Sports
Blue Wave Drowns Lady Hatters
The Lady Hatters lost their second straight game at home Monday, falling to Darien High School by a final score of 49-43.
“I feel like I got hit by a bus,” Danbury Head Coach Jackie DiNardo said after the Hatters fell to Darien 49-43 at Danbury High School on Monday night.
The teams entered the final period tied at 29, but the Blue Wave exploded for 20 fourth quarter points, ignited by back-to-back 3-pointers from freshman Emily Stein and senior Nicole Buch right out of the gate.
“That was the coffin,” DiNardo said of the quick 3-pointers. “Because now you find yourself playing catch-up ball.”
Find out what's happening in Danburyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Junior Casey Smith led the Danbury effort with a double-double, dropping 24 points and snagging 13 rebounds on the game. Freshman Rebecca Gartner added 10 points for the Hatters, including a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Darien was led by Buch, who scored 22 points, including a 3-for-9 performance from beyond the arc. Nine of those points came in the fourth quarter, effectively putting the Hatters away for good.
Find out what's happening in Danburyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Sophomore Meg Marren added 15 for the Blue Wave, shooting 5-for-12 from the field and an additional 5-for-7 from the charity stripe.
The Danbury loss comes fresh off the heels of Friday’s home loss to Westhill at on Senior Night. Before Monday, the Hatters had not lost consecutive games all season.
““I always believe that there’s a hiccup,” DiNardo said. “This was our hiccup.”
With the loss, Danbury falls to 14-5 on the season, and has taken a serious blow to their hopes of a high seed in the FCIAC tournament, which starts this weekend. Although the Hatters could’ve been as high as a 4-seed, they’re now looking at a 5- or even a 6-seed, which would put them on the road in the tournament’s opening round.
“I’m not worried,” DiNardo said after the game. “We’re still in the FCIACs, we’re going to end up pretty well in states. We’ll be on the road for the FCIACs and that’s ok. As long as we’re there, we can win it. You just have to get there, and we got there.”
The Hatters will close the regular season at home against winless Bassick on Wednesday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at Danbury High School.
