UNCASVILLE – The Shepaug Valley boys basketball team finished its season undefeated at 27-0 with a Division V state championship as the Spartans beat defending champion Old Lyme 58-46 in the Div. V final Saturday afternoon at Mohegan Sun Arena.
It was the first title for the top-seeded Shepaug Valley boys. The Spartans advanced to the state finals in 1983 and 2023 and lost both games.
“I knew we had a good team,” Shepaug Valley coach Matthew Lefevre said. “We didn’t set goals. We played game after game. In the state tournament, we turned up our defense. It was our defense and rebounding that was phenomenal.”
Andrew Konik led Shepaug Valley with 21 points and eight steals. Reed Woerner added 14 and James Kersten 12.
Edward Fiske Jr. led third-seeded Old Lyme (22-5) with 15 points and Colman Curtiss-Reardon and William McKeever had nine each.
“They sped us up, slowed us down, made shots, got to the rim, rebounded – they’re a really good team,” Old Lyme coach Brady Sheffield said. “They’re 27-0 for a reason. It felt like earlier in the game, we shot ourselves in the foot, turning the ball over too much, let them get confidence. We had to come out and execute early and jump on them and it was the exact opposite out there.”
Old Lyme had 23 turnovers and Shepaug Valley scored 26 points off them. Shepaug Valley led 25-14 at halftime and 45-26 after three quarters.
“When they get going and they get into a flow, there’s not a team in Division V that’s going to stop them,” Sheffield said. “But I’m proud of these guys, really proud.”
Division V championship
Shepaug Valley 58, Old Lyme 46
Old Lyme 6 8 12 20 – 46
Shepaug Valley 15 10 20 13 – 58
Old Lyme: Colman Curtiss-Reardon 4 1 9, Ryan Hill 2 0 4, Connor Vautrain 2 0 4, Oliver Wyman 1 0 2, Edward Fiske Jr. 5 4 15, William McKeever 3 0 9, Luca Signora 1 0 3. Totals: 18 5 46.
Shepaug Valley: Andrew Konik 9 2 21, Reed Woerner 4 3 14, James Kersten 4 4 12, Alex Ostrosky 0 0 0, Griffin Blum 4 0 8, Harrison Smith 1 1 3. Totals: 22 10 58.
Records: Old Lyme, 22-5; Shepaug Valley, 27-0.