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BOYS BASKETBALL 2012-2013

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State Champions - '87
All-State Players - Mike McMahon '85; Paul McMahon '87; Terry Rountree '91; Ivoree Stanley '95; Bruce Wesley '96; Matt Turner '98; Sly Williams '06 
Retired Numbers - Michael McMahon (Class of 1985) #31; Jerry Gambardella (Class of 2000) #21

Hamden beats WH
Loss drops Westies to 4-6
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 15, 2013) – Looking to end the first half of the season on a positive note, the West Haven boys’ basketball team was unable to do so Tuesday evening. Scoring only 7 points in the fourth quarter, West Haven watched as Hamden pulled away for a 56-41 victory. 
West Haven's lack of offense in both the first and fourth quarters was crucial as the Westies fell to 4-6. With 10 games remaining in the regular season, the Westies need four victories to play in the postseason.
"We have to keep fighting," West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. "The games are getting harder. We need to overcome it. We need a win in the worst way.
"We have been in the last couple of games. We had a hard time finishing in the fourth quarter. We are not doing the intangibles to win the game. That is the most important thing."
West Haven struggled offensively in the first 8 minutes and again in the final 8 minutes of the game. The Westies managed just 3 points in the opening quarter and just 7 more in the fourth quarter. 
"We did not shoot well and they played good defense," Bosley said. "Plus, we do not have an inside game. We are more of a perimeter shooting team. We don't have that down low person."
The lack of offense in each quarter proved crucial as Hamden outscored the Westies 32-10 in that time frame, proving to be the difference in the contest. 
West Haven rallied back from the slow start in the first quarter, trailing only 21-20 at the half. The Westies took a 34-33 lead before Hamden pulled away. 
Hamden held West Haven in check throughout the game, allowing only Michael Jennings to score in double digits as Jennings finished with 13 points. The rest of theteam only manged single digits as John Johnson was held to 9 points, Solomon Wilson-Frame scored 7 and Andrew Martino had 6. 
"Friday (Law) is huge for us," Bosley said. "We have to win. They are getting better and better."
Hamden, which improved to 3-7, was led by Richard Kennedy with 14 points and Blair Johnson with 12 points. Robert Brown also added 9 points in the home victory for the Green Dragons. 
Hamden got to the foul line twice as many times as the Westies, making 25 attempts and hitting 13. West Haven was 9 of 13 from the free throw line. 

Westies fall to ND
Strong fourth quarter propels  Green Knights
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 11, 2013) - The cross-town rivalry between West Haven and Notre Dame is always a good one. Add to the mix both teams are battling to get into the postseason and Friday evening certainly had that playoff feel.
Living up to the billing, the Green Knights hit 7 of 8 free throws in the fourth quarter and defeated West Haven 51-43 at West Haven High.
The Green Knights, who failed to qualify for the postseason last season, inched closer to the state tournament with the win to improve to 6-2. West Haven saw its solid start slow down, falling to 4-5 with the loss. 
With Notre Dame leading 32-31 after three quarters of play, the game went back and forth early in the fourth quarter. Thomas Brim put the Westies on top 33-32 with a shot from the field before Tahj Eaddy hit a pair of free throws for a 34-33 Notre Dame lead.
Read the rest of this article in the Milford-Orange Bulletin here

Westies fall to Indians
Loss drops WH to .500

BY MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 8, 2013) – The West Haven boys’ basketball team was looking to inch closer to the state tournament Tuesday evening. With four wins under their belts already, the Westies were looking to get one step closer to postseason play.
Traveling to North Haven and playing an Indians team which had struggled thus far early in the season, the Westies were unable to do so. The Indians played one of their best games of the year in defeating West Haven 55-44.
"I think we came in and looked past them to Notre Dame," West Haven coach Harry Bosley said of the upcoming contest with the Green Knights Friday evening. "They were good. They played well. They were bigger than us and they overpowered us. 
"We have not started the last two games well. We did not shoot well early. We had some shots early but we could not get them to fall."
Chandler Andrewsen led the way for North Haven as he scored 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, while Josh Lopez poured in 20 points and Will Reaves scored 8 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and dished out 6 assists.
The tone of the game was set early as the Westies got off to a slow start. Scoring only 4 points in the opening quarter, West Haven (4-4) had an uphill battle as the Indians took a 15-4 lead.
"I am very concerned," Bosley said. "We needed to get number five. These teams are tough. We are getting pushed around. 
"Teams are getting physical with us. We got the good looks. We were just missing. We are not getting the productivity we need."
Behind Solomon Wilson-Frame, the Westies battled back and cut the deficit to 8 points at halftime. Playing a tight defense in the third quarter, West Haven evened the game at 35, but North Haven, who was in the bonus, used a 20-9 run in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory.
"We came all the way back and went up by two points," Bosley said. "They forced their will on us early. They were in the double bonus early and in the fourth quarter. We could not get aggressive with them.
"It is tough to come back. We were able to do so but our shooters were not hitting later. We are not big enough to pack it in."
Wilson-Frame led West Haven with 23 points. The Indians did a good job containing the rest of the Westies as John Johnson scored 8 points and Mike Jennings added 5. Gary Dudley, Kenneth Graham, Andrew Martino and Thomas Brim were each held to 2 points in the loss.
West Haven fell to 4-4 with the loss, while the Indians improved to 2-4. 
 
Xavier soars past Westies
2-game winning streak ends with loss to Falcons
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 4, 2013) – Winning the past two games, the West Haven boys’ basketball team had started to feel good about itself. With a tough division schedule coming up, the Westies were in a good position.
Looking to see how they matched up against the rest of the league, West Haven got its first test Friday evening when Xavier came to town.
Starting quickly and never slowing down, Xavier led by 12 points at the half and defeated the Westies 64-47 at West Haven High. With the loss, West Haven fell to 4-3 on the year. 
"They are a good team," West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. "I do not think we were mentally prepared to play them. We did not start out well. We played from behind and it was a real uphill battle.We did not shoot well."
The Westies had a hard time containing the trio of James Sullivan, Brandon MacPherson and Lucas Hannen, who all scored in double digits. Sullivan finished with 19 points, MacPherson added 16 and Hannen had 11 in the win for the Falcons.
The Westies, who have played well on the defensive side over the last few games, ran into a hot shooting Xavier team. The Falcons, who connected on 18 field goals in the game and also hit 22 free throws in the contest, put 21 points on the board in the opening quarter. 
"They were able to move the ball around," Bosley said. "They made their shots early. They were bigger and outrebounded us."
The Westies could not match Xavier in the first half as they scored only 21 points in two quarters, just 9 in the second quarter.
Xavier (5-2) slowed down two of West Haven’s key players of late as Gary Dudley was held to just 3 points and Kenneth Graham scored just two points in the game.
Andrew Martino was the go-to guy for the Westies as he scored 16 points, including two 3-pointers. Mike Jennings added 13 points, including three 3-pointers, John Johnson had 6 and Thomas Brim had 5.
West Haven trailed by 14 points in the third quarter and that proved to be too much of an obstacle for the Westies to overcome.
 "We have to start getting to the basket," Bosley said. "We have to change how we attack."
The Westies got to the free throw line just 4 times, hitting 3. Xavier visited the line nearly 8 times more, converting 22 of 31 shots.

Halfway Home
Westies improve to 4-2 with 68-59 win over Sheehan
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 2, 2013) – The goal for the West Haven boys’ basketball team is simple. After missing the state tournament last season, coach Harry Bosley and his Westies are looking for a return to the state tournament.
Defeating Sheehan 68-59 Wednesday evening at West Haven High, the Westies improved to 4-2 and are halfway home in regards to qualifying for the playoffs.
"I thought we held our composure," Bosley said. "We were winning in the first quarter and I like the way we held it together. We told the kids they were going to come out hard in the second half and they did. We kept them at bay." 
The key to West Haven;’s latest victory came from the outside and the free throw line.West Haven drained seven 3-pointers, including 5 by Michael Jennings, and the team connected on 83% (15 of 18) of its free throws.
"Michael Jennings got hot," Bosley said. "He hit some clutch shots. John Johnson got to the basket and we were able to get to the penalty for the first time all year.
"I am proud of what the kids did. They were able to grind it out. That was good for us especially after they beat us the first time we played them." 
The Westies were also balanced on offense with eight different players reaching the scoring column. Four of those players, Jennings, John Johnson, Jovon Lomena and Andrew Martino, were in double figures.
Jennings continued his hot hand as he led the Westies with 17 points, including 15 by way of long range. Johnson and Martino each scored 13 points as Martino was perfect from the free throw line and Johnson connected on four field goals and five free throws. 
"We have been playing really good at home," Bosley said. "We shoot well at home."
Lomena rounded out the players in double digits with 10 points. Kenneth Graham added 7 points as West Haven picked up its fourth win of the season. 
"Jovon Lomena did a lot of the dirty work," Bosley said. "He got 10 points and 10 rebounds. They did not expect that from him."
West Haven got out of the gates quickly, scoring 18 points in the opening quarter to take an 8-point lead. The Westies led 28-22 at the half and 46-42 after three quarters of play.
The two teams combined to score 39 points in the fourth quarter as West Havenavenged an earlier season loss to the Titans.
Jon Beale led Sheehan with 16 points.
 
Back on Track
Westies thump Amistad Academy to end slide
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
WEST HAVEN (December 27, 2012) – Losing two straight games, the West Havenboys’ basketball team welcomed the holiday break. The break obviously was much needed.
In the first game back, West Haven was sharp from the outside, sinking eleven 3-pointers and cruising to a 71-31 victory over Amistad Academy at West Haven High. The victory helped West Haven improve to 3-2 on the year.
“I am happy,” West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. “We are undefeated at home. We have to get a little better on the road. We are in a very important stretch coming up. We want to win some games in a row.
“We want to be able to get in (state tournament) midway or three quarters of the way through. Then we can focus on playing for seeding. We still have a long way to go.”
The Westies were on fire from the outside, scoring their first 24 points from 3-point range. By the time Michael Jennings ended the run of eight 3-pointers, West Havenled 24-10 and was on its way to a much needed victory.
Jennings and Andrew Martino were clutch in the first quarter as each hit a pair of 3’s. Gary Dudley added the fifth 3-pointer of the quarter and West Haven led 15-8 after one quarter of play.
“When we shoot well, we play well,” Bosley said. “I think we play pretty well at home. Andrew Martino hit his shots and Mike Jennings can shoot.”
The Westies opened the second quarter on a 12-2 run to take a 27-10 lead. Kenneth Graham connected on the final three baskets for a 31-15 halftime lead.
The 3-pointers continued into the second quarter. Jennings drained a pair and Martino connected on another as West Haven was not to be denied from long range.
West Haven put the game away in the second half as the team outscored AmistadAcademy 20-8 in each quarter and 40-16 in the final 16 minutes.
Graham gave the Westies a 33-15 lead in the third quarter and Solomon Wilson-Frame scored the next 9 West Haven points for a 42-21 lead.
Leading 51-23, the Westies never let up in the fourth quarter. Eric Singleton got things going with a basket and Thomas Brim followed suit for a 55-23 lead.
3-pointers by Martino and Jennings increased the margin to 61-24 as West Havenopened the quarter on a 10-1 run.
“Everybody on the team has to do their role,” Bosley said. “They have to play their role and not got outside their role.”
Jennings, who hit six 3-pointers, led three Westies in double figures with 18 points. Martino (four 3-pointers) finished with 14 points and Graham added 12 in the win. 

Prep Work
Westies thumped by Jesuits, 76-40
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 20, 2012) – With two straight wins to open the season, the West Havenboys’ basketball team was looking for a big start to the campaign. Knowing the schedule was tough, coach Harry Bosley was hoping to build on his team’s 2-0 start.
The quick start hit a bump in the road Monday evening in a tough loss at Sheehan. Thursday night in Fairfield was more of a pothole.
Using a 26-point advantage in the third quarter, the Jesuits easily topped West Haven 76-40 in Fairfield. The Westies dropped their second straight and fell to 2-2, while Fairfield Prep improved to 4-0.
The Westies showed plenty of fight in the first half and looked ready to give the Jesuits a battle despite Prep’s perfect start to the year. Trailing by 10 points, West Haven used a 13-6 run in the second quarter to get within 25-22 at the half.
The Westies were then overmatched in the third quarter. As the offense went cold, so did the defense. The Jesuits pumped out 31 points in the third quarter, 9 less than West Haven scored in the game, to take a commanding 56-27 lead.
West Haven never recovered and played out the final 8 minutes in the team’s second straight loss.
Michael Jennings led West Haven with 11 points, Gary Dudley added 10 and Solomon Wilson-Frame scored 6 points in the loss.
The Jesuits had three players in double digits and had 11 players in the scoring column. Paschal Chukwu and Ryan Murphy each scored 18 points and Rick Sekerak added 13 in the win for the Jesuits. 

Westies suffer first loss of year
Missed opportunities costly to West Haven
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
WALLINGFORD (December 17, 2012) – Through the first two games of the year, theWest Haven boys’ basketball team has come up with clutch shots. The Westies also made the easy ones.
Looking to start the season with their third straight victory, the Westies did not follow the early season plan. Missing too many layups and inside shots and converting only 3 of 9 free throws, the Westies wasted a fourth quarter comeback and dropped their first decision of the year by a score of 66-58 against Sheehan at Sheehan High.
“We missed too many layups,” West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. “We gave them too many extra shots. This was a big game for us. We have a tough team (Fairfield Prep) on Friday and the only way to keep it up is to keep winning. We will see what the character of the team is.”
West Haven had its problems containing Sheehan’s Brandon Rentas. The Sheehan sophomore scored 25 points, including 15 in the second quarter, to give the Titans a 30-25 lead at the half.
Rentas also came up big in the second half. After West Haven fought back from a 36-27 deficit to tie the game, Rentas twice helped the Titans stop West Haven runs.
A 3-pointer by Rentas in the third quarter extended the Sheehan lead to 48-41 afterWest Haven’s Gary Dudley got West Haven within 4 points at 45-41. Rentas’ second 3-pointer of the quarter came after the Westies cut the deficit to 50-48 on a basket by Solomon Wilson-Frame and missed a chance to take the lead on a missed layup by Kenneth Graham with 10 seconds left in the quarter. 
To read the rest of this article, visit the Milford-Orange Bulletin here

Quick Start
Westies open season with 2 straight wins
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 14, 2012) – Just two games into the season, the West Haven boys’ basketball team is showing they may just be one fun team to watch. For the second straight game, the Westies got contributions from everyone on the floor and posted another victory.
Friday evening’s victory came against a tough Cheshire team with 4 different Westies in double figures and 6 players in the scoring column as West Haven defeated the Rams 66-64 at West Haven High.
The win allowed the Westies to start the season 2-0 for the first time in recent memory, while the Rams fell to 1-1. 
"This is fantastic," West Haven head coach Harry Bosley said. "It is a great start. The kids are playing well together. This team (Cheshire) was coming off a big win against Career. They were on a high. 
"Michael Jennings played great. He had a great second half. Gary Dudley kept us going in the first half. Jovon Lomena did a great job. We did a good job on the boards. Kenneth Graham had 10 rebounds. John Johnson controlled the tempo, which was 100 miles per hour. We were up and down the court. It went back and forth to the end."  
Heading into the season, Bosley said his team needed to work together for the Westies to be successful. Friday was the perfect example of that teamwork as the Westies watched a late 63-57 lead turn into a 1-point deficit at 64-63.
West Haven never faltered, scoring the last 3 points and watching as Cheshire’s Collin Jordan’s 3-point attempt went in and out to secure West Haven’s victory. 
"Jordan attempted a 3-pointer at the end and it went all around the rim and out," Bosley said. "It was a good win. It is a great start."
The thrilling affair saw Mike Jennings and Gary Dudley continued their hot shooting to start the season. Jennings, who is one of the best from the outside, connected on five 3-pointers and finished with 21 points, all in the second half, while Dudleyconnected on three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points. 
"Michael Jennings had 21 points in the second half," Bosley said. "He did not score in the first half but he got some good shots."
The balance did not stop with the outside threats of Jennings and Dudley. Jovon Lomena finished with 12 points and John Johnson had 11 to round out the players in double figures. The balance was extended as Kenneth Graham finished with 6 points and freshman Solomon Wilson-Frame had 3. 
West Haven was also tough on the boards. Again, it was the combination of Jenningsand Dudley which was big as Dudley led the way with 9 rebounds and Jennings added 7. 
"Before the game, I spoke to the kids about the will to win," Bosley said. "We talked about how to win the big games. You can not be fearful. You cannot worry about making mistakes. 
"You have to play defense first. We were able to play with them in the first half and it was anybody's game in the second half." 
The Westies needed every bit of that team effort as Cheshire had its solid performances as well. Junior Collin Jordan was a tough player to contain as he finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals and senior Kevin Dietrich had 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and 4 rebounds.
The Rams were tough from the outside as they connected on ten 3-pointers in the game. Eric Dietrich hit two 3-pointers to finish with 11 points and round out the players in double figures for the Rams.
The game was a back and forth affair from start to finish as West Haven trailed by 2 points after the first quarter, before rallying to take a 29-26 lead at the half. Leading 45-43 entering the fourth quarter, West Haven had to rally at the end after Cheshirewent on a late run to pull out the victory. 

Westies beat Indians in season opener
Jennings, Johnson and Dudley score in double figures in win over Guilford
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 12, 2012) – West Haven coach Harry Bosley was cautiously optimistic as the 2012-13 season approached. While The Westies lost a solid player in Tieron Jackson to graduation, Bosley knew he had four starters returning to this year’s team.
After one game, Bosley has to like what he saw. The Westies received a balanced scoring attack, the defense held Guilford to just 3 points in the second quarter andWest Haven was nearly perfect from the free throw line. The end result was a 62-50 victory at Guilford in the season opener for both teams Wednesday evening.
"It is great," Bosley said. "This is the first time in a while we started with a win. I am real satisfied with that. We have some things to shape up, but it was a good win for the kids."
Bosley felt his squad needed to play like a team if the Westies were to be successful. Wednesday was proof of that as three players finished in double digits, another was 2 points away and 7 players were in the scoring column. If that was not enough, the Westies hit 7 of 8 free throws in the game.
The key, however, may have come in the second quarter. With the Westies trailing by 4 points after one quarter of play, everything clicked in the second quarter.
West Haven held Guilford to just 3 points and the Westies used a 19-3 run to take a 27-15 lead to the half. The second quarter proved to be decisive as a close game was turned into a West Haven advantage. 
"We were in command going to the fourth quarter," Bosley said. "A couple of guys got into foul trouble and they had to sit. They got within seven but we closed it out with some steals and foul shots."
Each team scored 35 points in the second half, but it was not nearly enough for the Indians to come back. West Haven, which was solid inside, did plenty of damage from the outside, connecting on nine 3-pointers.
Mike Jennings, Gary Dudley and Solomon Wilson-Frame did most of the damage from long range as Dudley nailed four 3-pointers to finish with 16 points. Jenningsand Wilson-Frame each drained a pair of 3’s and Andrew Martino hit the other long range shot for the Westies. 
"We played well all the way up to the fourth quarter," Bosley said. "Gary Dudley and Mike Jennings both had 16 points and both shot well. All of Michael's scoring was done in the second half. We needed this."
Jennings had a solid night in the opener as he was also perfect from the free throw line and connected for 16 points in the game. John Johnson finished with 10 points, Martino connected for 8 and Wilson finished with 6.
Nick Moretti finished with 16 points for the Indians and Luke Dombroski had 15 in the loss.

Westies look for return to postseason
Key players return for 2012-13
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
When the West Haven boys’ basketball team tips off to start the season Wednesday evening, one goal will be in mind. That goal is to get back to the state tournament after failing to qualify the past two seasons.
After a run of 10 straight years of playing in the postseason under head coach Harry Bosley, the Westies have failed to qualify in successive seasons.
“We are looking to make the tournament,” Bosley said. “It has been two years now where we have come up short. We have a good shot at it this year. I will be highly disappointed if we don’t. The only kid we lost was Tieron Jackson. We have enough kids back. We have four starters back.”
The Westies return four starters from last season’s squad which finished 6-14. One big piece which is gone is Tieron Jackson. Jackson was the team’s leading scorer and replacing his points will top the list of things to do in 2012-13.
“We need to replace him (Jackson),” Bosley said.
If the Westies are to return to the postseason, it will need to be a team effort. Leading the way are senior tri-captains Michael Jennings, Andrew Martino and Kadialy Toure.
Jennings may be the most explosive of the group as he can hit anywhere from long distance and will be a shooting guard. Martino is also a shooting guard and Toure will play the power forward position.
“Michael Jennings is one of the best shooters in the area,” Bosley said. “Andrew Martino is right up there also. They are small but both can shoot. Andrew Martino is very determined to get back to the postseason.
“We have looked good so far. The kids are confident. We have pushed them hard.”
Along with Jennings, Bosley returns senior Jovon Lomena and juniors Gary Dudley and Kenneth Graham to the starting lineup. Dudley is a shooting guard, Graham will play center and Lomena is a forward.
Senior John Johnson will also start. Johnson will have the role of distributing the ball from his point guard position.
“The kids seem determined to this,” Bosley said. “We have done well in the scrimmages but I hope we perform even better when the games start. We have a favorable schedule.
“We need to rebound, we need to play together and we need to execute. We need those three things. We have to have good chemistry. We need to execute down the stretch and play as a team. We need to rebound. If we do those three things, I think we can play with anybody. Those will be the keys.”
Bosley will also look to a freshman to contribute key minutes. Solomon Wilson-Frame, a swing forward from Windsor, will get important minutes for the Westies.
West Haven opens the season Wednesday, December 12 at Guilford at 7 p.m.

Photos courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

Congratulations to Michael Jennings on being named to the Southern Connecticut Conference All-Quinnipiac Division team.

Happy Ending
Westies defeat North Haven, 64-51, in season finale
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
WEST HAVEN (February 25, 2013)  – Looking to erase the disappointment of losing to Jonathan Law and being eliminated from the state tournament just four days earlier, the West Haven boys' basketball team had one final game left in the 2012-2013 season. The Westies made the most of the opportunity. Behind 21 points from Andrew Martino, 16 from Kenneth Graham and 13 from Jovon Lomena, the Westies defeated North Haven 64-51 on Senior Night at West Haven High Monday evening.
While the victory did not put the Westies in the postseason, it showed a glimpse of what could have been had the Westies finished off some close contests they lost earlier in the season. 
"We are disappointed we are not in it (state tournament)," West Haven head coach Harry Bosley said. "We just could not close games this year. But, I am happy for the seniors. They get to go out with a win like this. I hope they learned some things they can take with them the rest of their lives. I hope they each have a great life."
Martino set the tone of the game early for the Westies as he drained a pair of 3-pointers in the opening quarter to give West Haven leads of 7-3 and 14-11. 
West Haven's defense took over the second quarter, allowing only 5 North Haven points. The Westies held Will Reaves, who scored 7 points in the opening quarter and finished with a game-high 24 points, to just 2 points in the second quarter. 
Martino was at it again to start the second quarter as he nailed a 3-pointer for a 17-11 lead. A basket by Graham and 3 free throws by John Johnson increased the lead to 22-11and the Westies never trailed from there.
Michael Jennings, who finished with 11 points, nailed a 3-pointer in the final minute for a 27-15 lead before Josh Lopez hit 1 of 2 free throws to cut the North Haven deficit to 27-16 at the half. 
"We are disappointed we are not in," Bosley said. "We lost some really close games this year like Guilford and Law. It's hard because we felt we should have been playing in it. But, you have to make the big plays when they are there. We did not do that."
North Haven cut into the West Haven lead in the third quarter as Reaves was almost unstoppable, scoring 9 of his team's 14 points in the quarter. Reaves finished the third quarter with a basket and free throw to get the Indians within 40-30 with 8 minutes to play. 
Unable to close out earlier contests, the Westies were put to the test in the fourth quarter as the Indians continually sent West Haven to the free throw line. West Haven responded, connecting on 12 of 18 attempts in the final 8 minutes. 
"We got to close the season on a positive note," Bosley said. "The kids played hard. I am happy for Andrew Martino, Michael Jennings, John Johnson, Jovon Lomena and the whole team."
The Indians got as close as 42-34 on a basket by Matt DeFrancesco, but Lomena's basket and free throw was followed by 2 buckets by Graham and 2 more baskets from Lomena for a 54-41 advantage. 
The Westies closed the game at the free throw line to finish the season at 7-13. 
DeFrancesco chipped in 18 points for North Haven in the loss.

Westies denied by the Law
Loss to Milford school ends postseason dreams
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 21, 2013)  - With 2 games remaining in the regular season, the West Havenboys’ basketball team had to like its chances of playing in the postseason. Needing to win both games, West Haven would start the journey to a postseason berth against a Law team the Westies had handled by 37 points earlier in the year.
The second time around was much different. Rallying from a 4-point deficit, Law scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to stun the Westies in a 54-51 victory at Jonathan Law.
The loss officially ends West Haven’s postseason dreams as West Haven fell to 6-13.
With the game even after 8 minutes of play, the Westies took control with 19 points in the second quarter for a 29-22 lead. Law chipped away in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 4 points, before pulling away in the final 8 minutes.
Law attempted 23 free throws, hitting 10, while the Westies were just 2 of 5.
Michael Jennings led all scorers with 17 points, including 15 from 3-point range. Andrew Martino drained four 3 –pointers and finished with 16 points, while Kenneth Graham had 14 points.
Zack Toto led 4 Law players in double figures with 14 points. Brandon Williams and Kevin Wall each had 12 points and J.J. Ciesla added 11.

No Margin for Error
Loss to Cheshire puts Westies in must-win situation for final 2 games
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 19, 2013) – Knowing what was at stake, the West Haven boys’ basketball team looked to make life a little easier. Needing 2 wins in its final 3 games to qualify for the state tournament, West Haven did nothing to help the cause Tuesday evening at Cheshire.
Paced by Eric Dietrich, the Rams exploded for 27 points in the third quarter, on their way to a 81-54 victory over the Westies. The loss dropped the Westies to 6-12 and put the Westies in a position of having to beat Jonathan Law on the road and North Haven at home if they want to play n the postseason.
Dietrich was the story of the game as he set the Cheshire school record for 3-pointers when he drained a 3-pointer in the third quarter to give the Rams a 46-29 lead. Dietrich had six 3-pointers through three quarters of play and finished with 23 points.
The play of Dietrich took the focus of how poorly the Westies played in the third quarter as Cheshire scored 27 points to turn a 12-point West Haven deficit into a 27-point hole after three quarters.
Cheshire never trailed in the game. West Haven had the game tied twice, at 2 on a Kenneth Graham bucket and at 5 on a Michael Jennings 3-pointer. When Cheshire’s Collin Jordan hit a basket for a 7-5 lead, it started an 8-1 run which saw Dietrich nail a pair of 3’s.
Taylor Gee-Greene got West Haven closer with a bucket to cut the deficit to 13-8 and Gary Dudley cut the deficit to 15-13 with a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the opening quarter.
Jennings’ basket to start the second quarter had West Haven within 18-15, butCheshire went on a 9-0 run to pull away. The run saw baskets by Jordan, Andrew Yamin and Eric Pettit before Pettit nail a 3.
The Westies attempted to get back in the game from long distance as Jennings andDudley drained 3-pointers to get the Westies within 33-23 with 23 seconds left in the first half.
The third quarter would decide the contest as the Westies could not get their shots to fall and Cheshire did not miss. Dietrich scored the Rams’ first 11 points of the quarter, including three 3-pointers, for a 46-29 lead.
When Tyler Post hit consecutive baskets for Cheshire, the Rams led 61-33 and were well on their way to improving to 10-9 on the year.
Pettit finished with 13 points and Jordan had 10 for the Rams.
West Haven had 13 players in the scoring column with Jennings leading the way with 10 points. Graham finished with 8 and Dudley, Taylor Green and Maurice Jones each had 6.  

Ticking Away
Loss to Guilford puts state tournament hopes in jeopardy
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 15, 2013) – The clock is ticking on the season for the West Haven boys’ basketball team. Playing for the first time in exactly two weeks due to the weather, the Westies never got on track and fell to Guilford 44-38 in overtime Friday evening at West Haven High.
The loss put a severe bump in the road for the Westies as the setback dropped coach Harry Bosley’s team to 6-11 on the season. West Haven’s margin for error has dwindled as the Westies need to win 2 of their last 3 games to qualify for the state tournament.
Friday’s contest saw both team struggle on the offensive side. But, when they needed the points the most, the Indians answered in the overtime, outscoring the Westies 10-4 to take home the victory.
Guilford, who had qualified for the postseason a day earlier, led 9-8 after one quarter, but quickly saw that lead disappear in the second quarter. The Westies held the Indians to just 6 points in the quarter and went to the half with a 21-15 lead.
The offense then sputtered the rest of the way for the Westies. After scoring 13 points in the second quarter, West Haven managed just 13 points in the next 16 minutes.
The Westies were fortunate Guilford had its struggles on the offensive side and the Westies added to Guilford’s struggles with their play on defense.
West Haven’s struggles in the third quarter led to just 6 points and Guilford trimmed the West Haven lead to 27-25 with 8 minutes to play in regulation. West Haven scored just 7 points in the fourth quarter and allowed Guilford to even the game at 34.
The difference in the game clearly came at the free throw line. The Indians went to the line, 26 times, connecting on 14, while West Haven hit on only 6 of 10 attempts. The 8 point difference at the line proved to be the difference in the game for West Haven.
Andrew Martino led the West Haven offense with 12 points, including one 3-pointer. Mike Jennings hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with 8 points, while Jovon Lomena added 6 points.
Luke Dombroski led all scorers with 19 points for the Indians, including coming up big at the free throw line as he hit 5 of 6 free throws.

Running out of Time
WH falls to Hamden; team needs 2 wins in final 4 games to play in postseason
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 1, 2013) – With a chance to get one step away from the postseason, the boys’ basketball team could not capitalize. Leading by 2 points entering the final quarter, the Westies allowed 17 points and fell to Hamden 45-38 at West Haven High Friday evening. 
"We turned the ball over way too much," West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. "We are winning in these games and we start turning the ball over. 
"The guys are fighting hard. They are working. Kenneth Graham has really picked up his game. He had 15 point and 16 rebounds. He is the only big man I have on the floor."
The loss put a big damper on West Haven’s playoff bid as the Westies will need to win twice in their final 4 games to play in the postseason. Games at Law and Cheshiresandwich home games to North Haven and Guilford as the Westies struggle to find a rhythm.
Looking to get Kenneth Graham more involved, Bosley had to like what he saw. Graham led the Westies with 15 points, but it was his play inside which came up big. Graham pulled down 16 rebounds in the loss as the Westies fell to 6-10
The game was evenly played for 24 minutes as West Haven led by 1 after the first quarter and the game was even at 20 at the half. West Haven entered the fourth quarter with a 30-28 lead and looked to wrap up the victory.
Hamden scored 17 points in the final quarter, held West Haven to just 8 and prevailed by 7 points.
"We have to start thinking about Jonathan Law," Bosley said of West Haven's next opponent. "We have to get that win. We are trying to win out.
"We have to come with the effort. This division is tough. If we play with that type of intensity and effort, we will have a shot. It's up to them (players)."
Richard Kennedy led Hamden with 14 points. Blair Johnson added 8 points and Aaron Green and Corey Barrett each finished with 5.  

Gut Check
Westies bounce back to beat Platt Tech, 52-28
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 30, 2013) – Less than 24 hours after suffering what had to be its toughest loss of the season against Notre Dame, the West Haven boys’ basketball team had to put the loss in the rear view mirror. If there was any question of how the Westies would respond, those questions were answered in the first 8 minutes of the game.
Scoring 25 points in the first quarter and holding a 14-point halftime lead, the Westies cruised to a 52-28 victory over Platt Tech-Milford at West Haven High Wednesday evening. The victory helped West Haven improve to 6-9 and put the Westies just 2 games away from the postseason with 5 games to play. 
"We have to start our games like that," West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. "The kids are buying into what we are telling them and they are moving the ball better. We got Kenneth Graham inside. We have better intensity with the five guys we have starting (Andrew Martino, Michael Jennings, Kenneth Graham, John Johnson and Jovon Lomena).
"I think the Notre Dame game woke us up. We let that game get away."
The defensive play of the Westies was the key to the win as the Panthers never scored in double digits in any quarter. The Westies led 40-21 after three quarters of play and were never threatened.
Michael Jennings and Andrew Martino continued to have the hot hand for the Westies. Jennings drained three 3-pointers and finished with 15 points, while Martino hit three 3-pointers to finish with 9 points. 
"Andrew has been shooting the ball extremely well lately," Bosley said of Martino. "He has worked very hard to get to that position. If we get both of them going (Jennings and Martino), we are a tough team. Rebounding is the thing for us. We have to learn to finish up."
Jovon Lomena finished with 10 points, Kenneth Graham had 8 and Gary Dudley hit a pair of 3-pointers to finish with 6 points on the night. 
"If we get in the tournament, I think we can be a good tournament team," Bosley said. "We can be a tough out depending on who we play."
Brad Moore and Joe Carter each finished with 11 points for the Panthers.

Deflating
Eaddy’s 3’s sink Westies
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
WEST HAVEN (January 29, 2013) – For 31 minutes of regulation time Tuesday evening, the West Haven boys’ basketball team worked its plan to near perfection. It was the final minute which did the Westies in.
Blowing a 6 point lead with 59 seconds left in regulation and watching as former Westie Tahj Eaddy drained his fifth 3-pointer of the game in overtime, West Haven fell to Notre Dame 61-59 at Tonelli Court at Notre Dame.
The loss was particularly damaging to West Haven’s playoff hopes as a sure win fell apart, dropping West Haven to 5-9 on the year. The Westies need 3 wins in their final 6 games to qualify for postseason play.
“It is very disappointing,” West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. “This is an intra city rivalry. We are up late. We have to close it out. We make one free throw down the stretch and we win the game. We wasted so many opportunities.”
When Andrew Martino hit a pair of free throws with just over 1 minute left in regulation, the Westies looked as if they would avoid a collapse after leading by 13 points with 3:43 remaining.
That was not the case. As Notre Dame’s press forced West Haven turnovers, Kevin Walton drained a 3 to cut the deficit to 52-48 and Joe Bongiorni hit a basket and free throw with 27 seconds remaining to cut West Haven’s lead to 54-51.
The Westies had two chances to ice the game. Both times, Kenneth Graham missed the front end of a 1-and-1, leading to Eaddy’s tying 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining in regulation. Mike Jennings hit the shot to give West Haven the win, but it came just after the final buzzer to send the game to overtime.
“It was our trap defense in the fourth quarter,” Notre Dame coach Gary Palladino said. “We had a different energy in the fourth quarter. Then you just give it to (Tahj) Eaddy. He hit some big 3’s for us.”
Eaddy hit a 3 to give Notre Dame a 58-54 lead in overtime before Jovon Lomena gotWest Haven within 58-56. With 35 seconds remaining, Martino drained a 3 to put the Westies back on top, but Eaddy was not to be denied, draining a 3 just 16 seconds later.
After a time out, West Haven had one final opportunity with 6 seconds remaining. On the game’s final play, Martino’s attempt at a 3-pointer went in and out of the basket as time expired, capping Notre Dame’s comeback.
“Andrew played great,” Bosley said. “He hit some big shots. Kenneth Graham also played great until he got into foul trouble. This is a tough one to lose.”
The Westies jumped out to an early lead in the game as Jennings hit a pair of 3’s in the first quarter and John Johnson scored 6 points to give the Westies a 16-11 lead after one quarter.
West Haven’s lead was 28-24 at the half as Lonnie Blackwell nailed a late shot for the Green Knights to help ease a quarter which saw Graham and Johnson control play for the Westies.
The Westies went on a 15-6 run in the third quarter to take a 43-30 lead. The game started to turn when Graham picked up his fourth foul within the final minutes of the quarter.
Notre Dame took advantage of Graham’s absence inside, then started trapping West Haven to force constant West Haven turnovers.
Blackwell’s bucket with 2:48 left cut the West Haven lead to 49-40 and had Notre Dame believing it could come back.
“Eaddy hit some big shots,” Palladino said. “This is a nice win for us." 
Johnson led West Haven with 17 points, while Martino added 12 and Graham had 11. Eaddy led all scorers with 19 points, Bongiorni had 14 and Blackwell 13 in Notre Dame's win.

Westies fall to Prep
Poor first half key to WH loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 24, 2013) – The West Haven boys’ basketball team is well aware of the task ahead. Entering Thursday evening's game against Fairfield Prep, the Westies had 8 games to get 3 wins if they wanted to play in the postseason. 
That window got smaller after the contest. Facing a bigger Prep team, the Westies fell behind early and never caught up in an 84-54 loss to the Jesuits. 
With the loss, West Haven fell to 5-8 and saw its chances of playing in the postseason get a little bit smaller. 
"They (Fairfield Prep) are a better team," West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. "They are a good team. The second quarter was the difference."
After playing with the Jesuits and trailing by only 9 points after 8 minutes of play, the Westies were hurt in the second quarter as the Jesuits would not be denied. Not only did the Fairfield Prep defense hold the Westies to just 9 points in the quarter, the Jesuits poured in 32 points to take a 55-23 lead at the half. 
The 32-point deficit was way more than the Westies could overcome. Despite playing evenly the rest of the way with the Jesuits, West Haven never threatened in the second half. 
"Kenneth Graham played the big kids well," Bosley said. "He played well. We hope he plays that way the rest of the way.
"We have to keep pushing. We need to get to 8 wins. There are no excuses. The kids have to understand we have to play like men in our division. The kids are big across the board."
The Jesuits had three players in double figures, led by Thomas Nolan with 13 points. Fairfield Prep had 14 different players in the scoring column. 
Andrew Martino led West Haven and all scorers with 15 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Kenneth Graham had 10 points, while Michael Jennings and Solomon Wilson-Frame each scored 6 points. 

Falcons soar past Westies
Poor second quarter hurts WH in 78-52 loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 22, 2013) – As every game passes by, the stakes continue to rise. Needing three more victories to qualify for the postseason, and, in the heart of a grueling schedule, the West Haven boys’ basketball team is well aware every loss is crucial.
Traveling to Middletown with hopes of upsetting Xavier, the Westies were unable to pull off the upset as the Falcons prevailed 78-52. The loss dropped West Haven to 5-7 with Fairfield Prep and cross-town rival Notre Dame waiting. 
"We are in the tough part of our schedule," West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. "We knew that coming in. We wanted to get 6 or 7 wins before this stretch with Xavier, Fairfield Prep, Notre Dame and Hamden. I think we play in the best division in the state."
The Westies had their outside shooting going as they scored more than half of their points from 3-point range. The Westies connected on eleven 3-pointers, including 5 by Michael Jennings and 4 more from Andrew Martino.
That shooting from the outside was not enough as the Westies were hurt by their inability to get to the free throw line. West Haven attempted just 5 shots from the line, connecting on 3.
The Falcons made the most of their chances from the free throw line. Xavier hit 15 of 20 free throws and 4 players were in double figures as the Falcons improved to 7-5.
West Haven trailed by two points after one quarter, but the second quarter was a different story. Xavier went on a 16-5 run and took control, leading 30-17 at the half.
While the Westies played well on offense in the third quarter, it was not enough. Xavier held a 26-17 advantage and took a 56-34 lead with 8 minutes to play.
"We have to keep pushing," Bosley said. "We have to work hard and keep pushing."
Jennings led all scorers with 17 points, while Martino had 14 and John Johnson 6 in the loss. James Sullivan led four Xavier players in double figures with 15 points.
Solomon Wilson-Frame scores 2 of his 17 points against Jonathan Law, January 18, 2013. 

Westies pound Law
Quick start key to 70-33 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
WEST HAVEN (January 18, 2013) – As every game passes by, the regular season gets shorter. For teams like West Haven which need a few more victories to qualify for the postseason, those opportunities can not be wasted.
The Westies made sure to capitalize on its opportunity Friday night. Getting out to a quick start and taking an 18-point first quarter lead, the Westies never looked back in a 70-33 victory over Jonathan Law at West Haven High.
With the win, West Haven inched closer to a state tournament bid with a 5-6 record. Law remained winless on the year and fell to 0-10.
“We will take them any way we can get them,” West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. “We are trying to get the kids to believe they can beat anybody. They have to come with the right mindset. It is more of their psyche. We could be a good team.”
The Westies left no doubt they came to play Friday, taking a 24-6 lead after one quarter. Poor shooting by Law combined with 9 first quarter points by Andrew Martino on three 3-pointers and 8 points from Michael Jennings, including a pair of 3’s, led to the big lead.
“We hit some big 3’s early with Michael Jennings and Andrew Martino,” Bosley said. “Then we made some shots. When we make shots, we look pretty good.”
Martino hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to extend the lead to 24-6 after one quarter before Solomon Wilson-Frame extended the lead to 27-6 in the second quarter. Wilson-Frame had 7 points in the second quarter and extended the lead to 35-10 with a bucket.
A 3-pointer by Gary Dudley extended West Haven’s lead to 41-12 before baskets by John Johnson and Martino to start the third quarter extended West Haven’s lead to 50-18.
Wilson-Frame led West Haven with 17 points and 9 rebounds, Dudley had 14 points, including four 3-pointers and Martino hit three 3-pointers to finish with 13 points and 6 rebounds. Jennings also had a solid game with 10 points, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 rebound.
Ten different players were in the scoring column for West Haven.
John Ciesla led Law with 11 points.