49°
STAMFORD, Conn. The Stamford Shock sixth-grade boys basketball team improved to 9-3 with a recent string of victories. The team also suffered its first losses of the season en route to a second-place finish in a holiday tournament in Norwalk.
Stamford beat New Fairfield, 57-36, as Jahmani Thornton scored 13 points. He also had double digits in rebounds. Kevin Costello scored 12 points, taking advantage of nice ball distribution by the Shock's guards to convert scoring opportunities.
Stamford used a strong defensive start with a full-court press to rout New Canaan, 49-28. Stamford led 29-7 at halftime. Tevin St. John scored 16 points. Thornton and James Sassi also played well.
In the tournament in Norwalk, Stamford routed Shelton, 68-35, in its opening game. Bobby Cribbin had two three-pointers in the first half to help put Stamford up 32-16. In the second half, Thornton played outstandingly. He scored 12 points and finished the game with 20. Shelton had a few three-point shooters and finished the game with five baskets from behind the arc. Grant Purpura and Conor Nicholson also played well, passing the ball and each scoring 11 points.
Stamford beat Norwalk, 53-30, cruising to a 27-12 halftime lead behind six points by Sassi. Ryan Carroll and Sam Lombino played well on both sides of the floor for Stamford.
Darien handed Stamford its first loss of the year, 57-39, in the final game of pool play in the tournament. Both teams were 2-0 heading into the showdown. Darien, one of the top teams in the county, led 24-20 at halftime as Stamford converted 11-of-14 free throw opportunities. Darien pulled away in the second half despite a fine game from Nicholson, who scored 13 points and collected five steals.
In a rematch in the championship game, Darien built a 20-point halftime lead and won, 64-37. Thornton scored 14 for Stamford.
With the holiday tournament over, Stamford traveled to the Carver Center in Norwalk. Stamford had not played for eight days and came out flat. There was a special guest appearance by Paschal Chukwu, the 7-foot-1 sophomore from the varsity basketball team of Trinity Catholic. Carver Centers half-court defense put the pressure to Stamford, which committed several turnovers. Stamford was only down 11 in the fourth quarter before Carver pulled away for a 59-34 win.
Stamford concluded its string of games with a 61-41 win over Easton/Redding. After a high-scoring first quarter, Stamford led 16-13 paced by Nicholson six points. The second quarter was more of the same as Stamford led 32-25 at half. Thornton led the Shock in points at the half with eight. In the third quarter, Stamford again scored 16 points and led 48-38 going into the final period. The fourth quarter was dominated by the Shock, which outscored Easton/Redding, 13-3, with dominant defense by Brian Noone.
Stamford is 5-1 in the 6 South B Division of the Fairfield County Basketball League. It meets the Fairfield Spurs and Darien Blue this weekend.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Stamford and receive free news updates.
