Cromwell junior Anthony Puntiel (45) blocks a visiting North Branford player.
Cromwell Boys Basketball Right at Home
CROMWELL - Dorothy famously stated that â€"there’s no place like home.” The boy’s basketball team at Cromwell agrees with the ruby-slippered homebody.

       The Panthers coasted to a 52-34 Shoreline Conference victory over visiting North Branford last Tuesday night, improving to 5-0 at the friendly confines of Jake Salafia Gymnasium.

       It was the team’s third double-digit win in a row, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the streaking Panthers.

       After jumping out to a 15-7 lead, the visitors gave Cromwell the business in the second quarter, outscoring the Panthers 15-10 to narrow the deficit to three at the break.

       The Thunderbirds clawed their way back into the game with an incredible outside shooting display, going on a 9-point run midway through the second quarter on a pair of triples from Jimmy Augur and a long bomb from Brett LeQuire. The long-range duo combined to score 30 of the team’s 34 points.

       â€"We just had to get out on their shooters, especially LeQuire” Cromwell’s captain Peter Dewey said. â€"We knew that he was going to shoot it a lot. We couldn’t let them get any outside looks. We had to clamp down and make them take it to the basket, because we had the size advantage inside.”

       The defensive adjustment worked. The Panthers turned up defensive intensity in the second half, limiting the Warriors to a mere three points in a decisive third quarter. Junior Anthony Puntiel sparked the onslaught by grabbing a handful of rebounds, blocking a shot, and diving into the front row of spectators in an attempt to save a loose ball. Puntiel’s efforts sparked a 16-3 run over the first ten minutes of the second half.

       Dewey closed out the game scoring nine of his game-high 17 points over the final eight minutes. The lighting-quick guard drilled his second three-pointer of the game early in the fourth, putting his team up 40-25, then cemented the game with four free throws. The team went 11 of 15 overall from the foul line in the final quarter.

       Bryson Howard, Dewey’s backcourt mate, added 13 points in the victory. Howard is the jack-of-all trades, leading the team in rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks through the first eight games.

       Dewey and Howard are two of five seniors on team this season. Co-captains Sean DelValle, Terrance Natt and Jakob Anderson are the three other elder statesmen.

       â€"I’ve been playing with Byson, Terrance and Sean my whole life. To be on the court with those guys is like second nature,” said Dewey. â€"Last year was a learning experience. This year I feel like we’ve been here before, so it easier.”

       This is familiar territory for the handful of seniors. The team’s motto is â€"Unfinished Business,” which is printed on the back of their warm-up shirts. The resilient team is looking to take the next step after falling in the semifinal round of the 2014 tournament and the quarterfinal round in the 2015 tourney.

       â€"We’re trying to finish it off this season,” a confident Dewey added.

       The motivation of two tourney exits and the player’s comfort levels are the catalyst behind the team’s undefeated record at home. The team is also relying on the guidance and leadership of their long-time coach John Pinone.

       â€"Coach set a goal at the beginning of the year for us not to lose a game at home. So that’s our goal,” said Dewey. â€"We’re hoping to finish first in the Shoreline, get a high seed in the state and ride home court all the way.”

       The team has only lost two games this season, but Dewey recognizes that improvements must be made before the tournament starts in early March.

       â€"We’ve got to start games better,” added Dewey. â€"We get down early a lot in games. We just need to start games stronger and play the whole way through.”

       The team closed last week with a hard-fought 45-40 victory in Durham over Coginchaug Regional, improving 7-2.

       Dewey and his running mates have ten more games remaining before the conference and state tournaments begin. The next step in their unfinished journey is this Friday when they travel to New Haven to play Hyde Leadership. The conference collision tips at 7:30 p.m. at Fair Haven School.
MORE CROMWELL NEWS  |  STORY BY JOSH HOWARD  |  Jan 20 2016  |  COMMENTS?