DARIEN, Conn. The Darien YMCA Blue 6th grade boys basketball team split a pair of games over the weekend against its toughest rivals in the Fairfield County Basketball League.
Darien (27-3) beat Mt. Vernon, N.Y., on Saturday, 65-54. The New York team was the only team to beat Darien last year. On Sunday, Darien fell in a road contest to the Fairfield PAL 76ers, 38-33. Fairfield (19-1) lost its first game of the season on Friday to Trumbull Gardens of Bridgeport.
We want to play tough teams like this, Darien coach Joe Marzano said. We like to have tough teams on our schedule. Thats how were going to get better.
Dariens press, usually an effective weapon with the quickness and athleticism of its players, was ineffective against Fairfield. The 76ers led throughout, taking an 18-11 lead at halftime and building a 27-15 lead in the third quarter.
They were prepared, Marzano said. Theyre well-coached and they knew what to do.
Darien mounted a fourth-quarter comeback behind Justin Jordan, who hit three-pointers on three successive trips down the floor to slice Fairfields lead to 33-31 with 5:47 left. Fairfield scored on its next possession and clamped down defensively, holding Darien to 1-for-10 shooting in the final five minutes.
Nick Green scored 15 points for Darien, and Will Enzor added seven and Jordan had nine. The loss snapped an 18-game Darien winning streak in league games dating back to December of 2010.
Darien plays Ridgefield Saturday and meets New Canaan on Feb. 26 before heading into the league tournament in March.
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