Big Man Leaves Big Problem for Tolland Basketball

Facing a talented big man always creates restlessness for a shorter team that doesn’t compensate with consistently outstanding efforts at boxing out. Tolland could not contain the wreckage of Southington center Sal Romano on Friday night in a 66-52 loss of the CCC interdivision game. 

When the balanced Blue Knights added their outside threats, Tyler Dube and Jordan Chapman, to Romano’s dominance underneath, visiting Tolland could not come up with enough solutions to ride high on the Eagles’ drive to make the CIAC Class M state tournament.

Tolland (7-11) must win one of its two remaining games to qualify for the postseason. The Eagles, who have lost three of their last four games, play host to E.O. Smith (14-4) on Monday, then conclude the regular season at Fermi (2-14) next Friday in Enfield.

Romano, who grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked three shots, and Dube each scored 21 points for Southington (13-6), who had lost two out of three, following a seven-game winning streak. Chapman added 11 points.

Andrew Roussey led Tolland with 15 points and sophomore guard Tyler Fortin added 12.

“For us to be down by six points with four minutes to play is very good,” said Tolland coach Mike Lewis. Actually, it was a four-point deficit for the Eagles, at 46-42, with 5:02 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was a six-point game (56-50) with 2:05 to go.

“It was an uphill battle all night,” said Lewis. And Southington never relinquished the lead.

Tolland was still hanging in there when Drew Aylett made the first of two fouls shots with 1:16 left. Romano got to the offensive boards on Aylett’s miss and laid it back in. That made it 60-50, and the Eagles’ rally began to fizzle out.

“I was definitely concerned at the end,” said Southington coach Bob Lasbury. “They ran their offensive sets really well and they have two guys [Fortin, Roussey] who can knock down their shots. Fortunately, we were able to hold them off the best we could.”

Tolland was aided at the free-throw line. The Eagles made 13 of 15 (86.7 percent), while the Blue Knights were 19-for-33 (57.6 percent). Romano was 2 of 12 from the foul line before making his last three shots there.

“He shoots, I’d say, about 60 percent from the line,” Lasbury said about Romano. “He’s not fabulous but he’s not usually like this."

He added, “It’s hard to complain when he would alter shots and dominated the boards at both ends of the court.”

Lewis said it was frustrating to face Romano. "He took over the game for the first three quarters, then we went to a zone in the fourth quarter to hold them at bay," he said. "They hit some outside shots but not all of them. That allowed us to get back in the game.”

The Eagles’ zone defense finally cut off Southington’s path to the basket. But they couldn’t clog the middle to stop the Blue Knights from shooting from the perimeter.

Lewis said he was unhappy with Tolland’s lack of physical play in the first half. He inserted more physical players in the second half, including sophomores Hobey Bryne and Chris Byam.

“[Romano] dominated us. We fouled him, and he didn’t make his free throws,” Lewis said. “Sometimes you foul the right guy. Once you see that he’s not making them, you’re going to foul him instead of him making layups.”

Romano presented the Eagles with several challenges. His height, toughness and quickness, to go along with his general athleticism, were next to impossible to counteract.

“They’re a very balanced team," said Lewis. "Having three Division I athletes on your team makes a big difference.”

Each of Southington’s captains will be playing at Division I colleges next year – though neither in basketball. Dube and Chapman will be playing football, Romano baseball. 

On Friday, Dube made three three-pointers and Chapman two.