Opening Loss
Westies fall to Cross in season opener
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 23, 2016) - The West Haven boys basketball team went into Friday afternoon's contest looking to open the season on a positive note. Instead, the Westies were shown there is plenty still to work on.

Falling behind early, the Westies fell to the Governors 100-56 in the season opener in New Haven.

West Haven fought an uphill battle from the start, allowing 28 points in the first quarter and trailing by 13. The Westies went to the half down 52-36 and hoped to chip away in the second half. 

West Haven never had a chance to do so as the Governors again went on a run, outscoring West Haven by 13 points and taking a 79-50 lead after three quarters of play. Cross stamped the game with a 21-6 run in the final eight minutes. 

​Josiah Steinman led West Haven with 16 points, while Marquel Bookert added 14 and Jose Almonte had 12. 

Jayden Valerrama led four Cross players in double digits with 27 points, William Antrum had 23, Kwane Taylor added 14 and Malik Alston had 11 in the win for the Governors.


First of the Year
Westies top Cheshire to improve to 1-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 27, 2016) - West Haven junior Jamal Pate made a late appearance in Tuesday evening's contest against Cheshire. Turns out that appearance was enough to lift the Westies. 

Scoring five points in just over one quarter of action, including a 3-pointer, and providing a spark, Pate led the Westies to a 49-45 victory over the Rams at West Haven High. The win was West Haven's first of the year and improved the team's record to 1-1. 

Trailing 43-34 at the end of three quarters, West Haven turned to Pate and Josiah Steinman, who combined to score 18 points in a little over a quarter of action. Steinman scored 13 points, including a pair f 3-pointers, in the second half to lead the West Haven scoring. 

West Haven won the game with a 15-2 run in the final quarter to turn a 9-point deficit into a four-point victory. 

Marquel Bookert added 11 points for the Westies, including three 3-pointers. Toma Brown added nine in the win as the Westies had eight players in the scoring column. 

Drew Hart led all scorers with 27 points for the Rams. 


Two in a Row
Westies squaek by Spartans to improve to 2-1
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 30, 2016) - West Haven coach Harry Bosley knew his team would go through some learning curves. Three games into the 2016-2017 season, the Westies are starting to find an identity. 

With contributions from everyone on the floor, West Haven won its second straight contest, defeating Amity 43-39 Friday evening in Amity. The victory allowed the Westies to improve to 2-1 early in the season.

Josiah Steinman led the Westies with 13 points, while Jalen Jones was also in double figures with 10 points. Mufee Cooper added nine points, Jamal Pate had five, Justin Santos four and Toma Brown two in the win.

In a game which was tight throughout, the Westies connected on 11-of-19 free throws and hit just two 3-pointers, but were able to limit just four Spartans in the scoring column.

With the game tied at 18 at the half, a 13-9 run by the Westies in the third quarter proved to be enough as each team scored 12 points in the final quarter.

Tyler Thomas led Amity with 26 points.   


Streak Snapped
Westies fall to Hamden 71-50
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 3, 2017) - Looking to extend its two-game winning streak early in the season, the West Haven boys basketball team ran into a tough Hamden team. That battle came up short as the Green Dragons posted a 71-50 victory over the Westies at West Haven High. 

















​West Haven's Mufee Cooper (22) defends against Hamden, January 3, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

With the loss, West Haven's winning streak came to an end, and the Westies dropped to 2-2 on the season. 

















Jordan Berrios (12) attempts a free throw against Hamden, January 3, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

​"We are inexperienced and we were not able to control the speed of the game," West Haven coach Harry Bosley said.

Junior Josiah Steinman led West Haven with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Steinman also added two assists.

Nikolas Camara added five points, Marquel Bookert, Justin Santos, and Toma Brown each scored four, while Santos also added eight rebounds.  ​


Xavier soars past Westies
West Haven falls to 2-3 with loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 6, 2017) - After defeating Amity before the new year, the West Haven boys basketball team was looking to go on a run. Unfortunately for the Westies, that run has gone in the wrong direction. 

Outscored by 10 points in the second quarter, the Westies fell to Xavier 70-59 in Middletown Friday evening.

"We missed free throws and too many second chance shots," West Haven coach Harry Bosley said.

The Westies had seven players in the scoring column and were led by Josiah Steinman with 33 points, including four 3-pointers. Justin Santos scored eight points and Mufee Cooper scored five.

Steinman also grabbed four rebounds, had three assists and four steals. Santos grabbed seven rebounds in the loss. 

With the game even at 19, Xavier used a 19-9 run in the second quarter to pull away. 


Westies top Hornets
Jones leads the way in WH victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 9, 2017) - With junior star Josiah Steinman on the bench early in the third quarter with foul trouble, West Haven coach Harry Bosley was looking for someone to come up big. Senior Jaden Jones proved to be that guy.
Scoring 16 points and adding seven rebounds, Jones helped West Haven defeat Branford 60-42 in a Southern Connecticut Conference Quinnipiac Division contest at West Haven High Monday evening.

















Mufee Cooper (22) and the Westies defeated Branford, January 9, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
“I was happy with the way Jaden Jones played,” Bosley said. “That is what we need him to do. He had 16 points and seven rebounds. We cannot win without him playing like he can. He is one of my only returning varsity guys.”
The Westies (3-3) needed a complete team effort as Steinman picked up three fouls in the first half, including two in the first quarter alone. Sophomore Marquel Bookert provided the help in the first half when the Westies took a 28-23 lead to the half as he scored 16 of his game-high 21 points, including 11 in the second quarter on three 3-pointers and a bucket.
“That allowed us to get other guys involved,” Bosley said of Steinman’s foul trouble. “He had 21 points, 16 in the first half. We are trying to mold the team where everyone knows their roles.”
The effort of Bookert was needed in the first 16 minutes as both teams were careless with the ball, combining for 22 first half turnovers. Branford (3-3) had twice as many problems with the ball than the Westies as the Hornets had 15 turnovers in the first two quarters alone after not producing more than 10 in a game thus far early in the season.
“We have to take care of the basketball,” Branford coach Jake Palluzzi said. “You can’t give teams the ball. What’s disappointing is many of the turnovers were unforced errors. That’s really disappointing. I thought we had been doing a great job taking care of the ball with less than ten turnovers in all of our games. This is the first time we were really sloppy.”

















Jamal Pate (2) and the Westies defeated Branford, January 9, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Leading by five points and with Steinman on the bench early in the third quarter, Bookert again came up big with another 3-pointer to extend West Haven’s margin to 33-25. Jones followed with a basket and free throw, giving the Westies a 36-25 advantage.
After baskets by Jake Sullivan and Jordan Donnelly got the Hornets within six at 36-30, Jones hit two more free throws and a basket to close out the third quarter with West Haven leading 41-33.
“We knew we had to put pressure on them,” Jones said. “We know they are more of a half court team and we like to go up and down the floor. We just wanted to keep pounding it inside. We needed to make those shots and force them into fouling.”  
Baskets by Jamal Pate and Jones opened the fourth quarter, giving the Westies a 12-point lead. Branford’s Sam Roach hit a pair of free throws to get Branford within 45-35, but the Hornets never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
A 3-pointer by Mufee Cooper with 3:05 remaining sealed the victory as it gave West Haven a 54-40 advantage.
“The kid (Jaden) Jones kept pounding the paint and we did not have an answer for him,” Palluzzi said. “It is very disappointing we did not take care of the basketball. The two things that hurt us were the turnovers and they beat us to the ball.”















Marqual Bookert (5) drains a 3-pointer against Branford, January 9, 2017. Video courtesy of Mike Madera.

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Jaden Jones (14) with a basket against Branford, January 9, 2017. Video courtesy of Mike Madera. 
Sullivan led Branford with 13 points, while Trevor Brown scored 10 in the loss for Branford. Justin Santos scored eight points and added 10 rebounds, and Cooper added seven points in the win for West Haven. Bookert also had six rebounds, while Cooper had six assists, and Steinman dished out five assists.  


Steinman leads Westies
WH tops Foran 
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 11, 2017) - West Haven junior Josiah Steinman is quietly making a name for himself. That quiet may soon end. 

Scoring 23 points, including four 3-pointers, Steinman led West Haven to a 62-53 victory over Foran Wednesday evening in Milford. With the win, West Haven improved to 4-3 on the season. 

Jaden Jones, who continues to play well, added 11 points, Mufee Cooper scored 10, Marquel Bookert added eight and Justin Santos had six in West Haven's second win in a row. 

West Haven came out hot offensively, taking a 17-11 lead, before expanding that margin to 31-22 at the half. The Westies increased the margin to 13 points and Foran could not recover. 


Three in a Row
Steinman, Bookert lead Westies past Law 
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 17, 2017) - The West Haven boys basketball team has been one of streaks this season. The latest has West Haven pointing in the right direction. 

Scoring 33 points in the first quarter, the Westies never looked back and rolled to an 86-56 victory over Jonathan Law in West Haven Tuesday evening. 

















​West Haven coach Harry Bosley against Jonathan Law, January 17, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

The win was West Haven's third in a row and allowed the team to improve to 5-3 on the season. 

West Haven had scoring help up and down the roster as ten different players were in the scoring column, three of which were in double figures. Those three players-Josiah Steinman, Marquel Bookert and Mufee Cooper-combined to nail 9-of-11 3-pointers in the victory. 

Steinman led the offense with a game-high 24 points, including four 3-pointers, while Bookert scored 21 points with three 3-pointers, and Cooper added 12 points with a pair of 3-pointers. 

Steinman had a big day as he also added seven rebounds, six steals, and five assists. Cooper added eight assists, and Jaden Jones finished with nine points and 12 rebounds. 



















​​​Josiah Steinman (4) against Jonathan Law, January 17, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

West Haven came out of the gates firing on all cylinders and took a 33-17 lead after eight minutes of play. The Westies scored in double figures in each quarter and expanded their lead to 52-25 at the half. 

West Haven put the game away in the third quarter, going on a 20-6 run to take a 72-31 lead with eight minutes to play. ​


WH rally past Career
Steinman leads Westies in OT 
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 20, 2017) - With his team looking to gain some respect from around the league, West Haven coach Harry Bosley knew the Westies would have to earn it. Rallying in overtime to defeat Career certainly is a step in the right direction.
Behind 30 points from junior Josiah Steinman and 13 more from sophomore Marquel Bookert, West Haven overcame a blown late lead to defeat the Panthers 68-63 in a Southern Connecticut Conference Quinnipiac Division contest at West Haven High Friday evening.
With the win, not only did the Westies improve to 6-3 with their fourth straight win, but they vaulted atop of the Quinnipiac Division ahead of Career.

















Justin Santos (23) and the Westies topped Career, January 20, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
“We played a great game,” Bosley said. “The kids wanted it bad. To be on top of the division is extremely important to us. It will give us a reputation. That’s a good team over there. These kids played hard.”
The win did not come easy for the Westies as they held a 34-22 lead in the third quarter, but watched as Career chipped away through the final 12 minutes of the game. When Career’s Tamar Williams drained a 3-pointer with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter to even the game at 56, the Westies needed an extra four minutes to pull out the win.
Steinman scored West Haven’s first eight points of the extra session, including draining a 3-pointer with 2:25 left to give West Haven a 61-58 lead. Steinman then hit 3-of-4 free throws to put the Westies up by six before fouling out seconds later.
“This is new to me, but I can play through it,” Steinman said of playing in front of a boisterous crowd. “This is a really big win for us. The team worked hard. We really wanted it. We were able to pull through at the end.”

















West Haven played strong defense against Career, January 20, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
The Panthers got as close as 66-63 with 27 seconds to go on a basket by Kyle-Hasim Daniels, but a pair of free throws by Bookert in the final seconds sealed the win for West Haven.
“We gave up the lead, but we were able to hit our free throws,” Bosley said. “The guys came right back at them. Marquel Bookert hit some huge free throws in overtime to seal the deal.”
While the win was a big one for the Westies, it was particularly disappointing for Career coach Larry Kelley and his team. The Panthers (6-3) came into the contest riding a six-game winning streak, but were unable to get on track in the first half.
Turnovers and missed shots inside defined the first quarter for Career as the Panthers did not hit their first field goal of the game until 2:20 remained in the opening quarter.
“We put ourselves in a situation like that where you come into their house and they are ready to play,” Kelley said. “There are people who have played here who have made this program what it is. They (West Haven) are going to play over the top of their heads to win this game. I am not taking anything away from them. They played hard and won this game. But, we did not defend, we had turnovers, and there were no leaders out there for us tonight.”
With the Westies up 21-20 in the second quarter, Mufee Cooper drained a 3-pointer for the Westies to increase the lead to four. The Westies scored the last seven points of the opening half, four coming from Latrell Best, to give West Haven a 31-22 lead at the break.
The Panthers answered with a 7-0 run, capped by Anthony Calder’s bucket to get within 34-29. A pair of free throws by Steinman had West Haven up 43-35 late in the third quarter, before Career rallied in the final four minutes of the game.
A 3-pointer by Daniels got the Panthers within 49-48 with 3:50 left in regulation, before another 3-pointer by Daniel Ampofo evened the game at 51 just 25 seconds later.














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Jaden Jones with a basket against Career, January 20, 2017. Video courtesy of Mike Madera.
Daniels led Career with 25 points, Ampofo had 16, and Calder and Tyquis Burney McKeithen each added eight in the loss.
Jaden Jones scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds in the win for West Haven. Justin Santos pulled down 11 rebounds for the Westies.  


WH falls to Hamden
Four-game win streak comes to end 
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 23, 2017) - Looking to extend its winning streak to five games, the West Haven boys basketball team never had a chance to do so. Scoring just five points in the opening quarter and trailing by 18, West Haven fell to Hamden 81-45 at Hamden High Monday evening. 

The Westies (6-4) trailed 43-20 at the half and were never able to come back from the big deficit. West Haven was outscored 38-25 in the second half, including 20-6 in the final eight minutes. 

Josiah Steinman led West Haven with 13 points, while Jaden Jones and Marquel Bookert each scored 10 points. 


Not Enough
Westies suffer tough loss to Amity 
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 25, 2017) - – Heading into Wednesday evening’s Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision game against Amity, West Haven head coach Harry Bosley was worried about Amity’s Tyler Thomas. Bosley’s worry was for good reason.
Behind 32 points from Thomas, including 14 in the second quarter, Amity rallied with a late free throw to defeat West Haven 58-57 at West Haven High.
The heroics of Thomas briefly took a back seat to the last second heroics of Colin Beaulieu, who drained a free throw with nine seconds to go in the fourth quarter to put the Spartans up for good. A last second shot by West Haven did not go down, propelling the Spartans to the victory.
“It is just resilience,” Thomas said. “We just never gave up. We hit some big shots and made plays on defense. This is pretty big for us. We just came off a loss to Cheshire and we wanted to come back strong.”
Rallying from a nine-point deficit, the Westies again found themselves down six points after Thomas sank a pair of free throws with 57 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to cap an 8-0 run by the Spartans.
The Westies then traded baskets by Carl Edwards, and Jaden Jones with Amity free throws and got within 57-55 with 24.9 seconds to go on a basket by Jones. After a steal, Jamal Pate hit a pair of free throws with 15 seconds to go to even the game at 57.
Amity got the ball up the court and with just nine seconds to go in the quarter, Beaulieu was fouled going to the basket and drained one of two for the 58-57 lead.
“We made one more free throw and did just enough to win the game,” Amity coach Jeff Nielsen said. “We had to go to the bench early with all the fouls that were called and we got production from everyone. Both benches stepped up tonight. We had just enough at the end.”
For West Haven and Bosley, the loss was a bitter one to take as the Westies were in prime position to grab the win, but could not hit key shots down the stretch.
“We got outhustled and outworked tonight,” Bosley said. “They got to all the loose balls. We didn’t start playing until the fourth quarter. We have to play hard from the start.”
Behind four points apiece from Thomas and Jack Nolan in the opening quarter, Amity jumped out to a 14-9 lead. Amity’s defense stymied the Westies in the quarter, forcing six of West Haven’s points to come from the free throw line.















Carl Edwards (24) basket against Amity, January 25, 2017. Video courtesy Mike Madera.
The game opened up in the second quarter, with the two teams combining for 40 points. Thomas had 14 of his team’s 18 points in the eight minutes before the half, while Marquel Bookert drained three 3-pointers in the quarter for West Haven.
A pair of free throws by Thomas extended the Amity lead to 29-18, before Josiah Steinman hit a 3-pointer and Edwards connected with a beautiful drive against the Amity defense Edwards then got West Haven within one, 32-31 seconds before the half.















Marquel Bookert (5) 3-pointer against Amity, January 25, 2017. Video courtesy Mike Madera.
Amity opened the second half with the first six points, highlighted by a long three-pointer by Thomas to extend the margin to 38-31.
West Haven again rallied late in the quarter as a 3-pointer by Edwards with 45 seconds to go and a bucket by Edwards 22 seconds later evened the game at 45. Chris Bierezowiec made sure the Spartans went to the last quarter with a lead as he drained a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining in the third.Nolan finished with eight points and Bierezowiec added seven in the win. Steinman finished with 14 points and Bookert added 12 in the loss for West Haven.

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THE HOME OF WEST HAVEN SPORTS

WestieBlue

Back on Track
WH snaps 2-game skid with win over Xavier
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 27, 2017) - After winning four straight games, the West Haven boys basketball team was looking to make a run. That run was put to a halt with a pair of tough losses to Hamden and Amity. 

With a chance to get back on track, the Westies did so Friday evening with an 81-70 victory over Xavier at West Haven High. 

The win was the seventh on the season for the Westies and helped the team improve to 7-5 on the year. 

















Jaden Jones (14) and the Westies topped Xavier, January 27, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

​As has been hoped, the Westies received a balanced attack with the insertion of Carl Edwards into the lineup. Edwards, a transfer student, had to sit the first 10 games before becoming eligible and made his first appearance in the loss to Amity. 

Edwards looked right at home Friday, scoring 29 points to lead the Westies. Josiah Steinman and Marquel Bookert, who have been solid all season long, continued to play well as each had 17 points in the win. 


On to the Postseason
Win over Branford improves Westies to 8-5
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 30, 2017) – It may have taken longer than the team would have liked, but the West Haven boys basketball team is heading back to the postseason. With a victory over Branford Monday evening, the Westies improved to 8-5 on the season, securing the postseason bid.  

Carl Edwards and Josiah Steinman continue to provide an electric spark as Edwards led all scorers with 22 points and Steinman was right behind with 20 points. Marquel Bookert also contributed nine points in the victory. 

















​Carl Edwards (24) and the Westies topped Branford, January 30, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

Edwards, Steinman and Justin Santos helped West Haven control the boards with seven rebounds apiece. Edwards also finished with five assists. 

Trailing by six points, West Haven won the contest in the middle two quarters, outscoring the Hornets 33-8. The 25-point run gave West Haven a 19-point advantage, sealing the postseason win. 


Three in a Row
Westies top Foran 78-48
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 1, 2017) – West Haven coach Harry Bosley has been waiting for his offense to spring into gear. That wait is over.

With a rotation on the floor which can put up points from anywhere on the court, the Westies are rolling once again. 

Having three players in double figures, the Westies rolled to a 79-49 victory over Foran Wednesday evening at West Haven High. West Haven improved to 9-5 with the win. 

Josiah Steinman and Marquel Bookert led the offense with 21 points apiece, while Carl Edwards had 17. Justin Santos and Jaden Jones added nine and six points, respectively. 

Bookert hit five 3-pointers in the game, and Steinman drained three, while Jones pulled down seven rebounds. Steinman, Santos and Edwards each had six rebounds. 

Steinman's stellar game also included nine assists, and six steals.

Leading by two points, West Haven put the game out of reach for the Lions with a 30-15 run in the second quarter. West Haven ran away with the game, turning a 17-point lead in the third quarter into a 22-point advantage. 


Just Short
Westies fall to Notre Dame 79-73
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 3, 2017) – Trailing by five points and with a raucous gym ready to celebrate, the Notre Dame – West Haven basketball team showed why it is one of the best teams in the state. Finishing the game on a 17-6 run, the Green Knights remained undefeated with a 79-73 Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision victory at West Haven High Friday evening.

















Carl Edwards (24) against Notre Dame, February 3, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
Notre Dame’s Tremont Waters finished with a team-high 29 points, but it was a 3-pointer by junior Tim Dawson in the final minute which gave the Green Knights a four-point lead and effectively sealed the win for Notre Dame.
“I thought our leadership stepped up big tonight in a big game like this,” Notre Dame coach Jason Shea said. “Our confidence was building to that point and we got the big shot at the end. This is the loudest place we have played in this year. The West Haven crowd was into it and did a great job. I thought West Haven did a great job tonight. They were a tough team to play.”
When Josiah Steinman’s shot fell through the basket in the final 10 seconds of the third quarter, West Haven took a 58-57 lead to the fourth quarter. A pair of 3-pointers by Marquel Bookert and a bucket by Steinman with under five minutes remaining in the game had the gym rocking and West Haven on top 67-62.
“I thought our inexperience hurt us at the end,” West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. “We have to learn from this game. In front of a big crowd like this, you have to make good decisions at the end. We got tired at the end. Overall, I thought we played great.”
Notre Dame (15-0) turned up its defense and West Haven (9-6) did not hit another field goal until 1:12 remained. By that time, the Green Knights had made their run and took the lead for good.
“Our defense really picked it up,” Shea said. “We stepped up the defense and our pressure.”

















Marquel Bookert (5) against Notre Dame, February 3, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 
An 8-0 run, which saw four points from Waters and ended with a bucket by Evan Blue, had the Green Knights on top 70-67.
“It started with our defense,” Waters said. “They are a tough team to guard. We had to contain them and when we did, we were able to get points off the fast break. We knew we had to keep playing. We got a huge three from Tim Dawson. That was big for us.”
Behind Waters, who scored 11 points in the opening quarter, Notre Dame scored the first 15 points of the game and held leads of 17-3 and 22-6 before West Haven battled back. The Westies changed from a man defense to zone and got within 32-27 on a 3-pointer by Steinman and 36-33 to end the half on a pair of free throws by Steinman.
When Waters sank a pair of free throws, the Green Knights held a 51-47 lead with just over three minutes to go in the third. A 9-2 run by West Haven was capped with a bucket by Justin Santos to give West Haven a 56-53 lead.














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Carl Edwards' (24) basket against Notre Dame, February 3, 2017. Video courtesy of Mike Madera. 














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​Josiah Steinman's (4) basket against Notre Dame, February 3, 2017. Video courtesy of Mike Madera.

“We went toe to toe with one of the best teams in the state,” Bosley said. “I feel bad for the guys. They worked so hard and wanted this.”
Dawson had 15 points for the Green Knights, while Jalanni White had 13, and Connor Raines added 10. Edwards led all scorers with 30 points, while Steinman scored 22 points and Bookert added 15 for West Haven.“Games like this are getting us better and better,” Waters said. “We are staying together.”


Century Mark
Westies blast Law 100-40
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 7, 2017) – Coming off a gut-wrenching loss to cross-town rival Notre Dame four days earlier, the West Haven boys basketball team looked to pick up the pieces. Tuesday evening in Milford was a great start. 

Getting offensive production from everyone in the lineup, West Haven won its fourth contest in five games with a 100-40 victory over Law at Jonathan Law. With the win, West Haven improved to 10-6 on the season. 

Thirteen different players got in the scoring column in the win for West Haven. Marquel Bookert had the hot hand as he drained nine 3-pointers to finish with 29 points. Bookert also grabbed 4 rebounds in the game. 

Carl Edwards continued his solid play with 20 points, while Justin Santos, Latrell Best and Toma Brown each scored eight points apiece. Justin Santos and Jaden Jones controlled the boards as Santos grabbed nine boards and Jones had eight rebounds. 

Josiah Steinman, who had six points, also added seven assists in the win for West Haven. 


Career tops Westies
Westies fall 71-63
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 11, 2017) – The last time West Haven faced Career, the two teams battled before the Westies prevailed in overtime. No such extra time was needed Saturday evening. 

Falling behind early, the Westies were in chase mode the rest of the way and fell to Career 71-63 in New Haven Saturday afternoon. With the loss, West Haven missed out on a chance to win the Quinnipiac Division and shares the top spot with Career.

The Westies also dropped to 10-7 on the season. 

The Panthers jumped out to a quick start in the contest, outscoring the Westies 22-10 in the opening quarter. The Westies got within ten pojnts at the half, but were unable to get going to pull out the victory. 

Josiah Steinman led the offense with 22 points, including five 3-pointers, while Carl Edwards finished with 19 points. Marquel Bookert drained four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points on the day. 

​Steinman also finished with six assists, three rebounds and three steals, while Edwards had four assists and three rebounds. Jaden Jones finished with seven rebounds, and Justin Santos have five rebounds in the loss. 


Cross blasts Westies
WH drops second straight to fall to 10-8
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 13, 2017) – With the postseason already locked up, it is all about seeding for the West Haven boys basketball team. That seeding theory has taken a hit the last two games as the Westies have fallen to Career and Cross. 

The latest loss came Monday evening when the Westies were thumped by the Governors, 76-41, on Senior Night at West Haven High.

Carl Edwards led the offense with  13 points, while Marquel Bookert had 12 points and Josiah Steinman finished with eight points. Bookert did his damage by connecting on four 3-pointers. 

Bookert also led the way with five rebounds, while Steinman and Justin Santos pulled down three rebounds apiece.


Westies top Cheshire
WH improves to 11-8 with win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 16, 2017) – After losing two consecutive games, the West Haven boys basketball team was looking to get back on track, The Westies were able to do so Thursday evening on the road. 

Behind 17 points from Jaden Jones and 16 more from Carl Edwards, the Westies topped Cheshire 50-48 at Cheshire High Thursday evening. 

The win allowed West Haven to snap its skid and improve to 11-8 on the season. 

The Westies led by four points at the half, but saw their offense disappear in the third quarter. The Westies scored just five points in the quarter and entered the final eight minutes trailing by four. 

West Haven got back on track in the fourth quarter, scoring 21 points to pull out the victory. 

Marquel Bookert continued to shoot well from the outside as he drained three 3-pointers to finish with nine points in the game.


Green Knights top Westies
WH falls to 11-9 with loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 21, 2017) – Looking for its first undefeated regular season in program history, the Notre Dame basketball team had to go through rival West Haven to do so. Having been pushed to the limit in narrowly defeating the Westies in the first meeting of the two schools earlier in the season, the Green Knights were not about to let a rivalry get in their way.
Led by Tremont Waters with 24 points, Notre Dame started quickly and never stopped in defeating West Haven 69-54 in a Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision contest on Tonelli Court at Notre Dame Tuesday evening.
“I think we did a better job of getting the ball inside tonight,” Notre Dame coach Jason Shea said. “We attacked the basket. The tricky part about playing them is they play four guards. Jalanni (White) is 6-7 but he can guard guards. That gave us the advantage inside. We become tough when we dominate the inside.”
With Notre Dame’s victory, the top-ranked team in the Register/GameTimeCT Top 10 poll, finished the regular season 20-0 and will enter the postseason as the top seed in both the SCC and state tournaments.
“This was just another game in the process,” Shea said. “Our goal was we did not want to go on the road in the state tournament. We wanted the number one seed in both tournaments. It was also about Senior Night tonight.”
Waters, who was honored by Jordan Brand Classic prior to the game, was hot from the outside, easily draining six 3-pointers from beyond the arc. When West Haven rolled its defense to Waters, a compliment of Notre Dame players responded.
Jalanni White finished with 14 points, Tim Dawson added 12, and Connor Raines had 11, including a pair of monster dunks in the contest.
“We pretty much learned from the last time we played them,” Waters said. “Everyone was making their shots tonight. We broke out fast and we were up ten. After that, we kept doing what we do.”
The Green Knights never trailed in the contest as Waters opened the game with a 3-pointer and Chukwudi Dikko added another bucket as part of a 7-1 run to open the contest.
Each time the Westies got within striking distance, the Green Knights had an answer. A 3-pointer by Josiah Steinman brought West Haven within 17-15, but Waters responded with three consecutive 3-pointers to extend Notre Dame’s lead to 26-15 in the second quarter.
“I thought we did not utilize our shooters tonight,” West Haven coach Harry Bosley said. “Marquel (Bookert) did not get enough shots in the second half. The main thing is they killed us on the boards. They had too many second shots. We did not capitalize when they did make mistakes.”















Carl Edwards (24) with a basket against Notre Dame, February 21, 2017. Video courtesy of Mike Madera. 
West Haven’s Carl Edwards got his team within 28-24 late in the second quarter, but Notre Dame scored the last four points of the first half and the first four points of the third quarter, including a dunk by Raines, to extend the lead to 36-24.
West Haven (11-9) never got closer than nine points the rest of the way as another dunk by Raines extended the margin to 55-42 in the fourth quarter. Steinman hit a 3-pointer to get West Haven within 62-53 with 2:30 left in the game, but Waters calmly answered with a quick bucket to end any hopes of a West Haven comeback.
“What makes us so dangerous is we have five Division I players on the floor,” Shea said. “It is not just one guy. Not one of them cares about how many points they score or how many shots they take. They all just care about winning.”
Edwards led West Haven with 20 points, while Steinman finished with 14, and Marquel Bookert had nine in the loss for West Haven.  


Moving On
Westies top Career in SCC tournament
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 23, 2017) – With a split in the regular season between the Career and West Haven boys basketball teams, that tie would be broken Thursday evening. 

Led by a complete team effort, No. 10 West Haven defeated No. 7 Career 60-51 in the opening round of the Southern Connecticut Conference tournament at Career High.

















​Carl Edwards (24) and the Westies topped Career in the opening round of the SCC tournament, February 23, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

With the win, West Haven improved to 12-9 and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the tournament against No. 2 Hillhouse Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Branford High.

The Westies jumped out to a quick lead in the first half as Marquel Bookert was hot from the outside. Bookert, who finished with 27 points, including five 3-pointers, helped his team jump out to a 20-10 lead after one quarter and 30-21 lead at the half. 

As quickly as the Westies built the lead was as quickly as the lead disappeared in the second half. West Haven's offense went silent in the third quarter and a 17-8 run by the Panthers evened the game at 38 after three quarters of play. 

​With Bookert hitting all eight of his free throws, West Haven sealed the game in the fourth quarter with a 22-13 run. 
















​

Josiah Steinman (4) and the Westies topped Career in the opening round of the SCC tournament, February 23, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.

See highlights of the game from WTNH SportzEdge here.

Steinman finished with 14 points, Carl Edwards had 11 points and Jaden Jones finished with five. 

Dan Ampofo led Career with 15 points.


House Rules
Slow start hurts Westies in loss to Academics 
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 23, 2017) – If there was anything the West Haven boys basketball team was looking to avoid in Saturday afternoon's Southern Connecticut Conference quarterfinal match against Hillhouse, it was a slow start. That is not how the script played out.

Trailing 15-4 early, the second-seeded Westies never recovered in a 61-51 loss to 10th-seeded Hillhouse at Branford High.

Carl Edwards had a game-high 18 points for West Haven, while Marquel Bookert added 14 points for the Westies. West Haven fell to 12-10 with the loss. 

Tyler Douglas led Hillhouse with 14 points and Byron Breland added 13 as Hillhouse improved to 21-1.

Edwards added seven rebounds, Jones grabbed six rebounds, and Josiah Steinman had five boards in the loss. Bookert finished with four 3-pointers for the Westies. 


Season Over
Westies fall to Blue Wave in state tournament opener  
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(March 6, 2017) – The run in the postseason was a short one for the West Haven boys basketball team. Traveling to play 13th-seeded Darien, No. 20 West Haven could not hold on to a third quarter lead and fell 70-56 against the Blue Wave in the opening round of the Class LL state tournament in Darien. 

















Marquel Bookert (5) against Darien, March 6, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

With the loss, West Haven closes the season with a 12-11 record. 

​West Haven held leads of 11-10 after one quarter, 22-16 at the half, and 42-38 after three quarters of play. 

That was it for West Haven as Darien closed the final eight minutes on a 32-14 run to advance to the second round. 

















Josiah Steinman (4) against Darien, March 6, 2017. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske. 

Check back later for the rest of this article. 

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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

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