A fast start to the fourth quarter helped the Ansonia Chargers bid farewell to a 3‑game losing streak.
The Chargers’ 8 – 0 run to begin the final period and effective free-throw shooting throughout the game helped Ansonia to a 62 – 54 victory over the Kennedy Eagles on Friday night.
Ansonia trailed 18 – 9 at the end of the first quarter, dominated inside by the Eagles’ leading scorer Maisie Sanchez, who had 12 points at the end of the first half. Sanchez finished with 22 points. But Ansonia went to work on the defensive, forcing turnovers and getting needed points, outscoring Kennedy 27 – 22 in the second and third periods.
Even with those efforts, Ansonia entered the fourth with a 40 – 36 deficit. But the Chargers surged ahead to stay with eight unanswered points to start the final period. Freshman guard Melissa Tirella tied the game at 40 with a jumper at the 7:00 mark and sophomore center Rebecca Behrendt gave the Chargers the lead with a lay-up 20 second later. The Chargers finished the quarter outscoring the Eagles 26 – 14.
Behrendt again proved a force for the Chargers, racking up 20 points and 10 rebounds. She also went 8‑for‑8 from the charity stripe, headlining the Chargers’ stellar 28-for-38 free throw shooting.
Senior forward Kristin Mooney put in another strong effort, scoring 15 points and snatching seven rebounds. Ansonia Head Coach Patrick Lynch said he wanted to keep his team upbeat while working on improvements to help snap the 3‑game losing skid. He told the team about missing points in the first period and to keep pushing.
“When you lose three in a row, you kind of get discouraged and I tried to keep it upbeat,” he said. “We didn’t start the way we liked, but we really pushed it in the second half and I was proud of the way we played.”
He was particularly proud of Behrendt. “She was great. She was getting a little discouraged in the first half,” he said. “She was down, we got her up and she really responded well and I couldn’t be happier for her.”
Mooney appreciated her teammates for sticking with it and bouncing back from some rough losses.
“It was a really good key win and everyone contributed,” Mooney said.
Kennedy Head Coach Jenn Hanson applauded both teams’ efforts, but said her team suffered through turnovers, 33 in all with the bulk of them coming in the second half.
“Anytime you have 23 turnovers in a half, there’s not too many games you’re going to come out and win,” she said.
Ansonia’s win puts them at 10 – 7. The Chargers return to the court at 7 p.m. Tuesday, hosting Woodland on Senior Night.