Stratford Star

Red Devils leave coach perplexed (boys hoop)

“Masuk is playing well and they made some big shots,” Stratford High boys basketball coach Paul Dudzinski said after the squad from Monroe left the Ray Needham Memorial Gymnasium with a 64-61 South-West Conference victory on Friday night.

Dudzinski used the word, ‘perplexed,’ to describe his feelings on how the Red Devils played on Senior Night.

“I don’t know if we played with a lot of purpose tonight. I can’t really put my finger on it.

“We didn’t play with a fire or passion tonight. If its my fault, shame on me.”

Stratford dropped to 10-9 overall and 9-8 in the SWC with the loss, while Masuk improved to 8-11 and 6-7.

The Red Devils ended their regular season with a visit to Newtown High on Feb. 22.

“At 4-11 we were at a crossroad,” Masuk coach John DeGennaro. “They’ve been resilient ever since.

“We did a good job defensively and had more movement on offense. We made some big shots and did a good job from the foul line.”

Masuk’s Dom Migliaro torched the nets for back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the fourth quarter to overcome a 46-44 deficit.

Stratford twice made it a one-possession game in the final minute, but Migliaro and Matt Gerak (13 points) both made a pair of free throws to clinch the win.

Stratford led 18-17 after an adventurous first quarter, with six Red Devils finding the scoresheet, led by an acrobatic three baskets by Kinshawn Pettway.

Masuk took a 6-0 lead before Pettway’s up-and-under basket tied the game at 10.

Kyle Small, the Red Devils’ lone senior who drew words of praise from Dudzinski for his four-year commitment to the team prior to the contest, knocked down a 3-pointer on his first field-goal attempt to give Stratford a 13-12 lead.

Smalls assisted on the next two Stratford hoops, a basket inside by Will Hudson and a 3-pointer by Craig Bailey.

Masuk scored first in the second period, but then Stratford shut the Panthers down, holding them without a field goal on their next eight attempts.

Led by Bernard Brantley (19 points) and Marcus Vereen (13 points), the Red Devils upped their advantage to 31-25 after two quarters.

Masuk opened up the third period with an 8-2 swing to tie the game at 33.

Migliaro recorded a three-point play, assisted on a basket by Christian Terrell, and then Jamie Johnson kicked the ball out to Terrell for a 3-pointer.

Nick Davies buried a shot from the elbow, and then the senior crashed the boards for a putback to give Masuk a 37-33 lead.

Stratford looked to free Brantley, who had been hounded from shooting on the perimeter by Johnson.

Brantley began to take the ball to the basket and was rewarded with four straight trips to the foul line, scoring five points, to even things up.

Davies scored in traffic and Migliaro hit two free throws to stake the Panthers to a 43-40 lead with one quarter remaining.

Small unloaded another trey to open the final session, and Vereen scored on a drive for a 46-44 lead.

Migliaro then hit his two straight threes to give Masuk the lead with five minutes remaining.

Bailey and Small swished 3-pointers 30 seconds a part in the final minute to make it a one-possession game on each hoop, before Migliaro and Gerak made free throws to seal the win.