Sun Win First Game Behind Historic Effort From Jonquel Jones

Jonquel Jones (35) joined an elite club on Sunday when she scored 20 points
and grabbed 21 boards vs. the Chicago Sky in Rosemont, Ill.

ROSEMONT, ILL. – Jonquel Jones became the first player in Connecticut Sun history to record a 20-20 game, posting career highs of 23 points and 21 rebounds as the Sun earned its first win of the season, routing the Chicago Sky, 97-79, before 4,498 fans on Sunday night at the Allstate Arena. Jones, who became just the 13th player in WNBA history to register at least 20 points and haul down 20 boards in a single game, also had 20 caroms in the season opener against Atlanta, becoming the third player in league history to record multiple 20-rebound games in a single season. Tina Charles had three in 2010, and Sylvia Fowles two in 2013.

Alyssa Thomas chipped in with her fifth career "Double-D," collecting season highs of 17 points and 10 rebounds while also dishing out five assists. She has 11 assists in the last two games for Connecticut, which improved to 1-4. Indeed, the Sun are in the process of becoming a solid road team, having lost to the Minnesota Lynx by just two points in Minneapolis last time out. Lynetta Kizer came off the bench to provide a spark for Connecticut with a season-high 16 points. She matched a season high with seven rebounds.

In a game that featured five ties and six lead changes early in the contest, the Sun built a 27-21 lead over Chicago after one quarter, and held a 12-point advantage, 49-37, at intermission.

Outscored by 46 combined points from the foul line in their first four games this season, the Sun reversed that trend in Rosemont, where they hit a season-high 15 made free throws on 18 attempts in the first half alone. The Sun finished 28-for-39 from the line, outscoring an opponent from the charity stripe for the first time this season. The Sky was 19-for-31.

Chicago cut the Connecticut margin to four—57-53—with 4:38 remaining in the third quarter, but the Sun gradually pulled away behind Jones. Tamera Young led the Sky with 17 point, Allie Quigley added 13, while Cappie Pondexter had an 11-point, 9-assist game. Former UConn favorite Stefanie Dolson chipped in with four points and five boards. The Sky fell to 1-5 on the young season.

Next up for the Sun is a trip to D.C. where they will take on Mike Thibault, Elena Delle Donne and the Washington Mystics on Wednesday, with a special matinee tip-off at 11:30 a.m. The game will be available on WNBA League Pass and CSN New England.

—Staff Reports

Tim Teufel Joins Legends Lineup

By Bob Phillips



Former Mets star Tim Teufel, a Greenwich native, will be a member of
the MLB team in the 20th Anniversary Legends game in Bridgeport.

BRIDGEPORT – The Bridgeport Bluefish 20th Anniversary Legends Game has picked up a major name with a local connection. The seven-inning exhibition contest, which will be played at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard on Sat., Aug. 5, will pit former Bluefish players against former MLB stars who have spent time with the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, or the New York Mets. The newest addition to the MLB Legends team: former Mets infielder Tim Teufel.

A Greenwich native who starred at St. Mary’s High School in his hometown before moving on to become a star at Clemson University, Teufel made his MLB debut in 1983 with the Minnesota Twins. He joined the New York Mets in 1986—just in time for their memorable run to the World Series Championship.

Teufel spent five seasons with the Mets before ending his playing career with the San Diego Padres. After retiring, he has remained active by managing and coaching in the minors, as well as in winter ball in Venezuela. Teufel served as the Mets third base coach from 2011-16, a stint that included their 2015 World Series appearance, and currently is a coach in the Mets’ system, working as “a roving minor league infield instructor and club ambassador.” In this role he is able to work closely with young Mets infielders at every level—which is something he excels at.

“This event will be a very special for the Bluefish as well as the city of Bridgeport as we celebrate our 20th anniversary of baseball at The Ballpark at Harbor Yard,” said Bluefish General Manager Paul Herrmann. “We hosted a similar event in 2015 as a part of our All-Star celebration, and it was hugely successful. We expect to once again draw baseball fans from all over the region to our city for this one-of-a-kind exhibition game.”

The Bluefish team will be a veritable alumni association, including Luis Lopez (2008-14), Willie Upshaw (manager, 1998-2000, 2010-14), Mike Guilfoyle (1998-2003), Adam Greenberg (2008-11 and 2013), Mike Porzio (2005-08 and 2010), and Mike Moras (2011-12), among others.

Besides Teufel, the MLB team will include five former Major Leaguers, including Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez (Yankees, 1998-2002 and 2004; NY Mets, 2006-07), Dwight “Doc” Gooden (Mets, 1984-94; Yankees, 1996-97, 2000), Bill “Spaceman” Lee (Red Sox, ‘69-‘78), Keith Foulke (Red Sox, 2004-06), and Jeff Nelson (Yankees, 1996-2000, 2003).

CLICK HERE to read more about all of our Bluefish and MLB Legends.

In addition, there will be a pre-game Meet & Greet with all of the Bluefish and MLB legends beginning at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for the Meet & Greet include a seat for the game, and can be purchased for $98 by CLICKING HERE or by calling the Bluefish Box Office at 203-210-BLUE.

Game time will be 7 p.m. All tickets for the game itself will be general admission, and are available for $15 in advance ($20 on game day). Tickets can be purchased by CLICKING HERE or by calling the Bluefish Box Office at 203-210-BLUE.

—With Staff Reports

Lynx Take Down Sun for Second Time in Four Days

By Bob Phillips

Sylvia Fowles takes it to the hoop over former
UConn star Morgan Tuck. Fowles led all scorers
with 20 points in an 82-68 Minnesota win.
(Photo Courtesy NBAE)

UNCASVILLE – The Connecticut Sun got off to a slow start and never could recover, dropping an 82-68 decision to the Minnesota Lynx before 6,333 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night. It was the second time the Sun fell to the Lynx in four days, having dropped a heartbreaking 80-78 decision in Minneapolis on Tuesday night. With the win, the Lynx improved to 5-0, while the Sun fell to 0-4.

Sluggish start, you say? The Sun were an abysmal 4-for-14 from the field in the first period (28.6 percent) yet somehow managed to trail by only seven points, 17-10, at the first turn, despite it being the lowest single-period point total for the Sun so far this season.

“I don’t fault our effort,” said Connecticut Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller. “We tried really hard in the first quarter. We got around the paint like we wanted. The game plan was to really attack them and we got around the rim. But we missed a lot of makeable shots early, and sometimes that affects you at the other end, and they counter-punched us.”

The Sun managed to keep things manageable early in the second period, trailing by just six points, 23-17, with a little over seven minutes left until intermission. But a 19-9 run to close out the second frame gave Minnesota a 13-point lead at halftime. From there, the Lynx took the third period by a 22-15 margin to lead by 20, which meant it was time for the fat lady to make an early curtain call.

Connecticut (0-4) was still within six points, trailing 23-17 with 7:12 left in the half when the Lynx went on a 19-9 run to build a 42-29 halftime lead. The Sun never got closer than 14 the rest of the night.
 

The Lynx, last year’s WNBA runners-up to the LA Sparks, were led by Sylvia Fowles with 20 points. Rebekkah Brunson and Renee Montgomery—another former UConn and Sun star—each added 11 points for Minnesota.

Minnesota has arguably been the WNBA’s most dominant franchise since 2011, appearing in five Finals and winning three championships in that six-year span. Much of the Lynx success can be attributed to Maya Moore, the UConn legend who was drafted No. 1 overall by Minnesota in 2011, and Lindsay Whalen, the former Sun star and first-round draft choice of the Sun who was traded to her home-state team in 2010. Last night, however, neither Moore (seven points, 1-for-9 from the floor) nor Whalen (9 points) played particularly large roles for the Lynx—although Moore, following the “Larry Bird Playbook” (excelling in other areas when the shot vanishes) was the game’s leading rebounder with 11 boards.

Lynetta Kizer with 12 points—her high mark for the young seasons—was the only member of the Sun to score in double digits. The Sun were pounded on the boards, being out-rebounded by a 43-27 margin by the Lynx.

“[Rebounding] has been our M.O.,” said Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve after the contest. “Connecticut is a good rebounding team, but I thought we had a little bit better understanding that we had to finish plays and not give them second-chance points.”

“Coach [Reeve] has been stressing that throughout the year that she wants five in the paint,” added Fowles, the former LSU star and three-time Olympian. “We try to do exactly what she says, because if we don’t it’s not pleasant. We just try to take little steps.”

The news wasn’t all bad for Connecticut, of course. Lynetta Kizer (6-for-11 from the field) led the Sun with 12 points to tie her season high. 2017 first-round draft choice Rookie Brionna Jones finished with five points. The University of Maryland product was 2-for-2 from the field and 1-for-2 from the charity stripe in her WNBA debut. Shekinna Stricklen went 3-for-3 from downtown New London, accounting for all of her nine points. She also contributed a season-high four rebounds and two steals. Rachel Banham finished with a season-high seven points, while Courtney Williams tied her season high off the boards with five rebounds.

“We kind of have to forget about it,” said Morgan Tuck, last year’s first-round pick out of UConn. “We play Sunday (vs. Chicago), so we don’t have too long to dwell on it. So, you just have to watch film [Saurday]t and learn from it and try to improve next game.” Tuck is the Sun’s leading scorer thus far with a 13-point average in the 2017 campaign.

The Sky are led by Cappie Pondexter (15.4 points per game; 8.2 assists per game), Allie Quigley (15 points) and Jessica Breland (8.2 boards per contest). Tip-off on Sunday at All State Arenain Rosemont, IL, will be at 6 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on WCCT-TV and NBA TV.

—with  Colleen White and staff reports

Report: Racing To Resume at Speedbowl Next Month

Closed all spring for repairs to the grandstand, the New London-Waterford
Speedbowl, racked by scandal involving its owner, is set to open in June.

WATERFORD —The Day of New London is reporting that engines will start roaring and racing will begin once again at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl beginning in June. According to an anonymous post on the racing venue’s web site, “There is currently a working agreement for the Speedbowl to be leased for the 2017 racing season.”

Doors at the Speedbowl, a major spring/summer/fall attraction in Southeastern Connecticut, have been shut since the first racing weekend, originally scheduled for early May, was cancelled—ostensibly for work on the grandstands. Bad weather was also cited.

However, more apropos to the situation may be that the racetrack’s owner, Bruce Bemer, has been arrested and implicated in a scandal charging him with soliciting sex from young men—many afflicted with cognitive impairment issues. A lawsuit by several of the victims has served to tie up the Bemer’s assets—including the Speedbowl—as well as those of Westport businessman William Trefzger, who was also implicated in the scandal.

Bemer, a Glastonbury-based businessman, has owned the Speedbowl since purchasing the facility in an auction in 2014. If a motion that was filed against the two men by several of their alleged victims goes through, the court will assume the assets of Bemer and Trefzger, who face charges of “patronizing a trafficked person” in Danbury Superior Court. Bemer is currently free on $500,000 bail, while Trefzger remains in custody on a $250,000 bond. Another Enfield man has filed a separate suit alleging that he was victimized by Bemer when he was 15, and seeks to freeze $5 million in assets.

In reaction to the scandal, NASCAR terminated its sanction of the Whelen All-American racing series that was to have begun on May 6. That effectively ended the venue’s major racing event.

According to The Day, Scott Gregory, the Speedbowl’s manager, could not be reached for comment.

                                                                                                                                                         —Staff Reports

 

Islanders, Rangers To Meet in Preseason Contest in Bridgeport

By Bob Phillips

Homecoming: Captain John Tavares (91) is one of 12 Islanders
who have played for the Sound Tigers.

BRIDGEPORT – Friday, Sept. 22 will be what is known as the Autumnal Equinox—otherwise known as the first day of fall. But this year, at least, it will have an entirely different meaning for hockey fans in the Nutmeg State (and New York, for that matter).

On Tuesday, it was announced that the New York Islanders and New York Rangers—arguably the biggest rivalry in the NHL—will come to Bridgeport when the two local NHL teams face-off in a preseason contest at the Webster Bank Arena. It will be the first-ever meeting between the Islanders and Rangers in the Park City. First puck will drop at 7:30 p.m.

The WBA is, of course, home for the Islander’s top minor league affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League. Indeed, 12 members of the current Islanders’ roster were “born in Bridgeport,” as the saying goes.

The Webster Bank Arena has hosted five other NHL preseason games—including last season, when the Islanders faced the Washington Capitals, and 2014 and 2011, when the Isles faced the Boston Bruins. These NHL preseason contests usually draw sell-out crowds to the 8,000-seat venue.

Tickets will go on sale Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available at Ticketmaster, by calling 1-800-745-3000, or in person at the Webster Bank Arena box office. Group ticket information is available by calling 203-345-2300 ext. 7. Executive suites and premium seat packages are also available. For more information, call 203-345-4841.

—With Staff Reports

Sun Drop Opener to Atlanta

By Bob Phillips

                                                                                                                                                     Photos By Bill Harper

Former UConn star Morgan Tuck (33) drives on another former Husky star,
Tiffany Hayes (15), in first-half action.

UNCASVILLE—The Connecticut Sun’s dream of returning to the WNBA postseason for the first time since 2012 got off to a slow start when they dropped the 2017 season opener to the Atlanta Dream, 81-74, before 6,444 fans at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday night. The Dream is playing without superstar Angel McCoughtry who is taking some time off from the WNBA. The former Louisville star and No. 1 overall pick in 2009 has played year-round for eight seasons, led Dynamo Kursk to the 2017 Euroleague championship, and is currently playing with Homenetmen of the Lebanese Basketball League, whom she has led into the LBL Finals.

On Saturday, it was former UConn star Tiffany Hayes who was the No. 1 thorn in the Sun's side. Hayes returned to her state of past glory to lead her current team with 19 points—including an 11-for-12 performance from the foul line—and grabbed six boards. Former Hillhouse of New Haven star Bria Holmes added 15 points, Layshia Clarendon had 14, and Damiris Dantas 13 for Atlanta.

Former UConn star Morgan Tuck—a key member of four Husky national championship teams—drained in a career-high 21 points, while Courtney Williams added 28 for the Sun. Jonquel Jones grabbed a  career-high 20 boards—the most by a Connecticut player since Tina Charles had 22 on June 17, 2012. But ultimately, it didn’t prove to be enough.

The Sun trailed 29-26 at the first turn, and were behind by nine, 51-42, at halftime. They began to chip into Atlanta’s lead in the third period, and after an 8-0 run fueled by back-to-back treys by Jasmine Thomas and Tuck, took a two-point lead with 7:51 remaining in regulation. Brittany Sykes answered with a layup for Atlanta, and Holmes hit two jumpers giving the Dream a 70-66 lead—a lead they would not relinquish.

Atlanta's Tiffany Hayes (15) had a career night from the charity stripe.

Not that the Sun were through. Thomas made a layup with 46 ticks left on the clock to make it a one-possession game, 77-74, but a trey by Hayes 22 seconds later sealed the deal for the Dream.

Atlanta won, despite the fact that it was out-rebounded by the Sun 44-33, including a 10-3 Connecticut advantage off the offensive glass.

“We played a lot better [in the second half],” said Tuck, whose rookie season was cut short with season-ending surgery to repair a torn ligament in her left knee last September. “We fouled a lot less. We just have to be able to do that in the full game.”

Defensively that may have been the case. But the Connecticut defense was virtually non-existent after halftime. Atlanta shot 38.8 percent for the game. But the Sun shot even worse. After a decent first half in which they shot 43.8 percent from the field, the air went out of the ball for Connecticut in the second half as the Sun made just 13 of 42 shots (an abysmal 36.5 percent) after halftime.

“Disappointed obviously in the results,” said Sun head coach and general manager Curt Miller after the contest. “We left a lot of points out there. We were approximately 33-to-35 percent inside the paint tonight. Our post game was around 33 percent. … We left too many points out there. We held a team under 40 percent shooting and didn't come away with a win.”

Morgan Tuck objects to a foul called...and she has a point. Atlanta got to the
foul line 21 times in the first half. They made all 21 tying a league record.

In the end, the Dream won the game at the foul line. Atlanta was 21 for 21 from the charity stripe in the first half, which tied the Los Angeles Sparks for the most free throws made in a half without a miss (LA did it in June 2003). Overall, the Dream were 25 for 27 from the line. Atlanta's 21 first-half points from the charity stripe tied a long-standing WNBA record set by the Los Angeles Sparks in 2003 for the most free throws without a miss in one half of a WNBA game. For the game, the Dream finished 25 of 27 from the free throw line.

“You can't put that team at the foul line,” Miller said. “They just ram it at you late in the shot clock. You've got to be able to guard (them). Tiffany knows how to draw fouls. You've got to understand that.”

The Sun now have a week to regroup as their next game is in Indianapolis next Saturday vs. the Indiana Fever. Tip-off is at 7, and the game will be televised nationally on FS1 (Fox Sports 1).

Kelly Faris Cut