Coming into tonight’s CCC Tournament first-round game versus Berlin, Middletown had reason to be confident. They had earned the number six seed in the tournament by winning eight of ten to close the regular season. The Blue Dragons had easily defeated Berlin twice during the regular season. But as any coach knows, everything goes back to square one when tournament play starts and their teams have to prove themselves all over again under pressure. With their 58-42 win over the Redcoats, Middletown demonstrated they can handle this pressure and that they have no intention of stopping their hot play.
Believe it or not, Berlin came into what turned into a blow out with a solid game plan. The Redcoats looked to slow play down and force a strong offensive squad in the Blue Dragons into a defensive battle. For a short time, Berlin did just that, slowing things down initially and taking a 5-2 lead early in the first quarter. However, Middletown would defeat that strategy by showing patience and controlling the defensive boards while eventually speeding the pace up. As the Blue Dragons continued to follow that strategy they were able to take a 10-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter and push it to 27-14 at the half. And that’s how a crucial first-round tournament matchup was essentially finished at halftime.
Of course, this statement is simplifying what actually occurred during the first half. In the later portion of the first half Middletown guards Shawn Strickland and Jacquan Collins (seven assists) were able to consistently get the ball inside to big men Mikie Rhodes and Brandon Simmons. At the same time, the Blue Dragons were getting strong pressure on the defensive end and leading Berlin to commit costly turnovers. Over seven minutes Middletown went on a 14-2 run.
“I’m really proud of our defense tonight,” said head coach Dave Sytulek. “We played great defense by constantly moving our feet and pressuring their players. And we contained (Bobby) Mozzicato for the entire game.”
After continuing their formidable play on both ends at the start of the second half, Middletown briefly relaxed on both defense and was slowed down by Berlin’s zone defense on the offensive end, permitting the Redcoats to get as close as 42-36 before Sytulek called a timeout. After that timeout, the Blue Dragons struck. From about the two minute mark of the third quarter to halfway through the fourth Middletown displayed the full power of its offense, scoring on ten straight possessions from all points on the floor. Though many of these points came from their big men in or just outside the paint, the team’s most memorable baskets were from beyond the arc. Shawn Strickland scored the Blue Dragons final points of the third quarter to push their lead to 41-30 and Jerry Robinson drained a three with just less than five minutes remaining to give his squad a 21-point advantage, one of four back-breaking three-balls he earned on the night.
“They were trying to stop us with their zone defense all night,” Sytulek said of his team’s key offensive run at the end of the third quarter. “We were able to counteract them by being patient and running the right sets. We found open looks.”
Nearly every one of Middletown’s core players made key contributions to the winning effort. Robinson made four threes and had 14 points. The backcourt of Collins and Strickland totaled 11 assists between them. Rhodes had eight points and 12 rebounds and Simmons had nine points and eight rebounds.
Middletown will face 19-1 Northwest Catholic, the number three seed in the CCC Tournament, on Saturday night at Bulkley High School. Though the Indians are a formidable opponent, Sytulek is confident his squad can defeat any opponent in the conference and state tournaments if the Blue Dragons play up to their ability.
“Our team is peaking at the right time,” he stated. “We have great team chemistry and you can never underestimate that. How far we will go will depend on the teams we draw and how well we match up with them.”
