Notre Dame-WH gets jump on Bassick

WEST HAVEN — It didn’t take long for Notre Dame-West Haven to assert itself Thursday night.

The Green Knights (4-0 and ranked 12th in the preseason GametimeCT.com poll) scored 29 of the game’s first 33 points en route to an 86-47 blowout of Bassick in the championship game of the Winter Snow Jam at Notre Dame High School.

“I’m not surprised, but I’m happy,” Notre Dame coach Jason

Shea said. “Hopefully we can get healthy and with such a quick start to the season, we have only half our stuff in. Now we have to get ready to come back to go to Northwest Catholic (Dec. 30).”

The huge win came with Notre Dame playing without point guard Mekhi Conner and wingman Timaury Gay, who were out because of illness (not COVID).

“We did a nice job setting the pace,” Shea said. “We were shorthanded tonight without them.”

Notre Dame scored the first 11 points of the night with Tournament Most Valuable Player Andrew Lazarre (17 points) accounting for seven of them.

The only field goal for the Lions in the opening eight minutes came from Nayshaun Scott, who canned a three-pointer with 3:15 left to play in the first quarter.

After taking a 21-4 edge at the end of the first quarter on a trey by Andre Nugent Jr. (18 points), the Green Knights posted the first eight points of the second quarter as well with Jordan Elliott contributing back-to-back buckets.

Turnovers by Bassick constantly hurt the Lions as Notre Dame used its transition game to open up the big lead.

“It was our team defense that forced turnovers,” Lazarre said. “I think we’re the best transition team in the state. We got a lot of baskets off turnovers.”

Threes by Tyrese Hammond and Hasan Powell helped Bassick to cut the lead down to 36-18 with 3:26 remaining until halftime. However, the Green Knights went on a 14-2 run to close out the half with Tim Swanson hitting a three-pointer to give Notre Dame its biggest lead to that point, 50-20, at the break.

A pair of free throws by Joshua Santiago (12 points) closed it

to 52-24, but Notre Dame went on a 13-0 spurt fueled by Tajae Jones with seven points, including a monster dunk that made it 67-24 with 2:30 to play in the third quarter.

Notre Dame pulled most of its starters in the fourth quarter with a 69-29 lead.

It was Bassick’s first loss after the Lions opened their season with three wins.

“I told the guys that sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you,” Bassick coach Bernie Lofton said. “Tonight, the bear ate us. They share the ball and are a good team and we learned a lot from it tonight.”

Bassick also played without one of its top players in

Jakari Tertulien, who was also out sick (not COVID).

“He’s the glue to our team,” Lofton said.

ST. JOSEPH WINS CONSOLATION

St. Joseph won the third place game, 76-72.

The Cadets trailed for most of the fourth quarter but sent it to overtime by deadlocking things at 61-61.

In the overtime, Will Sydnor and Johnny Niv hit three-pointers to open up the extra session as the Cadets scored the first 12 points of the overtime.

Ethan Long led St. Joseph with 20 points, while Niv added 17 points and Sydnor 16 points.

Caleb Harris led Hamden, with 14 points, while Derrell Redd and De’Andre Coardes added 13 apiece.