THE HOME OF WEST HAVEN SPORTS

WestieBlue

Scoring Drought
Westies fall to Newtown in season opener
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 13, 2023) - The start of the season did not go the way the West Haven girls basketball team had hoped. Going through a scoreless first half scoring stretch, and tallying just 17 first half points, West Haven fell to Newtown 43-41 in the season opener Wednesday evening at West Haven.
Isabella Fiorillo led West Haven with 15 points, while Noelle Lawrence and freshman Fatoumata Keita each scored eight points. Ciara Harp finished with six points in the loss.
The Westies were held to just six points in the second quarter, including four by Fiorillo and two by Lawrence. Fiorillo’s bucket with 55 seconds remaining in the first half cut the deficit to 19-17.
West Haven was hurt in the third quarter as Newtown held a 15-8 advantage and took a 34-25 lead. Trailing 34-21, West Haven got within striking distance when Aniah Glover and Fiorillo connected to end the quarter.
The Westies stormed back in the fourth quarter, using a 7-0 run to get within 39-34 when Lawrence drained a 3-pointer and Keita followed with another basket.
Trailing 42-34, West Haven went on another 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 42-41 with 50 seconds left in the game. Keita started the run, Lawrence hit another 3-pointer, and Keita, who had eight points in the fourth quarter, connected again.

After West Haven held twice defensively, the Westies failed to convert the winning shot in the opening day loss. 

North Haven tops Westies
WH drops second straight
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 15, 2023) - The West Haven girls basketball team fell to 0-2 with a 66-53 home loss against North Haven Friday evening. West Haven’s offense started slowly and never caught up in the 13-point loss.
Ciara Harp led the way with 18 points, while Isabella Fiorillo and Noelle Lawrence each added 12 points, and Ella Morgan chipped in seven.
The Westies connected on just one field goal in the opening quarter, a bucket by Lawrence, and trailed by 10. Fiorillo connected on four free throws in the opening eight minutes.
The shooting woes continued in the first half as West Haven hit on only four first half field goals. Fiorillo, Lawrence, and Arianna Titus each connected in the second quarter, while Morgan drained all four of her free throws, but the Nighthawks increased the lead to 35-20 at the half.

West Haven outscored North Haven 35-31 in the second half, but it was not enough in the second straight loss to start the year.

In the Win Column
WH tops Jonathan Law
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 19, 2023) - It may not have come the conventional way, but the West Haven girls basketball team is in the win column. Faced with another slow start, the Westies rallied from a 16-point deficit to top Jonathan Law 49-34 at West Haven High Tuesday evening.
West Haven was outscored 19-3 in the first quarter, then turned up its defensive play, allowing just single digits in scoring for Law over the next three quarters. After connecting on eight field goals in the opening quarter, Law was held to just five over the next 24 minutes, including just three in the second half when Law scored only 10 points.
The Westies turned it on from there, outscoring Law 14-5 in the second quarter to get within seven at the half, before going on a 32-10 second half run, including 18-4 in the third quarter, to take the lead for good.
Ciara Harp got things going in the second quarter with a pair of 3-pointers, while Isabella Fiorillo and Daniela Campillo each drained 3-pointers as well.
The 18-4 third quarter run was sparked by six points from Fiorillo, four from Ella Morgan, and three from Harp, before Harp scored six in the fourth, and Fiorillo and Morgan each added four.

Fiorillo and Harp each scored 15 points in the win, Morgan added nine, and Campillo finished with five.

WH runs past Cross
Westies post 69-20 victory
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 22, 2023) - The West Haven girls basketball team won its second straight contest with a dominant 69-20 victory over Wilbur Cross in West Haven Friday evening. Eleven different players were in the scoring column, with Isabella Fiorillo and Ella Morgan leading the way with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Jaecianna Mitchell had eight points, Daniela Campillo, Aniah Glover, and Ciara Harp each added six points, while Madden Evangeliste scored five points.
Behind 11 first quarter points from Fiorillo, West Haven jumped out to a 24-5 lead and never looked back. West Haven held a 39-9 lead at the half and capped the game with a 30-11 second half run.

Morgan led the way in the second quarter with six points, while Fiorillo, Morgan, and Campillo each scored four points in the third quarter to start the second half run.

WH tops Norwalk
Westies open WH tournament with win
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 27, 2023) - Behind the play of Ella Morgan, the West Haven girls basketball team won its third straight contest, defeating Norwalk 49-40 in the opening game of the West Haven Christmas Tournament.
Morgan was stellar in all aspects of the contest as she scored 16 points, had 12 rebounds, and added five blocks and five assists.
Isabella Fiorillo and Noelle Lawrence each scored nine points, Arianna Titus had eight, and Fatoumata Keita added six points in the win.
The Westies got off to a quick start and never looked back, taking a 17-3 first quarter lead. West Haven led 26-13 at the half, before Norwalk chipped away and got within 34-28.

A 15-12 West Haven advantage in the fourth quarter sealed the win.

Middletown tops Westies
WH falls in title game
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(December 28, 2023) - Looking to win the West Haven Christmas Tournament, the West Haven girls basketball team fell just short with a 48-43 loss to Middletown in the title game Thursday afternoon at West Haven High.
Noelle Lawrence led the Westies with 16 points, Isabella Fiorillo scored 13 points, and Ella Morgan and Jasmyn DaGraca each scored five points in the loss.
Fiorillo scored four points in the opening quarter, but Middletown led 11-10 after eight minutes of play. The Westies trailed 25-22 at the half despite Fiorillo and Lawrence each scoring five points in the second quarter.

Lawrence added five more points in the third quarter, but West Haven trailed 38-32 after three quarters. The two teams played an even fourth quarter as Middletown took home the title. 

Westies fall to Hamden
Offensive woes hurt WH
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 2, 2024) - The West Haven girls basketball team had the second-ranked Hamden Green Dragons in the spot it wanted. Unfortunately for the Westies, they could not seal the contest.
Holding a talented Hamden team to just 42 points, West Haven struggled offensively and fell 42-34 at Hamden Tuesday evening. With the loss, the Westies dropped to 3-4 on the year.
Noelle Lawrence was the only West Haven player in double figures with 17 points. The Westies struggled, scoring just six points in each of the first and fourth quarters.
Lawrence scored four of West Haven’s six first quarter points as the Westies missed eight field goal attempts.
West Haven connected on just 3-of-9 field goal attempts in the second quarter and trailed 21-17 at the half. Lawrence drained a pair of 3-pointers in the quarter and Isabella Fiorillo added two points.

The third quarter was more of the same with West Haven hitting on 5-of-14 from the field. Despite the scoring woes, the Westies trailed just 30-28 because of its tough defensive play.

SHA runs past Westies
WH falls 66-45
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 12, 2024) - The West Haven girls basketball team dropped its fifth straight contest and fell to 3-7 on the year with a 66-45 home loss against Sacred Heart Academy Friday evening.
D’Lyana Dixon drained three 3-pointers and led the Westies with 11 points. Noelle Lawrence scored 10 points, and Isabella Fiorillo and Fatoumata Keita each scored six, while Ella Morgan had four.
Sacred Heart Academy led 18-8 after one quarter and took over the contest with a 22-10 second quarter run for a 40-18 advantage.

Lawrence scored four points in each of the first two quarters, while Morgan scored four points in the second quarter. Dixon’s 3-points all came in the second half, with a pair coming in the fourth quarter.

Westies fall to Foran
Lions top WH 50-42
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 17, 2024) - The losing streak for the West Haven girls basketball team reached six games as the Westies fell to Foran 50-42 Wednesday evening at West Haven High. Despite a valiant effort, the loss dropped the Westies to 3-8 on the year.
Poor free throw shooting contributed to the loss for West Haven as the Westies connected on just 12-of-22 from the free throw line in the 8-point loss.
The Westies battled and led 21-20 at the half, but a 30-21 second half run by Foran proved to be the difference in the game. Foran turned the one-point deficit into a 36-30 lead after three quarters.
Ella Morgan, who finished with nine points in the contest, helped the Westies jump out to a 15-10 lead in the first quarter with seven points, while Noelle Lawrence scored six of her team-high 14 points in the opening quarter. The Westies connected on just one field goal in the second quarter, a basket by Lawrence, but managed to hold the 21-20 advantage.

Isabella Fiorillo scored five of her team’s nine points in the third quarter and finished with 10 points in the game. Fiorillo and D’Lyana Dixon connected from 3-poinr range in the fourth quarter, but West Haven managed just one other basket from the field as Foran held on for the win.

GIRLS BASKETBALL 2023-2024

All-State Players - Kelley Camp '75, '76; Sue Passander '79; Catrina Hawley '97, '98; Jayva Johnson '13; Amani Abuhatab '21, '23
Retired Numbers - Kelley Camp (Class of 1977) #13; Catrina Hawley (Class of 1998) #41

Hamden runs past Westies
WH falls to Green Dragons 
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(January 30, 2024) - The race for the postseason is getting shorter for the West Haven girls basketball team. With a handful of games remaining and still needing a pair of wins to qualify, every contest has more meaning.
The Westies could not take a step towards the postseason Tuesday night, falling to a tough Hamden team 61-39 at West Haven High. With the loss, West Haven fell to 6-10 on the year.
Noelle Lawrence led the way with 14 points, while Isabella Fiorillo scored 13 points in the loss.
Hamden took control of the game in the first half, extending a 16-9 advantage with a 17-6 second quarter run for 33-15 halftime lead. West Haven got within 12 points through three quarters, but a 14-4 Hamden run in the final eight minutes sealed the game.
Lawrence scored four of West Haven’s nine first quarter points, but the Westies were cold in the second quarter, connecting on just two shots from the field, both by Fiorillo.

Lawrence scored 10 of her team-high 14 points in the third quarter, and Fiorillo added four in the same time frame.

Inching Closer
WH tops Cheshire as postseason nears
By MIKE MADERA
Westie Blue
(February 2, 2024) - The West Haven girls basketball team inched closer to the postseason with a 54-44 victory over Cheshire Friday evening. With the victory, the Westies improved to 7-10 on the season.
Isabella Fiorillo led the way for West Haven with 13 points, six rebounds and four steals. D’Lyana Dixon had 12 points, and Ella Morgan had a big day as well with 10 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and five steals.
The Westies took control of the contest early with a 16-7 first quarter run and a 34-15 halftime advantage.
Arianna Titus and Morgan led the first quarter run with four points apiece, while Dixon hit a pair of 3-pointers and finished with seven points in the second quarter. Fiorillo also had five points in the second quarter.

Fatoumata Keita finished with eight points, including six in the fourth quarter.