Hot-shooting Giacomo Volpicelli scored 28 second-half points and finished with 33 on the night, and teammate Jimmy McGoey had 22 points and 16 rebounds to lead Haddam-Killingworth to an 81-70 Shoreline Conference win over North Branford on Friday.
Volpicelli hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter and had 18 of the team’s 30 points in the period as the host Cougars built a 62-48 lead heading to the fourth.
“Big night,” H-K coach Jim Abbott said.
Volpicelli finished with eight of the team’s 10 threes and McGoey, a junior forward, scored 17 points in the first half to help keep the Cougars close.
The Cougars (7-9) continued their surge toward the postseason with their third consecutive win this week. It started with a 63-62 win over St. Paul Catholic and continued with a double-overtime victory over Shoreline foe Coginchaug, and now
Alec Erskine had 7 points and 12 assists for the Cougars, who need to beat one of their final four opponents – Cromwell, SMSA, Westbrook (H-K’s only home game) or East Hampton – to get into the state tournament.
Mike Sitro led North Branford (6-10) with 29 points.
NORTH BRANFORD (70)
Mike Sitro 11 6-6 29, Bret Fee 5 0-1 10, Trev Holzer 4 1-2 13, Josh Brigido 3 2-2 11, Blake Pearson 1 0-2 3, Dom Scalia 2 0-0 4, Jon Onofrio 0 0-1 0. Totals: 26 9-14 70.
H-K (81)
Alec Erskine 2 3-4 7, Jimmy McGoey 10 2-2 22, Sam Erskine 2 0-0 5, Mason Gorham 2 2-2 6, Giacomo Volpicelli 11 3-4 33, Evan Fleig 1 0-0 2, Tony Giambanis 1 0-0 3, Trey Callendar 1 1-2 3. Totals: 30 11-14 81.
Score By Quarters
NB 19 15 14 22–70
HK 19 13 30 19—81
3-Pointers: NB—Holzer 4, Brigido 3, Sitro 1, Pearson 1; HK—Volpicelli 8, S. Erskine 1, Giambanis 1.
In other action on Friday:
Valley Regional 60, Coginchaug 43
DEEP RIVER – Jake Grow scored 18 points, all on 3-pointers, and Chris Sparaco had 14 points and 13 rebounds in Valley’s 14th straight win.
Cade Ensinger dished out 10 assists for the Warriors and Gavin Grabowski had 9 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.
Justin Penney led Coginchaug with 23 points.
COGINCHAUG (43)
Justin Penney 5 9-16 23, Chris Onofrio 3 1-6 9, Hugh Barrett 1 0-2 3, Derek Grant 1 1-2 4, Jeremy Margenelli 1 0-1 2, Tyler Garrettson 0 2-2 2. Totals: 11 13-29 43.
VALLEY REGIONAL (60)
Jake Grow 6 0-0 18, Gavin Grabowski 4 0-3 9, Dylan Sparaco 1 0-0 2, JT Dickson 3 0-2 6, Chris Sparaco 7 0-2 14, Cade Ensinger 2 0-0 5, John Tibbetts 2 1-2 6. Totals: 25 1-9 60.
3-Pointers: C—Penney 4, Onofrio 2, Barrett 1, Grant 1; VR—Grow 6, Ensinger, Tibbetts, Grabowski.
Records: Valley 15-3, Coginchaug 3-14.
Next Games
- Coginchaug hosts North Branford, Tuesday, 7pm
- Valley hosts Morgan, Tuesday, 7pm
Morgan 55, Cromwell 40
CLINTON — Zach Johnson scored 18 points and Rob Zirlis added 14 in the Huskies’ Shoreline Conference win over the Panthers.
James Grodzicki led three Cromwell players in double figures with 16 points.
CROMWELL (40)
Tyler Baldwin 0 2 2, James Grodzicki 6 4 16, Nick Polizonis 3 2 10, Justin Valentin 4 1 11, Michael Morgan 0 1 1. Totals: 13 10 40.
MORGAN (55)
Zach Johnson 4 8 18, Jason Cohen 2 2 7, Alex Fratamico 0 0 0, Rob Zirlis 6 2 14, Connor Duffy 3 0 6, Drew Nye 2 0 4, Cam Carlson 2 0 6. Totals: 19 12 55.
Score By Quarters
C 9 4 18 9–40
M 8 15 10 22–55
3-Pointers: C–Polizonis 2, Valentin 2; M–Johnson 2, Carlson 2, Cohen 1.
Records: Cromwell 10-7, Morgan 12-5.
Next Games
- Cromwell hosts H-K, Tuesday, 7pm
- Morgan at Valley Regional, Tuesday, 7pm
Westbrook 65, Hale-Ray 59
WESTBROOK — Jack Naccarato was 9 of 10 from the free-throw line and finished with 32 points as Westbrook knocked off Hale-Ray in Shoreline play.
Brenden Engels scored 12 points for the Purple Knights (7-9), who needed one more win to qualify for the state tournament.
Zak Cunningham led Hale-Ray (9-7) with 19 points and Antonio Dadario scored 13.
Next Games
- Hale-Ray at Old Lyme, Tuesday, 7pm
- Westbrook at Whitney Tech, Tuesday, 7pm
Girls Basketball
Middletown 57, Maloney 29
MIDDLETOWN – Ten Blue Dragons broke into the scoring column, with Shadae Bushay’s 18 points leading the way in a CCC South win over Maloney.
Tyah Pettaway added 12 points for Middletown (6-3 CCC South, 9-10 overall). The Blue Dragons wrap up the regular season with Senior Night on Monday. The festivities begin at 5:50pm, with a 6pm tip against Lewis Mills.
MALONEY (29)
Liv Aitken 3-1-9; Haley Lespier 2-0-4; Abby Lespier 2-0-4; Gracey Massicotte 3-0-8; Courtney Ubaike 0-2-2; Haley Kennedy 1-0-2. Totals: 11-3-29.
MIDDLETOWN (57)
Azra Cecunjanim 2-0-4; Jenaya Salafia 2-2-6; India Weston 2-1-5; Alexa Desena 1-0-2; Aysia Henderson 2-0-4; Tyah Pettaway 6-0-12; Olivia Vaughters 1-0-2; Jada Bryant 1-0-2; Shadae Bushay 9-0-18; Khamari Johnson 1-0-2. Totals: 27-3-57.
Score By Quarters
Ma 3 11 6 9—29
Mi 11 16 14 16—57
3-Pointers: Ma—Aitken 2, Massicotte 2.
Portland 48, Old Saybrook 26
PORTLAND – Ava Hurley led the Highlanders with 17 points and Carly Graves chipped in with 11 in their Shoreline win over the Rams.
OLD SAYBROOK (26)
Kayla Holt 2 2-2 6, Beldina Feratovic 0 3-10 3, Taylor Stone 2 1-2 5, Taylor Cote 2 1-5 5, Abby Bergeron 1 0-0 3, Jenny Tully 1 2-2 4. Totals: 7 7-16 26.
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PORTLAND (48)
Maddie Brunk 0 0-2 0, Olivia Doering 2 0-0 5, Ava Hurley 7 1-1 17, Carly Graves 3 2-2 11, Morgan Lasky 3 1-3 7, Sam Lasky 3 0-0 6, Leah May 1 0-0 2. Totals: 19 4-8 48.
Score By Quarters
OS 9 4 0 13—26
P 13 12 16 7—48
3-Pointers: OS—Bergeron 1; P—Graves 3, Hurley 2, Doering 1.
Records: Portland 11-8, Old Saybrook 2-17.
Next Games
- Portland hosts Old Lyme, Wednesday, 7pm
- Old Saybrook hosts East Hampton, Monday, 6pm