By Kim J. Harmon

The first basket came a little after 10 am and the last fell shortly before 5:30 pm and in between there were more than seven hours of thrilling action last Saturday at Reed Intermediate School as five different divisions in the Newtown Youth Basketball Association staged their championship games.

And it was the Knicks (Intermediate Boys – 5th), Raptors (Intermediate Boys – 6th), Mercury (Intermediate Girls), Da Bears (Junior Girls) and Gotham Gators (Junior Boys) earning those titles on a day that did its best to evoke the spirit of March Madness.

Read on –

INTERMEDIATE BOYS (5th)

Knicks 33, Huskies 28

Staying one step ahead.

They were the two top teams in the Intermediate Boys (5th Grade) Division, each saddled with just one loss on the season, and appeared to be as evenly matched as two teams could get. At that’s the way it played out in the championship game, but on that day the Knicks were just a little bit better.

With Tommy Gleason knocking down 12 points and Patrick Afriyie adding six more, the Knicks – who led just twice, very early in the second period – captured the title with a 33-28 win.

Justin Weiner and Gleason dropped in buckets to get the Knicks off on the right foot in the first period, but with Chris Carroll hitting 3-of-4 free throws and Matt Wood and Ryan Errico dropping in one bucket apiece the teams were separated by just one point after eight minutes.

The Huskies snuck ahead at the start of the second period when Dan Spillane tossed in a basket off a nice feed from Wood, but Gleason answered back for the Knicks. The lead changed hands again, but when Gleason hit a baseline shot late in the second he put the Knicks ahead to stay.

The Knicks expanded their lead to seven points late in the third, but Carroll scored on a drive to the basket and Ty Runkle added another drive with 1.8 seconds left to pull the Huskies to within three points.

Although the Huskies got early fourth-period buckets from Runkle and Wood, they never got closer than two points. Gleason had back-to-back baskets to keep the Huskies at bay while Weiner hit a key basket with 1:05 left to play to give the Knicks enough of a cushion to hold on.

Wood led the Huskies with 13 points while Carroll and Runkle combined for nine more.

The Huskies advanced to the championship game following a 22-17 win over the Celtics. Wood tossed in nine points while Spillane had four blocks and Matt Janco made six steals. Runkle dished off four assists and Jim Leidlein played well. For the Celtics, Patrick Rowley and Mitch Stewart dropped in six points apiece as Tom Floros grabbed eight rebounds and Kyle Gordon made three steals.

Meanwhile, the Knicks advanced with a 41-30 win over Notre Dame in which Gleason canned 14 points. Afriyie added six points as Weiner and Otto Kerler played well. For Notre Dame, Matt White popped in 11 points and Ryan Pisani added six as Logan Puleri grabbed 11 rebounds and Grant Larnerd had a strong floor game.

INTERMEDIATE BOYS (6th)

Raptors 40, Blue Devils 37

The best efforts of Sean Elliott just weren’t enough as the top-seeded Blue Devils saw the second-seeded Raptors slip by them, 40-37, to capture the Intermediate Boys (6th Grade) Division championship.

Down 32-26 early in the fourth period, Elliott rallied the Blue Devils to a 34-32 lead with eight consecutive points on a long baseline jumper and three drives to the basket … the last coming after he made a steal at midcourt.

But that last basket came right before the four-minute substitution break and with Elliott off the floor, the Raptors went on an 8-0 run to recapture the lead and coast to the finish. Pat Riccardi scored the first two buckets to fuel the run while Myles Lobuglio and Charles Helgren added buckets of their own.

Reid Schmidt tried to bring the Devils back late, hitting a soft jumper and tossing in a free throw with 33 seconds to go, but the effort came up short.

The Raptors took the early lead in this game as Justin DeVellis scored five points in the opening stanza, but Elliott – after being knocked down and shaken up – tossed in a pair of free throws and a bucket and the period closed with things all knotted at 7-7.

Things were fairly evenly matched in the second period, but Schmidt had the momentum moving in favor of the Devils in the third as he knocked down eight points and helped put his team out on top, 26-20. But after JP Kitzmiller of the Raptors knocked down a long jumper, DeVellis scored six unanswered points to put the Raptors back out on top, 28-26, at the buzzer.

Things could have been worse, though, as DeVellis’ last-ditch three-pointer lipped out.

DeVellis – who finished with 16 points on the day – opened the final period with a bucket and Helgren added a baseline bucket to put the Raptors on top, 32-26. Elliott – who also finished with 16 points on the day – then scored his four consecutive baskets to give the Devils the lead and some hope of walking away with the title.

The Raptors had other ideas.

The finest play of the afternoon? Well, with the score tied, 34-34, Tyler Gibney of the Raptors fired a perfect fastbreak outlet pass to Helgren who quickly tossed it down to Riccardi for the go-ahead basket with a little less than three minutes remaining.

From there, the Raptors just had to hold on.

INTERMEDIATE GIRLS

Mercury 26, Knicks 25

Down eight points early in the fourth period, it appeared as if the top-seeded Mercury had little hope of toppling the second-seeded Knicks in the Intermediate Girls championship game.

Things was, the Mercury didn’t believe that for one second and ripped off a remarkable 11-0 run to stun the Knicks in front of a raucous crowd at Reed Intermediate School. What had been a 23-15 deficit had turned into a 26-23 advantage and an eventual 26-25 win.

Karen Powell started the run off an inbounds steal and Tess Murray kept it going off another steal. After Melissa Buccino dropped in a turnaround in the lane Murray dropped in a free throw to pull the Mercury to within one.

Then, with just 1:02 left to play, Buccino banked in a shot to give the Mercury its first lead since the opening period. Powell added an insurance basket with 12.2 seconds left, giving the Mercury enough cushion as Elyn Gordon closed out the game for the Knicks with a basket at the buzzer.

The Mercury took a 4-0 lead in the first period on baskets from Powell and Jane Sclafani, but after Caitlyn Gibney made a steal and banked in a layup the Knicks went off on an incredible 15-0 run that seemed to put the Knicks in complete control of the game late in the first half.

Powell dropped in a pair of buckets to stop the bleeding, but the Knicks still had a seven-point advantage at the close of the half.

Then the Mercury began to rally. Courtney Escoda canned a free throw, Sclafani dropped in a bucket on a drive, Katie McManus hit a baseline jumper and Escoda knocked down another bucket to finish off an 11-4 run to trim the Knick lead to two.

But then all that momentum dissipated.

Briefly.

Jessica Gibbons – who scored nine points in the first four minutes of the second period – opened the fourth period with a drive and a couple of free throws. Gibney added a pair of free throws, too, and the Knicks had re-established their lead at eight points.

But then all that momentum dissipated.

And it was time for the Mercury to take over.

Powell led the Mercury with 10 points while Sclafani and Buccino tossed in four points apiece. Gibbons led the Knicks – and all scorers – with 13 points while Gibney and Lia Tassinari tossed in four points apiece.

JUNIOR GIRLS

Da Bears 35, Hurricanes 26

It was a perfect ending to a perfect season.

Da Bears rolled into the playoffs after posting a 10-0 regular season record and after coasting past the Rebels, 44-22, in the semifinals they prepared to face a Hurricane team that had just knocked off the second-seeded Huskies in the semi-finals.

But whatever momentum the ‘Canes had garnered from that 26-25 win over the Huskies two days before dissipated midway through the first period as Da Bears broke open a 4-4 tie on a basket by Kelley Gaston and then eased their way to a 35-26 win.

Kelly O’Connor knocked down a couple of late baskets and Nicole Rotante dropped in one of her own and Da Bears led 12-4 at the end of the first period. Da Bears extended that lead to as much as nine points in the second period thanks to a couple of baskets from Rotante (one off a beautiful dish from Liz Eiseman) but a free throw by Katie Lago and two free throws by Tori Picerno helped pull the ‘Canes to within four at the half.

There wasn’t a lot of scoring in the third stanza, but when it was over Da Bears had extended their lead to 11 points, 27-16, thanks to a couple of baskets from Ashley Perry and some nifty defense by Emma Fiore.

Da Bears took their largest lead at the start of the fourth, 29-16, on a bucket by Fiore but the ‘Canes answered back on baskets by Casey Rutter and Casey Kearns. But Fiore, O’Connor and Katherin Lotrecchiano all scored to put Da Bears back up by 13 before the ‘Canes closed out the game on a basket by Picerno.

Fiore led Da Bears with 10 points while Gaston, O’Connor and Rotante contributed six points apiece. Rutter led the ‘Canes with eight points with Picerno tossing in four and Sara Benson adding three.

Da Bears reached the championship game following a 44-22 win over the Rebels. Gaston and O’Connor combined for 18 points while Fiore dished off six assists and Eiseman made four steals. Ally Blume played stifling defense. For the Rebels, Erin Brown poured in 18 points and Courtney Amaral dragged down 10 rebounds. Ashley Cirone dished off six assists.

The ‘Canes advanced with a thrilling 26-25 win over the Huskies. Picerno and Rutter combined for 14 points while Stephanie Perrotti fueled the best defensive showing of the season. For the Huskies, Sarah Pettinelli and Lexi Black combined for 18 points as Katie Fossum and Emily Rowe had good floor games.

JUNIOR BOYS

Gotham Gators 54, Thunder 44

Kyle McCarthy canned a basket in the early moments of the third period that appeared fairly innocuous at first, but would, in the long run, probably figure as the most important basket of the Junior Boys Division championship game between the Gotham Gators and Thunder.

The basket – McCarthy’s first of the day – came moments after Will Arndt of the Thunder dropped in a free throw to snap a 23-23 tie and it came on a drive to the rack that would, ultimately, give the Gotham Gators the lead for good.

McCarthy would score again moments later – his only other basket of the day – to help fuel a 13-2 run that put the Gators in firm command of the game enroute to a 54-44 win.

It was nip-and-tuck early as Sean Ross and Doug Brodbeck dropped in three points apiece to stake the Thunder to the 8-6, first-period lead. It remained closed in the second as there were four lead changes – Justin Brophy providing the first for the Gators off a great feed from Colin Cooper, Arndt providing the second for the Thunder, and Brophy getting involved against on a jumper just before the four-minute substitution break.

Later in the period, Cody Fischer of the Gators snapped a pair of ties with buckets and then added a short pop in the lake to stake his team to a four-point lead, but the Thunder rallied to tie on buckets from Ryan LeMay and Brodbeck (that one coming with just four second left in the half).

Yet, while the Thunder took the lead to start the third period on that free throw by Arndt, the second half belonged to the Gators, who went up as much as 14 points.

But after Fischer dropped in a pair of buckets and Matt Hoffmann added another to put the Gators up by 14 early in the fourth, the Thunder refused to lay down. Ross canned a three-pointer – the only trey of the day in any of the five championship games – and then turned a quick steal into an easy basket. Then with Arndt hitting 3-of-4 free throws and LeMay banking in a shot, the Thunder found themselves down just five with 1:35 to go.

The Gators dashed their hopes, though, with just 1:15 left to play. After Jack Kneisel dropped in a free throw, Cody Williams rebounded the miss on the second free throw attempt, canned a short basket and then added the free throw on the and-one to shock the Thunder and give the Gators a stunning and, ultimately, insurmountable nine-point lead.

Fischer – who led all scorers with 17 points – finished things off at the free throw line, canning 3-of-4 attempts. Williams finished with nine points while Cooper tossed in seven and Brophy added six. Hoffmann and Louis Raab combined for nine points. Arndt led the Thunder with 10 points as Ross added nine, Brodbeck tossed in seven and LeMay and Mike Terlaga knocked down six apiece.

The Gators advanced to the championship game by virtue of a 31-30 nailbiter over the Regulators. Fischer had eight points and 15 rebounds while Kneisel made four steals, Williams had six points and eight rebounds, Raab grabbed six boards and Cooper grabbed four boards while knocking down five points. For the Regulators, Sam Kerr poured in a game-high 20 points as Peter Kearns grabbed five rebounds.

The Thunder advanced following a 37-34 win over the Vipers in which Ross canned 15 points while Arndt added eight points, four steals and nine rebounds. LeMay played well. For the Vipers, RJ Roman popped in 10 points while Jimmy Mooney had three steals and 10 rebounds.

REGULAR SEASON

IN-HOUSE

Bantam Boys

Knicks 50, Warriors 41 – Stephen Grasso tossed in 14 points and Andrew King added four points and four rebounds to lead the Knicks to the win. Troy Frangione, Trevor Lopez and Jacob Burden played well. For the Warriors, Nick Roche poured in 22 points as Sam McCafferty and Curtis Giles had solid games.

Heat 20, Killer Bees 16 – Joseph Santella and David Matthews popped in six points apiece to lead the Heat. Jon Respenda, Tom Rahr and Rob McCabe played well. For the Bees, Wiley Zahansky tossed in eight points as Nate Dowd, Jared Tenenbaum and Jory Carrino played well.

Wildcats 24, Thunder 15 – Patrick Berger dropped in nine points to lead the Wildcats past the Thunder. Albert Dean made three steals and Harry Depuy grabbed four rebounds. Colin Reilly had a nice floor game. For the Thunder, David Corsi and Sawyer Conrad combined for 10 points while Nick Rosario, Jeff DePinto and Aiden Petershack had nice games.

Rockets 24, Raptors 15 – Connor Roche tossed in nine points and Michael Cirone dragged down nine rebounds to lead the Rockets to the win. Max Rucinski dished off four assists and Logan Walsh played well. For the Raptors, Julian Dunn canned eight points and Marc Dowling added four while Anthony Vournazos, CJ Dunn and Eric Cascone (5 rebounds) had strong efforts.

Huskies 25, Nighthawks 25 – Nick Cirone and Bryce Decker combined for 13 points as the Huskies drew event with the Nighthawks. Jared Brady and Ryan Szalay played well. For the ‘Hawks, Jeremy Doski and Jared DeVellis combined for 17 points as Jeremy Fellin made four steals and Dustin Huffman grabbed four rebounds.

Midget Boys

Flames versus Blizzard – James Barry, Nicholas Bourgeois, James Carney and RH Clark led the Flames while Connor Barrett, Chance McMahon, Matthew Guinee and Jake Lapp powered the Blizzard.

Knicks versus Orange Crush – Henry Primavera, Jack Moulder, Patrick Heinlein and Bobby Haskins had strong efforts for the Knicks as William Gottschalk, Bradley Capeci, Jacob Meenan and Tim Cevera played well for the Crush.

Yellow Lightning versus Nighthawks – Jared Pearson, Michael Cabral, Jacob Steinebrey and Cole Terry played well for the Lightning as Justin Hall, Kieran Lynch, Adam Manes and Matthew Frazzetta anchored the Nighthawks.

Exterminators versus Chargers – Will LeMay, Andrew Lee, Justin Ciccarelli and Tim Jaeger had solid performances for the Exterminators as Chad Azzarito, Lucas LaDestro, Thomas Leuci and Will Whitlock played well for the Chargers.

Vipers versus Green Goblins – Hunter Booker, Andrew Drap, Brian Kiley and Evan Eggleston played well for the Vipers while Matt Elias, Jack Procaccini, Kyle Haas and Dylan Cortese powered the Goblins.

Timberwolves versus Green Pythons – Graham Dowd, Gavin Stubbs, Austin Carfi and Grant Varnum led the T-Wolves as the Pythons got nice games from Thomas Addessi, Sam Czel, Nate Wutzke and Jack Riley.

Huskies versus Blue Jays – James Accousti, Michael Meyer, Brandon Johnson and Joe Accousti anchored the Huskies as Devin Luzietti, Nathan Malota, Zach Anderson and Matthew Ingwersen played well for the Jays.

Sharks versus Purple Bandits – Tom Kitzmiller, Max Weber, Adam Weber and Quinlan Hart led the Sharks while the Bandits were paced by Austin LeBlanc, Brian Gallagher, Jimmy Craig and Austin Engler.