Whalers get best of biggest rival
New London opens the most unusual of basketball seasons by ending NFA’s 23-game winning streak
New London — It is almost unfathomable to consider that these two schools played in this very gym some years ago now, a league championship game that left several hundred fans outside unable to gain admission.
And then came Friday night, another rendition of a rivalry defined by its history. This, too, was historic, if not bizarre: New London and Norwich Free Academy playing in front of nobody at Conway Gym.
Yet there may not be many games more entertaining in this COVID basketball season. The Whalers proudly defended their home floor with a 5754 win, snapping NFA's 23-game winning streak, in the Eastern Connecticut Division I season opener.
Bebo Martinez hit a 3-pointer with a minute left for the Whalers, giving them the lead for good. Rhodia Perry made two key free throws and New London forced two turnovers in the final minute for a quality win.
“I just told the NFA kids to hang in there. No hanging heads,” New London coach Craig Parker said. “With all that's going on, it's great that any of us can play high school basketball this year.”
Perry led the Whalers with 22 points. Tayeshawn Cunningham-Pemberton added 12.
“For our first game and playing our biggest rival, it was a good win under the circumstances,” Parker said. “I thought we played pretty well.”
So did NFA coach Chris Guisti. “I thought the difference was New London's 3-point shooting,” he said.
“I didn't know they had shooters like that. It reminded me of playing the old Waterford teams who had five shooters. How do you defend that?”
New London led 39-30 in the third period before NFA took the lead early in the fourth. Jared Martin's 3-pointer with 1:22 left gave NFA a 54-52 lead. Martin led NFA with 17 points.
“This was a big win for us,” Perry said. “We kind of feel like coming in we were being slept on. Underrated. It feels good to get this one.”
It doesn't get easier for the Whalers next week. They play Ledyard and Waterford, meaning their first three games of the season are against the last three schools to win the ECC tournament.
“I really have to compliment New London,” Guisti said. “It's early in the season for all of us, but I thought their man to man defense looked like it was in the middle of the season for them. They played it really well.”