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In many ways New Canaan’s 67-61 home loss to Trumbull Tuesday night was a victory of sorts.
The Rams had a remarkable third quarter, erasing a 34-23 halftime deficit to pull even with the Golden Eagles 45-45 heading into the fourth. Even after trailing by as many as six points with just over four minutes left to play, New Canaan made it a one-possession game just two minutes later, closing to within 62-59 of the Eagles before ultimately falling six points short. Even the end result was a positive for the Rams (2-7, 1-4 FCIAC), when taking into consideration the 72-59 loss Trumbull (8-1, 5-0 FCIAC) handed them in the season opener less than a month ago.
Ultimately the difference in the game came down to defensive rebounds, as New Canaan gave up too many second and third scoring opportunities to a bigger, stronger Trumbull squad who came into Tuesday’s game having won six consecutive games. New Canaan also had no answer for Trumbull senior Jack Moore, who scored a game-high 30 points. With all that said, the Rams—led once again by junior Tyler Sweeney who scored 20 points—did their part to pull off the upset by outscoring the Eagles 22-11 in the third quarter, possibly their best eight minutes of action the entire season.
Other top performers for New Canaan head coach Mike Evans’ squad included sophomore Jackson Selvala (18 points) and junior James Crovatto (16 points).
New Canaan came out fast out of the gate, as Sweeney knocked down a pair of three pointers and drained two free throws, scoring eight points in the opening quarter which ended with the Rams up 15-13.
Trumbull soon pulled ahead as Moore scored 13 of the Eagles’ 21 points in the second quarter, leading them to an eight-point halftime lead.
The Rams would bounce back in the third, as baskets from Crovatto and Sweeney plus a trey from Selvala got New Canaan to within 36-30 with 5:02 left in the quarter. A three-point play from Sweeney closed the gap to 39-37 with 2:11 left. A Crovatto layup later tied it at 41 apiece with 1:07 remaining, before the teams headed into the final stanza knotted up at 45 after Sweeney sank a pair of free throws with just over a second left in the half.
The Eagles went on a 14-8 run to open the fourth quarter. The Rams continued to attack the hoop, eventually forcing Trumbull into the penalty. New Canaan eventually closed to within 62-59 with just over two minutes left. The Eagles persevered by closing out the game with a 5-2 run, extending their winning streak to seven and New Canaan’s losing streak to two.
The Rams will try to rebound at home on Friday night as they’ll take on Westhill (4-4, 2-3 FCIAC) and star senior Tyrell Alexander, one of the league’s most exciting players. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Scoring Leaders:
NC: Sweeney – 20; Selvala – 18; Crovatto – 16;
Trumbull: Moore – 30; Pfohl – 9; Lyons – 8
Free Throws:
NC, 18-24; T – 12-17
Fouled Out:
None