Sheldon Clarke and the Ansonia Chargers wanted to send a message that they should be taken seriously.
Consider the St. Paul Catholic Falcons convinced.
Clarke recorded a triple-double as part of an inspired Chargers effort, leading Ansonia to a 92 – 64 victory on Tuesday.
The teams kept the game relatively close in the first half with the Chargers taking an 8‑point lead into the third quarter.
The third quarter saw Ansonia surge ahead to an insurmountable advantage. Clarke (22 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists) punctuated the Chargers’ dominant third with less than a minute to go, slamming home a breakaway dunk that set off a loud celebration from the home crowd.
Clarke said he only started dunking last year, so it’s a new part of his repertoire.
“I felt like we had to come out and make a statement today,” Clarke said. ”We’re really being looked down at. Nobody cares about Ansonia. Everybody looks at Crosby and Holy Cross. I figure tonight was a good night to show our talent.”
Keshont Graham finished with 17 points and five assists, while Montrell Dobbs recorded 15 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Clarke hopes this effort will help the Chargers (9 – 5, 6 – 1 in the Naugatuck Valley League) move closer toward winning a Class S state championship to close out his Ansonia career.
