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Cheshire tops West Haven
Westies nipped by Rams
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 19, 2018) - The West Haven girls basketball team fell to 2-9 with its sixth straight loss Friday evening. Overcoming a slow start, West Haven rallied, but fell 47-42 against Cheshire.
The Westies scored just five points in the opening quarter and trailed by 13 points after eight minutes of play. West Haven turned the tide in the second quarter, holding the Rams to just four points, and trailed 22-18 at the half.
Keegan Riccio (20) and Amanda Carr (10) against Cheshire, January 19, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
West Haven got within two points in the third quarter, but could not rally for the victory, scoring just nine points in the final quarter.
Amanda Carr led West Haven with 14 points, while Diamond Dixon scored 10 points in the loss. Carr also added six blocks and 12 rebounds. West Haven hit on just 12-of-21 free throws in the loss.
Mia Juodaitis led Cheshire with 19 points.
Cross drops Westies
WH falls to 2-10 with seventh straight loss
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 22, 2018) - The West Haven girls basketball team fell to 2-10 on the year with its seventh straight loss Monday evening. Trailing by 13 points at the half, the Westies never recovered in a 60-32 loss to Wilbur Cross in New Haven.
West Haven never cracked the double digit mark in any quarter, scoring eight points apiece in all four quarters.
The Governors led by four points after one quarter, 29-18 at the half, and 47-24 after three quarters of play.
Amanda Carr led West Haven with nine points, while Ny'Aire Serrano had seven points in the loss.
The Westies shot just 9-of-19 from the free throw line in the loss.
Career sends WH to 8th straight Loss
Carr leads way with eight points in defeat
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 24, 2018) - The West Haven girls basketball team suffered its eighth straight loss in a 59-39 defeat against Career Wednesday evening at West Haven High. With the loss, the Westies dropped to 2-11 on the season.
The Westies were in striking distance in the first half, but a 14-point swing by the Panthers in the second half turned the game around for good in the third quarter. The run by Career extended its margin to 48-22 and turned a close game into a one-sided affair.
West Haven trailed by only five points after one quarter of play, before Career started to pull away with a 15-8 run in the second quarter to take a 27-15 lead at the half.
Amanda Carr led West Haven with eight points. Natalia Frazier added six points, and Keegan Riccio and Ebonie Jones each scored five.
Ky’Jae Hargrove led Career with 23 points, while Carmen Rosemond added 11 in the win.
Streak Over
Carr, Serrano, Jones help WH stop losing skid
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 26, 2018) - The losing streak had reached eight games and the West Haven girls basketball team was looking for a stop. Amanda Carr, Ebonie Jones and Ny'Aire Serrano stepped forward.
Behind 16 points and 13 rebounds from Carr, and 13 points apiece from Jones and Serrano, the Westies snapped its losing skid with a 57-38 victory at West Haven High Friday evening. With the victory, West Haven moved to 3-11 on the year.
Leading by two points after eight minutes of play, West Haven pulled away, holding the Indians to six points in the second quarter. The 17-6 run gave West Haven a 26-13 lead and the Westies never looked back.
A strong offensive showing in the third quarter increased the margin to 18 points, before the Westies closed out the game in the fourth quarter.
Jones added three 3-pointers in the win for West Haven.
Slipping Away
WH falls to Branford as postseason hopes start to fade
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 29, 2018) - With every game for the remainder of the season like a playoff game for the West Haven girls basketball team, every possession holds so much value. The Westies found this out again Monday evening.
Within striking distance for most of the game, West Haven watched as Branford took advantage of some missed opportunities from the Westies to take a 55-41 decision in Branford. The loss sent the Westies to 3-12 on the season and put their playoff hopes in jeopardy, needing to win their final five games.
Emma Pierson led the way for Branford with 19 points, Sophia Araneo added 11 points, and Karly King scored 10 as the Hornets used a 20-13 run in the fourth quarter to pull away in the victory.
The Westies trailed 19-15 at the half, and by seven points after three quarters of play.
Ny'Aire Serrano led the Westies with 10 points, while Natalia Frazier added nine points, and Amanda Carr had seven.
Shelton tops Westies
WH falls in second straight contest
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 2, 2018) - With the postseason hopes of the West Haven girls basketball team slipping out of reach, the Westies were looking to close the regular season on a positive note. Unfortunately for West Haven, a lack of offense in a pair of quarters proved costly in a 54-34 loss to Shelton Friday evening at West Haven High.
The Westies (3-13) struggled to score in both the second and fourth quarters, combining for just 10 points. Outscored 21-10 in that time period, the Westies fell by 20 points.
The Westies scored 18 of their 34 points from 3-point range, with Natalia Frazier and Ebonie Jones leading the way with a pair of 3-pointers each. Frazier and Amanda Carr led the Westies with nine points apiece, while Jones finished with eight.
West Haven trailed 16-14, before a 15-5 run by the Gaels put the Westies in a 31-19 hole. Shelton increased the margin to 48-29 in the third quarter, before sealing the contest in the fourth.
Maggie Howard led Shelton with 15 points.
Westies top Sharks
Carr scores 16 in win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 5, 2018) - Amanda Carr scored 16 points and West Haven snapped a two-game losing streak with a 47-30 victory over Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden Monday evening. With the victory, the Westies improved to 4-13 on the season.
Carr was solid throughout the night, adding 15 rebounds, five blocks, two assists and two steals. Natalia Frazier scored eight points, added five assists and three rebounds, while Diamond Dixon scored seven points and added two assists.
Savannah Gray also chipped in six points and two rebounds in the win, while Keegan Riccio and Sarah Evangelista each had four steals. Riccio added 11 rebounds and four assists to her solid night.
The Westies had eight different players in the scoring column.
Sheehan cruises past Westies
Westies fall 54-31
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 5, 2018) - With the regular season coming to a close, the West Haven girls basketball team has just a pair of games remaining.
Traveling to Wallingford Tuesday evening, West Haven faced playoff-bound Sheehan and dropped a 54-31 decision at Sheehan High. With the loss, West Haven fell to 4-14 on the season.
Looking to improve their postseason seeding, the Titans rolled from the start, leading by 22 points at the half. Sheehan started the game on a 22-10 run, then used a defensive effort in the second quarter to hold the Westies to just six points, giving Sheehan a 38-16 lead at the half.
Sarah Evangelista led West Haven with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Amanda Carr added nine points and Savannah Gray had four in the loss.
Hayleigh Lagase led three Sheehan players in double figures with 17 points.
Westies fall short against Cheshire
Frazier scores 14 in 50-49 defeat
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 9, 2018) - Friday evening's contest at Cheshire seemed to typify the season for the West Haven girls basketball team. While the Westies battled, they are just not there yet.
Trailing by 26 points, West Haven rallied before falling to Cheshire 50-49 at Cheshire High. With the loss, West Haven fell to 4-15 on the year.
The Rams jumped out to an early lead on West Haven, holding the Westies to just 10 points in the first half, including just two in the second quarter. West Haven trailed by nine after eight minutes, and 36-10 at the half.
The Westies rallied, outscoring Cheshire 29-14 in the second half, including 14-2 in the fourth quarter where they came close to finishing the rally.
Natalia Frazier led the Westies with 14 points, while Amanda Car added 13. Ny'Aire Serrano added six points in the loss for West Haven and Keegan Riccio had five. The Westies were just 9-of-17 from the free throw line.
Mia Pulisciano led Cheshire with 16 points.
Westies win Finale
Carr leads WH past SHA
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 12, 2018) - West Haven senior Amanda Carr was not going to leave the court with any regrets. In her last game in a West Haven uniform, Carr picked the right time to have one of her best games of the season.
Scoring 10 points, grabbing 20 rebounds, and blocking five shots, Carr helped lead West Haven to a 46-42 victory over Sacred Heart Academy on Senior Night at West Haven High Monday evening.
Amanda Carr and her family prior to a game against Sacred Heart Academy, February 12, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The win was West Haven's second in the last four games against Sacred Heart Academy and allowed the Westies to finish the season at 5-15.
West Haven jumped out of the gates quickly, taking a 10-point lead. The Westies led 32-18 at the half, but had to battle in the second half.
The Sharks cut the West Haven advantage to 38-30, but could not pull ahead in the final minutes.
Ally Kirck drained three 3-pointers for the Sharks and finished with 13 points, while Elena Farquharson added 12.
Natalia Frazier against Sacred Heart Academy, February 12, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
Natalia Frazier led West Haven with 11 points, Ebonie Jones finished with nine, and Ny'Aire Serrano and Savannah Gray each scored four.
Both teams struggled from the free throw line with the Sharks converting on just 5-of-12 opportunities, and the Westies hitting just 6-of-15.
Rough Start
Westies fall to Career in season opener
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 12, 2017) - With a goal of returning to the postseason, the West Haven girls basketball team knows it has a tough start to the season. That start did not get any easier.
Behind a solid third quarter, Career jumped out to a 30-point lead and never looked back in a 72-34 victory over the Westies in the season opener for both teams in New Haven Monday evening.
West Haven held Career to 30 points in the opening half, but the West Haven offense was not firing on all cylinders as it scored just six points in the opening quarter and 19 in the first half.
Trailing 30-19, the Westies watched the game slip away as Career went on a 25-6 run to start the second half, taking a 55-25 lead.
Amanda Carr led West haven with 10 points, while freshman Ebonie Jones added seven, and Ny' Aire Serrano and Diamond Dixon each added five.
The Westies also struggled at the free throw line, connecting on just one of eight attempts.
Career had four players in double digits and was led by KyJae Hargrove with 27 points. Carmen Rosemond, Ciara Little, and Arkaysee Booker each finished with 10 points in the win. Rosemond had 10 rebounds, and Little had five steals and four assists for Career.
Governors ease past Westies
Cross posts 65-26 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 16, 2017) - Looking for is first victory of the season, the West Haven girls basketball team hosted Wilbur Cross Saturday evening. That victory will have to wait as the Governors cruised to a 65-26 victory over West Haven at West Haven High.
With the loss, West Haven fell to 0-2 on the season.
Lions top Westies
Foran posts 64-46 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 30, 2017) - After posting its first victory of the season, the West Haven girls basketball team was looking to build off that. Unfortunately for the Westies, that never happened.
Falling behind early, the Westies dropped a 64-46 decision against Foran at West Haven High Saturday afternoon. The loss dropped the Westies to 1-3 on the year.
West Haven fell behind early and never recovered as the Lions took an early 15-6 advantage. The Westies trailed 35-22 at the half and 54-35 after three quarters of action.
Freshman Ebonie Jones led the Westies with 16 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Amanda Carr, Natalia Frazer, and Ny'Aire Serrano each had six points, while Diamond Dixon scored five.
Westies top Harding
WH improves to 2-3 with victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 2, 2018) - Coming off a loss to Foran of Milford, the West Haven girls basketball team needed a solid performance to get back on track. The Westies got that performance three days later.
With three players in double figures and using a big third quarter run, the Westies defeated Harding for the second time this season, 67-41, at West Haven High. The win improved West Haven's record to 2-3 on the year.
West Haven coach Jessica Moriarty talks with her team against Harding, January 2, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
West Haven, which turned a 12-point lead into a blowout with a 22-10 run in the third quarter, had a balanced attack led by Amanda Carr with 12 points. Dynastee Francis and Diamond Dixon each scored 11 points, while Natalia Frazer finished with nine points and Keegan Riccio added seven points and 10 rebounds.
The Westies held a five-point lead after one quarter of play, before extending the margin to 31-19 at the half. The big run in the third quarter gave West Haven a 53-29 lead after three quarters of play.
Janazha Davis led Harding with 13 points.
North tops West
WH falls to 2-4
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 6, 2018) - The West Haven girls basketball team is looking to build a winning streak. That streak has not happened yet.
Fresh off a victory against Harding, West Haven was looking to hit the .500 mark, but instead dropped to 2-4 with a 39-30 loss against North Haven.
West Haven did not get much offense throughout the lineup as Amanda Carr and Ebonie Jones were the leading scorers. Carr led the way with 15 points, while Jones had nine, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the loss.
The Westies led by one point after one quarter, but scored just three points in the second quarter. North Haven capitalized and took an 18-12 lead to the half. The Indians increased the margin to 30-20, and West Haven never took the lead again.
Westies fall to Branford
Strong effort not enough in loss to Hornets
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 8, 2018) - With her team losing two straight games, senior Emma Pierson was not going to let the streak become three games. Scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter, including six from the free throw line, Pierson led the Hornets to a 47-42 Southern Connecticut Conference interdivision contest at West Haven High Monday evening.
“There is a big saying games come down to free throws,” Pierson said. “It is just muscle memory. The free throws helped us tonight. We came up with some clutch shots.”
The win allowed the Hornets to snap a two-game skid and improve to 5-4 on the year. Branford had five wins all of last year.
“They are all big,” Branford coach Justin Henry said of the win. “We are trying to build on that all the time. We only won five games last year. We have five now. I am proud of all the work the girls have put in. This is a tough league. They (West Haven) are a scrappy team and are pretty disciplined. They are tough kids.”
Leading by three points, Pierson increased the margin to ten as she started the quarter with a pair of free throws, followed with a 3-pointer, then hit a field goal with 5 minutes, 15 seconds left in the third quarter.
“They had a triangle and two on me and Sophia (Araneo),” Pierson said. “It was tough as we have not faced that before. We had the coaches supporting us. That was a big help for us.”
After Brianna Sebastian drained a 3-pointer to get the Westies within seven, Sophia Araneo hit a pair of free throws to increase the lead to nine with four minutes to go. The Westies (2-5) never quit and got as close as five points with 3:28 to go on buckets by Amanda Carr and Natalia Frazer, but Pierson connected on four free throws down the stretch to ice the game for the Hornets.
Ny'Aire Serrano (22) scores against Branford, January 8, 2018. Video courtesy of Mike Madera.
“We played with great energy tonight and rose to the challenge,” West Haven coach Jessica Moriarty said. “They bought into the defensive (triangle and two) strategy we wanted to play. They played with great effort and energy the whole game.”
The two teams battled from the start with the Westies using six points in the first quarter by Ny’Aire Serrano to take a 12-10 advantage. With West Haven leading by two points, consecutive 3-pointers by Karly King and Araneo had the Hornets on top 20-16 with 2:58 left in the opening half.
Carly Shea then came up clutch for the Hornets. After the Westies got within 22-21 on a pair of free throws by Keegan Riccio, Shea’s basket with 24 seconds left in the half gave the Hornets a 24-21 advantage.
“We had kids make shots when we needed them,” Henry said. “We had a big one at the end of the first half (Shea). Those six or seven baskets from others are certainly helpful.”
Pierson led the Hornets with 14 points, while Araneo added 12, and King 10. Marisa Minore finished with eight rebounds in the win.
Carr led the Westies with13 points, Serrano added 10, and Frazer finished with eight in the loss for West Haven. The Westies got to the free throw line just four times in the game, hitting on two.
Westies fall to Gaels
Offense struggles in 40-25 defeat
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 12, 2018) - The West Haven girls basketball team is looking to get going. Scoring just 25 points, including only 10 in the first half, West Haven fell to Shelton 40-25 in Shelton Friday evening.
With its fourth straight loss, the Westies dropped to 2-7 on the season.
After trailing just 10-8 at the end of the first quarter, the Westies scored just two points in the second quarter and trailed by nine at the half.
Needing a second half push, the Westies never got that, scoring just 15 points.
Diamond Dixon led the Westies with six points, while Amanda Carr and Ebonie Jones each scored five, and Ny'Aire Serrano added four.
The Westies converted just 9-of-17 free throws in the loss.
Titans top Westies
Carr's offense not enough in loss to Sheehan
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 16, 2018) - The West Haven offense has been struggling of late. Looking to get a spark, Amanda Carr provided that, but it was not enough in a 57-41 loss to Sheehan at West Haven High Tuesday evening.
The fifth straight loss dropped West Haven to 2-8 on the year as the season approaches the halfway mark.
The Westies fell to Sheehan, January 16, 2018. Photo courtesy of Todd Dandelske.
The Titans jumped out of the gates quickly and never looked back, taking a 10-point lead after one quarter, and a 38-25 lead at the half. The Westies got within ten points in the third quarter, but scored only three fourth quarter points to see their comeback fall short.
Carr led the Westies with 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while she also added seven blocks, and eight rebounds.
Ebonie Jones scored 10 points, and Keegan Riccio and Ny'Aire Serrano each added four points in the loss.
Liv Robles led all scorers with 16 points for Sheehan.
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GIRLS BASKETBALL 2017-2018
All-State players - Kelley Camp '75, '76; Sue Passander '79; Catrina Hawley '97, '98; Jayva Johnson '13
Retired Numbers - Kelley Camp (Class of 1977) #13; Catrina Hawley (Class of 1998) #41
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