Stratford Boys Basketball Upset in 1st Round

It was not supposed to happen this way for the defending state champs Tuesday night playing at home in the first round against a lower-ranked opponent.

However, as Stratford coach Paul Dudzinski explained after the game (see video clip), it is difficult for any team to overcome a double-digit deficit, especially when one is playing in the state tournament where all the teams are capable.

And that proved to be true Tuesday, as Stratford showed a lot of heart and made several runs at the lead, coming as close as three points down with less than two minutes to play.

However, it's always the little things that make the difference. Stratford's inability to make an inbounds pass on their end of the court - twice, and then their failure to grab a rebound after a missed foul shot in the waning seconds of the game - all played a part, as they fell painfully short by a 68-65 score.

Things did not start off well for the Red Devils, who allowed the Eagles to soar out of the gate to a quick 7-0 advantage. Stratford rebounded with an 8-2 run to take a 10-9 lead with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter.

While Stratford junior guard Thomas Bajda sunk a three-pointer with 1:30 left in the quarter, Stratford still trailed, 23-17, at the quarter's end.

It did not get any better in the second quarter for the locals, as East Catholic senior forward Rohan Brown tipped in a bucket with just over five minutes rmaining in the half to give the Eagles a 29-19 lead. The lead rested at 10 points, 35-25, at halftime.

In the third quarter, Stratford fell behind by as many as 13 points but managed a 5-0 run late in the third quarter to slim the Eagles' lead to 48-40 going into the fourth quarter.

Late in the fourth, Stratford's Bajda sparked a furious run. The junior took the ball coast-to-coast for a layup narrowing the Eagles' lead to just four points, 62-58. Another Bajda layup just seconds later brought the score to 64-61 with 1:36 remaining to play.

In the final seconds, the Eagles won possession on a jump ball after the failed inbounds, and East Catholic freshman guard Winston Morgan was sent to the line where he hit 1-of-2 free throws.

And another missed opportunity, as time waned, the second foul shot miss was rebounded by the Eagles' Brown who was immediately fouled. His 1-of-2 free throws sealed the game as No. 27 seeded East Catholic upset No. 6 seed Stratford, 68-65.

Stratford was led by Bajda who scored 22 points, while sophomore Bernard Bradley added 18 points and junior forward Tafari Whittingham chipped in with 17.

Junior forward Tyler Veretto led East Catholic with 22 points while Brown added 18 points for the Eagles.

So while it was a disappointing end of the season for Stratford, as Coach Dudzinski said, sometimes it takes a little adversity for a team to come unto its own, and with all three high scorers in Tuesday night's game back next year, certainly Stratford will remain a force to be reckoned with in 2011-2012.

Download the movie