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BOYS BASKETBALL 2021-2022
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
Manny Belcher (4) and West Haven fell to Notre Dame, 77-40, December 16, 2021. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Randy Alston (2) and West Haven fell to Notre Dame, 77-40, December 16, 2021. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
ND trounces Westies
WH falls 77-40 in season opener
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 16, 2021) - The West Haven boys basketball team knew the start of its season was going to be tough, squaring off against powers Notre Dame-West Haven and Naugatuck to open the campaign. The Westies saw just how tough Thursday evening.
Holding the Westies to just two first quarter points, the Green Knights easily defeated the Westies 74-40 at Notre Dame in the season opener for both teams. Mekhi Conner led the way for the Green Knights with 18 points as the contest was never in question.
West Haven struggled from the start, finally getting on the scoreboard with six seconds to go in the opening quarter on a basket by Adam El Kharraz. Notre Dame responded with a bucket by Amare Davis at the buzzer, taking a 12-2 lead after one quarter.
For all of West Haven’s struggles in the first quarter, there was still time to make up the 10-point deficit. That time quickly faded away as the Green Knights opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run for a 21-2 lead.
The Westies never stopped the Green Knights to slow the momentum and Notre Dame built a 36-12 lead at the half.
Kyle Kearson’s basket got the Westies within 25-6 and a 3-pointer by Henry Smith had West Haven within 26-9, but the Westies never got closer.
Smith led West Haven with 12 points, Manny Belcher had six, and Tavares Tuck, El Kharraz, and Roderick Smith each scored five.
First of the Season
WH tops Foran 61-35
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 4, 2022) - After starting the season with a pair of losses, then enduring more than two weeks off, the West Haven boys basketball team returned to action with a 61-35 victory over Foran at Foran High Tuesday evening.
The Westies were in control from the start with eight different players in the scoring column, led by Henry Smith with 15 points.
West Haven turned up the defense in the opening quarter, holding the Lions to two points and taking a 12-2 lead behind six points from Manny Belcher. The Westies extended the margin to 29-13 with a 17-11 margin in the second quarter as Smith added eight points.
The Westies put the game away with a 21-6 run in the third quarter. Smith had seven points in the quarter, Tavares Tuck added six points, and Belcher drained a 3-pointer.Tuck and Belcher each finished with 11 points, while Jared Butler and Javaun Calhoun each scored eight.
WH rolls past East Haven
Third quarter run propels Westies to 65-25 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 4, 2022) - The West Haven boys basketball team returned to action by getting back in the win column. With nine players in the scoring column and a pair in double digits, West Haven cruised to a 65-25 road victory over East Haven Tuesday evening.
Leading 22-15 at the half, West Haven (2-3) put the game away with a 21-0 run in the third quarter. Javaun Calhoun had nine points in the quarter, while Henry Smith added six in the third.
West Haven closed the game on a 22-9 run and finished the second half outscoring East Haven 43-9. Jared Butler led West Haven with seven points in the final quarter.
The Westies jumped out to a 17-8 lead in the first quarter as Adam El Kharraz, Butler and Smith each drained 3-pointers. Butler had seven points in the quarter and Smith added five. Tavares Tuck scored the only five points in the second quarter for West Haven.
Butler led West Haven with 14 points, Smith had 13, and Tuck and Calhoun each scored nine.
Green Knights top Westies
ND sweeps season series
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 14, 2022) - The West Haven boys basketball team was looking to rebound from an opening day defeat against cross-town rival Notre Dame-West Haven in the second meeting of the two teams Friday evening. The second contest was reminiscent of the first.
Not allowing West Haven to get going offensively, the Green Knights cruised to a 76-43 victory at West Haven High. With the loss, West Haven dropped to 2-4 on the year.
The Westies hit just once from 3-point range in the game and were unable to get going on the inside. The Green Knights led 18-8 after one quarter and 36-14 at the half, which proved too much for the Westies to overcome.
The Green Knights jumped out to a 7-2 lead, before West Haven got within two points on a bucket and free throw by Tavares Tuck. The Westies never got closer.
Jared Butler got West Haven within 13-7, before a free throw by Henry Smith had the Westies within 18-8. The Green Knights scored the first five points of the second quarter for a 23-8 lead.
Kyle Kearson got West Haven within 24-10, but that was as close as the Westies got.
Tuck led the Westies with 11 points, Javaun Calhoun had eight, and Jared Butler scored six in the loss.
Westies run past Sheehan
Tuck leads way in 66-38 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 17, 2022) - The West Haven boys basketball team got back on the winning track and improved to 3-4 with a 66-38 victory over Sheehan at West Haven High Monday evening.
Eight different players were in the scoring column, and Tavares Tuck led a balanced attack with 21 points. Adam El Kharraz scored 15 points and Javaun Calhoun scored 12 in the victory.
The Westies set the tone of the game early, taking an 18-7 lead after one quarter. El Kharraz hit a pair of 3-pointers in the opening quarter and finished with eight points in the opening eight minutes, while Tuck added four in the quarter.
West Haven extended the margin to 35-20 in the second quarter. Calhoun had six points and Tuck four as the Westies had a 15-point margin at the half.
The lead extended to 21 points in the third quarter as Tuck hit a big 3-pointer and finished with seven points in the third. Tuck scored six and El Kharraz added five in the final eight minutes.
West Haven’s defense was stellar throughout, holding the Titans to 20 points and under in each half.
Top of the Hill
Westies beat Hillhouse in thriller
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 31, 2022) - The West Haven boys basketball team is starting to find its way. Needing overtime, the Westies defeated Hillhouse 55-47 Monday evening at West Haven High to improve to 6-5 on the year.
The victory was West Haven’s third in a row. The Westies were led by Kyle Kearson with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Tavares Tuck with 14 points. Javaun Calhoun added eight points and Dwight Francis had seven points in the win.
Kearson drained three of his 3-pointers in the opening quarter, while Tuck and Francis also hit from long range. West Haven outscored the Academics by eight points in the overtime, doing most of the damage at the free throw line.
Westies cruise past Foran
Belcher, Smith lead way in 80-50 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 3, 2022) - The West Haven boys basketball team won its fourth game in a row with a resounding 80-50 victory over Foran in West Haven Thursday evening. With the victory, West Haven improved to 7-5 on the year.
The Westies had 11 players in the scoring column with Manny Belcher and Henry Smith leading the way with 17 points apiece. Tavares Tuck had 11 points and Kyle Kearson added eight.
Six different players scored in the opening quarter when West Haven took a 24-13 advantage. Tuck drained a pair of 3-pointers, Henry Smith scored seven, and Roderick Smith had five.
The Westies held a 15-point lead in the second quarter behind a balanced attack. Belcher helped put the game away in the third quarter when he connected on three 3-pointers.
Westies fall to Bassick
OT loss snaps winning streak
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 5, 2022) - The West Haven boys basketball team had plenty of opportunities to pull away in Saturday afternoon’s game against Bassick. The numbers at the free throw line told a different story.
Missing 12 shots from the line, including 11 in the first half, West Haven never put away Bassick, falling 82-80 in overtime at West Haven High.
With the loss, West Haven saw its four-game winning streak come to an end and fell to 7-6 on the year. The Westies were 29-of-41 from the free throw line.
West Haven had three players in double figures, led by Tavares Tuck with 21 points and Manny Belcher with 20. Javaun Calhoun added 12 points, Henry Smith had nine, Dwight Francis had eight and Jared Butler chipped in six.
The Westies trailed by one point after the first quarter as they missed four free throws. Belcher had five points in the opening quarter.
West Haven took a 37-31 lead in the second quarter as Henry Smith hit a big 3-pointer and finished with seven points in the quarter.
The Westies never extended the lead and saw Bassick even the game at 50 in the third quarter. West Haven missed just one free throw in the second half, connecting on all 11 in the fourth quarter.
Tuck and Belcher tried to close out the game for the Westies in the final quarter with seven and six points, respectively, but the game went to overtime and Bassick squeaked out a two-point win.
Westies top East Haven
Balanced attack leads way in 86-47 win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 7, 2022) - After a tough loss against Bassick, the West Haven boys basketball team got back on the winning track with an 86-47 victory over East Haven Monday evening at West Haven High.
The Westies had contributions from a variety of players as 14 different players were in the scoring column, led by Tavares Tuck and Manny Belcher with 17 points apiece.
Henry Smith had 11 points, Jared Butler added nine, and Roderick Smith and Kyle Kearson each scored eight.
The Westies jumped out of the gates quickly with 27 first quarter points and never looked back. Belcher scored eight points in the first eight minutes, Tuck drained a pair of 3-pointers and Kearson had four points.
Henry Smith knocked in a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter, Butler scored five points, while Tuck and Calhoun each scored four.
Big Win
Westies top Fairfield Prep 65-56
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 9, 2022) - The West Haven High boys basketball team has had some big wins the past two years. For this season, the biggest win came Wednesday evening.
Going to toe-to-toe with one of the state’s best teams, West Haven prevailed with a 65-56 victory at West Haven High. West Haven’s second straight victory improved the team to 9-6 on the season.
Tavares Tuck led four Westies in double figures with 22 points, while Manny Belcher scored 14, Henry Smith had 12 and Kyle Kearson added 11.
Despite seven points from Belcher and four from Kearson in the opening quarter, West Haven trailed 19-15. The Westies took a 30-28 lead, outscoring Fairfield Prep 15-9 in the second quarter as Tuck scored 10 of his team’s 15 points.
West Haven increased the lead to 47-41 as Kearson scored seven points and Henry Smith scored six in the third quarter.
Tuck helped ice the game with 10 points in the final quarter, including six from the free throw line.
Three in a Row
Westies thump Sheehan 64-39
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 10, 2022) - The West Haven boys basketball team won its third game in a row and seventh in eight contests with a 64-39 victory at Sheehan Thursday evening. With the win, West Haven improved to 10-6 on the season.
The Westies had 10 players in the scoring column and were led by Manny Belcher with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Tavares Tuck scored 10 points, while Kyle Kearson and Adam El Kharraz each scored seven.
West Haven’s defense was on its game, allowing just three field goals and a pair of 3-pointers in the first half.
West Haven had a 16-9 lead at the half as Tuck scored seven points in the opening quarter. Six different players scored in the second quarter as West Haven added 17 points and took a 33-14 lead.
Four Straight
Westies top Shelton 63-47
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 15, 2022) - The West Haven boys basketball won its fourth in a row and eighth in nine games with a 63-47 victory in Shelton Tuesday evening. The Westies improved to 11-6 with the win.
West Haven jumped out to a 15-7 lead after one quarter, led by Jared Butler’s six points. The lead increased to 33-19 as Kyle Kearson had seven second quarter points and Javaun Calhoun had four.
Kearson led the way with 13 points, while Tavares Tuck had nine, Butler and Manny Belcher each had eight, and Calhoun finished with seven.
Nice Start
Westies top Trumbull in state opener
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(March 8, 2022) - The West Haven boys basketball team opened the Division I state tournament with a 65-45 victory over No. 20 Trumbull at West Haven High Tuesday evening. Unfortunately for the Westies, the season came to an end two days later in a 66-40 loss to fourth-seeded Fairfield Prep.
No. 12 West Haven had 10 players in the scoring column against Trumbull and was led by Tavares Tuck with 16 points. Kyle Kearson had 12 points, while Javaun Calhoun had eight and Henry Smith seven in the win.
Tuck got the Westies on their way with seven points in the opening quarter for a 23-7 lead.
West Haven led 33-17 at the half and increased the margin to 46-23 after three quarters of play with a balanced scoring attack.
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