Ansonia boys basketball team overcomes 18-point deficit to defeat Houston

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ANSONIA – Ansonia overcame a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Houston boys basketball team on Saturday.

Ansonia and Houston spent most of the first quarter matching each other shot for shot. They were tied at 3-3, 5-5, 8-8 and 10-10 before Houston pulled ahead for a 19-15 lead at the end of the quarter. Devyn Sink led Ansonia with 7 points in the opening period while Dylan Hensley paced Houston with 10.

Houston continued to pull away in the second quarter and by halftime had built a 13-point advantage, 39-26. Trevor Alexander and Brayden Swabb both scored 3 points for the Tigers in the period, and Caleb Sluss had 9 for the Wildcats.

Following the halftime break Houston added to its lead and midway through the third quarter was up by 18. However, Ansonia started to make some baskets and cut its deficit down to 8 points. When the quarter ended, Houston led by 12, 52-40.

Ansonia’s Aydan Sanders, Sink, Swabb and Alexander all had 3 points in the third quarter while Howie Ludwig had nine points for Houston.

Down by double digits with just eight minutes to play, Ansonia turned things around in the fourth quarter. The Tigers were back within 9 at the 5:33 mark, 6 at the 4:51 mark, 3 at the 4:25 mark, and they tied the game with 4:09 remaining.

Ansonia retook the lead with 3:26 left in the game and just over a minute later was up by 7. Houston cut its deficit to 3 points with 1:44 remaining, but Ansonia pulled away once more and won 74-64.

“We can fall down 8 to 10 points and still get back in the game with the way we score,” Ansonia boys basketball coach Chad Cramer said. “We learnt some lessons tonight, and it was a weight night for our foul trouble. However, the guys did a great job, and it was a big night for the tournament draw.”

Sink led the Tigers’ fourth quarter comeback with 13 points in the period while Hensley had 7 for the Wildcats.

The Tigers made 18 3-pointers on the night to help them with their comeback. They shot 10-of-16 from the free throw line.

“We needed to make an extra pass,” Cramer said. “We ran motion most of the time; 54 of our 74 points were 3s, and I am happy with that.”

Sink led Ansonia with 23 points on Saturday. Also scoring for the Tigers was Alexander with 17 points, Swabb with 15, Hunter Muir with 10, Sanders with 9 and Andrew Rowland with 1.

Hensley led Houston with 18 points. Also scoring for the Wildcats was Ludwig with 16 points, Sluss with 12, John Leist with 11 and Cameron Arnold with 10.

Ansonia improved to 10-9 with the win, and Houston fell to 1-17.

Ansonia’s Aydan Sanders dribbles the ball during a boys basketball game against Houston on Saturday in Ansonia.
https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_Aydan-Sanders-WEB-12.jpgAnsonia’s Aydan Sanders dribbles the ball during a boys basketball game against Houston on Saturday in Ansonia. Jamie Wilson|For The Daily Advocate

By Jamie Wilson

For The Daily Advocate

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