New London, Trumbull have different styles

March 17, 2017 12:00 am • Last Updated: March 18, 2017 8:35 pm

By Vickie Fulkerson
Day Sports Editor

New London coach Holly MIsto gives instruction to Jada Lucas, left, during Monday night's CIAC Class LL girls' basketball tournament semifinal against Enfield at Glastonbury. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
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There were times the words being spoken by Trumbull High School girls' basketball coach Steve Tobitsch sounded like a recording of New London coach Holly Misto in discussing Saturday's Class LL state championship game.

Defense. Teamwork. The minefield the Class LL bracket presented. The emotion of competing on the season's final day.

Then, polar opposites.

“Totally two different styles of basketball,” Misto said. “They want to slow it down. They're very methodical, slow it down, run through your sets. We want to run. We want to get it going. The shot clock wouldn't bother us.

“There isn't anything set. You're supposed to shoot. You're supposed to shoot. If you're open, shoot it.”

Top-seeded Trumbull (26-1) meets No. 3 New London (25-2) for the Class LL title beginning at 6:15 p.m. Saturday at Mohegan Sun Arena, a game which will likely be played for the top spot in the final GameTimeCT/New Haven Register Top 10 poll (Trumbull is No. 1, New London No. 3 in the poll).

The matchup features Trumbull, a preseason underdog in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, which quickly gained steam as it plowed through the powerful league. The Eagles' only loss came to Fairfield Warde, 54-53 on Feb. 10.

Is Trumbull methodical? The Eagles defeated Fairfield Warde in the FCIAC tournament semifinals in triple overtime on Feb. 21. The score was 36-34. Trumbull has allowed opponents just 36.5 points per game throughout the Class LL tournament.

The Eagles have not played in the state championship game since 2002 and have not won it since 1974.

New London, meanwhile, heads to Mohegan Sun for the third time in four years and in its third different bracket. The Whalers won the Class M championship in 2014, the first in program history, and advanced to the final again last year in Class L, falling to Capital Prep.

“I think they feel like they have something to prove,” Misto said of the added motivation for Saturday. “I think they want to play better than they did last year. I think we're very focused.”

Trumbull is led by a pair of first team All-FCIAC picks in 6-foot senior forward Claudia Tucci and 5-11 senior guard Taylor Brown.

“(Brown) is the same player every day in practice. That rubs off on all the other kids,” Tobitsh said. “(Tucci) scored her 1,000th point the other night and had no idea it was coming. That's how unselfish she is … kicking the ball out of the post. It's a total team. Our team chemistry is terrific. Our senior leaders take care of all the everyday stuff.”

New London has a pair of Division I talents in its starting lineup in 5-4 senior point guard Jada Lucas (Hartford) and 6-2 senior center India Pagan (Stony Brook). The Whalers, too, use a team-first concept, although Pagan has had a thoroughly dominant postseason.

Pagan earned Most Outstanding Player honors in leading New London to an Eastern Connecticut Conference tournament title and in the Class LL tournament has averaged 15.3 points and 17 rebounds, with a double-double in all four games.

“They changed … they brought a whole new attitude to New London High School girls' basketball,” Misto said, smiling, asked to talk about the pair of senior all-stars. “India, her game has gone to another level this year. She's just a different player.

“They both have strong work ethics, confidence, they bring it to practice every day. … I'll miss their personalities as much as their basketball talents.”

Misto said New London's focus is on itself, as much as Trumbull.

“We have to do what we're supposed to do,” she said. “Will we do the things we do well?”

“I think it's going to be a terrific final,” Tobitsch said. “I think we're going to be OK when then lights are the brightest. I'm very confident our league has prepared us. I'm not worried about this moment and this time.”

v.fulkerson@theday.com

New London's Spencer Roman, left, pressures Enfield's Danielle Delano in Monday's CIAC Class LL girls' basketball tournament semifinal at Glastonbury. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day)
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