Cromwell boys basketball coach John Pinone has said it many times before: It’s hard to shut down the Panthers when so many of them can shoot and make the 3-pointer.
Cromwell’s long-distance shots were falling in the third quarter — five of their total of eight, to be exact — and they helped turn the tide in Tuesday night’s 63-43 Shoreline Conference tournament semifinal win over East Hampton.
After the Bellringers trimmed a 23-12 deficit in the second quarter to 25-21 at halftime, and then getting a 3-pointer from freshman Brady Lynch to make it a one-point game at the start of the third quarter, Cromwell went on a tear.
After the teams traded baskets, Cromwell scored 19 of the next 23 points, including 16 straight, to put the game away. Gianluca Albert drained three triples. JJ Feehan got one to fall with a bounce. And Victor Payne, who spent the entire second quarter on the bench with two fouls, hit one as well.
The top-seeded Panthers will meet No. 2 Morgan, the defending Shoreline champion, in the final Friday (7pm) at Polson Middle School in Madison.
Albert led all scorers with 21 points, Feehan scored 14 and Payne came back from his bench time to contribute 10.
Lynch led East Hampton with 16 points and senior Drew DiStefano scored 9.
EAST HAMPTON (13-9)
Brady Lynch 7 1-1 16, Ethan Palma 0 3-4 3, Drew DiStefano 4 1-2 9, Miller Koziel 1 0-0 2, Jye Lynch 2 2-4 6, Jack Blakey 1 2-2 4, Nate Ireland 1 1-2 3. Totals: 16 10-15 43.
CROMWELL (21-1)
Gianluca Albert 7 3-4 21, Louis Friend 0 2-2 2, Victor Payne 4 1-2 10, JJ Feehan 6 0-0 14, Jake Salafia 3 1-2 7, Tyler Danielle 1 0-0 2, Luke Gagnon 1 0-0 3, Sam Stergos 2 0-0 4. Totals: 24 7-10 63.
Score By Quarters
East Hampton…8 13 9 13–43
Cromwell………14 11 22 16–63
3-pointers: East Hampton–B. Lynch 1; Cromwell-Albert 4, Feehan 2, Payne 1, Gagnon 1.
In girls state tournament play on Tuesday:
Class M: Cromwell 46, Lewis Mills 36
No. 7 Cromwell blew out to a 29-10 halftime lead in advancing out of the first round at Jake Salafia Gymnasium. Neveah Clark led the Panthers with 11 points. Jessica Grodzicki had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 7 steals and 4 assists, while Kayla Nappi had 7 points and 9 rebounds off the bench and Adela Cecunjanin pulled down a team-high 11 boards. Cromwell will host No. 23 Wolcott on Friday night at 6:30.
LEWIS MILLS (7-14)
Jordan Anderson 0 0-0 0, Riley Mills 6 0-0 14, Cassie Martinotti 5 0-0 11, Lillian Martineau 1 0-0 3, Abby Jankoski 0 2-2 2, Lauren Searle 0 0-0 0, Abriana Wroblewski 2 0-0 4, Kiana Bolleyer 0 2-2 2, Ava Beach 0 0-0 0. Totals: 14 4-4 36.
CROMWELL (18-5)
Grace Mikan 1 0-0 3, Cameryn Hickey 0 3-5 3, Jessica Grodzicki 4 1-3 10, Neveah Clark 3 4-6 11, Adela Cecunjanin 1 4-4 6, Kayla Nappi 3 1-4 7, Brynn Kovacs 3 0-0 6. Totals: 15 13-22 46.
Score By Quarters
Lewis Mills…6 4 10 16–36
Cromwell….12 17 8 9–46
3-pointers: Lewis Mills–Mills 2, Martinotti 1, Martineau 1; Cromwell–Grodzicki 1, Mikan 1, Clark 1.
Class M: Valley Regional 52, Haddam-Killingworth 33
The No. 5 seed Warriors’ first-round home win over No. 27 H-K leads to a second-round matchup with another Shoreline opponent in North Branford. The 12th-seeded T-Birds beat Ansonia 62-40. Valley hosts North Branford on Friday at 6:30pm. Kaleigh Bodak had 10 rebounds to go with her 10 points.
HADDAM-KILLINGWORTH (6-15)
Cheyenne LaTouche 4 0 8, Ella Commerford 0 0 0, Julia Favalora 2 0 5, Kaleigh Bodak 5 0 10, Ana Garcia 0 0 0, Audra Yazmer 4 2 10, Ella Geissler 0 0 0, Ava Ramino 0 0 0, Breanna Lonergan 0 0 0, Margaret Robinson 0 0 0, Kaleigh Nelligan 0 0 0, Caley Napoletano 0 0 0, Seanna Rumemar 0 0 0, Kaley Arbone 0 0 0, Annabella Zajac 0 0 0. Totals: 15 2 33.
VALLEY REGIONAL (20-4)
Ava Cunningham 0 0 0, Abby Bradbury 6 0 14, Bitzy Klomp 1 0 2, Liz Allen 0 0 0, Olivia Cunningham 9 0 18, Siena Schaller 2 0 4, Lily Grow 2 5 9, Regan Grow 2 1 5, Rubee Cecchini 0 0 0. Totals: 22 6 52.
Score By Quarters
H-K…….8 2 12 11–33
Valley..10 16 14 12–52
3-pointers: H-K–Favalora 1; Valley–Bradbury 2.
Class S: Coginchaug 44, St. Bernard 42
The No. 16 Blue Devils’ reward for winning in the first round is a second-round matchup against No. 1 Thomaston on Friday at 6:30pm.
ST. BERNARD (10-1)
Sophia Boras 4 3-6 13, Erin Londregan 0 0-0 0, Gracyn Barnhill 0 2-2 2, Angelica Tompkins 7 4-6 22, Aly Hernandez 2 1-1 5. Totals: 13 10-15 42.
COGINCHAUG (12-10)
Allison Sambor 3 0-0 8, Hannah Nielsen 0 1-2 1, Serena Fournier 1 0-0 2, Katie Farr 5 0-2 10, Alyssa Woodward 2 0-0 4, Mia Poturnicki 3 1-3 7, Chloe Shafir 2 7-8 12. Totals: 16 9-15 44.
Score By Quarters
St. Bernard….11 15 3 13–42
Coginchaug…..8 14 11 11–44
3-pointers: St. Bernard–Tompkins 4, Boras 2; Coginchaug–Sambor 2, Shafir 1.
Class S: Old Lyme 56, East Windsor 33
Megan Loflin had 14 points and 14 rebounds and Alexis Fenton scored 18 points to lead the No. 10 Wildcats into the second round against No. 7 Parish Hill. Ava Roth had 6 rebounds and 4 steals to go with her 9 points for the winners.
EAST WINDSOR (8-13)
Sammi Ruggiuro 1 0 2, Kristina Keyes 1 0 2, Bailey Winner 6 4 17, Sam Corrado 1 0 3, Alex Witzke 3 0 6, Katie Blume 1 1 3. Totals: 13 5 33.
Related Posts
OLD LYME (14-8)
Ava Roth 4 0 9, Kate Walsh 5 0 11, Melanie Warren 1 0 2, Ali Kyle 1 0 2, Alexis Fenton 7 2 18, Megan Loflin 5 4 14. Totals: 23 6 56.
Score By Quarters
East Windsor..8 12 7 6–33
Old Lyme……15 17 12 12–56
3-pointers: East Windsor–Winner 1, Corrado 1; Old Lyme–Fenton 2, Walsh 1, Roth 1.