On Thursday, Jan. 27 NECC Knights defeated University of Connecticut at Avery Point for a conference division game 67 to 47 it was a 6 p.m. tip off at the Sports and Fitness Center at the Haverhill campus.  

Knights were looking to win six in the row for the first time since 2008-09 season.  

The Knights were 9-7 overall and 6-2 in conference division game heading into Jan. 27 game.  

Before the game I hinted at the possibility to coach Stratton of winning six in a row “I think it will be great for the kids if we can pull of a victory tonight, he said.

“What we are really doing is my captain is doing a great job which we are trying to stay focused and concentrate on the next game which we have all leagues game coming up. I have a funny feeling Bristol is going to get canceled on Saturday with the blizzard coming supposedly, so this game is extremely important to us because after this game we don’t play again until CCRI on Tuesday… every game is important to get a victory but it is always nice when you are in the winning side then being in the losing side.”  

On Nov. 20 Knights beat this same team at Connecticut 62 to 59 “I think it all plays out how we come to play if we come to play at our best I think we’re good as anybody but sometimes we really have a tough time getting going during our winning streak,” Stratton said. “We haven’t had that issue but in the past we had a tough time getting going so hopefully that’s not a problem tonight,” Stratton said.  

Stratton also said they have recently gotten some key players back that wasn’t playing that game (Nov. 20) due to injury. Philip Cunningham, Cristian Kinsley and Matt D’Amato have all returned after being absent on Nov. 20 game because of injury.

Knights won tipoff against UConn at Avery Point. Both teams had nonfoul during the game until the first period with 11:25 remaining and Matt D’Amato hit a foul.

Coach Stratton told me in the post-game interview “I was very surprised but I felt that’s a tribute to a couple of different things I don’t think we (have) been as aggressive so I think we (have) been a little lazy and tributed to not being overly aggressive to not many foul calls the other thing is I felt that we were playing pretty good defense to the point we were communicating well getting a good position…, Stratton said.  

In the first four minutes the Knights started aggressive going on 10-5 run.

Ashton Ventola of Danville, N.H., who scored 5 points in 14 minutes against UConn Avery Point, told me “We just wanted to stay aggressive that’s our goal to stay aggressive the whole game we wanted to make sure we want them to put them in the hole early. We wanted to,  we were in kill mode all the time that’s what we need to do all the time we jumped on them early, we had a good lead, we were moving the ball well, we were making shot that’s how we able to keep aggressive the whole time.” 

During the game it was a little concerning UConn Avery Point in the first half they were scoring in rebounds the Knights they are one of the best rebounds in the conference Stratton told me “That’s what I was concern we are one of the best rebound team in our regent and in the first half UConn Avery Point was rebounding us. They brought more afait they out hustle us they were aggressive in the glass we really weren’t discipline in our fundamentals we weren’t finding a men and boxing out and it opened up a lot of lanes for UConn Avery Point to attacken and grab the rebounds…, Stratton said.  

Kevin Monteiro just played four minutes against  UConn Avery Point. He got injured in the first half with a low ankle sprain injury, something related to his tendon Stratton told me “It’s a minor injury that he should be able to fight through it he tried to put pressure on it before we coming off from half-time but told me he just couldn’t go so we just shut him down,” Stratton said.  

He should be ready to go for Tuesday Feb. 1, when the Knights hit the road against CCRI who are undefeated 10-0 on Region 21 conference and 12-2 overall during the season.  

In the first half the Knights committed four fouls while UConn at Avery Point made two. The Knights were up 34-22 when they went into the locker room.  

Daniel Almarante of Lawrence had 10 points during the fist half that led the Knights in the game he finished with 16 points.  

In the second period with nine minutes and 20 second left Knights were up 55 to 35. They had a 20-point lead “we came very efficient we talked about it in half time the second half we started much better as you saw  we buckle down defensively. I know Cristian pick up a quick foul, R2 (Mehmet) picked up a foul his third foul in the 19:38 mark. I was going to make the decision to pull him out and he wave me off saying let me play through it which I am happy that I did… I think in the second half we played much much better much better, Stratton said.  

 Coach Stratton only time out came on the second period with only 5:02 left to go “What I got aggravated at 5:02 mark if you saw that from the 7:00 minute mark to the 5:02 mark we had three offensive possessions and well out of sink Daniel (Almarante) I spoke with earlier he got to get a set his got to get situated. We had guys in wrong position we were taking bad shots we were forcing a lot of things and we become very undisciplined no matter if you have a 15 point lead or 20 point lead you start creating bad habits, that bad habits carried over and in this region this is going to be one or two possession games that you going to need you better be making the right decision and if you start creating bad habits bad habits carried over …, Stratton said.  

 Knights had six fouls in the second half while UConn at Avery Point had two in total during the game the Knights had ten while UConn had four.  

Knights defeated UConn Avery Point 67 to 47 this is the Knights first six game winning streak since 2008-09 season.  

After the game I had a chance to talk to Jasjit Banwait of Malton Ontario who scored 4 points, 5 rebounds and played 17 minutes.

I asked him if he knows this is the first since 2008-09 season that they won 6 in a row “I didn’t know that this is a great team to be a part of we going for a championship we should be winning six in a row,” Banwait said.   

It will be a good battle on Feb.1,  the red-hot Knights Basketball will face Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) in the road. CCRI are 10-0 in conference division game and 12-2 overall. Tipoff is scheduled to be at 7 p.m.