Sports
NHHS Girls Drop the Ball in the 2nd Half
Despite 21 points from DeCapua, the Indians bow to Wilbur Cross 59-43.
Following a solid shooting first quarter that ended up in a 10-10 deadlock with Wilbur Cross, the offensive well went dry for the NNHS girls basketball team. Outscored 15-5 in the second session, the Indians fell behind 25-15 at the break. North Haven bounced back with a better third quarter effort, but was never able to get closer than 6 points. Overall, the team ended up absorbing a 59-43 Southern Connecticut Conference—Oronoque division home loss on Tuesday night.
“We really executed well in the first quarter,” Indian Coach Tom Cappello said. “We took and hit good shots, rebounded well, and didn’t turn the ball over.”
After trying to play an aggressive man-to-man defense in the early going, the Governors slowed down the pace by switching to a zone defense in the second quarter, a move that cost North Haven its offensive touch.
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According to Cappello, “We did make baskets in the second quarter. Hitting these dry spell have been a reoccurring problem for us all season long. After we got back within 6 in the third quarter, the roof fell in on us as Cross went on a 10-0 run. Our game plan was to play a match-up zone. It worked for a while, but when you can’t score, you have serious problems.”
Despite the loss (which dipped North Haven’s record to 5-6), Olivia DeCapua had a game-high 21 points. She was the only Indian to hit double figures was responsible for half of her team’s 16 field goals.
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Cappello added, “Onalee (Collins) is getter better each game, Next year I want her to get 15-20 shots a game. When we get the ball inside to her, she is strong enough to score down low in the paint. She is most effective at mid-post where she can go strong to the hoop, but she is also able to hit the mid-range jumper.”
The victorious Governors (now 12-4) were led by Aallyah Robinson (who dropped in 19 points, grabbed 8 boards, added 3 assists, and made 4 thefts), Tamara Bell (18 points and 4 steal), and Atong Reyak who added 12 points, 19 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
Cappello said, “Robinson is about 5-10 but plays like a woman among girls. She is a great player. Bell does the job at the points and the African girl (Reyak) is 6-2. She has very long arms and legs. Her wing span makes her about 6-8. She is (former University of Bridgeport and NBA star) Manute Bol’s niece.”
