FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Four times in the past, the Stamford Black Knights and head coach Jim Moriarty had reached the FCIAC boys basketball championship game. Each time, they came away as bridesmaids. This winter, the championship bells are finally ringing for the Knights.
Stamford overcame an 11-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation and went on to beat favored Trinity Catholic, 65-63 in double overtime, to capture the FCIAC crown last Thursday, Mar. 5, at Fairfield-Warde High School.
The victory ended Stamford’s 13-game losing streak against their city rivals and marked the team’s first championship of any kind since it won a state title in 1992. Moriarty has coached at Stamford for 31 years and had been 0-for-4 in FCIAC finals until this season. The victory was also the 401st of Moriarty’s career.
The third-seeded Knights, who improved to 21-2, also avenged their only two loses during the FCIAC tournament, as they beat No. 2 Bridgeport Central in the semifinals before topping the Crusaders.
Trinity entered the tournament with the league’s top seed and was ranked No. 1 in Connecticut. The Crusaders, who suffered their first loss and are now 22-1, were the defending FCIAC champions. Trinity has reached the FCIAC final for eight consecutive seasons, and has won six championships during that time.
Trinity appeared to be on course for another league title when it held a 48-37 lead with 2:52 remaining in regulation.
But after a timeout, Stamford’s Marc Guirand hit a 3-pointer and Chris Evans nailed down a 3-point play to cut the deficit to five points at 48-43 with two minutes on the clock.
Guirand then scored on a lay-up, and Jethro Anilus drained a trey with 44 seconds remaining to tie the score.
In the first overtime, Stamford went up by four points, but it was the Crusaders’ turn to rally as Eric Jean-Guillaume struck for two and Remy Pinson hit a dramatic bucket to tie the game at 57-57 with 15 seconds remaining.
In the second overtime, Takari Smalls scored on a put-back to give Trinity the initial lead at 59-57, but Anilus hit another 3-pointer to put Stamford back in front at 60-59. After a Stamford free throw, Trinity’s Tevin Baskin scored to tie the game at 61-61 with 34 seconds remaining.
Again, Anilus scored a big bucket when Evans drove toward the hoop and dished off to Anilus for two points and a 63-61 lead with 12 seconds to go. Trinity turned the ball over on the ensuing in-bounds play, and Michael Tiscia hit two free throws to put the Knights ahead 66-61, making the Crusaders’ final bucket a moot point.
Evans, who was named the tournament MVP, scored 24 points for Stamford, after racking up 26 in a 68-56 win over Central during the semis. Center Mark Ellis had 10 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks; Guirand had 15 points, including three 3-pointers, while Anilus and Tiscia scored eight apiece.
For Trinity, Baskin had 21 points and 11 rebounds; Smalls had 17 points and 12 rebounds; Jean-Guillaume had 10 points; and Pinson had nine points.
More Boys Basketball: Bulldogs bark for SWC championship
The Bunnell Bulldogs avenged two regular-season losses by beating the Notre Dame-Fairfield Lancers, 69-59, in the SWC boys basketball championship game last Friday, March 6, at Weston High School.
The Lancers had beaten the Bulldogs at Bunnell just a week earlier, ruining the home team’s Senior Night celebration.
The ’Dogs were in front from the get-go during the SWC final, as seniors Andy Burke and Chris Rosario opened the game with 3-pointers and Bunnell never relinquished the lead. The Bulldogs led 16-12 after one quarter and used a 20-6 advantage in the second quarter to go ahead 36-18 by halftime.
Notre Dame cut the deficit down to 10 points late in the contest, but the Bulldogs were in control and held on to win the title. The SWC championship was the first in 23 years for the Bulldogs, who are 17-6.
Bunnell’s senior center Terrell Coward had 17 points and 12 rebounds and was named the tournament’s MVP. Senior Pete Lasecki scored 19 points, Rosario scored 13 points, including nine on three 3-pointers, and Burke scored 10 points.
For the Lancers (16-7), Greg DeSantis hit four treys and collected 24 points, while Marcus Ortiz scored 10 points.
Boys Hockey: Cards deal with Darien for FCIAC crown
Junior forward Ryan Kelly scored twice in the first 11 minutes as the Greenwich Cardinals toppled defending champion Darien, 3-2, for the FCIAC boys ice hockey championship Saturday night at Terry Conners Rink in Stamford.
The win gave Greenwich its first league championship since 2002, when it won the second of back-to-back titles. The Cardinals are now 15-5-3, while Darien is 13-7-3.
Greenwich goalie Harrison Root was named the tournament MVP after making 26 saves against the Blue Wave. Darien outshot the Cards, 28-13, but was unable to break through more than twice against Root.
Kelly opened the scoring when he took a bounce off the boards and flicked the puck past Darien goalie Will Love (10 saves) just 33 seconds after the opening face-off.
At 8:27, Alex Liebers forced a turnover near center ice and then sent a pass across to Kelly, who scored again for a 2-0 lead.
Darien finally broke through when Andrew Bay scored at 10:04 of the second period. Matt Gorski won a face-off in the offensive zone and got the puck to Bay for the goal.
Greenwich’s Joey Lodato turned the momentum back in the Cardinals’ favor when he beat Love top shelf to make it 3-1 with 1:18 remaining in the second period.
The third period was scoreless until Bay scored his second goal with 37.2 seconds remaining. Darien pulled Love from the net for a one-man advantage, but was unable to convert again as Greenwich held on for the victory.
More Boys Hockey: Lancers double up Immaculate in SWC final
Notre Dame-Fairfield defended its SWC championship with a 4-2 victory over Immaculate in the league final on Saturday.
Mike Ferrie, Andrew Miller, Chris Schmarr and Steve Hotchkiss all scored for the Lancers, who improved to 16-4-1. Schmarr, who was named tournament MVP, Hotchkiss and Ryan Doughan had assists, while goalie Nick D’ Aurio made 15 saves.
For Immaculate (5-16), Matt Harrison made 25 saves, while Yiannis Kapetanopoulos and Robbie Norling scored goals.
Dave Stewart, the Sports Editor of the New Canaan (Conn.) Advertiser, is a MaxPreps.com writer and photographer. He may be reached at 203-966-9541 or at sports@ncadvertiser.com
