There’s never a dull night in the Shoreline Conference, especially during basketball season.
Morgan senior forward Alex Fratamico hit a fallaway shot just as the buzzer sounded Friday night to lift the Huskies to a 51-50 road victory win over Portland.
Fratamico’s winning bucket from 10 feet was somewhat ironic considering the Huskies, who are usually a good shooting team, struggled from the outside and finished without even one 3-pointer.
“There was no doubt in my mind it was going in,” Morgan coach Frank Rossi said after his squad won for the seventh time in eight games following a 1-3 start and improved to 8-4. “We were so cold from the floor. We had some pretty good shots, we were just cold offensively.”
The Huskies battled back from a five-point deficit with four minutes left behind their defense and two late baskets by Connor Duffy, with both set up by Drew Nye, to cut the deficit to 50-49 in the final half-minute.
The Huskies called timeout and set up a play to trap the Highlanders into a turnover, but Harrison Collins was fouled and went to the line for a one-and-one with 14.3 seconds left.
With his teammates at the other end ready to defend, Collins — who was 6 of 6 from the free-throw line already — missed the front end. Fratamico rebounded and pushed it up-court.
“If Collins made both we were going to call a timeout,” Rossi said. “When Alex got the rebound, he actually looked up at me. The ball was in the hands of my best player with 14 seconds to go and I was going to let him make a play. I put my hands in my pockets and thought, ‘Let the kids figure this out.'”
Fratamico got to the top of the 3-point line, passed off and got the ball back on the arc as the clock wound down. He dribbled in to his left, spun at the edge of the lane, and with two defenders draped on him, fell away from inside the foul line just before the horn sounded.
“There’s always a little luck involved,” Rossi said. “We did not make a single jump shot until then. Alex’s might have been the deepest shot we made all night.”
Rossi utilized a defensive lineup in the game’s final minutes and praised his players, including Cam Johnson, for holding Portland to one field goal and five points total during that stretch.
Fratamico led Morgan with 20 points, Duffey had 12 point and Nye finished with 10. The Huskies have won four straight heading into a games against East Hampton on Tuesday and unbeaten Cromwell on Friday.
Eli Evison led the Highlanders with 20 points and Collins contributed 14.
MORGAN (8-4)
Drew Nye 4 2-4 10, Cooper Galdenzi 1 1-2 3, Tim McComiskey 0 0-0 0, Alex Fratamico 8 4-5 20, Connor Duffy 5 0-0 12, Cam Johnson 2 0-0 4, Eddie Dwake 1 0-0 2. Totals: 22 7-11 51.
PORTLAND (7-6)
Joe Rusczyk 2 0-0 5, Harrison Collins 4 6-7 14, Jake Thompson 3 0-0 9, Eli Evison 8 2-2 20, Ryan Kerr 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 8-9 50.
Score By Quarters
Morgan…..15 13 12 11-51
Portland….18 9 9 14–50
3-pointers: Portland–Thompson 3, Evison 2, Rusczyk 1.
Up next: Morgan vs. East Hampton, Tuesday, 7; Portland at Westbrook, Tuesday, 7.
Elsewhere around the county on Friday:
East Hampton 73, Old Lyme 47
OLD LYME (4-8)
Nick Cox 2 0 5, John Almy 6 0 16, Jacob Ritchie 1 0 2, Frank Sablone 1 0 2, Sam Mullaney 1 0 2, Casey Hartgen 1 0 3, Caden Monte 3 1 7, Calvin Monte 5 0 10, Mav Swaney 0 0 0, Reese Maguire 0 0 0. Totals: 20 1 47.
EAST HAMPTON (8-4)
Brady Lynch 7 1 18, Connor Michalowski 0 0 0, Nick Chunko 0 0 0, Drew DiStefano 6 0 16, Jacob Karrenberg 1 0 2, Jye Lynch 5 3 13, Jack Blakey 5 1 11, Nate Ireland 6 1 13. Totals: 30 6 73.
Score By Quarters
East Hampton….20 29 14 10–73
Old Lyme………….9 17 10 11-47
3-pointers: Old Lyme–Almy 4, Hartgen 1, Cox 1; East Hampton–DiStefano 4, B. Lynch 3.
Of note: Jake Blakey had a double-double with 10 rebounds and 11 points.
Up next: East Hampton at Morgan, Tuesday, 7; Old Lyme at Coginchaug, Tuesday, 7.
Old Saybrook 52, Haddam-Killingworth 43
OLD SAYBROOK (7-4)
Wes Nobile 1 0-0 2, Riley Lawson 5 2-4 12, Ryan Stratton 5 1-2 13, Auggie Albert 2 0-2 4, Aaron Tolve 5 2-2 15, Ajdin Cecunjanin 2 0-1 4, Jake Butler 1 0-0 2, Gene Sylpha 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 5-10 52.
H-K (0-12)
Joe Giaccone 1 4-6 7, Adam Alonzo 2 0-0 4, Lucas Kamoen 2 0-0 4, Blake Kamoen 0 1-2 1, Tate Callender 8 1-1 18, Callen Powers 4 1-2 11, Andrew Crayton 0 0-0 0, Tyler Perry 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 7-11 43.
Score By Quarters
Old Saybrook..15 11 18 8–52
H-K……………..12 7 11 13–43
3-pointers: H-K–Powers 2, Callender 1, Giaccone 1; Old Saybrook–Tolve 3, Stratton 2.
Up next: Old Saybrook vs. Hale-Ray, Tuesday, 7; H-K at Cromwell, Tuesday, 7.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
East Hampton 42, Old Lyme 39 (OT)
EAST HAMPTON (12-1)
Amber Murphy 1 0 2, Liana Salamone 10 5 25, Delaney Russell 1 1 3, Jackie Russell 4 2 12, Jordan Murphy 0 0 0. Totals: 16 8 42.
OLD LYME (6-6)
Ava Roth 3 0 6, Kate Walsh 3 0 7, Ali Kyle 2 0 5, Alexis Fenton 3 3 10, Megan Loflin 3 5 11, Melanie Warren 0 0 0. Totals: 14 8 39.
Score By Quarters
East Hampton…7 7 9 13 6–42
Old Lyme………..9 9 6 12 3–39
3-pointers: East Hampton–J. Russell 2; Old Lyme–Walsh 1, Kyle 1, Fenton 1.
Of note: Loflin had a double-double with 16 boards and 11 points.
Up next: Old Lyme vs. Coginchaug, Monday, 7; East Hampton vs. Morgan, Tuesday, 7.
Middletown 47, Conard 26
MIDDLETOWN (11-2)
Shalyn Smith 2 0 5, Jada Bryant 3 1 7, Alexa DeSena 1 0 2, Tyah Pettaway 8 0 17, Tajahnae Brock 1 0 2, Shadae Bushay 7 0 14, Jahne Carrenard 0 0 0, Kaila Torres 0 0 0, Bryonna Bell 0 0 0, Ava Studinski 0 0 0, Cadence Manning 0 0 0. Totals: 22 1 47.
CONARD (7-7)
Callie Cosgrove 5 2 13, Emily Knowles 1 1 3, Tatiana Harrison 1 0 2, Sophia Lynch 1 0 2, Courtney McPhee 2 1 6. Totals: 10 4 26.
Score By Quarters
Middletown…14 10 8 15–47
Conard………..3 9 4 10–26
3-pointers: Middletown–Smith 1, Pettaway 1; Conard–Cosgrove 1, McPhee 1.
Up next: Middletown at Plainville, Tuesday, 6:45.
Haddam-Killingworth 45, Old Saybrook 38
H-K (4-8)
Kaleigh Bodak 11 8-12 30, Julia Favalora 2 0-0 4, Audra Yazmer 1 2-2 4, Ella Commerford 1 0-2 2, Ava Ramino 2 1-2 5, Ana Garcia 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 11-18 45.
OLD SAYBROOK (2-10)
Breleigh Cooke 4 2-4 12, Alex Ling 1 2-2 5, Nora Kulmann 1 0-0 2, Beldina Feratovic 3 2-4 8, Sophia Barker 3 2-3 8, Ella Hegelston 1 0-0 3. Totals: 13 8-13 38.
Score By Quarters
Haddam-Kill…..8 13 14 10–45
Old Saybrook…12 0 12 14–38
3-pointers: Old Saybrook–Cooke 2, Ling 1, Hegelston 1.
Of note: Bodak had a career-high night in points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Cougars; Favalora dished 7 assists and the team forced 19 turnovers, totaling 16 steals.
Up next: H-K vs. Morgan, Monday, 7; Old Saybrook at Hale-Ray, Tuesday, 7.
Cromwell 69, Hale-Ray 19
HALE-RAY (0-10)
Kayla Bartolotta 0 0-0 0, Julie Anderson 0 0-0 0, Kenzie Purdell 2 0-0 5, Gabby Aguilera 0 0-0 0, Brooke Praskievicz 2 3-4 7, Mackenzie Albert 1 0-0 2, Jennafaye Haentjens 0 0-0 0, Bridget Kennedy 1 1-3 3. Totals: 6 6-9 19.
CROMWELL (9-1)
Grace Mikan 1 0-0 3, Cameryn Hickey 4 1-2 10, Jessica Grodzicki 9 0-0 20, Nevaeh Clark 2 0-0 4, Adela Cecunjanin 7 2-4 16, Kayla Nappi 2 1-1 5, Hope Greaves 4 0-0 8, Sophia Santangelo 0 0-0 0, Abigail Burgess 1 0-0 3, Leah Pepe 0 0-0 0, Annika Peters 0 0-0 0. Totals: 30 4-7 69.
Score By Quarters
Hale-Ray…….0 6 1 12–19
Cromwell…..24 17 19 9–69
3-pointers: Hale-Ray–Purdell 1; Cromwell–Grodzicki 2, Mikan 1, Hickey 1, Burgess 1.
Of note: Purdell grabbed 9 rebounds and Praskievicz 5 for the Noises; Clark had a team-high 10 rebounds for the Panthers; Cecunjanin had 7 rebounds and 5 assists to go with 16 points.
Up next: Cromwell vs. No. 1 Newington, Monday, 7; Hale-Ray vs. Old Saybrook, Tuesday, 7.
Mercy 46, Guilford 34
MERCY (9-3)
Sophie Hedge 7 0-0 17, Ava Giansiracusa 2 2-6 6, Avery Kohs 2 0-0 4, Kate Donlan 4 0-1 8, Winnie Ciccarello 4 0 11. Totals: 19 2-7 46.
GUILFORD (8-4)
Faith O’Donnell 2 4-6 10, Miabella Diaz 2 1-3 5, Olivia Weeks 0 1-2 1, Kat Baseggio 1 0-0 2, Lauren Cunneen 5 6-8 16. Totals: 10 12-18 34.
Score By Quarters
Mercy…..16 6 14 10–46
Guilford….5 4 6 9 34
3-pointers: Mercy–Hedge 3, Ciccarello 3; Guilford-O’Donnell 2.
Up next: Mercy at Daniel Hand, Monday, 7.
North Branford 64, Westbrook 34
WESTBROOK (6-7)
Jami Sacco 7 0 17, Sadie Susi 3 0 8, Leticia Pires 1 0 2, Adriana Stranieri 1 0 2, Alex Zanzalari 1 0 2, Gianni Salisbury 1 0 2, Giovann Silva 0 1 1. Totals: 14 1 34.
NORTH BRANFORD (10-5)
Braeden LeBeau 14 3 31, Marissa Ricardo 2 0 6, Delaney Norman 1 0 2, Hanna Senerchia 1 0 3, Natalia Lucibello 1 0 2, Keana Criscuolo 5 3 13, Callie Holzer 3 0 7. Totals: 27 6 64.
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Score By Quarters
Westbrook………..6 8 11 9–34
North Branford…12 15 22 15–64
3-pointers: Westbrook; Sacco 3, Susi 2; North Branford–Ricardo 2, Senerchia 1, Holzer 1.
Up next: North Branford vs. Valley Regional, Monday, 6; Westbrook at Portland, Tuesday, 6.
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