Stonington Nips Waterford In Classic, 60-59

It's too bad the ECC Boys' Basketball Tournament is not a best-of-seven series like NBA playoffs, because area fans can't get enough of Stonington versus Waterford.

After the two played perhaps the ECC's best regular season game, a Waterford 80-78 double overtime win Dec. 23, the two turned in an "instant classic" in the ECC semifinals Wednesday at New London in front of a sellout 1,500 crowd with Stonington prevailing this time, 60-59.

Stonington's Will DeFanti hit a 12-foot jumper with 4.5 seconds left for the deciding points. Waterford's Matt Irvine just missed a driving layup in the last second which would have won it for the Lancers.

In a game that likely was only for bragging rights as the ECC's second best team, the atmosphere, featuring large throngs of students sections on both sides cheering and chanting all game, was championship caliber.

Stonington (18-5) will play 22-0 New London, the state's No. 1 ranked team, in the program's first ECC Final 7 p.m. Friday at NLHS. The Lancers (16-7) open Class L tourney play next week against Middletown at home.

"It was awesome," Stonington coach Mike Reyes said. "Once you stand back and look at this, both teams created an awesome atmosphere, matching shot after shot, play after play. Games like this are why you coach and why you play."

Neither team could shake the other as both squads overcame foul trouble to key players with a series of clutch baskets one after another. The last three minutes of action sent the crowd into hysterics.

Sam Donahue (16 points) hit a three-pointer to give the Bears a 53-52 lead with 2:40 left, but Geary McLeod answered with a trey with 1:40 left to put Waterford up, 55-53. DeFanti's mid-range jumper tied it at 55 with 1:25 left. Waterford forward Pat Rogers (25 points) then drilled a three from the right corner with a minute left to make it 58-55.

Stonington's fifth leading scorer, 6-2 center Jake Berkowitz, hit a big-time three-pointer to tie at 58 with 40 seconds to go. The Bears fouled Lancer 6-9 center Nolan Long, who hit one of two free throws with 32 seconds left for a 59-58 Waterford lead.

Stonington fan its three-guard weave until DeFanti, a muscular 6-foot transfer from the Portland, Me. area, pulled up for a 12-foot jumper which swished with 4.5 seconds left.

"I knew Long was going to be a factor as far as getting to the basket so I knew  it had to be a pullup," DeFanti said. "I learned my lesson from last game when Long blocked about 12 shots. He didn't step up to me in that last sequence, so I felt I could get past my defender and hit the shot.'

Waterford guard Davonta Valentine was guarding Donahue, who hurt the Lancers with four treys, leaving Matt Irvine on DeFanti (15 points). Irvine almost had the last word, sprinting down the right side for a desparation driving layup that just rolled out.

"It's  a tough loss," Valentine said. "We couldn't make the last shot, but that's okay because we're ready for states. We were 5-5 at one  point, but we've played much better in the second half of the season, because we've been getting the ball inside to Nolan and I've been better. I know I can score and play defense, and when that happens we can do a lot. I would have liked a chance to play New London, because we've been doing so well."

Now Stonington gets the chance. The Bears led New London at halftime, 20-16, before eventually falling 51-38 a month ago. The Whalers beat SHS early by 32 in January. Stonington utilized a deliberate tempo in the rematch with guards Donahue, DeFanti, Cody Candelet and Jackson Donahue handling the ball for long stretches on possession.

"We know what we're up against, but we're excited about the challenge," Reyes said. "This is what we want. We walk into this gym and are excited to play. New London is the best team in the state with a ton of talent, but we won't back down."

DeFanti certainly will not. The third cousin of the Donahues, DeFanti is no stranger to big shots and big games. He hit a late shot to beat Windham two weeks ago. As a freshman at Portland High, he helped his team reach the Western Maine state finals.

He moved here when his father Tom, who grew up in Stonington, found work locally after losing his hospital job in Maine.

"We played in packed gyms in Maine quite often," DeFanti said. "The basketball in the Portland area was very good, I think better than here."

DeFanti, who averages 13 points, eight rebounds and about five assists a game, has meshed beautifully with the Bears, forming a powerful 1-2 combination with Donahue, who is averaging 18 points a game after leading the ECC as a sophomore with 21 a game last year.

"Will is a clutch player, but he'll be the first to say 'I made the shot but it was because Logan Hertlein came off the bench and play big, Berk hit a big shot, he's the first one to give credit to his teammates," Reyes said. "These kids love playing with him and that's exactly why."

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