UNCASVILLE, Conn. — With two minutes left in the third quarter Tuesday, the ECC Division II boys basketball tournament championship was anybody’s game.
Wheeler and Stonington were tied at 39. The action was tight, with no team leading by more than six. A Mohegan Sun Arena crowd of 3,000 — seemingly all of Wheeler’s 233 students and half of North Stonington’s 5,100 population — deliriously cheered and expected a fantastic finish.
Wheeler, however, was determined that this would not go down to the final minutes. The Lions essentially finished it in 120 seconds, closing out the third with a 13-2 run to lead 52-41 after three and turn the fourth quarter into a coronation of Wheeler basketball and second-year coach Stephen Bailey.
The little school from North Stonington, never a factor in the ECC postseason mix, shined on the biggest stage with a 65-51 victory for the Lions’ first ECC tournament championship in Bailey’s second year as coach.
“We just played Wheeler basketball: get a stop, rebound, get on the break, run our sets and score, get another stop and repeat,” Bailey said. “After we got up by 11, I talked to the team before the fourth quarter and said, ‘You deserve to be in this spot. Let’s finish this off make history and do something you’ll remember the rest of your lives.'”
Wheeler (17-6) was building to this point with four senior starters who made the state tournament as sophomores under former coach Neil Cobleigh and amped up to 17-win teams and ECC Division IV regular season titles the last two years for Bailey, a Stonington…
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The jam band icons of Phish already have a huge year planned with their 11th music festival and residency at Las Vegas’ famed Sphere, and now, they’re hitting the road for a round of summer tour dates.
The newly-announced trek kicks-off with three shows at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield. From there, they’ll appear at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, East Troy’s Alpine Music Valley Theatre, and the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. They’ll also stop at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena and the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts before wrapping-up with a four-night run in Commerce City, Colorado at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Phish fans can begin requesting tickets at the band’s official website ahead of the general on sale, slated to take place on Friday, March 15. Tickets are also available to Phish’s new tour dates, as well as previously-announced shows, at secondary sites like MEGASeats (use code TICKETNEWS for 10% off your order), StubHub, or Ticket Club, where readers can obtain a free membership and avoid service fees with the code TICKETNEWS.
This August, Phish is taking over Dover’s Woodlands, home of Firefly Music Festival, for a four-night music festival dubbed Mondegreen. They’re also set to appear at The Sphere for a four-night residency from April 18 through 21, promising “completely unique setlists and visuals, making every show a truly once-in-a-lifetime audio-visual experience.”
See all of Phish’s upcoming show dates below:
Phish Tour Dates 2024
04/18 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sphere 04/19 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sphere 04/20 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sphere 04/21 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sphere 07/19 – Mansfield, MA @…
WATERFORD — Perhaps not since the British attacked Stonington in 1812 will there be a more significant “Battle of Stonington” than what will take place Tuesday.
Wheeler and Stonington will not only battle for area boys basketball bragging rights, the neighboring schools will vie for the Eastern Connecticut Conference Tournament Division II championship at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Wheeler, the ECC’s Division IV champ, and Stonington, the top seed and Division III runner-up, both advanced Saturday with strenuous semifinal victories at Waterford.
The Lions (16-6) topped ECC D-III champ Griswold, 58-53, and Stonington (16-6) outlasted No. 5 seed Tourtellotte, 76-64.
Wheeler will make its first ECC final appearance while Stonington makes its third and second in the last three season since winning in 2022.
From years playing summer pickup games at Ocean Community to North Stonington Recreation Courts to Stonington High and Como courts, this is the matchup both teams wanted.
“I love this,” said Stonington’s Robbie Scavello said. “We wouldn’t want to play anyone else. We know them. They beat us at Wheeler last year and we edged them in overtime at our place. Tuesday will be the big one.”
Many ECC pundits labeled Griswold the favorite to win Division II after the Wolverines, who won the tourney last year with a senior-stocked squad, swept Stonington in the regular season despite losing a close game to Wheeler.
Wheeler got the upper-hand early, taking a 16-4 lead after one quarter, rising to a 22-4 lead on a steal and layup by Lion guard Keith Zardies.
“Wheeler is a tough matchup for us,” Griswold coach Rob Mileski said. “All of their…
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins ended their weekend by defeating the Bridgeport Islanders, 4-1, on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Taking to the ice on Military Appreciation Night presented by MetLife, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (27-18-7-1) raced out of the gates with two early goals from Jonathan Gruden and Jagger Joshua. Stellar goaltending from Magnus Hellberg paved the rest of the way to a Penguins win.
Gruden and Joshua scored 48 seconds apart in the opening three minutes of the game, setting up the Penguins up with a 2-0 lead. Gruden batted a puck out of mid-air at the side of Jakub Škarek’s net 2:03 into the game. Joshua’s work around the net-mouth allowed him to snag a greasy goal shortly after.
The Islanders appeared to earn a power-play goal right before the buzzer at the end of the first, but a video review proved otherwise. The clock had run down to 0.0 before the puck crossed the goal line, keeping the Penguins’ 2-0 lead intact.
Hellberg thwarted a second-period penalty shot attempt by Julien Gauthier, catching a piece of the puck off his blocker before Gauthier’s bid struck the post.
Karson Kuhlman cut the Penguins’ lead to one four minutes into the third, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton reestablished its two-goal edge 27 seconds later. Dmitri Samorukov banked a shot off an Islanders’ defender and into the net, making it 2-1.
After two successful penalty kills by the Penguins, an empty netter from Matt Filipe sealed the victory.
Hellberg totaled 31 saves on 32 shots. Škarek stopped 26 of the 29 bids thrown his way.
The Penguins will be back in action on Friday, Mar. 1, when they host the Charlotte Checkers for the first of back-to-back games at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Friday’s game…
Driver Tyler Buter held the hot driving hands during another frosty card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with $59.20 bomber Smooth Landing taking the $22,973 featured trot as one of six winners on the Saturday afternoon, Feb. 24 program for the 38-year-old, who is fast approaching 4,500 career wins.
Buter had the victorious Tactical Landing gelding out behind grinding heavy favourite Buddy Earl in the feature, then moved on to challenge raw after that one got by at the three-quarter pole under some urging. Through the stretch, it was no contest as Smooth Landing (pictured above) went on to a 1:58 final time for trainer Jennifer Bongiorno and owners Glenn Goller and Stephen Demeter. Enola closed steadily to take second ahead of Buddy Earl.
A trio of $22,297 contests were co-featured on the card, with the fast-class trot also going to Buter and the 51-time career winner Rich And Miserable in 1:55. The Todd Buter-trained altered son of Explosive Matter was the easiest of winners while taking his career bankroll to $831,278 for Buter Farm Inc. and Lynette Buter.
Tyler Buter pulled another upset with 12-1 choice Panettone Hanover in the top-level starter allowance pace, tipping wide off the cover of Francis Underwood and prevailing in 1:53.2. The Captaintreacherous gelding is co-owned by trainer Cote Keim in partnership with El Dorado Stables and Buzzy Sholty.
In the fast-class pace, the Always B Miki gelding Maximus Miki won his second straight race at Pocono via a pocket journey, launching up the inside to gain into a :55.4 back half and win in 1:53.3. George Napolitano Jr. again guided the pacer to success for Team Cancelliere — trainer Tom and owner John.
Racing returns to Pocono on Monday for a 14-race card beginning at 1 p.m., with a pair of showcase…
Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania featured a trio of $20,270 events for developing horses on its Monday, Feb. 19 card, the second of the year at the mountain oval.
The faster winner in the two pacing divisions was Train Station, a son of Roll With Joe who was victorious in his second straight start, here in 1:54.2 despite cold and windy conditions. Jason Bartlett got the Per Engblom trainee to the top in front of the stands and rated the pace, then stepped him home in :27.3 to hold a 1-1/4-length lead at the finish over Dark As Night, who necked El Yerno for second. Morrison Racing Stable shares ownership in the visitor to Victory Lane with Brian Gordon.
In the other pacing headliner, Fade To Light utilized the Pocono Pike to chase down a hard-used Rusty Beach by a neck in 1:54.4. Anthony Napolitano, posting his second driving triple in as many 2024 cards at Pocono to take the early meet lead, sulkysat behind the Bettors Delight gelding for trainer Jose Godinez and the dual ownership of Godinez Racing Stable LLC and Jhonatan Garcia Guia.
On the trotting side, Gatsby sat a nice two-hole journey, then rallied up the inside to catch pacesetting chalk Chef Rocco by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.4. Braxten Boyd, who joined “A-Nap” and Ridge Warren with three victories each, drove the Cantab Hall gelding to the win for trainer Joe Karrat and owner Christopher Zollo.
On the training side, 29-year-old Lesley McDaniel, who came to Pocono from Hawkinsville, Georgia via Maine, recorded the first victory in his young career when he had the veteran Mister Big gelding My Mind Is Madeup ready after 72 days away, winning a 1:55.1 contest for driver Simon Allard and…
HomeIn the News Yaamava’ Casino, Konami Gaming Launch World Premiere of Unwooly Riches Slot Series
HIGHLAND, CA – Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel and Konami Gaming have announced the world premiere of Unwooly Riches™ slots. Guests at Yaamava’ are the first to play the new slot series, which features a mischievous goat character named Spice, and an angelic sheep…
