The West Haven boys basketball team is finding its rhythm. And it may have begun with a 65-54 victory over Hamden at the Blue Devils gym.
After trailing by two points through eight minutes of play, the Westies took control of the game with a 24-8 second quarter run for a 36-22 halftime lead. While the second half was evenly played on the scoreboard, West Haven’s second quarter run was the difference in the game.
Michael Singleton, who led the Westies with 25 points, was the difference in the second quarter with eight points, while Bryan Tillman scored seven, and Amare Brooks drained a pair of 3-pointers.
Singleton also had seven of his team’s 12 first quarter points, and he added six points in the fourth quarter.
Brooks finished with nine points, Tillman and Bernett Scott each added eight, and Isaiah Jackson scored seven in the win.
West Haven won its third game in a row and improved to 5-3 with a 102-50 over Branford at West Haven High.
The Westies blew an 8-point game open with a 26-5 run in the second quarter for a 45-16 halftime lead. Ten different players were in the scoring column, and five players were in double digits for West Haven.
Singleton led the way with 26 points, Scott had 23 points, Jackson scored 16, Jayce Perry had 13, and Ethan Griffin scored 10. Singleton finished with three 3-pointers, while Jackson and Perry each finished with a pair of 3-pointers.
Behind eight points from Singleton and six from Griffin, West Haven led 19-11 after the first quarter. Scott led the 26-5 run in the second quarter with seven points, while Perry and Singleton each scored six.
After picking up its first victory of the season, the West Haven boys hockey team was looking to start a winning streak. The Westies will had to wait for that.
Spotting Fairfield Warde/Ludlowe three goals, West Haven’s rally fell short in a 3-2 loss at Martire Arena in Fairfield. With the loss, West Haven fell to 1-2 on the year.
West Haven had its share of opportunities in the game but could not convert. Those missed chances hurt in the end.
Trailing 3-0, the Westies put the pressure on and finally got on the scoreboard when Mike Madera took a pass from Jayden Spreyer and scored from the slot with 10:03 remaining in the game.
West Haven did not convert again until Spreyer scored with 25.5 seconds remaining, but, despite a last-ditch attempt in the final seconds, West Haven fell, 3-2.
West Haven got back to the .500 mark with a 6-1 victory over Hand-Madison at the Edward L. Bennett Rink. On the day the Westies honored the 1994 state championship team, Madera led the way with three goals, Spreyer had two goals and an assist, and Javed Ullah made 23 saves.
West Haven controlled the game with three power play goals, while also adding two short-handed goals.
Mike Madera had a hat trick in the win.
West Haven opened the St. Dominic Academy Christmas Classic with a 5-1 victory at the Norway Savings Bank Arena in Auburn, ME. With the victory, the Westies improved to 3-2 on the year.
Spreyer and Madera each scored twice, Yousaf Ullah had two assists, and Javed Ullah finished with 26 saves in the victory.
Javed Ullah was stellar in goal, coming 1:23 away from a shutout.
West Haven advanced to the championship game with a 5-2 victory over St. Dominic. With the victory, the Westies improved to 4-2 on the year.
Madera led the way with three goals and an assist, Porto had three assists, Marcus Burrows had two assists, and Spreyer and Brady Price each finished with a goal and an assist in the win. Javed Ullah made 17 saves for the Westies.
West Haven fell just short in its attempt to win the tournament championship. Despite a valiant effort in goal by Javed Ullah with 44 saves, Lewiston, ME scored twice in the final 6:49 of the contest to defeat West Haven, 2-1.
West Haven took a 1-0 lead in the game with 8:51 remaining as Madera knocked in a rebound of a Porto shot.
Lewiston came right back and scored on the power play 2:02 later, then got the eventual winner with 2:44 remaining.
Fresh off a strong performance in Maine, West Haven was looking to continue that play when it returned to in state action. That never materialized.
Despite battling back from three deficits, the Westies could not pull ahead and fell, 5-3, to Cheshire.
Madera finished with two goals and Spreyer had a goal and an assist in the loss.
The West Haven/Sacred Heart Academy girls hockey team won its third straight road game and improved to 3-1 with a 4-3 victory over Guilford in East Haven.
Geena Montano and Julianna Montano each scored twice and had an assist, Ashley Welch had tree assists, and Evelyn Twarowski made 16 saves, including eight in the final period to preserve the win.
The girls won their fourth game of the season with a 3-1 decision over Masuk Saturday afternoon.
Julianna Montano led the way with two goals, and Twarowski made 32 saves in the victory as the Westie Sharks improved to 4-1 on the year.
Julianna Montano gave the Westie Sharks a 1-0 lead just 3:21 into the contest, before Masuk evened the game 4:26 later.
It may not have come the conventional way, but the West Haven girls basketball team is in the win column. Faced with another slow start, the Westies rallied from a 16-point deficit to top Jonathan Law, 49-34, at West Haven High.
West Haven was outscored 19-3 in the first quarter, then turned up its defensive play, allowing just single digits in scoring for Law over the next three quarters.
Ciara Harp got things going in the second quarter with a pair of 3-pointers, while Isabella Fiorillo and Daniela Campillo each drained 3-pointers as well.
The 18-4 third quarter run was sparked by six points from Fiorillo, four from Ella Morgan, and three from Harp, before Harp scored six in the fourth, and Fiorillo and Morgan each added four.
Fiorillo and Harp each scored 15 points in the win, Morgan added nine, and Campillo finished with five.
West Haven won its second straight contest with a dominant 69-20 victory over Wilbur Cross in West Haven. Eleven different players were in the scoring column, with Fiorillo and Morgan leading the way with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Jaecianna Mitchell had eight points, Campillo, Aniah Glover, and Harp each added six points, while Madden Evangeliste scored five points.
Behind the play of Morgan, the girls basketball team won a third straight contest, defeating Norwalk, 49-40, in the opening game of the West Haven Christmas Tournament.
Morgan was stellar in all aspects of the contest as she scored 16 points, had 12 rebounds, and added five blocks and five assists.
Fiorillo and Noelle Lawrence each scored nine points, Arianna Titus had eight, and Fatoumata Keita added six points in the win.
Looking to win the West Haven Christmas Tournament, West Haven fell just short with a 48-43 loss to Middletown in the title game.
Lawrence led the Westies with 16 points, Fiorillo scored 13 points, and Morgan and Jasmyn DaGraca each scored five points in the loss.
West Haven had the second-ranked Hamden Green Dragons in the spot it wanted. Unfortunately for the Westies, they could not seal the contest.
Holding a talented Hamden team to just 42 points, West Haven struggled offensively and fell, 42-34, at Hamden. With the loss, the Westies dropped to 3-4 on the year.
Lawrence was the only West Haven player in double figures with 17 points. The Westies struggled, scoring just six points in each of the first and fourth quarters.
The West Haven boys swimming team lost its season opener in Hamden, 96-60. The Green Dragons posted victories in each event.
In the 200 medley relay, the Westies placed fourth with a team of Nate Charron, Edward Fagnani, Flores-Copa, Johnny Chen in 2 minutes, 16.64 seconds.
Brandon Sihaphong was fourth in the 200 freestyle in 2:35.27, Andrew McLarty was second in the 200 IM in 2:21.46, and Chen was fourth in the 50 free in 32.03.
McLarty was second in the 100 fly in 1:03.31, Charron was third in the 100 free in 59.14, Jeff Flores – Copa was fourth in the 500 free in 6:55.57, and the 200 free relay team of Charron, Chen, Flores-Copa, and Fagnani finished in 1:55.38.
Charron finished the 100 back in 1:07.97, Flores-Copa finished the 100 breaststroke in 1:41.52, and the 400 free relay team of Isiah Correira, Sihapongh, Benjamin Proano, and McLarty had a time of 4:50.93.
West Haven fell to 0-2 with a 93-71 loss to Sheehan/Lyman Hall at West Haven High.
West Haven placed third in the 200 medley relay with a team of Charron, McLarty, Correira, and Sihaphong in 2:09.15. The 200 free relay team of Charron, Sihaphong, McLarty, and Proano finished second in 1:53.54, while the 400 free relay team of Chen, Proano, Jerimiah Nieves, and Correira won in 5:45.84.
Proano placed third in the 200 free in 2:39.32, McLarty was third in the 200 IM in 2:21.49, Charron was second in the 50 free in 26.92 seconds, and McLarty was also second in the 100 fly in 1:02.18.
Sihaphong placed third in the 100 free in 1:10.19, Proano was third in the 500 free in 6:52.67, Charron finished second in the 100 back in 1:14.04, and Chen won the 100 breast in 1:44.95.
West Haven fell to 0-3 with an 82-81 loss to Haddam-Killingworth in West Haven.
The Westies posted just two victories in the meet as Charron won the 100 freestyle in 1:00.47, and the 200 free relay team of Charron, Correira, McLarty, and Sihaphong won in 1:52.39.
For all your West Haven sporting news throughout the year, including game articles by Mike Madera, highlights, photos and more, visit www.westieblue.com.