By Ken Lipshez
MaxPreps.com
The high school basketball season has reached its midpoint and the second half will produce some exceptional match-ups as preludes to tournament time.
On the girls’ side, Berlin and New Britain are smarting from setbacks of a diverse nature.
The Redcoats’ wake-up call came on the court in a decisive defeat at the hands of twice-beaten East Lyme.
One of the assets that coaches can’t teach is size and few teams in the state can match-up with Berlin’s frontcourt strength. Katelyn Zarotney and Sarah Byrnes have proven what they can do in the low post. Kaitlyn Bovee, while not quite as tall as her teammates, counteracts it with her fearless, aggressive style.
East Lyme executed its help defense brilliantly and the Redcoats cooperated by forcing passes and shots instead of reversing the ball quickly around the perimeter for more conducive entry passes to their “bigs.”
The Redcoats will be well-tested when tourney time arrives. Games at East Catholic (Feb. 2) and consecutive regular-season ending home games against St. Paul (Feb. 16) and Northwest Catholic (Feb. 18) will tell the tale if the lesson at East Lyme was absorbed.
New Britain’s setback was of an administrative and disciplinary nature and has been reported and analyzed sufficiently on these pages.
By all accounts, the resulting personnel loss was far from devastating and served to stimulate the New Britain starting five.
Going into Friday’s challenge against Southington, Symone Roberts’ response to the forfeit of five games was successive 35-point outbursts. Whether or not it’s possible for Sarah Sideranko to increase her drive is doubtful since she’s gone at it 100 percent since the first moment she took the floor as a freshman.
And anybody who’s seen junior center Tyler Kimball play learns promptly that box scores don’t do her justice. Monica Malec and Heather O’Bright continue to define their roles, putting individual accomplishments aside with total focus on team.
A visit to E.O. Smith (8-3) Tuesday will test New Britain’s mettle. The Panthers, going into Friday’s CCC East clash with Fermi, had won seven of eight since losing to the ’Canes at New Britain on Dec. 16 by 16 points.
Fermi (8-4) invades Chick Shea on Friday.
The interdivisional challenge at home against Fermi (Jan. 30) could be interesting.
The outcome of the games against Southington hinge on how the Blue Knights’ star guard Marissa Chapman responds after missing three weeks with a concussion. Even with Chapman at her best, can the Knights impose their defensive-minded, half-court game on the flying ‘Canes?
Wethersfield hasn’t missed a beat since losing its only game on Dec. 22 to Kolbe Cathedral, which has snatched the top spot in the Connecticut Sports Writers’ Alliance poll from New Britain.
The Eagles, with junior Abigail Corning and senior center Erin Verre shouldering the scoring load, has some compelling challenges ahead at Hall (Feb. 2), at home against Weaver (Feb. 5) and on the road versus Windsor (Feb. 9).
Boys Making Noise
On the boys’ side, New Britain has slowly flown onto the state radar with a winning streak that should have reached 10 tonight against struggling Southington.
Darius Watson, a strong 6-5 Division I prospect with a shooting guard’s mindset, has been a consistent performer. Raheem McKinley, a 6-2 senior forward, is back to all-league level after an arduous recovery from football injuries.
What will distinguish New Britain as a truly elite team is the day-in, day-out production of the other three starters.
When athletic forward Tebucky Jones Jr., sniper Steven Glowiak and senior floor man Quashon Moore are operating at their best, the ’Canes can beat anybody.
Jones needs to stay within his game of slashing to the hole and sinking free throws. He’s devastating against man-to-man coverage, probably without equal in a one-on-one clear-out. His decision-making when confronted by a tight zone is vital.
Decisive reaction is also key to Glowiak’s development. If he gets into a groove from behind the arc, he can knock down four or five treys and prevent defenses from keying on Watson. He needs to concentrate on when to take it to the hoop, when to pull back and making crisp passes.
Moore stepped up against Farmington Tuesday. His defensive contributions can neutralize a foe’s top shooter and fuel the New Britain fast break playing free safety in the full-court press. Scoring is not his forte, but he needs to knock down the open jumper and most importantly make his free throws.
The ’Canes get the chance to avenge their only loss (60-55 in overtime on opening night) Tuesday in a game against Hartford Public that should fill the grandstands with fans and college scouts alike.
A road trip to Storrs against E.O. Smith’s tough, towering frontcourt follows on Friday. East Hartford crosses the river Feb. 6 with an eye on revenge. The ’Canes won the first clash in overtime Jan. 8. Glastonbury also has vengeance on its mind for the Feb. 10 battle.
Who else can make a tournament run? Perhaps Wethersfield can shake off its early season inconsistency and learn from its experiences in the rugged CCC West.
The Eagles, with the athletic likes of Victor Anderson, Tyler Murphy and Gene Walker, were 2-4 at one point, and according to coach Mike Verderame, it could have been worse.
Anderson is an All-State talent when he plays within the team context. Murphy is skilled enough that he can supply whatever element the Eagles may be missing on a given night.
Junior Peter Skevas has the makings of the consummate point guard but he has to avoid careless mistakes. His quickness and ballhandling skills make him an essential element when the Eagles run into athletic teams like Windsor.
Depth isn’t an issue. Adam Williams has a sweet stroke but doesn’t often find himself with open looks. Senior transfer Rich Brewer (formerly at Portland) has adjusted well to the rigors of the CCC.
Verderame has also run 6-3 center Anthony Bonelli, guard Brandon Dillon, Andre Moses and forward Bobby Charbonneau out and gotten good results.
Elsewhere, Berlin has made great strides but competing at the top of the Northwest Conference may prove too imposing.
Victories over Northwest Catholic and Capital Prep were eye-opening but breaking into the upper echelon with Northwest, East Catholic, St. Paul and Middletown may be too much to ask. Coach John Fote undoubtedly will use the 26-point loss to St. Paul after the two big wins as a teaching tool.
The Redcoats have two games against Middletown and one each against Northwest, East and St. Paul remaining. They’ll almost surely qualify for the NWC tournament, which could pay great dividends when the states begin.
For Farmington, spreading out offensive production is essential and the lack of depth could be critical.
Every coach in Connecticut knows who Spencer Noon is, and senior forward Ryan Murphy has been superb in his role. Devin Hahn blends an improved inside game with his perimeter proficiency. Joe Jurkiewicz does all the little things to supplement the team’s needs.
Ben Pollock, a 6-5 freshman, and sophomores Carson Helms and Shamar Brooks will benefit from increased playing time for the enrichment of the Indians’ future.
Ken Lipshez, a sportswriter for the New Britain (Conn.) Herald, covers central Connecticut for MaxPreps. He may be reached at kenlip@aol.com.
