Sixth-Grade Travel Team Second In Tourney

Newtown Gold, the sixth grade boys’ basketball team, was second in the 21st Annual Charlie Rome Basketball Tournament in East Haven, this past week. Game highlights are as follows:

Newtown Gold 39, East Lyme 22: Newtown Gold broke out from a tie at halftime behind the shooting of Colin McCafferty and Connery Mayer, each of whom netted eight points. Newtown’s point guards McCafferty and Austin Engler did a good job of handling pressure from East Lyme’s outstanding guards.

Newtown Gold 40, East Haven 38: After trailing for most of the game, Newtown’s late defensive play was the turning point as Thomas Cotton, Sam Grossano, and Connery Mayer all came up with defensive gems late in the fourth quarter. Second half comebacks were a theme throughout the tournament.

Newtown Gold 38, North Haven 33: Hayes Kelchner scored 24 points for Newtown, Jason Hebner and Colby Olson did great jobs of breaking North Haven’s suffocating pressure defense, and applied a full-court press of their own to capitalize with unanswered runs of six and eight points for the victory.

North Haven 33, Newtown Gold 29 (finals): Scoring by Gavin Stubbs (10 points) and Michael Liberante (eight points) led Newtown back from a 25-8 deficit at halftime in a rematch of the semifinal game.  Epic defense by Hayes Kelchner (10 blocks) resembled a soccer goalkeeper, but runner-up Newtown’s late rally was halted by a strong North Haven champion team.