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Bradley Valalik is fouled by Notre Dame’s Karim Cisse on the way to the hoop
The Notre Dame Green Knights came to Branford last week expecting an easier game then they ended up with. In the end the Knights beat the Hornets 40 – 34.
Leading 10 – 4 after the first period the Green and Gold increased their lead to 10 points, to 19 – 9 at the half.
The Hornets were sluggish even into the third period and fell behind by 12 points to 34 – 22.
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Coach Jake Palluzzi gave the boys a ‘pep talk’ at the break and they came out with a new energy.
Bill O’Brien Photo
Rich Jacobson gets around Notre Dame’s Ben Bagnoli for a lay-up.
Key baskets by Captain Joe Carbone (10 points) and Rich Jacobson (pictured) (7 points) brought the Hornets to 37 – 34 with 1:58 remaining. The Hornets were on a roll. The Notre Dame defense kept up the pressure, causing a couple of turnovers and the Hornets didn’t score again, falling 40 – 34.
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Kory King fires one up.
In addition to Carbone and Jacobson, Kory King (pictured) scored 7 and Colin Tracy and Bradley Valaik chipped in with 4 each. Benjamin Bagnoli led Notre Dame with 9.
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The cheerleaders perform during a break in the action
Coach Jake Palluzzi was disappointed that his club started slow and was too far behind to catch up with the Knights. “Getting only 9 points in the first half didn’t help. We outscored them (25 – 20) in the second half but we were too far behind to make up the difference.”
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Zach Turbert (R) and Jakey Palluzzi (the coach’s son).
For a couple of kids, including the coach’s son, just being there in uniform was all that mattered.
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