caption:
DJ Dormu. Photo by Thomas Netzer


Travis Upchurch has turned some heads of late at Putnam Science Academy, but not just because people were watching the uber-quick guard blow past them on the basketball court. It’s actually for something quite different but also makes him even quicker in the process.
Upchurch, who was an end-of-the-bench player on the national champion Prep team last year and is with the Elite team this season, has added a jumpshot to his offensive repertoire that defenders must respect. And when they get too close, he’s gone to the rim.
“Anyone with some type of dynamic athleticism, the opposing team always has to guard against that biggest strength first,” said PSA Elite coach John Cavaliere. “Travis is probably the fastest kid on any floor any time he plays. There aren’t many who, full sprint, are as fast as Trav. So teams have to give him space, which means that jumpshot is everything. When he hits that jumper and teams have to guard him, he knows he can get by and get whatever he wants.”
Last Wednesday, he had 27 points coming from all three levels (including four 3-pointers) in a thrilling 115-107 overtime victory over Our Savior Lutheran.
In a wild game that saw both teams hold double-digit leads, PSA nearly won it at the buzzer of regulation, but Jalen Claude’s desperation 3-pointer clanged off the back of the rim. So it went to overtime tied at 92. After OSL took a 95-94 lead, PSA went on a 9-0 run capped by Claude’s 3 from the left corner with 2:28 to play. Yhali Steinhauer scored 12 of his 26 points in overtime of that win.
Upchurch followed up the next night with a team-high 20 points in a 72-60 road win over South Kent. Included in those 20 points were six-of-eight free throws in the second half, including his final four to seal the victory.
“All last year, and throughout the summer, I had a workout with my dad where I’d just form shoot, strictly form shoot for about 30 minutes every day,” Upchurch said. “That helped a lot, just getting shots up. It took a good, hard-working two-and-a-half or three weeks before it felt comfortable. But I got my work in, started getting in a groove, and now it makes me an offensive threat.”
Claude added 16 points, Thierry Lokrou had 15, and Pop Wadang finished with 10 for the Mustangs.
The boys’ Prep team, ranked No. 3 in the country, went 3-0 last week, including a 72-68 road win over No. 4 South Kent Thursday. Darryl Simmons had yet another huge game against some of the best competition in the country, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and zero turnovers to lead PSA to the thrilling victory.
Mouhamed Dioubate played a big game as well, ending with 24 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal.
PSA then beat Lee Academy 90-63 Friday night behind 13 points and 11 rebounds from Ben Ahmed, and 14 points apiece from DJ Dormu and Baye Ndongo
The Mustangs capped their week with a 79-70 victory against Newman School, getting 17 points and 14 rebounds from Dioubate, and 11 points apiece from Simmons, Miles Rose, and Blake Barkley.
The boys’ Varsity team beat Plainfield 62-23 Wednesday, led by Mario Espinoza, who scored a game-high 14 points, and Martin Poliuchovic and Michael Olorunsola, who both finished with nine points. PSA lost last Monday, 79-73 to Fisher College, despite a career-high 25 points for Erick Aponte. Olorunsola scored 16 points, and Poliuchovic and Shane Sebastian-Smalls both finished with 12 for the Mustangs, who made a late run to get themselves in it at the end.
The girls Select team lost both of its games last week, 60-46 at Hoosac and 81-56 at Busche Academy. Zuzanna Komor had 14 points, Hailey Johnson 13, and Kayani Jackson 11 against Hoosac. Astou Ndiaye had a team-leading 19 points, and Komor finished with 18 for the Mustangs against Busche.
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

.
 

Honored
Woodstock Academy senior Morgan Bonin, accompanied by coach Adam Bottone, was honored last week as a Class L first team All-State volleyball player by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association. Woodstock Academy photo.

.
 

captions, from left:
Goryanova
Grant. Twin Vizuals photos
Wedemeyer

The brackets are set, the matchups are made. All that’s left is to win four straight games.
That’s the task facing Putnam Science Academy’s girls’ Prep basketball team as it heads to North Carolina for the Independent School National Tournament this weekend. Win four in a row and return national champions.
“It’s a tough bracket,” Mustangs coach Devin Hill said, “but that’s what’s to be expected. Everyone who played big minutes last year are back. And those who weren’t there last year have played in a bunch of big games, so you know, you hope we’ll be OK.”
PSA opens with Legion Collegiate of South Carolina in the first round, at 4:10 p.m. Feb. 17 in Mooresville, N.C. The winners’ side of the schedule would have the Mustangs playing again Saturday at 2 p.m., then again Saturday at 7:20 p.m. in the Final Four, then finally Sunday at 1:40 for the championship.
“This is what we’ve been talking about all year,” said point guard and leading scorer Ines Goryanova. “We were really disappointed in how we finished last year, and this has been our focus since we got back to campus. Since before that, really. We talked last year on the ride home about going back and winning it this year. I like our team, I like our chances, of course. We have to play well, but it helps that we’re finally healthy and have Sophia back.”
Sophia is Sophia Fontaine, the Mustangs’ most accomplished post player who has been in and out of the lineup this year with injuries. But she is healthy now, having returned to practice a week ago, and she is a difference-maker.
The Stetson University-bound Fontaine, a postgrad in her first year at PSA, is a terrific defensive rebounder, and as an older player provides a calming presence. And for a PSA team that is heavily reliant on its 3-point shooting, her physical presence in the post gives the Mustangs something different to look for.
“That’s why I’m so big on Sophia getting back,” Hill said. “We try to make it a point of emphasis to get paint touches and then kick it out. She gives us someone to throw it to on offense to get some points inside and collapse the defense so we don’t go so much into swing, swing, swing, shoot a 3. She gives us the ability to deliberately get the ball inside and play off of her in that way. She may not get 15 shots attempts, but she could surely get 10. She gives us a different look and changes the way we do things.
“But hopefully we’ll be hot this weekend too and make all our 3s.”
The Mustangs are actually a young team, as three of their top four scorers – Goryanova, Janeya Grant, and KC Cedano – will all be back next year. They’re also experienced, as Goryanova, Grant, Genevive Wedemeyer, Jada Mills, and Astou Ndiaye were all on last year’s team that finished fourth in this tournament.
“Ines was good last year in the tournament, but she wasn’t her best. Janeya was good and definitely had some big moments, but she wasn’t her best either,” Hill said. “Gen has gotten so much better than last year, and she had some big moments too last year. You never know who it’s going to be. Last year, it was Paris (Kirk), and she didn’t have the kind of regular season she wanted. So it could be any of them. That’s the beauty of it.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy

..