Perfect Season Rolls On as Enfield Tops Ellington

Trachone Preston netted 27 points and two other teammates scored in double figures, powering undefeated to a 65-39 win over Ellington in NCCC boys basketball action Tuesday night in Enfield.

Preston had 14 points in the first half, accounting for 50 percent of Enfield's total as the Raiders amassed a 28-18 halftime lead.

A 9-0 run early in the third quarter gave Enfield a 19-point lead, and the margin stretched to 23 by quarter's end on a pair of three-point field goals in the final 18 seconds by Paul Lima, including a long buzzer-beater.

A three-pointer by Justin Dionne early in the fourth quarter enabled Ellington to pull within 18, but the Knights would not get any closer as the Raiders' high-octane offense embarked on an 11-2 run to seal their 14th straight victory.

"14-0 really doesn't mean anything, we haven't really accomplished anything yet," Enfield head coach Cory O'Connell said. "To be very cliche, we do take it one game at a time. Being undefeated doesn't even cross our mind, we just harp on getting better every game, getting better every practice and coming to play. Tonight, the first half was a little sluggish, but we finally kicked it in in the second half and were able to put it away."

Tony Romano had 12 points for the Raiders, while Lima added 11. Dionne and Jon Bassett led the Knights with 11 points apiece.

The fast-paced game featured very few fouls, resulting in the teams combining for just four free throws made, all by Enfield.

"I thought we played fairly decent in the first half, down 10 points at halftime, but then we started the third quarter missing three layups and turned the ball over twice," Ellington head coach Don Flint said. "We knew what we were up against, they're a solid team and it was a great opportunity to play against one of the best teams in the state."

Enfield looks to continue its perfect season Friday, visiting Granby at 7 p.m. Ellington (6-7) takes on East Granby Friday at 4 p.m. at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield, prior to the NBA Development League game between the Springfield Armor and the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Scoring Summary

Ellington - Jon Bassett 5 0 11, Nick Salwa 1 0 3, Mike Cleary 3 0 6, Matt Anderson 3 0 6, Jake Gagne 1 0 2, Justin Dionne 4 0 11. Totals 17 0 39.
Three-point goals: Dionne (3), Bassett, Salwa.

Enfield - Tony Romano 5 0 12, Hugh Lindo 2 1 5, Paul Lima 4 0 11, Justin Thomas 1 0 2, Josh Gaines 1 0 2, Rachone Preston 3 0 6, Trachone Preston 12 3 27. Totals 28 4 65.
Three-point goals: Lima (3), Romano (2).

Score By Quarters
Ellington                7  11  11  10 - 39
Enfield                 17  11  24  13 - 65