The St. Paul girls basketball team kept up their undefeated run in NVL play with a 59-37 win over Naugatuck on Monday night inside the friendly confines of the Rev. Brian W. Monnerat Gymnasium.
Janessa Gonzalez led the Falcons (7-0 NVL, 7-2 overall) with 24 points, eight assists and six steals. Gonzalez was all over the court for St. Paul, on both offense and defense.
Jade Udoh tallied 14 points and 14 rebounds. Udoh, listed at six-foot-one, showed off a strong all-around game, which included starting fast breaks by dribbling down the floor after grabbing a rebound.
St. Paul also got eight points from Olivia Stump and seven points from Kailyn Bielecki. The Falcons will be even more dangerous with offensive contributions from players like Stump and Bielecki, which would help take the defensive focus off Gonzalez and Udoh.
St. Paul’s pressure defense turned an eight-point first quarter lead into a 22-point halftime bulge. The Falcons didn’t let the Greyhounds breathe at times, smothering the visitors and stealing the ball. Few passes were safe, and St. Paul forced turnovers from behind after Naugatuck broke the initial pressure. The Falcons are propelled by their defense, and the more effective it is, the more dangerous they become.
St. Paul hosts Watertown today at 7 p.m. and Ansonia on Friday at 7 p.m. The Falcons have a huge showdown against Holy Cross on Monday, Martin Luther King Day, at 3 p.m., in Bristol.
Photo captions — Above: St. Paul’s Janessa Gonzalez surveys the Naugatuck defense during Monday night’s game. Below: St. Paul’s Jade Udoh drives to the basket. (Photos copyright, Sports on CT-69)
Gallery
Here are my photos from Monday night’s St. Paul game.
