The Branford girls basketball team lost a hard-fought game 53-51 to Oronoque Division foe North Haven Friday night at Fred Kelly Gymnasium in North Haven.
Leading 30-19 at the end of the first half and 40-31 heading into the final session, the Indian comeback was in full effect by the fourth quarter as they outscored the Hornets 22-11. Branford's record fell to 1-7 (0-2 in the Oronoque Division).
North Haven's Olivia DiCapua had a strong second half after putting in an inconsistent offensive effort in the first. She finished the game with 22 points. The key for North Haven was extending the defense, pressure on Branford’s guards, and keeping the ball out of the Hornets' post players.
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Crucial to the Indian's success was Amanda Rizzo's defense of Branford senior guard Kaitlin Kenney, the only returning starter for the Hornets from last season. Rizzo, a top defender, did a good job guarding Kenney, but then fouled out in the second half.
Riley Dinneen, a senior, scored 19 points for the Indians from her shooting guard position.
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“Dinneen played a gutsy game and got a little beat up,” Cappello said. “She made some clutch shots and grabbed rebounds against bigger kids. She was able to hit 3’s on set plays which bring you back into the game in a hurry. We cut the deficit after we set the defense. If you don’t score you can’t set up the defense.”
Another central element was matching up inside against Branford’s 6-foot-2 inch sophomore, Tori Peterson.
Branford led 40-31 after three periods, but got into foul trouble in the fourth, allowing the Indians to cash in from the foul line. North Haven outscored Branford 22-11 in the fourth quarter to secure the comeback.
“The kids played their hearts out and got beaten up pretty good,” North Haven coach Tom Cappello said. “This was the most fun I have had coaching a game since I have been at North Haven. Our goal is to get six to eight wins and get some interest in the program. We have been competitive every night. We have a lot of young and skilled players at the lower levels that will know the system when they get to high school. The future is bright."
Branford will look to bounce off the loss as they travel to Sheehan on Tuesday. Both teams are in a bit of trouble, the Hornets have lost four straight while the Trojans are sitting on a three-game losing streak. The game will be the fifth in a difficult stretch of six straight away games for Branford.
