Despite missing one of its best inside players — sophomore Kelsey Pendagast (strep throat) — Shelton showed heart in a 46 – 42 home victory over Guilford on Friday.
“We have one more game left [Senior Night on Monday at home against North Haven at 7 p.m.] and it’s a good way to finish the season,” Gaelettes Coach Mary Maciulewski. “My girls never quit and that’s what happens when they persevere. They worked their butts off tonight.”
Shelton raised its record to 4 – 15. Guilford dropped to 10 – 9.
Gaelette junior Melissa Brouillet (six points, 12 rebounds, five forced turnovers, two tie ups, one charge drawn) had a monster game at center. Brouillet set the tone by scoring the first points of the game when she hit a layup from sophomore Bianka Bell (three points, two assists, one steal, two forced turnovers) tenaciously grabbed almost every rebound in sight, which limited the Lady Indians’ scoring chances, and had a few offensive rebounds as well.
Shelton led throughout and was tied only once at 2 – 2. Junior Melissa Corraro (10 points, three rebounds, one forced turnover) is arguably the best player on the team and sparked the Gaelettes as a playmaker.
“If I couldn’t score, I wanted to help my teammates score and get the win,” Corraro said.
Corraro set up freshman Megan Burke and senior tri-captain Jen Spicer for layups in the opening quarter. Burke (six points, two rebounds, two assists, one forced turnover) stepped it up on both ends and had four points in the first quarter, including two free throws and Shelton led 13 – 7 after one quarter.
The Gaelettes scored the first seven points of the second quarter to take a commanding 20 – 7 lead with 5:55 remaining in the half with senior tri-captain Kelsey Perusse (seven points, seven rebounds, one assist, three steals, two forced turnovers) serving as a spark plug.
“My whole defense worked and the intensity was there the whole game,” Perusse said. “I read the passes and I was in the right place at the right time.”
Perusse also swished a 3‑pointer off a kickout pass from Corraro.
“Someone set the pick for me and I had the open shot,” Perusse said. “It was just one motion.”
Senior tri-captain Erin Chuma’s putback off the offensive glass capped the surge.
Freshman center Alyssa Eannotti (two points, four rebounds, one forced turnover, one blocked shot) had a key block shot to keep it from becoming a one-possession game and Shelton led 26 – 21 at the half. Junior Molly Hanko (one rebound) was solid defensively inside as well for the Gaelettes.
Guilford crept back into the game in the fourth quarter and cut the lead to two points on three occasions. The first time was 37 – 25 with 5:54 left in the game after Goodrich swished a trey and followed with two free throws.
Perusse was a monster on the glass all game and had big rebounds fourth quarter. None were bigger than the putback off the offensive glass with 3:25 remaining to make it 42 – 38 and a two-possession game.
“I put all my intensity into it and I jumped up,” Perusse said. “I didn’t care who was out there.”
The Lady Indians cut it to two again but Perusse then set up Brouillet’s layup to make it 44 – 40 with 2:34 left.
“I knew she [Brouillet] was going to catch it and lay it in on the fast break and she laid it in,” Perusse said.
Shelton had a chance to ice it but the Gaelettes missed three front ends of one-of-ones at the free throw line and gave Guilford hope.
Bellantoni made a one-possession game with a layup and the Lady Indians had a chance to tie it after forcing a five-seconds violation with 49.3 seconds to go.
Shelton played tight defense and prevented Guilford from taking an open shot. Brouillet then forced a poor shot inside and grabbed the defense rebound. The Gaelettes then called time and with 18.2 seconds left, Brouillet laid it in off an inbounds pass from Chuma to ice it.
“During the timeout, Coach Mac [Maciulewski] told me what to do and I figured to give it a try and go right to the basket,” Brouillet said.