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Goes In
Centaurs’ sophomore Ethan Davis goes in for a shot in the paint against Killingly’s Ethan Preston. Photo by Marc Allard.
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Play a game. Take a week off.
Such has been the scenario for the Woodstock Academy Centaurs boys’ basketball team and, so far, it hasn’t helped.
“It’s been difficult to get momentum on the season simply because of the late start and the holidays which is great for time off, but (it’s tough) to string together practices with everybody there, present and healthy, and get everybody on the same page,” said Centaurs coach Marty Hart.
With an essentially completely new varsity team outside of one returning varsity player in Aidan Morin, finding that chemistry is a vital ingredient.
It’s clear the Centaurs need to work on that a little more.
The Centaurs played only their second game of the season Dec. 27 and lost to Killingly, 54-32.
Woodstock Academy is 0-2 on the season.
It wasn’t only that the shots weren’t falling for the Centaurs; they just simply were not going up.
Woodstock Academy took only 19 shots in the first half against Killingly.
The Centaurs made only four of them.
“We got lost in ball movement without the efficiency,” Hart said. “It was painful from where I sat and where people were. You turned and saw people open, but we weren’t passing with a purpose. We have to execute our plays rather than just try to run them. Five guys running a play and one thing goes awry and everybody suffers. We’re going to tighten up that area, get more repetition. It’s a different speed, a different level of physicality.”
Despite the lack of scoring, the Centaurs hung with Killingly (1-2) for much of the first half.
Logan Talbot (11 points) hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter and Morin added a basket to briefly give the Centaurs a 5-1 lead.
Killingly tied it by the end of the quarter and scored the first seven points of the second quarter.
But a pair of Talbot 3-pointers and two free throws by the junior brought Woodstock Academy back within one, 14-13, with 1:40 left to play in the half.
Killingly, however, wasn’t done.
It reeled off the next nine points, five by Shayne Bigelow (20 points), and Killingly led at the half, 23-13.
A three-point play by sophomore Ethan Davis and a Morin basket just 3:17 into the second half brought the Centaurs within seven, 25-18.
But Jay Grzysiewicz (14 points) and Bigelow hit consecutive 3-pointers for Killingly to go back up by double digits.
Morin, who led the Centaurs with 13 points, countered with five of his own.
Killingly scored the final four points of the third quarter and the first eight of the fourth and led by double digits the remainder of the way.
The Centaurs finished 12-for-41 from the field (29 percent) and made just 4-of-14 from the free throw line.
“A lot of guys got opportunities, but we’re still evaluating. We’re looking at just the second varsity game for a number of those players, and we’re trying to find our way,” Hart said. “As a coach, I have to do a better of job of helping to prepare them. Success happens when preparation meets opportunity. We had the opportunity (Friday), we just weren’t prepared. We’re young. We’re not going to give up. We’re going to keep working at it.”
The Centaurs were also outrebounded by Killingly.
Davis led Woodstock Academy with seven rebounds.
“We got pushed around here by some players who were working a little harder. I wouldn’t say our guys don’t work hard, but we need to play a little smarter, in addition to harder, so that we can execute and recognize when we really have to get after blocking out people,” Hart said.
The Centaurs next take the floor after the New Year.
They host Bacon Academy at 7 p.m. Jan. 2 in their home opener.
Marc Allard
Director of Sports Information
The Woodstock Academy
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