The Shelton girls basketball team gave its seniors a triumphant sendoff Monday, with a 61 – 27 victory over North Haven.
The home win means Shelton finishes the season at 5 – 15. North Haven ended its season at 3 – 17.
“I’m very pleased,” Gaelettes Coach Mary Maciulewski said.
“The seniors were emotional and played their hearts out. It was a nice way to finish the season.”
Senior tri-captains Erin Chuma, Kelsey Perusse and Jen Spicer ignited Shelton in the first quarter and the game was never close. Every Gaelette scored at least two points.
“We played awesome,” Perusse said. “We came out hard because it was Senior Night and we wanted to leave it all on the floor.”
Perusse (three points, one rebound, two assists, four steals, three forced turnovers) set the tone with a steal on the first possession of the game. In fact, she was a beast on defense and made it look easy, which led to transition points.
Chuma (seven points, 10 rebounds, one steal, one forced turnover, one tieup) controlled the glass and scored the first four points of the, game, including a putback off an offensive rebound.
“I went after it,” Chuma said. “They weren’t boxing out and it was easy to go for the rebound.”
Spicer (four points, one rebound, three assists, two steals, six forced turnovers) was instrumental in Shelton’s press, which forced 30 Lady Indian turnovers, 21 in the first half.
North Haven would have had more turnovers if Maciulewski didn’t call off the press.
“We read where their bodies were and it was easy to pick off their passes,” Spicer said.
The Gaelettes were almost perfect on defense and didn’t allow a point until junior Riley Dineen hit a free throw with 3:23 remaining in the first quarter to make it 8 – 1.
They never looked back.
Shelton limited North Haven to one point in the third quarter and led 50 – 16 after three quarters.
Junior Melissa Brouillet (seven points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, one blocked shot) and freshman lefty Alyssa Eannotti (three points, seven rebounds, two steals, one blocked shot, one forced turnover) controlled the glass in the second half.
Sophomore Kelsey Pendagast (three points, two rebounds, one steal, one blocked shot) came back from strep throat and scored on a putback and hit the free throw for a three-point play and junior Kelly LaRue (four points, one rebound, two assists, one steal, two forced turnovers) was aggressive on defensive and hit two shots.
The Gaelettes closed out the season with three wins in their last four games and hope to build on this.
“I’m looking to the future and I’m already looking forward to next year,” Maciulewski said.