Bristol Central Rams @ Newington Indians | CT Girls High School Basketball

Defense Keys NHS Girls’ Basketball Victory by Kathleen Pulek, Rare Reminder, February 12, 2015

Newington girls basketball coach Rick Bangs got three special high-fives before the start of the Saturday, Feb. 7th CCC Interdivisional clash with visiting Bristol Central.

“High-fiving my daughters [six and four] and son [almost three] took the edge off because I was feeling anxious. I was just waiting for the game to start. Once it did, I settled down. I was like that as a Newington player, too. It’s the waiting around all day, the starting lineups, everything that goes on before the game. I just want the game to start.”

After the Indians recorded their seventh win of the season, 47-33, Bangs welcomed hugs from his children and congratulations from his parents.

“It was awesome that we actually played a game at a time where my kids could come watch it. During the season, I see them when I get home from practice at 5:30 pm and then they go to bed at 7:00 pm. Game days I run home, change and get my oldest off of the bus.

“Sharing this is the best part of the win. Every other game it’s ‘I’ll see you when I get home and say good night to you’ because they’re already in bed. My dad and mom came to every one of my games when I played and they come to every game I coach. My wife is a nurse at the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit at UConn, so I’ll share this with her later,” Bangs said.

Junior forward Sarah Ericson skies over the Bristol Central defense Feb. 7th.

NHS started off with a Sarah Ericson hook on a feed from guard Abrial Murray and a Murray three-ball. Senior Emalie Freitas, who finished with 13 points, set up Julie Iskra and then canned her first of three treys for an 11-4 lead five minutes into the game.

Bristol Central responded to coach Steve Gaudet’s 30-second timeout with a 7-0 flurry that threw the game into its only deadlock, 11-11, as the opening period waned.

The visiting Rams (9-8) took their lone lead of the game, 15-14, on a lay up with 1:23 left of the first half. Murray answered swiftly from long distance to send the Indians into the break with a 17-15 lead.

A put back from Iskra and a pair of free throws from Murray, who totaled a game-high 16 points, gave NHS a six-point edge as the third stanza unfolded. The Rams countered with a three off of an inbounds pass and turned a steal into a lay up to cut into the lead, 21-19.

The Indians, up 32-25 to start the final period, stretched their lead as Murray, Freitas and Kaila Lozada combined for 11 of the team’s final 15 points to salt away the victory for the 7-10 Indians.

“Our defensive intensity and our communication really picked up in the second half. We wanted to play disciplined on defense and when we got over chasing too much above the three-point line, our defense was a lot better. We felt like they were getting backdoor stuff because we were coming way too far out. We talk about heels on the three-point line and not chasing and when we didn’t chase, they had a hard time finding things,” explained Bangs.

“Credit Bristol Central. They battled and fought. I felt our defensive rebounding was out-hustled in the first half. I asked my girls to dedicate themselves to “D” boarding in the second half and we did a lot better.

Julie Iskra draws two defenders in the first quarter of the CCC Interdivisional game with Bristol Central.

“Having Julie on the floor also helped. She played a great second half. We had to sit her with foul trouble the first half. She makes such a big difference,” Bangs praised Iskra.

“You forget Abrial is a sophomore sometimes. You have to live with some of her mistakes but her positives outweigh her youth,” Bangs said of Murray. “She’s going to be a great player. I tell her that every day. I tell her I’m going to be on her case every day because I want her to be great and I’m thankful that she has two more years with us.

“The girls have been playing with an amazing amount of passion and heart. They want it. You always want your team to want it more than you do, and I think we’ve gotten to the point where it’s impossible for them to want it more than me, but they’re very close. Ever since we beat Simsbury [42-40, Jan. 29th] our practices have had a lot of spirit. We’ve gotten through those dog days of the season. January just drags. I think they see the light at the end of the tunnel,” the second-year coach noted.

“After the game coach said he was very proud of us and that we’re one step closer to making the state tournament,” Iskra said of Bang’s post-game commentary.

“We played with a lot of intensity and passion and that comes from coach’s pep talks. At half time he said we needed to calm down, pull ourselves together, pick up our defense and play with more intensity. We won this game with our defense,” added the senior forward.

“We got win number six against Hall the other night. We got number seven today. We view this as one more step to making the state tournament. We look at Tuesday [Feb. 10th] as the game that’s going to get us in. New Britain’s going to come in here and want to keep us out, and they should. We’re going to have another battle on our hands, but we’ll be ready,” said Bangs, his voice full of conviction.

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