Early spurt paces Cross over Naugy
NAUGATUCK — After staking a modest, 8-3 lead midway through the first quarter, Holy Cross exploded on a 20-2 run to provide itself all the cushion it would need in a 57-35 win over Naugatuck Friday.
Devon Diliberto led all scorers with 15 points, nine of which came from behind the arc. The Crusaders (14-2) hit eight three-pointers as a team while holding the Greyhounds (7-9) to only two. Naugy’s Jessica Webber, the Naugatuck Valley League’s third-leading scorer, managed just 13 points and rarely found room to operate, especially near the basket. She was limited to three field goals for the evening, collecting seven of her baker’s dozen at the free throw line.
Diver honored at PJF opening ceremony
NAUGATUCK — The sky above Peter J. Foley Little League Stadium alternated between sunshine and cloudiness Sunday afternoon, a sort of organic reflection of the sentiments shared by the venerable building’s several hundred patrons.
The opening ceremony of the league’s 61st season showcased both ends of the emotional spectrum: Joy in the baby-toothed smiles of ballplayers bounding across the diamond for the first time this spring, and sorrow in the wistful tears of almost everyone who knew Dustin Diver, the former borough baseball standout, who died unexpectedly in December, at age 31.
Hawks snap 6-game losing streak
BEACON FALLS — Something had to change for the Woodland boys’ basketball team. After getting out to a 4-1 start this season, the Hawks fell into a slump, dropping six straight. A couple of the losses could have gone either way, but for the most part, Woodland struggled to get it done.
On Tuesday, at the Hawks’ Nest, the Woodland boys overcame a hot-shooting Wolcott team by delivering the goods with the game on the line. Wolcott shot an eerie total of 11 two-pointers, 11 three-pointers and exactly 11 free throws to rack up 66 points on the scoreboard.
Torrington spoils WRHS girls’ senior night
BEACON FALLS — Woodland girls’ basketball seniors Katie Alfiere and Jen Fredericks had never beaten Torrington, heading into their senior night matchup with the Red Raiders Friday. Unfortunately for those two, they’ll graduate without ever defeating Torrington—at least in the regular season—after a 58-50 loss to the top squad in the Naugatuck Valley League.
Just like the Hawks’ previous contests against the NVL’s best, Woodland (13-6) stayed with Torrington (17-2) the entire game and held the lead several times during the first half. But the league’s leading scorer, Sarah Royals, scored a game-high 21 points, while two other Raiders hit double figures to help Torrington pull away at the end of the first half and stay ahead the rest of the way.
Hounds overwhelm Raiders for fourth win
NAUGATUCK — The Naugatuck girls closed out the first half of the Naugatuck Valley League season with a convincing, 67-42 win over Derby Tuesday, improving to 4-6. The Greyhounds used a potent outside shooting attack, blistering the nets with seven three-pointers.
That helped them to pull away in the second period, when they hung up 21 points on the scoreboard; Derby answered with only nine. A 14-12 nail-bitter in the opening period quickly became a commanding, 35-21 advantage at the break.
The Red Raiders battled back and cut their deficit to 12 in the third period. But Naugy turned it on in the final period with a 20-7 outburst to rack up its highest point total of the season.
Technical foul sparks Hawks’ victory
WOLCOTT — Sometimes, all a team needs is a little motivating spark. For some, it’s an inspirational pregame speech. For others, it’s the ability to clinch a playoff berth or championship. For still others, it may be playing for a friend or loved one. For the Woodland girls Tuesday at Wolcott, it was the misbehavior of head coach Gail Cheney.
The fourth-year coach was assessed a technical foul midway through the first quarter, after her team was charged with an uncharacteristic six fouls and called for eight travels in the first four minutes of the game. It worked. The Hawks went on a 9-0 run to end the period, following the technical, to claim a 12-11 lead and finished the half on a 26-9 streak to pull away with a 58-49 win.
Hounds girls clinch state tourney berth
NAUGATUCK — The Naugatuck girls’ basketball team made senior night extra special Friday by qualifying for the Class L state tournament with a 54-33 win over Wolcott in the last game of the regular season.
It was a special night for the Greyhounds’ six seniors, who played the final home game of their careers and turned it into a momentous occasion. Naugatuck, 7-12 entering the contest, needed one more victory to extend its season and fought off an early deficit to come away with the W.