Old Saybrook Beats Portland ... Again

The third time was not the charm for the Portland girls’ basketball team on Saturday night. The Highlanders lost to Old Saybrook 44-33 at home, their third loss to the Rams this season.

Exiting the Shoreline Conference tournament in the quarterfinal round did not sit well with coach Nick Chaconis, but it was how his team played that bothered him most.

“Tonight was purely a lack of defense and lack of desire and hustle,” Chaconis said. “It was really Sarah Bierly, our center, versus Old Saybrook. I have to give Saybrook credit. They get the best out of their players and their young players that they can, but we didn’t play any defense. We made it easy for them. We basically controlled [Kayla] McAvoy, who is their best player, but the other four just played hard, got all the garbage points, they got second and third shots.

“I’m not taking anything away from Old Saybrook. They beat us three times. They’re obviously better than us.”

After two close losses to the Rams, this game also was close, at least till the final minutes.

Portland jumped out to a 6-2 lead before Old Saybrook went on a 9-0 run for an 11-6 lead. Hanging onto an 11-10 lead entering the second quarter, the Rams extended their advantage to 17-10. A basket by Laura Wall got Portland started on a 9-0 run, which was capped by a basket by Bierly with 3:31 remaining in the half for a 19-17 lead. That was the end of the scoring for Portland, however, in the first half. Old Saybrook scored the final four points for a 21-19 halftime lead.

The Rams used a press early and often and it seemed to disrupt Portland’s offensive flow.

“Like any pressure, it makes it hard to set up and organize, but if you take what they give you … we didn’t seem to do that,” Chaconis said. “Two or three people were catching the ball and going backwards. You have to attack the basket. I think they were tentative.”

After a free throw by McAvoy, the Rams led 24-21 in the third, but five straight points by Brianna Marconi, her only points in the game, put the Highlanders back on top. The go-ahead basket was scored off a nice assist from Alyssa Unikewicz following a steal by Meaghan Rodgers.

The lead was short lived, however. Old Saybrook led 28-26 entering the fourth quarter and, after a sluggish start by both teams, the Rams went about extending their advantage. Portland had gone cold and as the quarter wore on, the Rams turned the game into a track meet, racing down court for easy baskets. What had been a 26-24 deficit for the Rams, was now a 42-28 lead with 2:04 to go.

The 33 points for Portland was its third fewest scored in a game this season.

“We missed a ton of layups,” Chaconis said. “In any game, but especially when you get to a tournament, you can’t miss layups and miss defensive assignments. Those were four-point plays. We’d come down and miss a layup, they’d go down and score.

“We made some bad decisions on offense. I just think people are not executing.”

The significance of beating the defending Class S champions was not lost on Old Saybrook coach Steve Woods.

“Anytime you beat a Nick Chaconis team and at Portland, that’s a great win,” Woods said. “Those girls are so tough, they have no quit in them.”

Asked to point to the difference that has given his team the edge over Portland this season, Woods singled out his first-team All-Shoreline senior.

“These two teams are so evenly matched,” Woods said. “I think the slight edge is because we have Kayla. Sarah [Bierly] is a great player, but Kayla is a tall girl and she is tough to stop inside.”

McAvoy led all scorers with 17 points. Kelly Ratchford added nine for Old Saybrook.

After losing two of three games to close out the regular season, including a loss at Plainfield where the Rams were without McAvoy, Woods is pleased with how is team is playing as they continue through the postseason. Besides having McAvoy, he is excited about the depth his team brings.

“We have been a little bit up and down, but I like where we’re at right now,” he said. “Our other kids have come around. Kelly [Ratchford] has been dynamite all year. Our younger kids, Cori Reid, Page Trabucchi, Mia Neas, they’ve been terrific. Mary Kate Morrison and Molly Beck coming off the bench.”

Bierly led Portland with 13 points. Rodgers added eight, including two three-pointers.

Portland will now await who it will play in the Class S tournament. Pairings will be announced on Wednesday and the Highlanders will probably have 10 days to prepare for their next game.

“We’re going to have to assess everything,” Chaconis said. “Starting Tuesday, every position is open. We have a brand new season and the people that work the hardest are going to start. We have to turn it up a notch. We’re capable. We’re definitely capable.”

What about the possibility of meeting Old Saybrook a fourth time down the road?

“That would be a good thing,” Chaconis said. “That would mean we’re deeper into the tournament.”

In other Shoreline tournament action, No. 1 Coginchaug defeated No. 8 Hale-Ray, 67-38; No. 2 Cromwell beat No. 7 Haddam-Killingworth, 60-34; and No. 5 Hyde won at No. 4 Morgan, 38-25.

Coginchaug will play Hyde and Cromwell will face Old Saybrook in the semifinals on Tuesday at Valley Regional in Deep River. Game times are at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with the matchups for each to be determined.