second straight victory improved the team to 9-6 on the season.
Tuck led four Westies in double figures with 22 points, while Belcher scored 14, Henry Smith had 12 and Kearson added 11.
Despite seven points from Belcher and four from Kearson in the opening quarter, West Haven trailed 19-15. The Westies took a 30-28 lead, outscoring Prep, 15-9, in the second quarter as Tuck scored 10 of his team’s 15 points.
West Haven increased the lead to 47-41 as Kearson scored seven points and Henry Smith scored six in the third quarter.
Tuck helped ice the game with 10 points in the final quarter, including six from the free throw line.
The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team snapped a four-game losing streak and climbed back to the .500 mark with a 4-2 victory over Amity/North Haven/Cheshire Monday afternoon in Hamden.
Nine different players were in the scoring column and Grace Nowak made 12 saves to help the Westie Sharks improve to 7-7 on the year. Chase Ireland led the way with a goal and an assist, while Maya Boyhen added two assists.
After a scoreless first period, West Haven / Sacred Heart Academy took the lead for good with four goals in the second period.
Freshman Julianna Picard gave the Westie Sharks a 1-0 lead off assists from Boyhen and Ireland, before Geena Montano increased the lead to a pair of goals off assists from Ashley Welch and Meghan Dupre with 7:34 left in the second.
Just 3:01 later, the lead was 3-0 as Ireland scored off an assist from Taylor Alfano. Emilee DeGrand capped the scoring for the Westie Sharks with 58 seconds remaining in the middle period off assists from Anne Plunkett and Boyhen.
Amity/ North Haven/Cheshire spoiled the shutout for Nowak with two goals in the final period.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy lost for the fifth time in six games Saturday afternoon with a 3-1 loss at Hamden.
The Westie Sharks trailed by two goals after one period of play and never got back on track. Meghan Dupre scored an unassisted goal 3:02 into the second period, but Hamden scored 3:21 later to gain back its two-goal lead.
West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy managed just five shots in the third period of the loss.
The Westie Sharks fell to 8-9 with a 6-2 loss against Avon on Senior Night at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Saturday evening.
Dupre and Boyhen each had a goal and an assist, and Nowak made 32 saves, but it was not enough in the loss.
Dupre gave the Westie Sharks a 1-0 first period lead off an assist from Boyhen, but Avon scored the next five goals, including two in the first period for a 5-1 advantage.
Boyhen finally got Westie Sharks back on the board off an assist from Julianna Picard with 3:17 left, but Avon added another goal late in the third for the 6-2 final.
After more than a week off, the West Haven boys hockey team was eager to get back on the ice. Unfortunately for the Westies, things did not go their way.
Falling behind early, West Haven never recovered in a 5-2 loss against. With the loss, West Haven fell to 2-10 on the year.
Cheshire controlled played n the opening period, limiting the Westies to just four shots. The Rams scored 6:06 into the contest when Andrew Vaill tipped in a shot by Ryan Fraser, before Damon Zurolo went through the zone untouched and backhanded a shot home for a 2-0 advantage with 1:24 left in the opening period.
West Haven had one solid scoring opportunity in the period, but a breakaway shot by Ryan Bernardi sailed wide.
The Rams tool a 3-0 lead off a rebound in front, before Bernardi sent Nico Bruneau in on a breakaway. Bruneau’s shot to the top left corner got the Westies within 3-1 with 2:39 remaining in the middle period.
That momentum lasted 22 seconds as Cheshire scored off a sharp angle for a 4-1 lead. Bruneau scored his second of the period with 3.8 seconds remaining in the middle period to get West Haven within 4-2, but West Haven never got closer.
One game after playing possibly its worst game of the season, the West Haven hockey team rebounded to defeat Glastonbury, 4-3, in overtime.
Marcus Burrows scored from in front off a pass from D.J. Carfora with 4:34 left in overtime as West Haven improved to 3-10 on the season.
The goal by Burrows rescued the Westies from a blown two-goal lead in the third period when Glastonbury scored twice in a span of 1:12 with 7:07 remaining.
Javed Ullah made 34 saves in the win, including 16 in the first period. Making 25 saves through two periods, Ullah had a shutout going into the third period, before Glastonbury scored 1:18 into the third period.
Carfora extended the lead to 3-1 off assists from Bernardi and Jayden Spreyer with 8:19 remaining for a 3-1 lead, but Glastonbury scored 23 seconds later to get within one.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead in the opening period after controlling play from the start. Spreyer had his backhander denied in front less than a minute in, Mike Alfano was stopped from an angle 3:07 in, and Mike Madera was turned aside in front with 8:35 to go in the opening period.
Alfano finally got the Westies on the board when he scored from the slot on the power play off an assist from Bernardi, who finished with a pair of assists on the night.
Bernardi gave West Haven a 2-0 lead 5:37 into the second with a rocket from the corner, before he was stopped in front less than a minute later.
Glastonbury finished with a 37-36 shot advantage.
With the ceremonies of celebrating the 1990 state championship season fresh in the minds of the players, the team was looking to avenge an earlier season loss against Hamden. Despite rallying from a two-goal deficit, West Haven fell to the Green Dragons, 7-3, Saturday .
Spreyer scored twice, and Alfano and Carfora each had two assists, but it was not enough as Hamden prevailed 7-3. With the loss, West Haven fell to 3-11 on the year.
West Haven had the early pressure in the game, but a Bernardi shot in the slot, a Madera shot in front, and shots by Alfano and Spreyer were turned aside in the first eight minutes of the game by Hamden goaltender Ben Bielen.
Hamden scored twice in a span of 2:41 late in the first, but the Westies cut the deficit in half on a goal by Spreyer, off assists from Alfano and Jack Aloi, with 1:15 remaining.
After Aloi hit the post to start the second, Spreyer tapped in a loose puck to even the game at two with 2:13 gone by in the middle period. West Haven never got closer as Hamden scored three times in a span of 4:06 for a 5-2 lead.
A goal by Marcus Burrows 5:31 into the third had West Haven within 5-3, but Hamden scored the last two goals of the contest.