Basketball Wrap-up

Clipper 

Classic takes

place on ‘new’ center stage

By Ron P. Coderre

The boys’ and girls’ Clipper Holiday Classic sponsored by CNB a Division of ESB has been a Christmas week treat for local high school hoop fans for more than a decade.  This year the fan-favorite event, which features local high school teams, has an added feature.  For the first time in its exciting history the holiday tourney will take place somewhere other than the “old” Putnam High School gymnasium.

Gone forever, except for the memories (see Ramblings Points & Comments 12/17/2015), the “old” gym is now something of the past, a locale to recount stories when sitting around sipping a few cold brews.  The Clipper Holiday Classic for the first time will remake history as its being held in the “new” Putnam High School gym.

The event got under way with the girls competing in a matinee performance featuring Killingly versus Tourtellotte and Putnam squaring off against Windham Teach.  In the evening soiree, the Killingly men faced Tourtellotte and Putnam hosted Ellis Tech.  The consolation and championship contest were played on Monday, December 28 (too late for this edition). 

The remainder of the week witnessed only a slim schedule of games in both boys and girls action.

Tourtellotte Presents Coach

 Bernier with Long-Awaited 

Christmas Present

The highlight of the start of the 2015-2016 boys’ basketball season was a pair of convincing victories posted by the Tourtellotte Tigers.  Last season Neil Bernier took over a depleted team left by the departure of Tony Falzarano.  In his initial season as a head coach Bernier’s Tigers went through a 20 game schedule without a victory.

This season, Tourtellotte opened with two wins over technical school foes.  The Tigers posted an opening-game 72-45 victory over Ellis Tech, much to the delight of the home crowd.  A huge 28-point second quarter propelled the Tigers to a 39-18 lead as the team rolled to its first win in more than a year.  

The Tigers were led by game high-scorer Evan Ware who posted 21 points.  He was joined in double figures by Simon Silvia with 13.  The Techsters were paced by Trent Raymond and Nick Cummings, each with a dozen points.

Tourtellotte followed up with another win, this time against Grasso Tech 54-38 in a game played in the Tigers’ Den.  The victory was a team effort as Bernier’s boys placed 10 players in the scorebook led by the only player in double figures Kyle Brule with 11 markers.

In the opening game of the Clipper Holiday Classic the Tigers were unable to hang on as they dropped their first game of the season, a 49-38 decision at the hands of the Killingly Redmen.  As is noted in Isaiah 11:16 “And a child will lead them,” Killingly was led by its only player in double figures, freshman Luke Desaulnier who tossed in 19 points.  Ware had 10 points for the 2-1 Tourtellotte Tigers.  The victory leveled Killingly’s record at 1-1.

In the nightcap of the Classic, Putnam easily outdistanced Ellis Tech 73-42.  This was the Clippers first game in the “new” gym and will forever be recorded in the basketball history annals of Putnam High School.  

The Clippers were led by the sterling shooting performance of Dan Porcic who poured in a game home 32 points.  Putnam placed nine scorers on the board with Zach Evans, 13 points, the only other double-digit producer.  He had three baskets from three-point range.

Ellis Tech’s Raymond had 23 of Eagle’s 42 points.  The charges of coach Dan Piccione have yet to win a game this season as they are 0-3.    

Woodstock Academy under new coach Aaron Patterson opened with a 63-61 overtime victory over St. Bernard in a game played in Uncasville.  The Centaurs and Saints ended regulation knotted at 51-51 before Woodstock outscored the hosts 10-8 in the extra frame.  Sam Majek led the Centaurs with 18 points, followed by Nick Short with 16 and Quinn Stevenson with 10.

Plainfield dropped to 1-1 on the season after losing 57-48 to New London.  Lanky Liam Jacobs was high man for the Panthers with 15 points.  Killingly disappointed in its opener, falling heavily 71-30 at the hands of the Waterford Lancers.  

Putnam Ladies Open Season on Perfect Note

The Putnam Lady Clippers continued their opening season winning streak, beating Norwich Tech 44-19 as they rolled into the Clipper Holiday Classic at 3-0.  Putnam was paced by the trio of Alyssa Espinosa (13 points), and Ashley Burke and Maria Fredette with 10 points apiece.

The streak however came to abrupt end in the Classic as the Lady Clippers fell 45-41 to Windham Tech in a loss that was measured as a big disappointment.  Putnam led 31-27 after three quarters but the defense fell apart in the final stanza.  The Lady Clippers were outscored 18-10 by the Lady Techsters as they watched defeat being snatched from the hands of victory.

Espinosa with 12 points was Putnam’s leading scorer.  She was joined in double figures by Fredette with 11 points.  Putnam is now 3-1 on the season.

Woodstock, after falling in its first two games, presented first-year head coach Will Fleeton with his first win, a 49-20 romp over St. Bernard.  Jamie Woods with 11 points led nine Woodstock scorers in the team effort.  Freshman Ari Koivisto chipped in nine points for the 1-2 Centaurs.

Ellis Tech picked up its first win of the season beating Grasso Tech 46-13.  Kirstin Light captured game-high honors with 15 points followed by Hayley Evans with 10.  Earlier in the week, the Lady Eagles lost 41-16 to Cheney Tech.  Ellis Tech is 1-2 in the early going.

Killingly after opening the season with a victory lost its second game in a row when the Redgals were defeated by Waterford 52-40.  Morgan LeSage had 11 points for Killingly in the loss.

The Redgals righted the ship in the opener of the Clipper Holiday Classic, defeating winless Tourtellotte 46-33.  Killingly was led by Megan Bianchi with 12 points and LeSage who chipped in 10.  The Redgals are 2-2, while Tourtellotte falls to 0-3.  The Lady Tigers were led by a pair of 10 point scorers, Katey Kwasniewski and Lauren Ramos.  

Plainfield lost its first game of the year after posting a pair of season-opening victories.  The Lady Panthers were beaten 71-40 by New London despite 18 points by Julie Jordan.

 

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