Jackets Win Berkshire League Tournament


 

The Gilbert boys basketball team defeated Litchfield, 46-44, Friday, Feb. 29, at the Wamogo Gym in Litchfield to capture this year’s Berkshire League Tournament Championship.

The game was anything but artistic, but it certainly didn’t lack for excitement. Litchfield was the only team to defeat Gilbert in the regular season — not once, but twice — which resulted in the two teams sharing the league championship. The Berkshire League does not hold playoffs for ties, so the two teams needed to make the finals to settle the score once and for all.

The game was initially scheduled to start at 7 p.m., but the chance of inclement weather prompted a move to 6 p.m. and then finally 4 p.m. Coaches, players, referees and fans all had to scramble, but by game time the needed participants were in attendance and a sizeable crowd managed to make it to the early start.

Both teams seemed a bit tight as the game got underway, but Litchfield would be the first to settle down and run out to a 14-4 lead in the first period, fueled by some long range shooting by the Cowboys. A basket by Gilbert’s Zac Tuozzo at the buzzer made it 14-6 as the teams headed into the second period.

Gilbert settled down and went on a 10-2 run to tie the score at 16-16 as senior All-Star Jim Bunel (son of this writer) connected on consecutive three-pointers to draw the Jackets even. Litchfield responded with a bucket, but a three-pointer by senior All-Star Adam Vaccari gave the Jackets their first lead of the night, 19-18.

With time running down, Litchfield regained the lead on a two-point buzzer beater that brought the first half to a close.

The third period got underway and the Gilbert defense continued to bottle up the Cowboys. By the end of the quarter, the Jackets found themselves with a 28-23 lead, having held their rival to just three points in the period.

Litchfield was not about to go quietly. Gilbert scored the first points of the final period when senior Raul Diaz scored on a lay up off a great pass from senior T.J. Monka to make it 30-23, but the Cowboys answered immediately. A traditional three-point play by Litchfield’s Tim Deacon, followed by a clutch three-pointer by reserve Andrew Luzzi, cut the Gilbert lead to 30-29, prompting a quick time-out by the Jackets.

The Jackets came out of the time-out and responded with a 10-2 run of their own to stretch the lead to 40-31, but once again Litchfield answered. Senior T.J. Doyle scored on a driving lay-up, followed by a three-pointer by Deacon.

Bunel canned two foul shots to extend the lead, but Litchfield’s Adam Claire hit a jumper, followed by two foul shots by Deacon to bring the Cowboys to within one, 43-42.

With just over a minute left, Gilbert head coach Mark Douglass called time-out. When the Jackets returned to the floor, they managed to take 40 seconds off the clock before a driving lay up by Bunel stretched the lead to 45-42.

Litchfield’s Deacon was fouled on the ensuing play and converted one of two free throws to make it 45-43. With just 13 seconds left on the clock Gilbert’s Monka missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving life to the Cowboys. Once again, Deacon was fouled, but only converted on one of the two shots and left Litchfield trailing 45-44 with just seconds left.

The Cowboys immediately fouled Vaccari and he, too, only made good on one of two foul shots. With Gilbert clinging to a 46-44 lead, Deacon raced down the court and managed to get off what looked like a game tying lay-up, but senior Diego "Kenny" Cevallos would have none of it.

Cevallos had entered the game when Bunel fouled out with 15 seconds left on the clock and made the biggest play of his life. The lanky senior went airborne and cleanly blocked Deacon’s attempt. The ball ended up in the hands of teammate Diaz, who smothered the ball as the horn went off. The championship belonged to the Jackets.

With the victory, the Jackets improved to 21-2 as they entered the CIAC Class S State Tournament as the No. 2 seed.

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